A Timeless Wedding at The Old Mill with Kate & Kevin

you know those people you instantly feel connected to? the ones who are so inviting, who instantly put you at ease? that is, without a doubt, kate & Kevin.

It’s funny because doing all of these things is part of our job— trying to make people feel comfortable and at ease while getting your photo professionally taken because lol we know that it can be weird!— but with Kate & Kevin (to us) it all came from them. We sometimes think of our engagement sessions are an opportunity to hang out together more than focusing on shooting, in that we’re pretty chill and treat it like a low pressure opportunity to work together before your wedding day. That sentiment was very much true for Kate & Kevin and shooting their engagement photos some months before this, so much so that their wedding day felt so much like a continuation of that.

The Old Mill is a timeless wedding venue in Toronto and is one of our favourite places to shoot; the grounds are so beautiful, there’s a scenic Humber River trail across the way (more suitable for an engagement session tbh), and having the combination of also being a hotel makes it a practical choice too. Both Kate & Kevin got ready in their own rooms, and they both— funny enough— had a surprise for each other, with Kate’s arriving early in the day (a sentimental music sheet), and Kevin’s arriving later (a live painting by Painted by Dianna). We’re not often used to a calm, quiet, getting ready process but both Kate and Kevin have a warm and peaceful presence to them that really set the tone to their day and made everything run so smoothly.

The was no shortage of emotion at their ceremony that took place in the classic Old Mill chapel. The entire space was filled with happy tears and so much love for these two! Our favourite (photo) part of the celebration was actually taking a new POV for their first kiss! Standing behind the couple facing out towards the crowd is not always an accessible position to get into (space and/or movement restrictions, sometimes just because of the logistics of getting into that exact spot at the exact time without disrupting the flow of everything) but Hannah managed to effortlessly pull it off, and so beautifully no less!

Kate had the kindest, most heartwarming, words to share about shooting with Hannah:

“You have made this entire journey so much fun and have brought such a calming, happy aura to every experience (in person, through email, over the phone and through text). As we mentioned […], after our first email I remember yelling downstairs to Kevin, "I found our wedding photographer! Her name is Hannah and I feel like I already know her! Call off the search!" :-) Just like I knew you would back in February when we first chatted, you have captured the feeling of love and joy in every photograph. You are so incredibly gifted and we couldn't be more thrilled you were by our side capturing these special moments. We appreciate you so much and everything you've done for us.”

click the photos below to enlarge through

sometimes our favourite part of a wedding are speeches

It’s a fun opportunity to learn more about our couples from other peoples perspectives; to hear some intimate stories, playful banter, and to learn of all of the incredible milestones they have reached in their lives— together and individually— that brought them to where they are today. Both Kate & Kevin’s friends and family shared emotional and heartwarming stories throughout the evening, it was such a beautiful addition to dinner. As expected everyone hit the dance floor after this, and the night ended in the best way possible: with some high energy dancing!