Acrewood (aka Gen)—Ontario & Quebec Wedding Photographer

They were childhood friends; their families woven together across generations. There was an emotional weight to the day. His late mothers, framed and held close. The tears he didn’t try to hide during his vows. But there was also laughter that felt just as important as the tears. Her dad sliding down the banister, their daughter dancing with her cousins. A love that had been waiting, finally coming home. [ontario wedding photographer, toronto wedding photographer, montreal wedding photographer, canadian wedding photographer, destination wedding photographer, storytelling wedding photography, cinematic wedding photographer] #princeedwardcountywedding #thecapepicton Planning & Design @mildred_coevents Venue @thecapepicton Florals @westbriarfloral Drapery @eventuredesign Stationery @bysarahalexandra Hair @alexisibero MUA @jeigebeauty

I’m not the kind of mom that tells my kids to stop jumping on the couch or to swing a little closer to the ground. I encourage the opposite (my hubby even more than me). Not because I want them to get hurt, but because I want them to learn to trust themselves. When I was younger, there was this weight of obligation and composure I carried with me. I felt responsible for making sure everyone else was taken care of. So, I never really let myself play. And I’ve become so curious about how that kind of composure has translated into who I am as an adult. But when I’m creating work, when I’m photographing a wedding, a family, or working on a creative shoot, I don’t feel that nagging pull to be “perfect.” I’m not sure why, but my mind feels safe to explore, and try things that are unpredictable or unexpected. And when the people I’m photographing let themselves do the same, and follow whatever impulse shows up, the energy changes. It builds. You’re not just being photographed anymore. You’re actually in it. [ontario wedding photographer, toronto wedding photographer, montreal wedding photographer, canadian wedding photographer, destination wedding photographer, storytelling wedding photography, cinematic wedding photographer]#montrealweddingphotographer #ottawaweddingphotographer #torontoweddingphotographer Host & Lead Photographer @chelsea.gurr Planning & Design @salutidesigns Dress Maker, Speaker @ateliercaravaggio Guest Photographer @koko_king_photo Video & 16mm @peakandcoast Content Creation @loveinbloomcontent HMUA @gaenorrlaverty Rentals & Drapery @studiorcrentals Tabletop Rentals @splendidsettings Tables @element_event_solutions Florals @studio__rye Food Styling @piefelicia Jewellery & Accessories @alexandramannjewelry Stationery @tonesof.home Canvas Backdrops @backdropsgallery Venue @haciendasereda Models s.zirvi & @belayazzz  for @iconmodelmanagement Film Sponsor @allthingsfilm.ca

Details. [ontario wedding photographer, toronto wedding photographer, montreal wedding photographer, canadian wedding photographer, destination wedding photographer, storytelling wedding photography, cinematic wedding photographer] #weddingalbums #weddingalbum #montrealweddingphotographer #ottawaweddingphotographer #torontoweddingphotographer Host & Lead Photographer @chelsea.gurr Planning & Design @salutidesigns Dress Maker, Speaker @ateliercaravaggio Guest Photographer @koko_king_photo Video & 16mm @peakandcoast Content Creation @loveinbloomcontent HMUA @gaenorrlaverty Rentals & Drapery @studiorcrentals Tabletop Rentals @splendidsettings Tables @element_event_solutions Florals @studio__rye Food Styling @piefelicia Jewellery & Accessories @alexandramannjewelry Stationery @tonesof.home Canvas Backdrops @backdropsgallery Venue @haciendasereda Models s.zirvi & @belayazzz  for @iconmodelmanagement Film Sponsor @allthingsfilm.ca

We’re so conditioned to think that a photographer needs to be right in the middle of the action, documenting every single detail to prove an event even happened. But I’ve found that repeatedly crowding a moment usually ends up suffocating it. When I step back, when I notice where the shadows are enveloping a space, or when I leave a vast expanse of wall or sky above you, it changes the entire weight of the photo. It stops being a mere record and becomes an honest reflection of how it felt to be there. [ontario wedding photographer, toronto wedding photographer, montreal wedding photographer, canadian wedding photographer, destination wedding photographer, storytelling wedding photography, cinematic wedding photographer, wedding album] #weddingalbums #weddingalbum #montrealweddingphotographer #ottawaweddingphotographer #torontoweddingphotographer Photographer: @acrewoodcs Stylist & Planner: @mildred_coevents   Venue: @thebellriggshouse Florals: @westbriarfloral Models: @feihzzz @modeelle Dress & Accessories: @revellebridal Cake: @ashleeyskitchen Stationery: @codycalligraphy Hair: @ehuyckehair Makeup: @meganbrownmakeupartistry

Our youngest turned 4 this weekend, and I genuinely don’t know where the time went. I ended up doing what I always do when I’m feeling nostalgic: looking back through old photos. Eventually, I landed on the photos from mine and Anthony’s wedding. Ever since becoming a mom, I’ve felt the weight of how fast time moves, even when you are paying attention. I sometimes imagine when our boys are older and how we’ll look through these photos together. They’ll ask questions and we’ll get to tell them stories of the people, the details, and all the meaningful things that shaped our wedding day. And I hope my boys hold those photos close and come back to them now and then. The way I do with my grandmother’s wedding album. Those photos were how I got to know a side of her I never actually met; the woman she was before she became a mother, and my grandmother. And even though she’s passed, when I look at those photos, it’s my way of feeling close to her. To me, photos are so much more than proof of what happened. They’re our way back: to those memories, to ourselves, and to those we loved fiercely. [ontario wedding photographer, toronto wedding photographer, montreal wedding photographer, canadian wedding photographer, destination wedding photographer, storytelling wedding photography, cinematic wedding photographer, wedding album] #weddingalbums #weddingalbum #montrealweddingphotographer #ottawaweddingphotographer #torontoweddingphotographer

*can never contain excitement* [ontario wedding photographer, toronto wedding photographer, montreal wedding photographer, canadian wedding photographer, destination wedding photographer, storytelling wedding photography, cinematic wedding photographer, wedding album] #weddingalbums #weddingalbum #montrealweddingphotographer #ottawaweddingphotographer #torontoweddingphotographer Designed by @studiofreefolk Printed by @dekoraalbum

I’ve been thinking about mood boards lately. And, listen, I LOVE a good mood board. But I find most brides create them thinking that’s what they want: the exact pose, the dress, the lighting, the vibe. But what they’re really drawn to isn’t the photo itself. It’s the feeling it gives them. That feeling doesn’t come from copying. It comes from context. From trust, and something real happening in that moment. Every couple moves differently. Touches differently. Carries their story a little differently. So even if we tried to recreate the exact pose, in the exact light, with the exact dress, it still wouldn’t feel the same. [ontario wedding photographer, toronto wedding photographer, montreal wedding photographer, canadian wedding photographer, destination wedding photographer, storytelling wedding photography, cinematic wedding photographer] Workshop: @film____club Planning and design: @seaandsilkevents   Florals: @maisonanthea   Stationery: @shellyzstudio Flooring: @ottawadancefloors Rentals: @tabletalesinc  @lavisheventsottawa @groupeabp MUAH: @rebeccarosebeauty_   @beautybycolls Candles: @bareandcobytee Cake: @batterupbakery Rings: @storbymargot Model: @mimmodels @katpasss Dress: @valencienne1985

Leather bound. Hand-torn edges. Archival paper. Not me drooling over this album… [ontario wedding photographer, toronto wedding photographer, montreal wedding photographer, canadian wedding photographer, destination wedding photographer, storytelling wedding photography, cinematic wedding photographer, print your photos] Photography: @acrewoodcs Stylist & Planner: @mildred_coevents Venue: @carswellhouse Florals: @nectarflowersottawa Couple: @madison.alyy @jonathan_yame Dress & Accessories: @sindersbridal Jewelry: @sindersbridal @oliveandpiper Groom’s Attire: @ottawa_blandindelloye Bridal Intimates: @montelleintimates Makeup Artist: @waringmakeup Hair: @erinheatherbeauty Stationery: @bysarahalexandra Rentals: @simplybeautifuldecor @afterhours__events Album design: @studiofreefolk

I’ve always been fascinated by how people are with each other. Not just what they say, but how their body language shifts depending on who’s in the room. The polite distance with a relative you barely know. The way your shoulders drop when you’re around someone you don’t have to perform for. How you reach for someone you’ve known your whole life versus someone you just met. Those little split-second moments show who people actually are to each other, and how they love. And it’s probably one of my favourite parts of a wedding. [ontario wedding photographer, toronto wedding photographer, montreal wedding photographer, canadian wedding photographer, destination wedding photographer, storytelling wedding photography, cinematic wedding photographer]

Not your mom’s kind of getting ready… [ontario wedding photographer, toronto wedding photographer, montreal wedding photographer, canadian wedding photographer, destination wedding photographer, storytelling wedding photography, cinematic wedding photographer, film photographer, bridal boudoir] Photography: @acrewoodcs Venue: @spaocentre Hair & Makeup: @waringmakeup Veil & Accessories: @sindersbridal Model: @alyxandramadison Bridal Intimates: @oneempiresleep

I’m team first look. Not because tradition doesn’t matter, but because presence does. You’ve been apart all morning. You’re about to walk down an aisle in front of everyone you know. A moment together before that, to ground yourselves, to remember why you’re here, to actually see each other,  changes the rest of the day. You’ll still probably cry when you see each other at your ceremony, but the nerves might be a bit more settled. You’re not meeting each other for the first time in front of an audience. From a timeline perspective, it means portraits are done before the ceremony. You get to actually enjoy your cocktail hour rather than disappearing during your own party. You’re spending time with the people you invited. And isn’t that the point?! A first look gives you time that’s just yours before it belongs to everyone else. [ontario wedding photographer, toronto wedding photographer, montreal wedding photographer, canadian wedding photographer, destination wedding photographer, storytelling wedding photography, cinematic wedding photographer, film photographer]

I’m a perfectionist. People have told me that my whole life. The other day my husband looked over my shoulder while I was editing and said “do you really think they’ll notice that small change?” Without even thinking I said “that’s not the point.” Because it isn’t. The point is that I will. And I’ll know. That’s not just how I edit. It’s why I emboss every handwritten letter I send to clients. It’s how I deliver galleries and edit videos that make even me cry. It’s how I show up on a wedding day. Every single thing that leaves my hands has been truly considered. That’s the only way I know how to work. [ontario wedding photographer, toronto wedding photographer, montreal wedding photographer, canadian wedding photographer, destination wedding photographer, storytelling wedding photography, cinematic wedding photographer, film photographer] Workshop: @film____club Planning and design: @seaandsilkevents Florals: @maisonanthea Stationery: @shellyzstudio Flooring: @ottawadancefloors Rentals: @tabletalesinc @lavisheventsottawa @groupeabp MUAH: @rebeccarosebeauty_ @beautybycolls Candles: @bareandcobytee Cake: @batterupbakery Rings: @storbymargot Model: @mimmodels @katpasss Dress: @valencienne1985