Simkova Studios | Wedding & Commercial Photographers

The kind of wedding you wish for every couple: one where the beauty of the event was only surpassed by the emotion in the room. Christina & Nick- a wedding we’ll never forget. - Full wedding post on - Planning | @thisisduet Photography | @bsimkova x @simkovastudios Supporting Photographer | @thisismaxpower Florals | @patchoulidesign Dress | @pronovias Hair | @shanpetrohair MUA | Beauty by Sandra Stationary | @paperandposte Rentals | @detailzfurniturerentals Catering | @tobenfoodbydesign Linens | @simplybeautifuldecor Vinyls | @eventgraffiti Music | @solepower

There’s a reason why Vogue named @bluelavenderevents one of the best planners in Canada (long before “best of” lists were used as a marketing tactic.) From our first wedding together, I’ve been awe of the attention and care that Iris puts into her work. It’s not just about her sense of style & design but it’s about how she includes her clients and vendors in the creative process to ensure jaw dropping results. When we chatted about a branding session for her company, it was no different. Here’s just a few ways Iris ensured we made the most of our time together: 1️⃣ MOODBOARDS! Iris’ moodboard included photos of every aspect of our shoot. This became essential to helping us get a ton of variety in the session. Photos included portraits, posing, work setups, tablescapes and more. 2️⃣ Gather an all star team. For this shoot Iris did it all: a wicked manicure in advance, makeup by a trusted artist, wicked florals & rentals, aesthetically stunning treats that all in a consistent design palette and style. 3️⃣ To get more variety consider all aspects of the process of working with your clients and how that can be showcased visually. Here’s just a short list of what we captured: - fresh headshots & portraits - photos of the design process with materials like magazines, swatches, invitations and more - photos of what communication looks like: on a laptop, connecting and chatting in real life, - snapshots of styling and adding finishing touches to a table just like an event planner would do on an event day - detail shots that could accompany a roll out of headshots on socials and in web design - images that show celebration (THESE ARE SO USEFUL - think launches, accomplishments, anniversaries & more) we captured these with lots and lots of 🍾🥂🍾 - Styling & Concept | @bluelavenderevents Photography | @bsimkova x @simkovastudios Florals | @flower_rzy MUA | @aglowbyjoan Stationary | @paperandposte Cakes | @bobbetteandbelle Rentals | @tabletalesinc Location | Private Home

Being in the Caribbean always makes me a little extra nostalgic for weddings celebrated against the turquoise blue backdrop of the sea. Weddings like Liann & Curt’s colorful Casa Malca nuptials that will stay with me and my Caribbean loving heart forever. - Planning | @theeventeur Photography | @bsimkova x @simkovastudios Florals | @eothen Venue | @casamalca Dress | @graceloveslace Stationary | @emerence.deposeta

I am so grateful. Three years ago today I took one of the scariest leaps of my life, walked away from security, started @simkovastudios and became the first female business owner in the lineage of fierce women in my family. That day, despite the fear, I whispered to those generations that came before me that I would do good by all the sacrifice they had made to get me here. Three years later, I’m still striving to that same end: to achieve what so many before me couldn’t by actualizing and realizing my full potential. While I haven’t reached that destination, the journey has sure been incredible. I’ve been a lot of incredible places, met a lot of unbelievable people and captured some work in so proud of. It’s been a gift to see that work celebrated whether it’s in the pages of a magazine, a screen of someone’s phone or framed on one of your walls. What’s been most rewarding is the lessons. There have been many hard ones, but mostly they’ve been healing ones. Lessons about stepping into your worth, about accepting and cherishing support, community and appreciation. I’ve been humbled by the depth of trust my clients & couples place in me, the warmth they give and the intimacy they share. I’ve been so fortunate to be supported by an incredible team who have carried me when I couldn’t go on, inspired me and made sure my couples were taken care of when I could barely take care of myself. (An extra special shout out goes to my team of incredible shooters whose work supports mine, friends who listen and advise, to @thecutestninja who saves me daily from myself, @jordanagoldlist for inspiring a vision of future I never dreamed possible and the MVP @ysimek for the innumerable ways she waters my garden so I can continue to grow.) If you’ve been in front of my camera, have hired me, suggested my name at the mention of opportunity, stood by my side or just cheered me on here on social media, know your support means the world. I am so lucky. I am so grateful. - Opening image | @thisismaxpower Slide 5 | @holly.blair

Who says grooms can’t have gorgeous flat lays? Jared & James’ details, five different ways. Featured by @theodoremagazine - Planning | @thisisduet Venue | @1hotel.toronto Photography | @simkovastudios Supporting Photographers | @thisismaxpower @nixhernandezphoto Invitation | @paperdollstudio Jewelry | @jaredbrowndesigns Florals | @joeybutta Officiant | @themarryinglady

OTRO OAXACA | where light is art. Staying in this stunning space was such a feast for the eyes: sharp lines of architecture wrangling light into moving art, highlighting the precision of form created from the mind of architect Joao Boto Caerio. Truly an inspiring space for the imaginative traveler. - 📍 @otrooaxaca Shot for | @theeventeur - #oaxacamexico #oaxacacity #otrooaxaca #suitcasetravels #simkovatravels #simkovastudios #visitoaxaca #oaxacatravel #designhotels #joaobotocaeiro #brutalism #brutalistarchitecture

An inspired afternoon with Karmen. - I came across Karmen and @tightclinic in the pandemic. Curious about her offerings I was immediately drawn to the way she, her business and staff approached beauty: less focus on judging and “fixing” ourselves and more focus on empowering and celebrating our beauty. I felt it online and even more so walking through the doors of Tight Clinic and every step of the way after (Karmen texted me herself as a part of the follow up process for my treatments which blew me away.) Years later, that loving, encouraging and positive vibe still oozes from every interaction I share with this woman. As she begins to amplify this message even more with her new initiative @collectivesummit - a summit aimed to inspire and uplift women, I was beyond honoured to be able to capture these images for her. - #simkovastudios | #shotbybarb

Scenes from one of my favourite cities on earth, Oaxaca. - Trip Planning | @theeventeur Accommodation | @otrooaxaca - #visitoaxaca | #simkovatravels | #visitmexico

Back in the vibrant streets of Oaxaca and it feels so good. Here for a wicked few days with The @theeventeur team to document everything their amazing company is about. These scenes are from the first trip Mahla and I took here together- a feverish 32hour visit that left us both itching for more. It feels so special to return together, at a time both of our businesses and lives have grown and shifted so much and create work that will help us both take the next steps we’ve dreamed of. I’m so grateful that this magic place is here to be the stage for such a meaningful trip & moment.

Would you change your vacation plans for more work? I did. And here’s the project I did it for. - It was a chilly and bright March day at when I joined @serenaryder , @your.hunni , @madzcientist & @meagandelima in studio as they pulled out their instruments and layer down their track “Changing.” A week earlier @rhiannonrosalind had reached out and asked if I was available for a shoot and even though I was supposed to be sitting in the beach in the Dominican, I had to know more (the last time we worked together I got to shoot @barackobama so…) I learned all about the @lunarstudioscanada initiative. Three incredible artists spent hours listening to women in corporate Canada share what holds them back from bringing their full skills and selves to the workplace. The goal: to create the “HeARTwork Challenge” - a pledge for corporate Canada to ratify: tangible steps so that the corporate workplace becomes a space where women can more readily excel. But @consciouseconomics understood that change doesn’t happen without ART. And so, these talented musicians created a song from the testimony of hundreds of voices from across Canada - a rally cry for this movement toward equity. To hear them live, to witness the exchange of knowledge & mentorship @serenaryder shared had me welling up with tears all day. Truly a moment worth trading a few beach days for, I couldn’t be more grateful to have been a part of it all. - Project by | @consciouseconomics x @lunarstudioscanada Musicians | @your.hunni @meagandelima @madzcientist Production | @serenaryder Studio | @welcometoarthaus

A few dreamy frames from Hailey & Lorne’s epic @agotoronto wedding. - Planning | @thisisduet Venue | @ago_events Florals | @stemzflowers Dress | @lovelybridenyc Hair | @gil.way x @saysalstudio MUA | @annewiseblott Stationary | @paperandposte Flatware | @splendidsettings Floors | @reznickeventcarpets Band | @solepower Video | @hidden_light_films Supporting Photographer | @nixhernandezphoto

We relaunched our website. Hours of work, years of shooting, all live in one location. I’m so excited for you all to see what I *actually* can do in full. I hope you stop by and take a look (on your real laptop because it’s soooo much better than on mobile) - Special thank you to the team @flothemes for getting us here, to @paperandposte for the wicked brand design and @thecutestninja for helping, encouraging me and ensuring I actually got this done. - Go look at photos pls!