Toronto Wedding Venues - Outdoor Weddings

Here are a list of outdoor wedding venues in close proximity to GTA which I have had the pleasure making photographs in and been since in love with.

Garden of New Eden Farm

This is actually a private farm of the bride's. The idea is we can be creative when it comes to a wedding location. It doesn't have to be the fanciest place and in fact a private space often means more to the couple and their families. Don't hesitate to ask if a nearby farm that you adore would be interested in renting their space for your special day. Throwing a DIY farm wedding of your choice of decorations and catering can be cool and very intimate.

Lulu's Repose

Say yes to a cottage wedding! This is another one of my absolute favours. Similar idea to a private farm wedding - it's perfect for a very intimate experience and very Canadian I find. We're blessed with beautiful farms and cottages in Ontario. Most can be reached within 30 to 90 minutes drive from the city core and are very accessible from all directions. Lulu's Repose is in Magnetawan, North of Muskoka. It's a beautiful, luxury cottage with a cool, rustic looking interior and a outdoor ceremony space overseeing the lake. They have featured some of my images on their newly renovated website and I won't hesitate to travel to this lovely place for more weddings and intimate events. Click here to see the last wedding I shot there.

Graydon Hall Manor

Graydon Hall Manor is a hidden germ located in North York, just 20 minutes drive from downtown Toronto and right off highway 401 and highway 404. It's a extremely convenient location for wedding guests coming from all directions and a very private space for intimate weddings. Unlike other intimate wedding venues, Graydon Hall can fit a relatively large party. It's a mini version of Casa Loma. It's a grand, castle wedding venue but small enough that you can have the space all to yourself on a wedding day. I love all the features this space has to offer, from the tasteful interior design to the grand architecture to the well maintained garden. It's one of the best wedding venues in Toronto that offers both privacy and splendidness. Graydon Hall Manor is very photogenic which can only make your wedding photos extraordinary. I'm shooting another wedding here soon at this amazing venue. Click here to see the last wedding I shot there.

Holcim Waterfront Estate (update - Harding Waterfront Estate as of 2018)

Holcim Waterfront Estate is a nice alternative wedding venues on the west end of the city. Located by the waterfront in Mississauga, this venue is very modern and private. It has spacious outdoor spaces both in the front and back of the beautiful building.

Toronto Islands

If you don't care for absolute privacy and rather throw in some randomness and urban elements to your wedding day, multiple locations on the Toronto Islands can be an unique experience. I have a wedding coming up next year in Ward's Island Association. This one in the picture was a outdoor wedding ceremony also on Ward's Island, overseeing the CN Tower and Toronto cityscape. I love the casualness to this alternative wedding venue. It's perfect for urban couples, hipster brides and grooms and a perfect laid back, artistic, bohemian wedding. Click here to see the last wedding ceremony I shot on the Islands.

Willow Springs Winery

This is just one example of the many beautiful winery we have in Ontario. Willow Springs is located in Newmarket, an alternative to Niagara-on-the-Lake and Prince Edward County. There are more options in Prince Edward County and more so in Niagara-on-the-Lake but Newmarket is closer to the city and has its location advantage. Winery weddings offer a large outdoor space for photos and to host a fun party yet high level of privacy if you have the venue to yourself.

Click to see a list of small wedding venues in Toronto for your intimate wedding.

Auberge du Pommier Wedding | Leayen and Anthony's Intimate Celebration

"Ally did our engagement session and wedding luncheon. She is a lovely photographer with a natural talent to capture those genuine moments in a unique and stunning way. I loved how she even captured the small things going on with our guests in the background during the hectic luncheon. The photos received from both sessions were so beautiful; I'm so glad I selected Ally to capture our precious moments. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, Ally's pictures are worth a multitude more than a thousand.!"

Thank you Leayen and Anthony for leaving me such a sweet review on Google

I've been waiting for Leayen and Anthony's special day to come for two years. These two lovely reached out to me back in August 2014. I vividly remembered during our consultation, they mentioned that having a great time with close friends and family over good food and photography were the two things on the top of their wedding planning list. This couldn't go wrong. I thought in my head. Life got into the way and their wedding had to be postponed for a year to 2016 due to health issue. One year later, the same important people showed up in these two's simply luncheon reception in Auberge du Pommier and the party couldn't be better. Their choice of wedding venue reflected what's important to them. Their Auberge du Pommier wedding was intimate and minimalistic. It's a true, honest celebration that reflects Leayen and Anthony's down-to-earth personalities. I was extremely honour to be a part of this joyful day and thrilled that my bride and groom both loved how their wedding images turned out. Also on my end, the food at Auberge du Pommier was top-notch. I'm already missing that tuna steak I had...

Lots of love,
Ally

Spring Engagement Photos in Toronto | Annum + Abdullah

As a documentary wedding photographer specialized in making candid, in-the-moment pictures, I used to struggled with engagement sessions. Like many of my marrying couples, posing is not my favourite thing. As time goes by, I do have a different perspective and appreciate an engagement session before the wedding day. So are most of my clients. My brides and grooms are happy with a casual portrait session that gets them used to the camera and they always find the engagement pictures come out more natural than they've expected. I also learn to have a lot of fun with alternative and creative approach to posing. This engagement session with Annum and Abdullah in Allan Gardens in downtown Toronto is no exception. We are originally planning for a Spring engagement but as unpredictable as Toronto's weather can get, there's no surprise that we have to make last minute changes to the previous engagement idea. Allan Gardens is a perfect, alternative indoor space for good quality lighting and some green which most of the other indoor locations lack. I'm certainly adding Allan Gardens, this amazingly decent greenhouse to my list of favourite unique engagement locations in Toronto. Especially in the Toronto winter or a belayed Spring, what's better than staying in the warm but still creatively getting images like those taken out in the nature. These images, some natural candids and some artistically posed portraits, truly reflect these two's fun personalities and strong connection to each other. I can't wait to photograph Annum and Abdullah's Milton wedding in May!