The best man and maid of honour waited at the back of the church. They stood in front of the closed tall wooden doors until the processional music started. The moment they were halfway down the aisle, the doors opened slowly; revealing the most gorgeous and regal DVI couple of 2020 at their Old Mill Toronto wedding.

As Scott elegantly escorted his bride up the aisle, his face was still filled with the enormity of the moment. Oriyana was glowing with excitement and happiness that not even her veil could hide. It brought us right back to watching the most beautiful royal wedding back in April 2011; the one of Catherine to William, Prince of Wales. It was not the only moment that I experienced hints (big ones) of similarity between both stunning occasions. That walk down the aisle would be our favourite moment we captured of the entire day; and that is saying a lot.

ALL THE ELEGANT DETAILS

This Old Mill Toronto wedding day started off a little hectic with us missing an exit on the 401 in the middle of Toronto. Anyone who lives anywhere near the GTA can only imagine how frustrating that was. Especially on Saturdays, now that they shut Lakeshore down for social distanced exercise, which only added to the congestion. This is when it’s so awesome to realize that we’re with you as long as you want us, and we plan on being at the bride’s getting ready location with plenty of time to spare, giving us a much more relaxed start.

That being said, we were super grateful to finally see the Old Mill of Toronto appear; an absolutely gorgeous location that reminds me a lot of Germany and Belgium. An impeccably maintained grounds with the little touches that just pull it over the top. It suited the image that I had in my head for Scott and Oriyana’s wedding to perfection.

Their stunning engagement session in Stratford was just over a month ago, it was so nice to see them so soon again. Oriyana was one of the most chill brides, and for her knowing that the love of her life would be her husband at the end of the day made her so confident. One of our most graceful brides, the chignon she’d requested suited her perfectly. She had always wanted satin and lace in her wedding dress, and this gorgeous Rita Vinieris creation suited her to perfection.

A ROYAL TOUCH

When I walked into the bridal suite, Oriyana was lounging on the chair. Her maid of honour’s makeup was getting the final touches. She is always the epitome of grace, but today she was especially relaxed and elegant. Her hair was finished, and seeing her dress hanging there, I could only imagine how amazing she was going to look. I told her that I got a “Princess Kate” vibe, especially when I saw her very minimal, but gorgeous, bouquet. Her precise answer to that was, “Well, I can’t say that Catherine’s wedding wasn’t the inspiration for my entire day.” Giggles ensued.

Numerous times throughout this Old Mill Toronto wedding day I really felt like I was photographing royalty. Photographing her details allowed me to get to know a little bit more about her and her maid of honour’s relationship (they are both medical professionals, so whatever happened that day, we knew we were well taken care of, thankfully we didn’t need it).

I found out that Ewa (pronounced Eh-vah) was also at the same pro-life crash course that I was at in 2018. Sadly I can’t remember that. Ewa went to medical school in her home country of Poland. She is now deciding on her speciality, hopefully either paediatrics (I can see why) or family medicine. She’s going to be such an amazing doctor to her patients. In one way I hope I’ll never see her in her official capacity (same with Oriyana, of course). However, if I have to see a doctor or paramedics, seeing either of these amazing women will make the situation better.

BIG MOMENTS

Scott was just checking into his suite when we arrived at the hotel, and when we went to his suite later, we could really see that he was taking the gravity of the nuptial mass very serious. In a world where marriage is taken so lightly, it was amazing to see a husband-to-be really dwelling on the fact that this was a really big deal. Scott, your disposition on Saturday really made us look at our job in a different light for the day, and we just want to say thank you. It is nice to get that reminder once in a while. Oriyana is so blessed to have you by her side.

The first look, albeit a bit rushed, was stunning. Scott was so thrown by Oriyana’s beautiful appearance that he didn’t even kiss her right away. That moment it really hit him that this was the beginning of their forever together. It’s quite something if you think about it that way.

A REGAL ENTRANCE

We got to join the couple and wedding party in their limo to the church. The church was as beautiful as I remembered, although it was a lot emptier. The setup for the livestream allowed all their Ontario and Manitoba guests to attend virtually in the best way possible. Every moment in this church was amazing to capture. Our favourite happened to be the moment that Scott was going to walk his new wife back up the aisle; when she was surprised to hear one of her favourite pieces of music being sung by the choir (I was told it was a Polish song of congratulations). The way that Oriyana looked up at the handsome man beside her cannot be described. This Old Mill Toronto wedding was just full of special little moments.

THE ENDING OF A GORGEOUS DAY

We departed with the Limo back to the Old Mill Hotel, where we spent the next few hours in our glory capturing this couple in as many ways we could. The bridal party was so laid back, and up for anything. A blast was had by all, and by the time we got to dinner it was like we were old friends. After partaking of some of the most amazing appetizers we’ve had for a while at the Adega Restaurante, we said our goodbyes. I don’t think we’ve ever spent the entire trip home talking about every single favourite moment of the day, but we did it this time.

Scott & Oriyana, your wedding day just flew by. We know there were things that you’d hoped to have different, but we just want you to know that your wedding day has left us feeling so blessed. Capturing your beautiful love story was a special honour, and getting to know you is something we’ll always cherish. We wish you both God’s blessing as you start this new part of your lives together, but also in your respective occupations. May God be with you through the ups and downs; we know with Him all things are possible.

The Vendor Team

Venue | Old Mill Toronto
Dress | Rita Vinieris
Hair & Makeup | Michele Gomes
Florals | Oleander Floral Design
Tuxes | Moore’s Clothing
Bridesmaid Dress | Petra Van Lagen
Shoes | Naturalizer
Rings | Reesor’s Jewellery
Videography | Ben & Krys Films