I am thrilled to be both a sponsor and judge for The Cake Show this year! The show is taking place at the Artscape Wychwood Barns in Toronto from 11-5 on Sunday May 6th, 2012.
As a sponsor I am providing a logo design for the winning cake designer (valued at $2500).
Here are a few pictures from last years show.
The Artscape Wychwood Barns are located at 601 Christie Street, Toronto.
I hope to see you there!
Email to a friendA few months ago I got to sit down with Tara McMullen at her studio and chat about her photography business. I thought Tara was still up the street from me on Queen – as I used to walk by her sandwich board sign all the time – however, when I called about the blog I found she has moved just over the bridge to River Street. Despite the fact that she is no longer in Riverdale and Leslieville – I decided to write about her anyway since I’m a huge fan of her work (and she’s still within walking distance)!
While Tara was working towards a PHD in Sociology at the University of Toronto, she bought a camera on Craigs list and started taking pictures of friends. She quickly fell in love with the medium and realised she could incorporate her interest in human behaviour and taking pictures by photographing weddings! A wedding is full of families and friends with different backgrounds and relationships which she finds fascinating.
Tara officially started her business in the summer of 2008 after working as a second shooter with Catherine Farquharson and Calla Evans. Along with photographing weddings, Tara does family and boudouir sessions. She takes on no more than 25 weddings a year so she can focus in quality over quantity.
The style of Tara’s photography is natural with a light, fun and whimsical feel – although it depends on the couple and of course the venue. Whenever I visit her website the photos I see make me smile. What more can you ask for!
www.taramcmullen.com
info@taramcmullen.com
416.454.8272
I recently say down for tea and cookies with Jessica Blaine Smith to chat with her about her business as part of my tour of the neighbourhood. We had met each other a few times over the past few years but I didn’t feel I knew her very well so I really enjoyed seeing her studio and photos as well as and hearing her thoughts on wedding photography.
Jessica started her business in 2003 after graduating from Ryerson University with a degree in Photography. I asked her why she got into photographing weddings and she told me that she had been an assistant wedding photographer in high school so she already had a taste of the industry, but more so she really wanted to photograph people and she said that “weddings were a natural choice”.
Something interesting that Jessica told me is that most people often don’t remember their own weddings and that the photographs are a reminder to them of what happened that day. So she really makes a point of capturing the wedding how she feels the bride and groom will want to remember it. (ie. no embarrassing photos of the drunken bridesmaids) She has a classic style and believes in representing the couple and their personalities and not just following trends.
15-20 weddings is the maximum Jessica will do in a year and pricing starts at $2995 for 6-8 hours and includes all high res photos. She also creates photo books for her clients and after looking through a few samples I have to say they are the MOST beautiful wedding albums I have seen. I love the matte paper and the colour saturation – just gorgeous!
As well as weddings, Jessica photographs babies and families and is also doing editorial photography for an online magazine called The Kit.
Here are a few photos of Jessica’s work as well as those gorgeous albums I was mentioning!
JB Smith Photography is located at 9 Davis Avenue at Queen and the DVP.
info@jbsmithphotography.com
Tel: 647 688 3875
Email to a friendMy new favourite place for coffee dates in my neighbourhood has got to be Bobbette and Belle. Whether it’s a meeting with another mom and our babies or a business contact – it is the first place I suggest. The space is big and inviting, the coffee is excellent and well, when it comes to having a little something to go with your coffee – you just can’t get any better! I think I’m there at least once a week these days.
I’ve known owner Allyson Bobbitt and Sarah Bell for several years and I’ve seen their business change and grow exponentially. Originally Allyson had Allyson Meredith Cakes and specialized in custom wedding cakes. Sarah had been a pastry chef at Canoe restaurant and taught classes at a confectionery school. It was there that they met and a number of years later reconnected to start a business making french macarons. After toiling away in the kitchen for many months to get the recipe just right – Bobbette and Belle was launched at the Wedding Co show in 2010 to great success. They soon realized that it was too confusing and complicated to have both businesses so they merged them into one and a year later on November 13, 2010 opened their first retail location on Queen St East in Leslieville.
From a business creating custom wedding cakes and a business focused on french macarons, Bobbette and Belle now has a huge selection of products. My favourites are their blueberry scones, chocolate biscotti, english toffee and chocolate peanut butter cupcake. (okay – who’s kidding who – any of their cupcakes) Although to be honest, everything is good. No scratch that, everything is AMAZING. (Can you tell I’m a fan?) Everything is beautifully created, packaged and displayed. You can tell that great care and attention is given to each item that comes out of their kitchen.
Okay – back to the cakes. Allyson and Sarah still create custom cakes, however they now have a collection that people can choose from that is more affordable. Clients get to change the colours, flavours and size to suit. The collection is stunning and they even have a cake named after me called the Laura K. It is based on a design from one of my invitations after we collaborated on a photo shoot. We wanted to show how the stationery and sweets could have the same design incorporated into them. You can see these photos on a past blog post here.
This neighbourhood has changed quite a bit over the past few years and I love it more and more all the time. I’m proud to live and work in such an amazing area of Toronto and Bobbette and Belle is one of the things that makes Leslieville so great!
1121 Queen St. East
Toronto, ON M4M 1K9
416 466 8800
info@bobbetteandbelle.com
STORE HOURS
Monday to Friday 9am to 6:30pm
Saturday 9am to 6pm, Sunday 9am to 5pm
I met Michael Coombs at an industry dinner about a year and a half ago and we hit it off right away. To me DJ’s have always seem a bit slimy and in your face (or at least that is the impression many have left me with – especially after seeing them in action at wedding shows). That is not the case with Michael – he’s soft spoken, easy to talk to and extremely good at what he does.
Michael is not located in my neighbourhood so this is a bit of a departure from my tour of Leslieville and Riverside but I wanted to write about Michael because he recently hired me to help with the rebranding of his business. Formerly known as Prodigy Entertainment, he is now Michael Coombs Entertainment. At the end of the day he realised people are hiring him not the business and thus the name change.
We started with the logo design, followed by business cards, letterhead, stickers, postcards and the website.
I’ve enjoyed working with Michael as he takes his business to the next level, I’m also happy to call him a friend. I’ve also has the pleasure of seeing him in action several times recently and let’s just say I’d hire him for any event I was having…except that I’d actually want him as a guest! I guess I’ll just have to cross that bridge when I come to it.
www.michaelcoombs.ca
416.676.7992
I met Jackson Huang (owner of Ikonica) quite a few years ago. Although I’m a bit foggy on the details, what I do remember is thinking how nice a guy he was and imagined he’d be great to work with. I was right.
Jackson actually comes from a science background and even has a PHD from the University of Toronto but he realized that photography was his true love and in 2001 launched his business. He found the world of photography to be more exciting and enjoyed the fact that he got to combine both the scientific and creative sides of himself.
He could see that digital photography was the way of the future when he began so he jumped right into the emerging technology and left film out altogether. In this regard he was way ahead that others in the city. The quality wasn’t even close to what it is today but it helped him to get the most out of the camera and improve the post production work.
In 2007 Ikonica was born as a “Collection of Artists”. There are currently 5 photographers that shoot for Ikonica; Jackson Huang, Gillian Williamson, Michael Grills, Lisa McPeek and Jean-Marc Robin. There are also several people working on the post production side of the business.
Something that I didn’t know before I sat down to chat with Jackson about his business is that they have 3 photographers at all weddings to capture the day. The couple chooses the lead photographer that best fits their style and budget and that person is joined by 2 other shooters.
In 2008 Ikonica moved into it’s current studio in Leslieville. It is a huge, gorgeous space that is perfect this growing business and for in studio shoots. As well as weddings, Ikonica does fashion photography, portraits and family photos and editorial work. Ikonica is an award winning photography studio that has been published in many magazines including Wedluxe, Grace Ormonde Wedding Style, Toronto Life and Fashion.
It has always been a pleasure to work with Ikonica and I am happy to recommend them to my clients!
Ikonica is located at:
388 Carlaw Ave, until 302B, Toronto
info@ikonica.ca
website
This Sunday, January 8th from 10am-6pm I will be at the Wedluxe Wedding Show at the Ritz Carlton Toronto. If you’re getting married come to the show – where you will meet the best of the best in the wedding industry. I’m at booth P3 – Hope to see you there!
So our little bundle of joy was born on October 21st, 2011 at 6:57pm. His name is Emile Gérard Beauparlant and weighed 6lbs, 13ozs. As I write this is he 8 weeks old and I can’t believe how quickly the time has gone. I meant to write this much sooner to introduce him but there was always something else to be done!
I had mentioned in a previous post that I would have to wait and see what kind of baby he was to know how much work I would take on….we’ll he is an Angel baby and has made life very easy for his mom. I’ve been getting a decent amount of sleep and am enjoying spending time with him when he is awake and working while he sleeps. There still never seems to be enough time but we are getting a good routine going.
He’s smiling now and even rolling over and at last weigh in was almost 11lbs! His big brother Sébastien is so proud and loves his baby brother. It’s wonderful to see the connection they have already.
I’m looking forward to the spending this Christmas with my little family of 4 as well as our extended families. It is sure to be a special year!
Work starts again – full speed ahead – in January when I will be exhibiting at the Wedluxe Wedding Show at the Ritz Carlton on Sunday January 8th and at the Wedding Co Show from the 13th-15th at the Carlu. I hope to see you there!
Here are a few photos we had taken with Emile when he was 11 days old. Laura Jane came back to capture the newest member of our family. Thank you again Laura Jane for the most beautiful photos!
Sash and Bustle is a fantastic Wedding Dress boutique in Leslieville – owned by Cynthia Martyn. It was started in 2009 as a bridesmaid dress shop with a very small selection of bridal. However, due to demand, Cynthia has increased the selection of wedding dresses and will be no longer be carrying bridesmaid dresses as of November 1st. The reason why the bridal gowns have been so popular is that they are affordable and not your typical designs.
There are punches of colour, lace and simple dresses with less boning, pinning and crinoline so they are lighter in weight and less structured. Perfect for destination or outdoor weddings or for brides who are just looking for something different. Many of these dresses are simple in their design and because of their price point you can add personality with accessories and shoes. They also have clutches, veils and hair accessories available which are all from local indy designers.
Don’t completely discount Sash and Bustle if you are looking for a more traditional dress as there is a selection of dresses that have more structure and might just fit the bill.
The collections range in price from $1000-$3500. If you are interested in checking out the gorgeous dresses at Sash & Bustle – you need to set up an appointment and while you are there you have the boutique all to yourself (and whoever you choose to bring with you).
Cynthia goes to the Bridal Market in New York City twice a year to follow the trends in bridal wear and also to meet the designers. The boutique often secures an exclusive with a designer for the Toronto area and in some cases all of Canada – so these aren’t dresses you will find anywhere else!
I’m actually dying to renew my vows (hopefully in 3 years when we celebrate our 10th anniversary) and buy a dress from Sash and Bustle….I’ve already got my eye on one in particular. It’s funny because it really couldn’t be more different from the dress I wore at my wedding. Mind you – who knows what my style will be 3 years from now! 
Sash & Bustle
233 Carlaw Avenue, unit 2
Toronto, ON
416.414.3617
www.sashandbustle.com
photos by Rebecca Wood Photography
Email to a friendIt’s a funny story how I was first introduced to Rebecca Wood. We live a couple of streets from each other and had the same dentist and hair dresser – when both of them found out I was in the wedding industry they said – “oh do you know Rebecca Wood?” And apparently they did the same to her about me! It was quite hilarious actually. Finally one day I called her up and introduced myself. It turns out we had even more in common – we are both from Guelph and a very close friend of her’s is someone I went to school with since about grade 4! Small world isn’t it?
Rebecca started her photography business in 2006 after the birth of her daughter Scarlett. She had studied Fine Art at the University of Guelph focusing on Painting and Photography and moved to Toronto after graduating. She got a job working for Visual Arts Ontario – a non profit organization helping visual artists with their businesses. She loved the job but quickly realised that she didn’t want to just help other artists with their businesses, she wanted to be an artist herself!
She had never expected to get into wedding photography but while photographing a friends small backyard wedding she was told by the wedding party and guests how good she was and that she should do this for a living. The couple LOVED their photos and she quickly got a call from a friend of the bride insisting that she photograph their wedding – and wouldn’t take no for an answer! So – what followed was her first paid job as a wedding photographer. She left the wedding on a high! It was this wedding that made her decide to start her own wedding photography business.
She had the full support of her husband Chris to take this leap and through a government program received a grant that included business classes, a mentor and in the end she had to write a business plan. Because this was a paid program – it allowed her to have part-time daycare for her daughter to work on the business plan. She told me that this experience was invaluable and that without the business plan – she’s not sure she would have been successful.
All that hard work has paid off because now Rebecca is well respected in the industry and is a highly sought after photographer. Her style is gorgeous – light, airy and romantic. I just love the feeling of her photographs and worked with her last year on a shoot with my invitations. Rebecca is definitely one of the photographers I recommend to my clients.
To balance work and life – Rebecca only takes on 15-20 weddings per year. She also does portraits – many of which are for her former wedding clients who come back for maternity, baby and family photographs.
Rebecca’s Studio is located at 9 Davies Ave • studio 400, Toronto.
phone: 647.880.9669
website: www.rebeccawood.ca
tumblr: rebeccawoodphotography.tumblr.com
twitter: rebeccaskyewood
Rebecca (right) together with one of her brides.
Here are a few photos from Rebecca’s Studio.
And last but not least – here are some of her gorgeous wedding photos.
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