Greg + Blair | Intimate LGBTQ+ Wedding in Cabbagetown, Toronto

Some weddings stay with me long after I've put my camera down. Greg and Blair's was one of those days.

They chose to begin their wedding at their beautiful home in Cabbagetown, Toronto, gathering a small group of their closest family and friends for an intimate backyard ceremony. It created exactly the kind of atmosphere I love photographing—personal, relaxed and deeply connected, with space for everyone to slow down and actually be present with one another.

Every part of their day felt intentional. Their ceremony was officiated by Greg's colleague and friend, a newly appointed judge, which meant that every person there—from the person marrying them to the family and friends witnessing it—was someone who held a meaningful place in their lives.

After the ceremony, the three of us wandered through Cabbagetown for their wedding portraits. Rather than leaving for a traditional portrait location, Greg and Blair wanted to be photographed in their own neighbourhood. We walked the streets surrounding their home, stopping wherever the architecture, light or character of the neighbourhood caught our attention.

It's one of my favourite ways to photograph couples. There doesn't always need to be a grand location or an elaborate plan. Sometimes the most meaningful backdrop is simply the place where you've chosen to build your life together.

We returned home afterward for a Chinese tea ceremony, during which Greg and Blair served tea to members of their families and received their well wishes for their marriage. It was another beautiful example of what made this wedding feel so personal: their day wasn't built around what a wedding was supposed to look like, but around the people, relationships and traditions that mattered to them.

And then the celebration got much bigger.

That evening, Greg and Blair welcomed approximately 150 guests to Mildred's Temple Kitchen in Liberty Village for their wedding reception. The intimate feeling of the afternoon gave way to cocktails, dinner, speeches and a packed dance floor, with Toronto DJ Phil Villeneuve carrying the celebration late into the night.

What I remember most about this wedding, though, isn't any particular location or photograph.

It's the people.

There was so much love for these two men in every part of the day. I found myself moved to tears more than once as I watched their families and friends celebrate them—not simply tolerating or accepting their relationship, but wholeheartedly delighting in who they are, individually and together.

As a queer wedding photographer in Toronto, there is something particularly meaningful to me about witnessing LGBTQ+ people surrounded by that kind of love.

Queer joy deserves to be documented.

So do the families we are born into, the families we create, the communities that hold us, and all of the wonderfully individual ways we choose to celebrate love and commitment.

Greg and Blair's wedding was an especially beautiful reminder of that.

Thank you, Greg and Blair, for trusting me to document your wedding and inviting me into such an intimate part of your lives. It was genuinely a privilege to witness it.

Looking for a queer or LGBTQ+ wedding photographer in Toronto? I photograph weddings with a candid, documentary-inspired approach centred on genuine connection, community and the moments that make your celebration uniquely yours.

If you're planning a wedding that feels like you—whether that's an intimate ceremony at home, a huge dance party, or a little bit of both—I'd love to hear about it. Get in touch and tell me what you're planning.