Manuela Stefan Toronto Wedding Photographer | Manuela Stefan Toronto Baby Photographer

Wedding journals: celebrating in style at the Doctor’s House, Kleinburg

Manuela Stefan — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 00:36:56 +0000

Heejung and Alexander had a fantastic wedding day loaded with culture, colours and lots of fun. It was a great pleasure to attend their Korean ceremony held at the Doctor’s House, following an intricate dressing ritual that was a blast to witness. I will have the great opportunity to see them dressed this way again sometime soon, when we are going to do their outfits even more justice by documenting their details creatively in a post wedding photo shoot. I very much look forward to it.

Loved every minute of their day, even though so much took place. But these two are so relaxed and laid back which sets the tone around. Their wedding party was a riot, kids enjoyed themselves tremendously, food was awesome and the ice cream….yummm! For those asking themselves this question, nobody was set on fire!

Thank you for having me there with you! M

A wedding at the Inn on the Twenty, Jordan Niagara

Manuela Stefan — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 16:16:01 +0000

Blanca & Ryan had a fantastic celebration in Jordan Niagara at the gorgeous Inn on the Twenty. What amazes me about this place is that, even though I go back pretty often, it always feels new and fresh as it constantly inspires me. I was so happy to hear these two beautiful people chose to get married there. Their wedding day was spectacular, the soft light worked its magic so we had plenty of fun in the vineyards. Fields and barns are always a great choice to shoot around. I love the city but I am also crazy about the Canadian countryside and its calming effect on the spirit.

Blanca and Ryan, thank you for having me there with you and all the dear ones, I hope these images will reconnect you with the emotion and fun your day was all about. See you soon! M

Engagement photo journals: old stones and trees

Manuela Stefan — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 20:57:28 +0000

Melissa and Mark are getting married this October at the quaint King Edward hotel. They love downtown Toronto, so do I. I am always super excited whenever I get to shoot around my favorite part of town. I am a downtown girl and I simply love it! We had so much fun with our engagement session. Melissa recommended the area around Ryerson as she has studied there and loved the look of some of the old stones. Such a nice flavor to add to our images! This, combined with some of the spring colours, made for a wonderful decor for Melissa and Mark’s sweet and romantic side to come out.

Looking forward to the wedding day! M

A fantastic European journey, part 1: Roma

Manuela Stefan — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 03:06:08 +0000

My posts have been absent for a while. I have taken a trip to the old continent I am originally from and have discovered fantastic new places while making lasting connections. I have had the immense pleasure and chance to explore a bit of Sicily and then flew to visit my family in Romania. While coming back to Toronto via Rome I had a 5 hours wait so, in my thirst for more Italian vistas, I decided to take the train into town so I can breath a bit of Roman air. I got off the subway close to Fontana di Trevi which brought back memories from a few years ago when I last visited this charming city. Needless to say how loaded with history and art Rome is. I recall my first experience had such an impact on me as every corner I was turning, a new monument or sculpture would show up in the middle of a quaint piazza. How lovely to truly take so much history in…I did not have a lot of time at all, but I managed to walk around a bit, get some quick street shots and reward myself with a savory panini and a delicious latte. I wish I could stay a bit longer, but whenever this happens I remind myself there is always a next time. And I know for a fact that Italy is waiting for me to come back. I feel refreshed, happy and light after this adventure that reconnected me with my Latin roots.

Images from my Sicilian exploration to follow soon, just wanted to say HI to you all. Hope you are enjoying your summer! M

More fun at Toronto Harbourfront!

Manuela Stefan — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 16:29:30 +0000

It is interesting how ‘explorable’ some places are. No matter how many times they get to be visited, there are still little surprises hiding around corners…this is the case with the Toronto Harbourfront. Mostly very busy, on the day of the shoot the usual crowds were somehow missing, maybe due to the rain threat. Lucky us, as the light was absolutely incredible. My very sweet ‘models’, Giselle and Anthony, were so good! Not only I diverted them from our original plan, but I got them to step on moving platforms, jump into docked boats, walk up and down little hills. I know they were tired at the end, but content with the adventure I am sure, as the colours were truly fantastic. Some of the photos even look like they could have been taken on the East Coast… Well, I guess sometimes mind travel is better than no travel at all

I look forward to your wedding this summer, dear Giselle and Anthony! Enjoy the warm weather until then and prepare yourselves for some fun! Yours truly.

An elegant wedding at The Royalton, Vaughan

Manuela Stefan — Mon, 24 May 2010 19:59:41 +0000

Ella and Jerry had a beautiful ceremony downtown Toronto at the beautiful Our Lady of Lourdes on Sherbourne Str. Even though the day started with a bit of rain, the skies generously opened up slowly making for the most photographically desirable light. All colours popped, the trees were still in bloom, tulips everywhere…a true dream! We had fun exploring the scenery around The Osgoode Hall, taking advantage of both nature and architecture. Jerry’s red Mustang added some special flavor to this super enjoyable experience, what a great touch to the images we captured! The reception took place at the elegant Royalton in Vaughan and I was super impressed with the stylish decor and not to mention, the fantastic choice of food! The couple’s admirable good taste reflected in every single detail of their day and I felt truly inspired to be there and capture its spirit.

Congratulations Ella & Jerry, I am sure your honeymoon in Italy was a great continuation of a wonderful celebration with your family and friends!

Engagement photo journals: spring colours in High Park

Manuela Stefan — Mon, 17 May 2010 16:24:38 +0000

High Park is not quite off the beaten path and is always a busy spot. Yet, when spring hits, I can’t think of a better location which is rich and colourful and constantly inspiring. Sadly, we missed the Japanese cherry blossoms which are always a delight to experience and would have worked so well with beautiful Kiyomi’s half Japanese descent. But we were still fortunate enough to find a lot of flowers around which made for a soft, dreamy like backdrop. Kiyomi and Jaish will get married this summer at Atlantis by the lake. Their wedding images will be quite different, so altogether the 2 collections will provide the couple with some amazing visual memories of such an exciting and important year of their lives.

Looking forward to your day! Hug, M

Engagement photo journals: fun at the Harbourfront

Manuela Stefan — Mon, 03 May 2010 14:42:48 +0000

Laura and Greg will get married this summer. One warmer day at the beginning of April, we went down to the Harbourfront for their engagement photo shoot. As much as I love the sun, it was casting some harsh shadows on their faces that day and I felt bad to see how hard they were trying not to squint. Regardless, we ended up with a happy collection of photographs depicting who they are and how they feel for each other. I loved shooting there as the place truly felt like our own playground, generously offering inspiring elements as backdrops.

Thank you Laura and Greg for being such sports, I look forward to spending more fun time in August!

Hola from Punta Cana, a vibrant Dominican experience

Manuela Stefan — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 18:22:05 +0000

I love being by the ocean. There is something majestic in the way it moves and soothes my soul with its sound. Here in the Dominican, I am already noticing a different quality to the locals: there is a certain innocence that transpires from the way they are and the things they say. Plus, what is really heart warming to notice is their natural way of being and enjoying life. This makes me wonder: is it that the more we move away from simplicity the more our minds wander and make us crave for things we do not have? Maybe the Dominicans hold the secret: appreciating life for what it is and giving every moment the importance it deserves, with no judgment.

I am here with my friend Krista from Verve Photo Co to shoot a wedding at the beautiful Riu Palace Resort. Yesterday we hired a private driver who took us off the beaten path.

Despite the pouring rain, we still managed to capture some heart warming images of a few locals, who were so friendly, kind and welcoming. They invited us inside their homes and I felt truly privileged!

Here are some pictures taken during a stroll on the resort’s beach. Loved the light right before the rain. The colours popped and the setting felt almost surreal.

This scuba diver came ‘out of nowhere’ while I was taking some shots of the boat, adding a surreal element to the already ineffable setting.

I came back with so many photos that I find it difficult to narrow them down. I am trying to keep the post as small as I can, yet at the same time still allowing my images to provide an accurate feel over my experience. Below I am attaching a few photos taken around the beautiful Riu Palace resort, including a few of my lovely friend Krista.

The waiters at the restaurant were the loveliest and most professional people, not to mention beautiful. They soon learned that our favorite drink was what they called ‘Calimucho’, a mix of red wine and Pepsi….yummm!

I will finish this post with a few breathtaking sunset photographs taken the night before we left. I barely touched these images up, just to give you an idea of how vibrant the sky was.

Engagement photo journals: shapes, curves, structures

Manuela Stefan — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 13:39:42 +0000

Jen and Ben are two lovely people with an interesting life story. After a few years spent in Liverpool, they are now looking to settling down in Canada. Their wedding will be held in August at the quaint Hernder Estates Winery, Niagara. We got to spend a couple of hours on a borderline rainy day and we had a lot of fun in spite of the random drops falling from the grey sky. From my perspective it was heaven because as we all know, such days offer the most incredible even light. Taking wrong exits and sometimes going in circles, we accidentally discovered magic spots that made for interesting backdrops. It so happens whenever we allow it. Relaxed, fun, spontaneous and truly loving, this is who they are and I hope I captured their character the closest possible.

Dear Jen and Ben, thank you for a great time and I very much look forward to more this summer!