Outdoor wedding photos in Toronto in late October.

September 8, 2009 8:42 AM

Help a bride-to-be out: When do the leaves change colour in Toronto, and, as a related question, where in Toronto would you recommend for wedding pictures?

My fiancé evadery and I are planning on holding the ceremony and reception at an indoor venue (the Arcadian Court at Bay and Richmond) and want to have some outside photos taken.

We have a couple of Sunday options in October both at the beginning and at the very end. The only Saturday we can secure is October 30th and a Saturday is our top choice. Will the magnificent fall colours still be around or have most of the leaves fallen off the trees by then? Also, will it be too cold to take outside photos? I tried Google without much success…

Also, any ideas for nice outdoor spots close to the location where we could take said photos? Bonus marks for providing us with your favorite photojournalist style wedding photographer in the GTA.

posted by laroodles to Society & Culture (15 answers total)

Keep track of the fall colour report. Off the top of my head here are some good place for photos: high park, toronto islands, Heart Lake Conservation Area (brampton).
posted by maxpower at 8:51 AM on September 8, 2009

I think Allan Gardens is a pretty popular picture spot. You may need a photo permit. High Park is nice too but I never saw amy weddings taking pictures there, although I was probably there at the wrong times for that.
posted by GuyZero at 9:11 AM on September 8, 2009

Depending on your budget as there is a photo shoot fee, the Casa Loma Gardens.

It's too hard to predict the fall colours (when they will occur and how long they will last) at this time as so much depends on temperature and rainfall - and it's been weird weather all summer so far.
posted by kitkatcathy at 9:14 AM on September 8, 2009

Response by poster: Thanks for the posts thus far. I should add that we are looking at Oct. 30th 2010 and have to secure the venue as soon as possible (i.e. in the next week). Seeing as we won't really be able to track the fall colour report until too late, has anyone had weddings around this time that can speak to their experience?
posted by laroodles at 9:18 AM on September 8, 2009

High Park, Casa Loma, somewhere on the Island (Hanlan's Point?).

I've seen people getting wedding photos here, which was pretty neat.
posted by SassHat at 9:38 AM on September 8, 2009

That late in October is likely to be getting pretty late for fall colours. My mother used to come out in mid-October for a conference, and she'd usually get a pretty good look at the fall colours, but by a couple of weeks later, they'd mostly have actually fallen. That's not to say next year won't be different, especially given how ridiculously weird Toronto weather has been lately, but in general, you'd be at most catching the tale end by then, and thinks wouldn't be so shiny pretty.
posted by jacquilynne at 9:43 AM on September 8, 2009

Best answer: Usually by October 30th we're tromping through fallen leaves to various kiddie halloween events, and it's cold enough that she can't wear whatever princess/mermaid/ballerina/bride costume she wants without something warmer over it -- though the fun fur unicorn costume got a little hot one year with a turtleneck under it. So, it won't likely be too cold for outside shots - but bare shoulders might make you look a little tense in the photos if that's your dress style. Maybe a nice cardigan? I'm already sweeping up fallen cherry tree leaves in the back yard today.

You mentioned a beginning of the month option - if you are thinking the 3rd might work, that's Nuit Blanche. (http://www.scotiabanknuitblanche.ca/) You might have some amazing photo ops that evening if you go for it, though many people might have plans to attend/work it. But what a great way to spend your wedding night if you're so inclined! We have a friend's wedding that day, and the bride is being very understanding that many of her artist friends/guests have committments later on and is scheduling things appropriately.

You will need permits for some places, others not so much. I've seen beautiful shoots in High Park, one where a gorgeous antique sofa was brought in a van, set up in the middle of one of the fields and in one of the forest areas, and photos were taken on and around it and I'll bet they were beautiful. Riverdale Farm might also be nice, but you will probably need a permit. Maybe Farmer Michelle will let you pose with the sheep in the field near that neat old windmill.

City shots can be beautiful too. You might not want to be running to the East and West end through traffic, depending on what time of day it is. Not a Toronto photographer, but here's inspiration: http://www.maxwangerblog.com/?p=470. I've seen at least four shoots in the median in front of the Flatiron building. And not too far away from there, on King Street next to St. James church, there's a traditional park where lots of people have photos, as I used to see when I worked nearby - whether or not the wedding was at the church:
http://www.torontosnaps.com/King-Street/St-James-church-King-St-6182.html

The lovely gold back doors of the Bay have been used in so many movies that have filmed here - they might make a great backdrop. The Distillery District has such a great look. Is there anywhere special to you?

If you want small and simple and nearby for convenience, there's a neat Labyrinth just behind the Eaton Centre and Nathan Philips Square has the Peace Garden.

http://www.toronto.ca/city_hall_tour/peace_garden.htm
http://www.labyrinthnetwork.ca/toronto.htm


If I were getting married in Toronto (which we didn't), here's what I'd love to do: Spend a couple of hours driving around with us in our wedding clothes (bonus points for froufy dress and tux) to all the places that mattered to us, and taking snaps there, with things just as they are (locals and friends in normal clothes, hopefully) (but you know, by a talented photographer who will capture us at our best in the atmosphere). If they weren't gone, that is -- because all the places we met and dated and fell in love at are gone: Melody Ranch at the Brunswick House, drinks at the Idler (and the Stonecutter's Arms and the Gallery across from the AGO and the Silver Rail and the Living Elvis Karaoke night at the Horseshoe) and here's the coffee shop I drew on the fogged up window in...and shopping at ACME in Kensington Market, and at the Harbourfront Antique Market... That's what I'd do. I never thought we'd want to show a kid "This is how it was" - but I do and now we can't really.

Good luck!
posted by peagood at 10:07 AM on September 8, 2009

I would vote for the earlier Sunday in October as the best bet. Unless you were going to have everyone dress in costume on the 30th (which would be awesome). Are you having the wedding photos the same day? If you have time you have the option of driving either north or south (around the lake obviously) to pursue the colours (north would be cheaper and closer making an earlier date most practical). I live about an hour north of Toronto but drive weekly to Burlington and it always amazes me in autumn how much the colours change after only an hour in the car - from bare branches north of me to colours to mainly green in just one trip.

If you are a fan of that windows wallpaper with the barn and fall leaves the photo was taken in Kilbride (people still live there so you'd have to ask permission). There are some amazing photo opportunities in the Carolinian forest on the Escarpment but with an hour drive there and back it wouldn't really be practical on the day of the wedding.
posted by saucysault at 10:37 AM on September 8, 2009

My parents got there photos at Edwards Gardens . They have some examples of the photography potential here.
The second link has other Toronto parks as well, including Alexander Muir Park. I've had to avoid quite a few wedding photos in that park, though I'm not sure if it's as nice in the fall.
posted by sgrass at 11:27 AM on September 8, 2009

seconding the R.C. Harris Waterworks that Sasshat linked to, for pictures.
posted by 256 at 12:07 PM on September 8, 2009

James Gardens is the garden place of choice for many weddings in the west end. It has both beds of flowers, and also some cliffside gardens.
posted by jb at 12:15 PM on September 8, 2009

Not sure if you can stomp around the grounds at the Guild Inn in Scarborough, but that would be cool. If you want to stay downtown, some of the Guild Inn relics are in the courtyard at the Berkeley Castle near Front and Parliament.

Grange Park would be nice and leafy, and have the cool new AGO building in the background.

I'm getting married on October 10th in Toronto, so this thread is very useful!
posted by krunk at 12:47 PM on September 8, 2009

Oh, Dave Biesse will be our photographer; he's photographed the weddings of a few of my friends, and he's amazing.
posted by krunk at 12:49 PM on September 8, 2009 [1 favorite]

There's a place along Queen W (I think at University? someone help me out here!) -- an old home gated along Queen St with a lovely garden in the middle and I always see wedding parties taking photos there. Around U of T would be great too.

Also, here's a page from a Toronto wedding photographer about great places to take wedding pics. From this, it looks like the place that I'm recommending above is Osgoode Hall.

I totally second Kilbride -- I've been there around Thanksgiving and it's beautiful, but yeah, you might not have leaves still on the trees by Oct. 30.
posted by pised at 1:33 PM on September 8, 2009

Feel free to memail me; I have a close friend who does some very good photography in the Toronto area including weddings and she's really great, and could probably help on locations if the ones you get here don't wow you.
posted by arimathea at 1:45 PM on September 8, 2009