Over the years we had the pleasure and privilege of photographing quite a few weddings at King Edward Hotel. When Ellen and Sergio told us they would get married at this splendid event space, we were thrilled as the venue and its surroundings offer amazing backgrounds a photographer can only dream of.
We started the big day by documenting the beautiful bride's preparation in one of the hotel rooms. Afterwards, we headed to the St. Mary of the Angels church for a very emotional wedding ceremony. After the couple tied the knot, we used the opportunity to take the family photos at the end of the ceremony.
On this beautiful wedding day, the weather was beautiful, so we took advantage of that by photographing portraits of the bride and groom around the splendid hotel.
After the cocktail hour, we documented the reception peppered with emotional speeches and moments of love. As you can see in the images below, the guests were extremely energetic and joyous.
The band led by Victor Yanqui (Fantasia) provided amazing entertainment and the guests danced the night away.
During the reception, I love taking the couple out for a short (5-10 minutes) photo shoot, but this time Sergio and Elena choose to spend time with their family and friends, many of whom came from other continents to celebrate this beautiful marriage.
Many Thanks
This special day could not be possible without the dedication and hard work of the following professionals:
Venue: King Edward Hotel
Flowers: Bridal Blossom
Church: St. Mary of the Angels
Transportation: A Celebrity Limousine
Dj, Band, Sound, Lights: Fantasia Band
WEDDING PHOTOS AT THIS BEAUTIFUL EVENT SPACE
Here are a few of my favourite images taken at King Edward during my career as a Toronto wedding photographer.
The image below was captured in front of the beautiful hotel.
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE WEDDING VENUE
This splendid hotel is one of the best wedding venues in Toronto. For the bride and groom looking for a perfect hall for their big day, the King Edward Hotel is a fantastic option.
Conveniently located in the financial district in downtown Toronto, steps from the subway and buses, the hotel blends an old charm with a luxurious elegance. Your wedding photos will look splendid in this sumptuous hotel where a professional photographer can find plenty of great locations for perfect photos.
The hotel was built in 1903 as the most luxurious hotel in Toronto and very possible in Canada. Can you even imagine what kind of photos you can have in this ritzy building?
George Gooderham was a developer and one of the richest citizens of the city back then and he funded the building that cost a whopping $6 million dollars or about $200 million dollars today.
CRYSTAL BALLROOM
When it opened, the hotel had 400 rooms and two decades after it was built, the building was raised by 18 stories. The last two floors host a lavish banquet hall known as Crystal Ballroom after the luxurious crystal chandeliers that were adorning the hall. This was one of the most extravagant places in Toronto, the place where the city elite used to meet and party. That happened before the 50s when it closed due to very strict fire codes.
Unfortunately, the hotel changed ownership quite a few times and none of the owners - among which we can list Sheraton, Skyline, Starwood and others - did not renovate the famous Crystal Ballroom.
When Omni Hotels purchased King Edward Hotel they clearly stated their intention to renovate the lavish ballroom and bring it back to its original status of the most opulent ballroom in Toronto.
Every couple getting married there asks the same question. Can we take a few shots in the Crystal Ballroom? Here is the good news. The famous ballroom was renovated by Moncour Design to preserve it's original look and will be opened to the public in 2017 so you can tie the knot in style in this legendary ballroom.
The venue boasts over 5,000 square feet of space and can host up to 300 people.
VANITY FAIR BALLROOM
Vanity Fair is one of the largest ballrooms at King Edward Hotel, perfect for wedding photography with its huge teardrop chandeliers and semicircular windows. A piece of advice: spend the extra money needed to book the up lighting and you will not regret it. Your wedding pictures will look so much better. Because of the very high ceilings, the light tends to look flat and some uplighting accents will make the Vanity Fair Ballroom look phenomenal. The venue is capable of accommodating up to 280 persons on your big day.
SOVEREIGN BALLROOM
Located next to the hotel lobby, The Sovereign Ballroom is a 3300 square foot hall and can accommodate up to 150 guests. The ballroom looks amazing from an aesthetic standpoint and wedding images taken there are breathtaking.
WINDSOR BALLROOM
The Windsor Ballroom is a 3,400 square feet ballroom located at the lower level. Guests can access it via a private elevator. It is a great venue if you are having a private wedding at King Eddie.
After the massive renovations that ended in 2015, the hotel looks even better than before. Vanity Fair and Sovereign Halls are capable of hosting large weddings and you will congratulate yourself you chose those banquet halls to host your beautiful ceremony and reception.
The most beautiful locations for wedding photography at King Edward Hotel are the library adjacent to the lobby, the stairs and the mezzanine.
Many brides getting married at King Eddie select Knox College, Hart House or Trinity College as their photography location. Not a big fan of University of Toronto? St. James Cathedral and its garden is within 3 minutes walk.
The library is very appropriate for family photos or intimate portraits of the bride and groom. Please know that the hotel library is relatively small (15' x 15') so you can not bring the entire group of guests in there. However, for formal wedding photography including groups up to 10 people the library room works perfectly. Below you can see a portrait of the groom.
THE STAIRCASE
The sumptuous stairs by the reception are dominated by the Queen Elisabeth the second's painting. Generally, I use the stairs for larger family photos and you can have even 50+ people on the stairs. In the past I took beautiful portraits of the bride and groom on the massive staircase.
THE MEZZANINE
The mezzanine with its grandiose columns is a fantastic photography location. The opening photo of this article was taken at the mezzanine. I can take relaxed photos of the bride and groom cuddling in the lavish chairs covered in velvet or I can create more playful images between the columns.
CELEBRITIES AT KING EDDIE
Among the celebrities who were hosted by the luxurious hotel, we can list Mark Twain, Louis Armstrong, Elvis, Hemingway, The Beatles, Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, King Juan Carlos of Spain, King Gustaf of Sweden, Mickey Rooney, Paul Newman and many others, too many to be listed here.
