Story of a Marriage - Part 1

Perfection from above
Toronto, ON
July 2019
This photo originally share on Instagram

On a warm afternoon in July, a young couple got married at Toronto's City Hall, pausing outside to take pictures on this uniquely unforgettable day.

I don't know their names, their back story, or how they have fared since. I was shooting pictures through a hotel room window, high above the bustling public square, from the (very) outside, looking in.

I've done this kind of street photography before, and I'm pretty sure I'll be doing it again, because crowds of strangers can often tell the best stories, even if we never exchange a word with them.

This particular scene tells a typically gauzy wedding story of a perfect bride, lovely bridesmaids, handsome groomsmen, and every last detail looked after by everyone in the wedding party.

But this is photography, and by extension, life. Through my lens, I decided to compose the scene a certain way, carefully shooting the moment to include the elements I wanted, and exclude the ones I didn't.

This photo is the first in a series, the "before" pic, if you will, and it fails to tell the complete story of this fleeting moment on a busy downtown sidewalk.

I'll share the after photo in my next entry, as it tells a somewhat different story than the one we see here. Not better, not worse, just different than the one we're used to seeing on the average wedding day.

What does this have to do with one of the most significant holidays on the calendar, when gifts are shared and everyone is - or should be - reflective and thankful? Lots, and I'll explain more in a bit.

In the meantime, what is your wish for this couple?

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