Rochelle and Jermaine's Joyous Fall Wedding at Ancaster Mills

Hello Hello Hello! Welcome to another blog post!

Today I get to feature the gorgeous wedding of Rochelle and Jermaine! The pops of color were mesmerizing. The ceremony was emotional and the wedding party was just fabulous!

One of the reasons I love being a wedding photographer is being privileged to see some of the most beautiful locations and venues. Ancaster Mill in Hamilton is a breathtaking wedding venue that perfectly blends historic charm with natural beauty, making it such an ideal location for a fall wedding. I loved shooting here!

Nestled along a picturesque waterfall and surrounded by lush forests, this venue offers a romantic and intimate setting that comes alive with vibrant autumn colors. I loved this venue so much I am going to list why I feel it is the perfect place for an intimate wedding.

Why Ancaster Mill is Perfect for a Fall Wedding

1. On-Site Chapel for a Seamless Ceremony
   The venue features a charming on-site chapel, The Mill Chapel, which offers a warm and intimate atmosphere for exchanging vows. Its large windows frame the surrounding trees, creating a naturally stunning backdrop as the fall foliage transforms into rich shades of red, orange, and gold.

2. Stunning Outdoor Photo Locations
   Ancaster Mill’s scenic grounds provide a variety of breathtaking spots for wedding photos. The cascading waterfall, stone pathways, and wooden bridges offer a fairytale-like setting, while the fall leaves create a dreamy golden glow. Whether capturing intimate moments by the water or in the forested surroundings, the venue’s natural beauty enhances every shot.

3. Cozy and Elegant Reception Spaces
   The venue’s rustic yet elegant event spaces, featuring exposed wooden beams, large windows, and fireplaces, create a warm and inviting ambiance—perfect for the crisp autumn air. Guests can enjoy the beauty of the season from the indoor spaces while still feeling connected to nature.

4. Seasonal Cuisine & Exceptional Service
   Ancaster Mill is known for its exceptional farm-to-table dining experience. In the fall, couples can incorporate seasonal flavors into their wedding menu, featuring locally sourced ingredients that highlight the harvest season. I found the staff here to be exceptional from the on-site coordinator (best coordinator ever btw! I forgot her name but she was amazing. So much so I was trying to convince her to open her own wedding planning company) to the serving staff. I was highly impressed.

5. A Picturesque Fall Atmosphere
   The combination of the historic mill, stunning fall foliage, and the cozy, intimate setting makes Ancaster Mill a magical venue for an autumn wedding. The warm tones of the season, the natural textures of the landscape, and the charming chapel all come together to create an unforgettable and picturesque celebration.

Vendors for this wedding:

Venue and Catering: Ancaster Mills

Decor: Presence Events

Photo: Karimah Gheddai Photography - Special thanks to Muneeba for shooting alongside myself on this day

Video: Timeless Tree

Hair: Hairbydri

Bride’s Makeup: Toya Wint

Wedding Dress: Bridal Desires

Bridesmaids’ Makeup: Philly Savy and Toya Wint 

Bridesmaid Dresses: Azazie

M.C: CMJ Entertainment

DJ: Dr Mr. Al

Groom’s Suit: Malcom Xclusive

Groomsmen Suits: Andrew's Formals

Telephone Booth: The loveline Co.

Cake and Cake Toppers: Cake was made by both sides of the family; cake toppers were produced by Funko but designed by the bride and groom

If you would like to book me for your 2025 Engagement Shoot, Wedding or Event then get in touch HERE!

Post Wedding Photos!

One thing I love doing with my clients is post wedding photos! I love the relaxed and fun atmosphere of taking portraits after the wedding day. Here are a few taken of the lovely couple at a studio called Monet Studios (which has the nicest owner by the way) and at Richmond Green in Richmond Hill!

Thank you for joining me on another blog post on my website! I truly cherish being able to showcase these photos because they are truly some of my life’s best work. Until next time wishing you all the beautiful days!

-Karimah

If you would like to book me for your 2025 Engagement Shoot, Wedding or Event then get in touch HERE!

Akira and Tolbert's Summer Breeze and Blue Tones Wedding at the Deer Creek Golf Club

Hello everyone and Happy New Year!

Welcome to another edition of my blog post! This time I am featuring the beautiful wedding of Akira and Tolbert.

If you follow my blog posts you will probably remember their engagement shoot which was published in black Bride Magazine. You can see that HERE!

In contrast to the bleak winter days we are currently having in the GTA, it was a beautiful but super hot summer day during this wedding. Though at times the shade offered lovely coverage and the summer breeze passing by offered one of the nicest feelings complementing the gorgeous wedding.

The decor was absolutely fabulous! With stunning shades of blue and hints of purple. Luxe Soiree and Zuhoor Designs really made the ceremony and reception spaces shine bringing the couple’s vision to life!

The heartfelt ceremony was stunning and I especially loved the moments when the wedding party walked down the aisle. The grounds at deer creek golf club are iconic and it made for such a beautiful backdrop.

When it came to the reception wow did everyone bring out their enthusiasm and dancing shoes! The couple and their friends also entertained the crowd with a choreographed dance mix that featured Afrobeats and Caribbean music (an homage to the couple’s Ghanaian, Nigerian and Grenadian roots), and let me tell you it was so good that it went viral on instagram! Dj KingBizzy kept the tunes spinning all night till guests had their dancing fill. Overall a beautiful wedding for a beautiful couple!

Vendors:

Photography: Karimah Gheddai Photography

Planning and Coordination: Events by Joycelyn

Ceremony and Reception Venue: Deer Creek Golf Club

Makeup: Eminent Allure

Hair: Debs Touch

Florals: Zuhoor Designs

Decor: Luxe Soiree

Groom’s Suit: Malcolm Exclusive

Cake: Fruitilicious

Film: Grake Shots

DJ: DJ KingBizzy

M.C: Emceebone

Second shooter for Karimah Gheddai Photography: Michael Gozum and Rania El Nady

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Thank you for visiting my website and going through my latest blog post!

If you would like to work with me then please get in touch via the link in the contact page!

-Until next time, wishing you a lovely day wherever you are!

-Karimah

Sinit and Alex's Eritrean Ecuadorian Wedding at the Royalton and Glendon College

Hi Everyone! Welcome to another blog post on my website. The first one I get to post this year is the beautiful wedding of Sinit and Alex!

I met this couple back in 2022. when I had the pleasure of covering their engagement shoot that year. You can see that shoot HERE!

In June of 2023, I was fortunate to cover their beautiful wedding! I have to say this couple is one of the most down to earth, easy going and and fun loving couples that I have ever had the pleasure of capturing.

The wedding day started out at a downtown tower, where I arrived at 8.00 am and was super happy to find both the bride and groom ready to go in their separate suites for the getting ready images. The bride’s beautiful makeup was done by talented M.U.A Tracy K and her hair was styled by BBN Studios.

The church ceremony took place at St. Basil’s Cathedral (part of St Michael’s college at the University of Toronto). You can imagine my happiness when I found out it was only a 5 minute walk from the getting ready location so there was virtually no chance of any of the wedding party or vendors being late/ stuck in traffic.

It was a heartfelt ceremony and I found myself crying with the bride and groom, as they saw each other for the first time while the bride walked down the aisle accompanied by her father. After the church ceremony there was the usual chaos and exuberant joy of family and friends exiting the church behind the bride and groom, however as I had already attended the rehearsal and gave some tips for this portion of the day the bride and groom were ready for the family portraits at a location we selected at the rehearsal. Everything went so smoothly (well except for the fact that the sun decided to be dramatic and change directions every two minutes. I think it just wanted to serenade the couple and their guests with light because it was such a joyous day).

Having spent time with the bride to prepare the photography schedule ahead of the wedding day, we did the photoshoot on the stunning grounds of Glendon college! We made sure to put enough buffer time for the large wedding party and am glad my advice of sticking with the buffer time was adhered to. The bride and groom have such wonderful friends who really made the experience a fun one for the couple. Adding a lovely element to the “lifetime of memories experience”.

The reception took place at the Royalton Banquet Hall. I fell in love with the decor the minute I saw it! A beautiful setup by Babylon Decor!

My personal favourite moment of the evening was the traditional Eritrean entrance, complete with men holding swords and the women drumming away. That was a sight to behold whilst the wedding party were escorted in to the reception hall. I loved it! Well I will let you take a look at the images below and see the beautiful happenings of the day! Please do check out the following vendors as well!

Vendors:

Reception Venue: The Royalton

Ceremony Venue: St. Basil’s Church (part of St. Michael’s College at UofT)

Portraits Location: Glendon College

Melse Venue: The Lithianian Centre

Videographer: PhotoBerhan

Florals and Decor: Babylon Decor

M.U.A: Tracy K

Hair: BBN Studio

Bride;s Dress: The bride’s choice official

Groom’s Suit: The Suit Supply

Wedding Bands: Bobby Ll Toronto

Catering: Tsehaye

Cake: Tatiana Treats 2.0

DJ: Andre Clarke

Second Shooter for Karimah Gheddai Photography: Ali Haider

Assistant for KGP on the Day: Raghav

If you would like to book me for your 2024 Engagement Shoot, Wedding or Event then get in touch HERE!

The Melse is the traditional Eritrean event that follows a wedding. This Melse happened the day after the wedding. Starting at the getting ready suites and the celeberation venue being at the Lithuanian community centre.

Thank you for stopping by to read my latest blog post. I hope you enjoyed looking through the images as much as I enjoyed covering this event and putting together the post. Until next time I hope to see you back here or better yet that we get to work together!

-Karimah

If you would like to book me for your 2024 Engagement Shoot, Wedding or Event then get in touch HERE!

Kelly and Jeff's 2 in 1 Multicultural Ghanaian Canadian Wedding at the Osler Bluff Ski Club in Collingwood, Ontario

Hi Everyone! Well beautiful September is here, and it is my favourite month because it is also my birthday month hehe.

Today, I am sharing one of the nicest weddings I have ever covered. I had the absolute joy of capturing Kelly and Jeff’s gorgeous multicultural wedding in beautiful Collingwood, Ontario. From stunning colourful decor to breathtaking scenery, the day was filled with magical moments, including a beautiful traditional Ghanaian outdoor ceremony (honouring the groom’s heritage). This was then followed by an elegant western style ceremony. I quite enjoyed Collingwood and the beautiful Osler Bluff Ski club where the wedding took place. I would definitely love to shoot there again in the future! Some of the highlights of the day included the most vibrant selections of florals. From the bride’s stunning bouquet to the decor at the ceremony, Angela of Little Buds and Posies certainly created some stunning and unique arrangements! I also loved that the beautiful ceremony location that overlooked the Ski Hills (the couple love to ski together and got engaged at those hills).

VENDORS

Planner: Victoria of VC Events

Bouquet and Other Florals: Little Buds and Posies

M.U.A: MUA by Lee

Hair: Hair by Parlour

Kelly and Jeff’s Traditional Ghanaian Outfits: Kwesiya

Kelly’s White Dress: Laudae @laudaebride

Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Azazie Official

Wedding Cake: Jeff’s Mom

Wedding Venue: Osler Bluffs Ski Club

Videographer: Seize the moment Studios

Photography: Karimah Gheddai Photography (KGP)

Second Shooter for KGP: Shubila K

Catering: Food Dudes

THIS WEDDING WAS RECENTLY FEATURED ON EVENTSOURCE BLOG! SEE BLOG POST HERE!

If you would like to book me for your 2024 Wedding or Event then get in touch HERE!

Thank you for joining me on another blog post. I absolutely loved this wedding and hope to cover more beautiful weddings like this in the future!

If you would like to book me for your 2024 Wedding or Event then get in touch HERE!

Eden and Moses' Intimate Wedding at the Beautiful R Garden Boutique in Pickering (Eritrea meets Nigeria!)

Hello all you lovely souls! Today am sharing the wedding of Eden and Moses!

Fun fact: These two are from cultural backgrounds that are the very representation of the cultures I grew up around. The bride is Eritrean by heritage and the groom is Nigerian. Having been born in Nigeria of Eritrean Heritage myself, I had to tell myself: Wow! What are the odds!

These lovely people were truly made for each other. I have to say I am quite lucky with the clients I have worked with in my career. Many are truly some of the most wonderful people one could meet. I first met Eden while covering another wedding a few years back. She was the wedding planner for that wedding and it was great to connect with another Eritrean wedding vendor! As fate would have it, years later I would cover her own wedding!

I started off the day at the Toronto Don Valley Hotel where Eden was getting ready along with her family and friends. At the same time my second shooter on this day (The lovely Shubila K) covered the groom getting ready with his family at his home. After the getting ready we all headed to the church ceremony that took place at the Calvary Church on Pape Avenue. It was a beautiful ceremony that started off with the main ladies of both sides lighting up a candle in unity. Moses’ brother officiated the ceremony and one of Eden’s friends sang the most beautiful song while Eden walked down the aisle in what was one of the most emotional moments I have ever witnessed!

After the beautiful ceremony we all headed to Pickering for the reception. It ended up being a bit of a rainy and humid day. The intimate wedding reception happened under a white tent. Wedding Designer Tristan of Luxe Design T.O created a beautiful vignette of white and green decor with hints of peach. One can never go wrong with these colors. Super Elegant!

The bride and groom had two entrances. The first entrance in their main wedding outfits and the second entrance happened after they both changed into the most amazing turquoise green Nigerian outfits! Eden’s Gele (Nigerian Head wrap) fit was so well done. She truly looked like a Nigerian Queen! There were lots of beautiful speeches to toast the bride and groom and of course lots of dancing!

To end the evening each table had takeaway slices of cake in a box (made by Hephzibah Delight - which is owned by Moses’s sister) and wow were they delicious!

As much as I loved their beautiful wedding day. I have to say I really enjoyed capturing their Melse (Traditional Eritrean day after the wedding ceremony) on Day 2 of their wedding weekend. The most beautiful light appeared for their portraits and I had the freedom and time to create some beautiful portraits with no interruptions. We took their photos in one of the gems of Scarborough: The Cedar Ridge Creative Centre. The portrait session was followed by their reception at a location in Riverdale.

Vendors (Hover over the names for the links):

Planner: Weddings with Nia

Bride’s Makeup at Wedding and Melse: BBM Beauty

Cake: Hephzibah Delight

Main Shooter: Karimah Gheddai (Me!)

Second Shooter for KGP: Shubila K

Decor: Luxe Designs T.O

Video and Live Streaming: F10 Studio

Singer at the Church: Hallelujah Ghide

Eritrean Food: Minia Catering

Nigerian Food: Heritage Afro Caribbean

Photobooth: Snaps N Co

Tent Rentals: Tent X

Wedding Venue: R Garden Boutique in Pickering

Wedding DJ: DJ Shorty

Melse Portraits: Cedar Ridge Creative Centre

If you would like to book me for your 2023 Wedding or Event then get in touch HERE!

Thank you for stopping by and spending a part of your precious day looking through my blog post. I am always honoured and grateful!

I hope to see you back here, or even better in person as we work together!

Until next time have a great one!

If you would like to book me for your 2023 Wedding or Event then get in touch HERE!