Intimate Wedding at Graydon Hall Manor

Timeless. Elegant. Intimate. These are the words that come to mind when I think of Lyle & Maria’s wedding at Graydon Hall Manor. So when they asked me (the complete opposite of those things) to capture their day, I was a little nervous that I might not be able to deliver.

The reason I said “yes”, is because I have known Maria for over a decade and I couldn’t think of another photographer that would pour their heart into capturing their day the same way I knew I could. You see, Maria and I met in college while studying to become Law Clerks (just a handful-ish of years ago). Yes, it’s true I have lived a whole other life before photography. After college, Maria and I stayed in touch. Having lunch in the city, wine and cheese dates, laughing about life, venting about boys, and sharing so many sweet moments. Maria is one of those humans that make you feel more elegant just by being near her.

When she told me she met the man she would marry, I think I my response was “Is this man worthy of your beauty?” Well, I’ve met Lyle and he most certainly is. Their story is really something special, so I’ll let them share their experience with you below.

Why did you choose Graydon Hall Manor?

“For our wedding venue we chose, Graydon Hall Manor. It was the first venue we toured and we did not want to see anymore because we felt immediately that this was the place for us. It embodied all the characteristics that we were looking for in a venue. Graydon Hall is a historic building that has all the charm and glamour of the old world. The Manor is like a great Lady, timeless, classic and full of mystery. It fit perfectly our James Bond meets Great Gatsby theme.“

Do you have any wedding planning advice for couples?

“I won’t lie, wedding planning is stressful, it’s true what everyone says, at the end you just can’t wait for it to be over with. I would say patience is definitely in order. Also, giving yourself enough time to get everything done, but not too much time so that this whole thing feels likes it’s consuming your life and the wedding date is still so far off. I would say 9months to a year is a good time frame any longer than that I think I would have gone mad.“

How did you choose your wedding photographer?

“Well, I was very lucky to have known an amazing wedding photographer personally. Otherwise, it can be quite overwhelming trying to chose one. Unlike other vendors at your wedding, your photographer is with you ALL DAY and you have to be confident that he/she will capture the moments that you want captured. We were very fortunate to have Christine agree to shoot our wedding, the personal relationship I already had with Christine made the process that much seamless and it was easy to place our trust in her.“

What was your favourite moment of the day?

“I’m sure everyone says there are so many favorite moments, and there truly are, but the one that stands out the most to me is after the speeches everyone was seated for dinner and as the dinner service commenced, there was like this comforting hum from the sounds of guests talking and the music playing softly in the background and for a moment the world stood still and I was able to take scope of all that was going on around me, my new husband next to me, the faces of my happy guests, relief that poured over me that all the planning leading up to this moment was finally behind me and it was the beginning of my new life with a person that I love most in this world.“