Toronto based Photographer, Heather Windsor, has thought of (and will do) just about anything to make sure her brides and grooms have the wedding day they’ve always dreamed of. Whether it’s creating an in-depth must-have shot list (so no one gets missed) or her knack for saving the day with her trusty rescue kit – filled with stain removers and a sewing kit, among other things - couples know that Heather will go the extra mile for them on their wedding day.
This professional photographer has an obvious love for what she does and with 150+ weddings to her credit, Heather freely admits that she eats, sleeps and breathes weddings. She’s got an always-adapting shooting style, a personality that puts her clients at ease (and thus, delivers on more natural looking shots), and the skills to capture natural candid’s that have taken more than a few brides’ breaths away. Here’s more….
Eat, Sleep, Breathe Weddings....
If you knew Heather as a child, you'd probably guess that one day, she'd become a professional photographer. Growing up, you'd rarely see her without a camera glued to her side. And in high school, you'd most likely find her hanging out in the darkroom.
With a love for both fine arts and technology, Heather graduated from Durham College with a diploma in Graphic Design, which she partly attributes to her work today, "I use those skills in my day to day business, with editing photos, designing promotional and advertising materials as well as albums, and other products."
But it was in 2004 when a friend asked Heather to shoot her wedding that her career in photography really began. Heather decided not to shoot the wedding. "I had no experience, I did NOT want to mess anything up", but as a guest, she brought along her new DSLR camera. "I hid behind the other photographer all day taking my own photos and looking back now, that wedding was the start of my entire career. I had fallen in love with weddings - the excitement, the nerves, the love and passion. How could my nine to five desk job compare?"
So after lots of research, learning and working alongside various Toronto photographers, Heather knew that she wanted to do it full time." I started my business in late 2004 and haven't looked back since!" Seven years later, Heather has shot over 150 weddings!
"I eat, breathe and sleep weddings, but it never gets boring. And it's because of my couples! I like to form an on-going friendship with them for years to come. Many of my clients come back to me for maternity, newborn and family photos and that's what makes my job so rewarding and fun. I not only gain two friends, but I get to watch their families grow."
Ready for anything
From different ethnic backgrounds to totally unique locations, Heather has seen it all over the years, something that she says has helped her become the photographer she is today, "it has given me a great understanding of what to expect and how to help couples plan their photography around different timelines.
And "seeing it all" might be why Heather often feels like an unofficial wedding planner. She can offer suggestions for vendors if you're in the early stages of planning and she considers herself a " pro" at corseting or bustling dresses and putting on boutonnieres. Plus, Heather always comes prepared with a sewing kit, Tide to Go stick, Kleenex and various other emergency items. "I'm never just the photographer."
A foreign affair
Heather's second love, travel, fits in perfectly with her love for photography. She shot her first two destination weddings (back to back) in 2010. “I was hooked. I'm willing to go anywhere in the world to shoot a wedding and I welcome the most normal or exotic locations. Exploring new areas, scouting out cool places to shoot and making sure that the wedding images I capture are just as unique as the landscape and culture of that location is what's important to me."
Brooke Young booked Heather for her February 2011 wedding in Cuba. “We needed to find a photographer whose style and photos we loved AND was willing to travel. We came across Heather's blog and there were a couple destination weddings that she had shot. We were blown away by her style and creativity in her shots, while still maintaining the natural elegance we wanted in our wedding photos. We definitely hired her first and foremost, based on her body of work. I am happy that I not only got beautiful wedding photos, but I also got a friend out of the deal!"
The ultimate in modern elegance
Heather says that it's a combination of photographic style and personality that attracts her brides. "I get along with so many different types of people and love to talk and learn about my couples. You spend more time with your photographer on your day than any other vendor, so it's important to get along with them and share a vision for their big day. Brides trust that I will take good care of them, set them at ease, and create beautiful images of their wedding day. I also like to have fun but still remain a professional while doing so!"
Heather's ideal bride is creative, stylish, outgoing and ready for anything when it comes to her wedding photos. She usually works with brides that want to invest in amazing images because they really love them, not just because they feel they "need to hire a photographer".
This compliments Heather's style. She likes to stay casual, laid-back and flexible on the wedding day. She likes to keep things simple for her couples, so that they don't feel overwhelmed with the whole process. And she can accommodate almost any couple, no matter what their needs or wants are.
Heather sums up her photographic style in two words - modern elegance. “I'm a romantic at heart who is inspired by beautiful landscapes, architecture and love stories. I love exploring new locations and finding my new perfect image. I prefer to document the day as it happens naturally, as weddings are filled with uniqueness and beauty and I want to capture that in the most authentic way possible."
One major reason couples choose Heather for their wedding photos is her ability to adapt easily to each couple and offer as much or as little direction as they need to make them feel totally comfortable in front of the camera. Whether you love candid images or are more into traditional portraiture, Heather can mix it up for a variety of creative shots on your wedding day.
Annie O'Dette instantly fell in love with Heather's style. "I got married on September 4th, 2010. Heather was excellent at coming up with creative shots, using the surroundings, to make dynamite shots. She also is great at catching the natural shots of us laughing, kissing and the way we look at each other."
Popular packages, cool extras
Heather offers a number of packages that range from $2500 to $5500. If you don't find the perfect package, custom packages are also available upon request.
Her $2500 package includes eight hours of coverage, including a second photographer, an online gallery and a DVD of high resolution images. You can pick up some extras, a la carte.
This year, Heather has a few cool extras that are hugely popular. First there's her photo booth option. She says it's a fun service to add to your reception or cocktail hour. Guests can get silly and have fun posing in the booth - it looks like an old fashioned booth, with a modern twist. The booth prints two duplicate photo strips with the bride and groom's name and wedding date on them, right on the spot. You've got unlimited photos and Heather puts your images up in gallery within a week of your wedding day, for everyone to enjoy. You'll also receive a DVD of all of the photos.
Heather’s other new extra is an engagement signing album. After your engagement session, Heather designs an album using the images from your engagement shoot. You can leave it out during your cocktail hour for your guests to include personalized messages. "No more boring lined pages!"
If you're looking for other keepsakes from your wedding day, Heather probably has it; from prints and canvas’, to beautiful coffee table albums, parent albums, as well as press-printed thank- you cards.
From boudoir to the beach
Heather says she's seen lots of trends come and go. "I rarely jump on any of them, as I want my couples to have timeless images that they'll still love in ten years. By keeping the colours and images more natural and realistic, you really can't go wrong!"
One trend that Heather does love is destination weddings. She says that brides are seeing the benefits in bringing a photographer with them to not only capture their wedding day, but for a pretty awesome trash the dress session, something Heather includes in all of her destination wedding packages.
Chantelle Frearson was married in Varadero, Cuba in May 2010 and did a ton of research before finding her ideal photographer, "Heather was extremely creative and thoughtful, giving me ideas for photo shoots that I would have never come up with on my own. During our week in Cuba we had seventy friends and family travel with us, and Heather blended in so well, which isn't easy to do with such a large group. By the end of the week we received numerous compliments from our group about her professionalism and friendly attitude. Everyone loved her. On the wedding day she was able to organize our big group with ease, which was no easy task, but she made it look effortless. I felt she went above and beyond what I expected of her."
Trash the Dress is another trend that Heather can add on to your package for local weddings as well (please add). "I don't consider it "trashing" since my clients are often more interested in amazing photos in a fun location, usually something they didn't get to do on their wedding day, whether due to time, weather or logistics."
Boudoir is another hugely popular trend right now and Heather has many clients who are going outside their comfort zone to get gorgeous photos of themselves in a more intimate environment. Heather loves shooting classy and elegant boudoir images, a fun present for the groom-to-be. "I find it's a huge surprise when my clients see how fun and how comfortable they become while taking these photos. Every woman deserves to capture a moment in their lives of how they looked and to feel beautiful in doing so."
Awards and Accolades
Her brides aren't the only ones noticing Heather's skills with the camera. She's won several awards, including first place in the Reader's Choice Award's in Durham Region for Best Wedding Photographer and Best Photography Studio.
And, she's a regular guest speaker for the Independent Digital Photography program at Seneca College, and a member of the Independent Digital Photography Advisory Board.
Booking Heather Windsor Photography.....
You can reach Heather through email or phone to set up a consultation. During your consultation, Heather invites you to her home in Ajax where you can sit down and talk about everything from how you met to wedding plans. From there you can look at some products Heather offers, go over packages and pricing options and find your perfect package. Heather will send you home with a contract and some information about her and her business. "I like to give couples as much information as possible without making them feel pressured to book." If you do decide to book you can get in touch with Heather to sign your contract and put down your retainer to secure your wedding date.
Annie O'Dette remembers feeling instantly comfortable with Heather in their initial meeting. “We instantly loved Heather. From the initial meeting, she was straight forward with her packages, her prices, and her style. She came across as very professional and we were very impressed by her photographs and the albums she showed us."
If you've opted for an engagement session in your package, you will usually spend about an hour and a half to two hours at a couple of your favourite locations.
About four to six weeks before your wedding, Heather will send out your final information package, which includes a timeline and ‘family shot list form’ that you can fill out. This helps Heather polish off all of the little details that will make for a smooth wedding day.
About two weeks before your wedding, you'll meet up one last time to settle your final payment and go over the timeline to make sure the flow of the day is perfect! "We can discuss any changes to the day and make sure we are prepared no matter the weather or the off-chance of a hiccup."
If you're not local, you don't have to worry. Heather also offers phone consultations, emailed images of products as well as email or online options for brides to send in contracts and payments. Couples can have as many meetings as they want leading up to the big day, but generally don't need more than two.
For most packages, Heather is there with an experienced second photographer who captures all of the extra shots. "This allows us to get a greater variety of images and angles and also capture moments that I may not see if I’m photographing something else."
Laura Markovic and her husband loved how comfortable Heather made them feel during their engagement session. “We were both nervous about acting all ‘lovey dovey’ for our engagement shoot in front of strangers. Within five minutes, we felt like no one else was around and were so comfortable in front of the camera. Our pictures turned out great as we looked like our natural selves."
Details, details, details,
•The average bride spends between $3500-4000
•Prices are subject to 13% HST.
•Prices are subject to change without notice.
•A $1000 non-refundable retainer is required to secure your wedding date
•Heather will travel all over Ontario or Canada for weddings, as well as worldwide.
•Heather recommends booking eight to eighteen months in advance. It's best to book one year to eighteen months ahead for popular Saturday dates.
•Heather will accept last minute bookings if available.
