Review is written by Staff @ The Ring and is based on • Interviews with this vendor • Interviews with past brides
It's those candid moments- the little smile caught between the bride and groom, or the nervous father waiting to walk his daughter down the aisle- that Lisa McCalla Grigorian, owner and main photographer at Lg Weddings lives to capture. She started her Toronto based wedding photography company with the goal of producing creative, contemporary and candid shots that capture the excitement and emotion of your wedding day.
Today, Lisa's relaxed and unobtrusive style lets her capture those subtle moments and small details that are sometimes overlooked amidst the traditional moments that every photographer likes to capture. We love how she is able to mix it up and create both stylish portrait style shots and artistic candid shots for every wedding she shoots. It's her hands on approach and genuine passion for photography that really shines through in her work. Let us explain.....
Personally Speaking...
In 2004, recently graduated from Ryerson’s School of Image Arts photography program, and newly engaged, Lisa was looking for a photographer for her own wedding when she first thought about becoming a wedding photographer herself. She says that back then, there weren't many photographers that were shooting in a natural, candid way- something that she was looking for as a bride. With her bachelor of fine arts in photography studies, and skill in photojournalism, she decided that there was a niche for her in the industry. She started by assisting several wedding photographers (including her own) and photo studios to get some hands on training in the field. In 2006, she took the plunge and opened Lg Weddings.
Five years later and Lisa has photographed over 100 weddings. She shoots on average, twenty weddings a year. And she says twenty is the perfect number as it allows her to give each couple, and their photos, her complete attention.
Capturing candid's
Staying behind the scenes is what helps Lisa capture those candid moments that make for the most natural, real shots. "I'm known for my unobtrusive style. I didn’t realize how unobtrusive I really was until a friend who attended a wedding I shot remarked the next day that he had barely noticed me at all!"
Lg Weddings finds that many of their clients are fun, natural brides who don't want a photographer in their face during the entire wedding and who don't want posed photography to take up a large part of the day. At the same time, they want someone who is artistic, creative and able to document their wedding day, every step of the way.
Katherine Waugh was married September 2010 and says Lisa made her feel at ease on her wedding day, "I liked that Lg Weddings made me feel relaxed. I don't particularly like having my photo taken, I always feel extremely self conscious. I discussed this with Lisa before hand, and she was very kind and considerate. When it came time to take the many, many photos associated with a wedding, Lisa knew exactly what to say so I didn't feel pressured and eventually I relaxed in front of the camera. Because they were so unobtrusive, they were perfect to capture all the wonderful moments of the day."
You can see many examples of Lisa's work on her website, including some great candid shots. We love the picture on her blog featuring the bride's face as she hugs her dad or the couple caught mid laugh as they listen to a speech. Lisa says these are the moments that she loves to capture because they are so natural, real and often overlooked.
Trending now
While Lisa loves her candid shots she also loves the influence current fashion has on wedding photography. Right now, she is seeing some really cool trends with posed pictures. "I love the comeback of overly posed bridal party shots and purposefully “posey” or stylized bride and groom portraits. While my style is mostly photojournalistic, we always take an hour or so out of the wedding day for posed family and bridal party portraits, along with a photo session for the bride and groom. So for these type of posed portraits, I love to take inspiration from the latest trends, along with fashion, art, advertisements, even music videos."
"When it comes to trends in processing, although some photographers may experiment with wild colours and effects, I choose to keep colour hues and saturation true – so that your photos will look beautiful, not dated, 20 years from now."
A passion for pictures
Lisa says it's her passion that helps her work stand out. "I love what I do and always try to maintain creativity and authenticity. On the morning of each wedding, I challenge myself – how will I photograph this wedding better than the last? How can I make every shot meaningful and beautiful? What will I do differently?"
To ensure that she captures every fabulous moments of your wedding day, Lisa won't limit how many photos she takes. And, since she always brings a second photographer with her, couples are going to have a well documented storyline that they can will have forever.
A popular option for keeping your memories is the 12x12 flushmount album. Custom designed by Lisa herself, she says the album is a luxurious magazine style layout that works really well with her candid images. Every page tells a story and features all of the special moments from the wedding day.
Lisa also edits and enhances every picture herself. She doesn't contract her work out because she wants to personally make sure that each and every picture is the perfect colour, contrast and clarity. "I am thoroughly involved every step of the way from meeting the client at our initial consultation, to working on each photo and providing them with the DVD of all their images."
"My favourite part of my job is watching the photos I took from a wedding uploading to my computer screen. I catch myself smiling as I watch the absolute bliss of everyone in the photos and that’s when I realize that seriously, I have the best job in the world. It is such a precious, almost sacred thing that I’m giving to clients and I really respect and treasure what a gift and enormous and wonderful role that is."
Walking you through it....
Brides can contact Lisa through email with any questions they might have. You can set up an initial consultation with Lisa where she will help you with your wedding day schedule. She loves to show brides a full wedding gallery so that they can see exactly what kind of work they are getting from both Lisa and her second shooter. Together, you can work out a timeline for your wedding day and find a package that fits within your budget.
On your wedding day, Lisa will be there along with her second shooter to capture every moment.
Lisa says photos are usually ready four to eight weeks after your wedding day." I will often post some highlights on the blog or make a mini slideshow to tide brides over until the DVD is ready for pickup."
Pricing
Lisa wants to keep her pricing simple so that couples have a clear idea of what to expect. An entire day of wedding pictures, including unlimited photos and locations, two photographers and a high resolution DVD of all your photos costs $1945. Complete packages that include an engagement session, full coverage on your wedding day and a wedding album start at $2900. The average bride that books with Lg Weddings spends between $2500 to $3000.
Katherine Waugh says she was really impressed with the value at Lg Weddings, "I was looking around, and spoke with friends that had already gotten married. I was very happy to see that Lg Weddings had competitive prices, but offered better value than anything else I've seen. It was personal and wasn't like dealing with a huge company where your wedding is just another number. And that makes all the difference."
Details, details, details
•Brides generally spend between $2500 to $3000 on a package from Lg Weddings.
•Lg Weddings requires a 25% deposit to secure your wedding date. Two more deposits of 25% are required prior to the wedding day with the remainder due when you receive your DVD after the wedding.
•Saturday weddings book up quickly. Contact Lg Weddings as soon as possible to secure your date.
•Lg Weddings can travel anywhere in Ontario.
•Lisa always brings a second shooter to every wedding.
Contacting Lg Weddings...
For more contact Lisa at 416-258-3117 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Check out their website at www.lgweddings.com.
It's those candid moments- the little smile caught between the bride and groom, or the nervous father waiting to walk his daughter down the aisle- that Lisa McCalla Grigorian, owner and main photographer at Lg Weddings lives to capture. She started her Toronto based wedding photography company with the goal of producing creative, contemporary and candid shots that capture the excitement and emotion of your wedding day.
Today, Lisa's relaxed and unobtrusive style lets her capture those subtle moments and small details that are sometimes overlooked amidst the traditional moments that every photographer likes to capture. We love how she is able to mix it up and create both stylish portrait style shots and artistic candid shots for every wedding she shoots. It's her hands on approach and genuine passion for photography that really shines through in her work. Let us explain.....
Personally Speaking...
In 2004, recently graduated from Ryerson’s School of Image Arts photography program, and newly engaged, Lisa was looking for a photographer for her own wedding when she first thought about becoming a wedding photographer herself. She says that back then, there weren't many photographers that were shooting in a natural, candid way- something that she was looking for as a bride. With her bachelor of fine arts in photography studies, and skill in photojournalism, she decided that there was a niche for her in the industry. She started by assisting several wedding photographers (including her own) and photo studios to get some hands on training in the field. In 2006, she took the plunge and opened Lg Weddings.
Five years later and Lisa has photographed over 100 weddings. She shoots on average, twenty weddings a year. And she says twenty is the perfect number as it allows her to give each couple, and their photos, her complete attention.
Capturing candid's
Staying behind the scenes is what helps Lisa capture those candid moments that make for the most natural, real shots. "I'm known for my unobtrusive style. I didn’t realize how unobtrusive I really was until a friend who attended a wedding I shot remarked the next day that he had barely noticed me at all!"
Lg Weddings finds that many of their clients are fun, natural brides who don't want a photographer in their face during the entire wedding and who don't want posed photography to take up a large part of the day. At the same time, they want someone who is artistic, creative and able to document their wedding day, every step of the way.
Katherine Waugh was married September 2010 and says Lisa made her feel at ease on her wedding day, "I liked that Lg Weddings made me feel relaxed. I don't particularly like having my photo taken, I always feel extremely self conscious. I discussed this with Lisa before hand, and she was very kind and considerate. When it came time to take the many, many photos associated with a wedding, Lisa knew exactly what to say so I didn't feel pressured and eventually I relaxed in front of the camera. Because they were so unobtrusive, they were perfect to capture all the wonderful moments of the day."
You can see many examples of Lisa's work on her website, including some great candid shots. We love the picture on her blog featuring the bride's face as she hugs her dad or the couple caught mid laugh as they listen to a speech. Lisa says these are the moments that she loves to capture because they are so natural, real and often overlooked.
Trending now
While Lisa loves her candid shots she also loves the influence current fashion has on wedding photography. Right now, she is seeing some really cool trends with posed pictures. "I love the comeback of overly posed bridal party shots and purposefully “posey” or stylized bride and groom portraits. While my style is mostly photojournalistic, we always take an hour or so out of the wedding day for posed family and bridal party portraits, along with a photo session for the bride and groom. So for these type of posed portraits, I love to take inspiration from the latest trends, along with fashion, art, advertisements, even music videos."
"When it comes to trends in processing, although some photographers may experiment with wild colours and effects, I choose to keep colour hues and saturation true – so that your photos will look beautiful, not dated, 20 years from now."
A passion for pictures
Lisa says it's her passion that helps her work stand out. "I love what I do and always try to maintain creativity and authenticity. On the morning of each wedding, I challenge myself – how will I photograph this wedding better than the last? How can I make every shot meaningful and beautiful? What will I do differently?"
To ensure that she captures every fabulous moments of your wedding day, Lisa won't limit how many photos she takes. And, since she always brings a second photographer with her, couples are going to have a well documented storyline that they can will have forever.
A popular option for keeping your memories is the 12x12 flushmount album. Custom designed by Lisa herself, she says the album is a luxurious magazine style layout that works really well with her candid images. Every page tells a story and features all of the special moments from the wedding day.
Lisa also edits and enhances every picture herself. She doesn't contract her work out because she wants to personally make sure that each and every picture is the perfect colour, contrast and clarity. "I am thoroughly involved every step of the way from meeting the client at our initial consultation, to working on each photo and providing them with the DVD of all their images."
"My favourite part of my job is watching the photos I took from a wedding uploading to my computer screen. I catch myself smiling as I watch the absolute bliss of everyone in the photos and that’s when I realize that seriously, I have the best job in the world. It is such a precious, almost sacred thing that I’m giving to clients and I really respect and treasure what a gift and enormous and wonderful role that is."
Walking you through it....
Brides can contact Lisa through email with any questions they might have. You can set up an initial consultation with Lisa where she will help you with your wedding day schedule. She loves to show brides a full wedding gallery so that they can see exactly what kind of work they are getting from both Lisa and her second shooter. Together, you can work out a timeline for your wedding day and find a package that fits within your budget.
On your wedding day, Lisa will be there along with her second shooter to capture every moment.
Lisa says photos are usually ready four to eight weeks after your wedding day." I will often post some highlights on the blog or make a mini slideshow to tide brides over until the DVD is ready for pickup."
Pricing
Lisa wants to keep her pricing simple so that couples have a clear idea of what to expect. An entire day of wedding pictures, including unlimited photos and locations, two photographers and a high resolution DVD of all your photos costs $1945. Complete packages that include an engagement session, full coverage on your wedding day and a wedding album start at $2900. The average bride that books with Lg Weddings spends between $2500 to $3000.
Katherine Waugh says she was really impressed with the value at Lg Weddings, "I was looking around, and spoke with friends that had already gotten married. I was very happy to see that Lg Weddings had competitive prices, but offered better value than anything else I've seen. It was personal and wasn't like dealing with a huge company where your wedding is just another number. And that makes all the difference."
Details, details, details
•Brides generally spend between $2500 to $3000 on a package from Lg Weddings.
•Lg Weddings requires a 25% deposit to secure your wedding date. Two more deposits of 25% are required prior to the wedding day with the remainder due when you receive your DVD after the wedding.
•Saturday weddings book up quickly. Contact Lg Weddings as soon as possible to secure your date.
•Lg Weddings can travel anywhere in Ontario.
•Lisa always brings a second shooter to every wedding.
Contacting Lg Weddings...
For more contact Lisa at 416-258-3117 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Check out their website at www.lgweddings.com.
