When we first met with Sylvia Pond, Owner of Sylvia Pond Photography, we could see why couples rave about her work. Her contagious personality makes you feel instantly at ease, something that translates into beautiful, natural photographs.

With a focus on personalizing your experience- from beginning to end- and the philosophy that you should have fun with your photos, couples have told The Ring the same thing time and again- Sylvia makes you feel like you're the most important person in the world on your wedding day. In fact, Sylvia's spirit is so contagious that we've heard that bridal parties and wedding guests alike are so impressed that they often book Sylvia for their own weddings after seeing her in action.

Here's more on this fantastic photographer......

Personally Speaking.....

Sylvia's love for photography started out as a bit of fun that quickly turned into a full-blown passion. She explains, "I have always had a creative soul, trying my hand at theater and other performing arts. But I was always missing something. A girlfriend of mine had been taking photographs as a hobby for a long time and we went out shooting for fun one night. AAAAHHHAA!! There it was...the excitement and my creative juices were flowing!"

After a year of experimenting with photography, learning from talented photographers and doing a ton of reading and research, Sylvia knew this was what she wanted to do, "I decided that this was something I was good at and most of all, I LOVED it!

From there Sylvia sunk her teeth into the technical aspects of photography. She enrolled in Photography and Photoshop courses at Conestoga College and studied with several professional photographers and designers from Toronto and California. To this day, she says that continuous education is key, "I try to take one new workshop a year to get refreshing ideas."

Although Sylvia has been shooting since 2001, she officially opened Sylvia Pond Photography in 2008.  

With over fifty weddings and hundreds of portrait sessions spanning from London to Toronto (not to mention some fabulous destination weddings) under her belt, Sylvia says she couldn't be happier, "I LOVE WEDDINGS!! I love seeing couples in love and sharing that blissful feeling with their friends and family. It’s the one day that is all about the bride and groom and I GET TO CAPTURE those memories! And every wedding is different. There are so many unique and inspirational moments!"

Christine Boettger says that hiring Sylvia for her May 2011 wedding day was one of the best decisions she made, "Our experience was a truly stress free one. We were pressed for time but Sylvia got through our entire wish list and more.  Sylvia is professional but not afraid to act silly in order to get beautiful natural smiles and expressions. We truly felt like our day meant as much to her as it did to us.  We weren't just a job to Sylvia, we were the most important people in the world."

Sylvia's Style

For Sylvia, having fun during your shoot makes for the best photos, "The one thing that brides tell me over and over again after their big day is that it was so much fun! The time just flew by because everyone felt so comfortable in front of the camera."

Heidi Glibota agrees. She has used Sylvia for everything from her engagement shoot to newborn photos, and of course, her October 2008 wedding day, "The wedding party loved her and we had so many good laughs while she did her work. They loved her so much in fact that one of the groomsman booked Sylvia for his wedding after dealing with her on our wedding day!"

Brides also love how flexible she is, "I can accommodate any couple. I provide a mix of traditional, candid and creative posed shots and I always make sure I get pictures of the little details!"

Krista Luft, booked Sylvia for her February 2010 wedding day. She says she would "100 percent" recommend Sylvia to anyone getting married, "My experience was fantastic working with Sylvia. She came with a lot of great ideas and was totally agreeable with incorporating my ideas into her plan. Her pictures speak for themselves - she spends quality time editing so you get the pictures you're proud to show off to anyone."

Something for everyone

From the traditional bride to couples who love creativity to the budget conscious bride, looking for a good price with fabulous results, Sylvia says she can truly accommodate anyone.

"I work really closely with my couples to understand what they like about photography and what they are looking for and that way I can customize my shooting to their needs while adding my creative touches."

Michelle Reidel booked Sylvia for her April 2011 wedding, "I honestly can't say enough wonderful things about Sylvia and her work. She went above and beyond our expectations...nearly five months after our big day, I keep coming back to her photos and finding new things, interesting angles or moments I didn't realize she captured. We had a blast! Sylvia made the whole experience fun and even when we started to get tired of smiling and taking pictures, as the bride and groom do, she'd find a new pose or an idea to invigorate the whole thing - and we'd be laughing our way through it!"

One trend Sylvia is starting to see is that couples are choosing more creative and interesting locations for their photo sessions instead of the traditional park. Downtown urban spots, old abandon buildings, farm houses and fields are popular spots that make for some incredible, personalized photos.

Walking you through it

If you're interested in learning more about Sylvia Pond Photography you can send her an email or give her a call to chat.

During your first meeting, with Sylvia, you'll have a casual chat where she will try to get to know as much as she can about you as a couple- how you met, what you do for a living, family details. You'll chat about Sylvia's services, what you like about her portfolio and what made you decide to contact her. She will show you some of her recent weddings, talk about location ideas for photos and outline some of the details of her packages.

If you decide to book Sylvia, you will meet again about two months before the wedding and talk about the timeline, your itinerary and any special requests that you might have.  

On your wedding day, Sylvia is there and can bring a second shooter (additional fees apply). "We have fun and take great pictures!"
About three to four weeks after your wedding, you'll meet again to pick up your DVD of the final product. After you've had time to review your photos, you can choose any that you'd like Sylvia to print or turn into a personalized photobook.  

Melissa Remzi booked Sylvia for her July 2011 wedding and couldn't be happier with the results, "Sylvia lived up to everything we were looking for and what we first saw in her.  She was able to recommend perfect places for both our engagement and wedding shoots that made sense to what we were looking for.  She was able to make us laugh and keep it light so we felt comfortable; because of this we ended up with beautiful pictures. We both looked like we were having fun and not stuck in the heat for hours taking pictures."

Details, details, details....

•There are no hidden fees when you book with Sylvia Pond Photography.
•There is a $200 deposit required to secure your wedding date.
•It's best to book at least six to eight months ahead to ensure Sylvia is available for your wedding date.

Contacting Sylvia...

To get in touch with Sylvia, send her an email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or give her a call at 519-572-3366. Check out her website at www.sylviapond.com