Some venues feel like a backdrop.
The Guild Inn feels like a place that has been waiting for you.
Stone arches with trees growing through them. Tall columns standing like a film set from another century. Iron gates, brick pillars, gravel paths, and the Scarborough Bluffs just beyond. Inside, big windows and soft light for the part of the day where everyone finally exhales.
That’s where Jenna and Nicholas got married, and I’m still thinking about it.
I’ll be honest. This was my first wedding at the Guild Inn, and so far my only one. But I loved it so much that I want to shoot a lot more here.
Why I fell for the Guild Inn
The Guild Inn sits inside Guild Park and Gardens, a 50-acre park in Scarborough on the edge of the Bluffs. In the 1930s, Rosa and Spencer Clark turned the estate into an artists’ colony. Later, they started rescuing pieces of old Toronto buildings as they were torn down and rebuilt them across the grounds. Stone from more than 60 buildings now stands in the gardens like ruins.
For a wedding photographer, that’s a gift. Arches, columns, gates, gardens and wooded paths, all in one place, with a view that feels much farther from the city than it is. I arrived early to scout the best spots, and we never had to leave the grounds.
The first look at the ruins
We started with a first look, tucked under the trees near the old stone walls.
It isn’t about skipping the aisle moment. It’s about giving you a quiet minute before the day takes off. No guests, no phones, just you and the person you’re about to marry. Nicholas turned around and couldn’t stop laughing. Jenna stood there in her gown with a bouquet of lilac and plum, smiling right back at him. I can’t direct moments like that. I just stay out of the way.
Portraits around the grounds
After that, we walked. Under a stone arch. Through the iron gate. Past brick pillars with a paper parasol in the sun. And at the end of the day, down a quiet path with golden light coming through the trees.
I don’t pose couples into stiff shapes. I give you a starting point, like “walk toward me” or “say something only the two of you would find funny,” and let you be you. Kate, our confidence coach and second photographer, is often right beside us helping everyone feel comfortable. Most couples say they’re awkward in front of the camera. By the third arch, they’ve forgotten.
The people, and the little things
Some of my favourite photos from this day aren’t of the couple at all. Jenna standing with her grandfather in the park. A little flower girl in a big armchair next to a very happy guy. A bridesmaid walking Grandma slowly down the path. Those are the photos families end up printing and keeping.
I love the small stuff too. Nicholas signing the papers next to the bouquet. A bridesmaid walking down the aisle, smiling. The purple and lilac flowers on the cake.
The reception was big, happy and full of energy, exactly how it should be.
What Jenna had to say
“Well… where do I begin!?
My sister who is also a photographer sent me Lara’s Instagram after explaining the type of photography I like. A few messages later and it was like talking to someone I’ve known for awhile. Lara is kind, patient, easy to work with and goes above and beyond as a photographer! She captured my bridal shower and my wedding exactly how I envisioned it. I gave her a shot list and she was so excellent at queuing us how to pose. She even arrived at our wedding venue extra early to scope out all the best spots. She delivered over 1,000 images in under a month. AND ON TOP OF THAT… she even sent me short reel videos from the day, which we were not expecting. We still cry watching all the videos.
We hired Lara as a photographer and walked away with a videographer and friend all in one.
We still keep in touch even a year after our wedding.
She is the sweetest most easy going, easy to work with gem of a photographer.”
Jenna
Planning a Guild Inn wedding? Here’s what couples ask.
How do I book you?
Send us your date, venue and what you’re dreaming of, and we’ll set up a free consultation. Then you choose your collection (all of them are customizable), we lock in your date with a signed contract and a retainer, and we plan the day together. After that, you enjoy your wedding while we tell the story.
What does it cost?
Wedding photography starts at $5,500 + HST for 8 hours with two photographers. It includes a complimentary engagement shoot, 500+ edited photos, a private gallery, sneak peeks within 48 hours, timeline planning and our wedding photography guide. Video, digital Super 8 and content creation can be added, and The Complete Wedding Experience starts at $11,000 + HST.
Is there a travel fee?
Not for Toronto, the GTA, Hamilton, Burlington, Oakville, St. Catharines, Niagara Falls, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Grimsby and nearby.
Can we do the first look and portraits on the grounds?
We did on Jenna and Nicholas’s day. I can only speak from this one wedding, so check the Guild Inn’s current photography and park access rules when you book, and we’ll build the timeline around them.
What if it rains?
Let it. Rain makes photos romantic, and this is Canada. We bring clear umbrellas, our cameras have rain covers, and the Guild Inn has indoor spaces with big windows as a backup.
We’re awkward in front of the camera. Is that a problem?
Never. That’s what guiding is for. You just have to be together.
Do we need a shot list?
It helps, but you don’t need one. We also share a shot list, family photo list and questionnaire with every couple.
Let’s tell your story
If you’re planning a wedding at the Guild Inn, or anywhere in Toronto, the GTA or Niagara, I’d love to hear about it. I want to photograph more weddings here, and yours could be next.
Send us your date, your venue and a little about the two of you by email at info@laragracecreativestudio.ca. Every wedding starts with a free consultation. And a complimentary engagement photoshoot!
To Jenna and Nicholas, thank you for letting me be part of your day. I already want to go back.
