“From the first day I met Cinzia, she stole my heart.  Of course, she kept it for about 5 years until she finally caved in and gave me a first date.  And after I took her to a sports bar for beer and wings, she still gave me a second date and for that I will be forever grateful.  Ever since then, our lives have been completely intertwined and I wouldn’t have it any other way.  She is always by my side, through the good and the bad.  She is my rock and my inspiration.  I live every day to make her happy, for her, but also for me, because her happiness is my happiness.  When she is happy, when I see her smile, my whole world is brighter and everything seems to fall into place.  She is strong in character as she is beautiful.  She makes me smile when I am down, laugh when I’m too serious and makes me a better person.  Every day that goes by I love her more and more.  As we grow together as a couple, I feel our connection getting stronger and stronger.  I want nothing more than to grow old with her by my side … one day at a time.  She is my best friend, my partner and the love of my life.  I love her with all my heart totally and unconditionally.  I love her for her.  I am so proud to call her my wife.  I love her beyond words.  It’s you and me babe …”.

“I can’t tell you how blessed I am to have Steffen in my life.  He truly is the best thing that has ever happened to me, although it took a little divine intervention to help me figure that out.  Steffen never lets me forget that even though we had an instant connection the moment we met, I never called him back.  Thankfully, our paths crossed again and I got the second chance that changed my life.  I was afraid to love – until I met Steffen.  He saw past my fear, cracked my shell and now makes me feel so safe, so loved – he is completely devoted to me and the family we have become.  The other day, we were going for a walk and he let go of my hand, took my arm, and changed positions with me so he was closer to the street.  When I asked him why he did that, he said, “I always want to keep you out of harm’s way”.  It’s little things like this that constantly remind me how much he loves me.  He is incredibly smart, yet so humble.  He always puts me first, yet never lets anyone else feel left out.  He tells me I am beautiful, even when I feel I am not.  He is truly a good person who respects me and I trust him completely.  I am so proud my handsome best friend is now my husband.  I don’t know what I did to deserve Steffen, but every day, I will love him, support him and take care of him so he knows I will never take him for granted.”

Impulse Photography - Toronto Fine Art Wedding and Engagement Photographers

Impulse Photography - Toronto Fine Art Wedding and Engagement Photographers

“We’re planning for a winter wedding theme” said Amanda.  I was so happy and honored to once again be chosen to work with this beautiful family.  You see, it was just over 2 years ago that I had the pleasure of  photographing Amanda’s sister, Michelle (& Peter’s) wedding day!  So I was really looking forward to seeing everyone again.  As I got to know Mark’s side of the family this day, I can see that the kindness runs on both sides.  They are also super sweet.  And while we didn’t get our anticipated snowfall wedding, we did get some interesting  -20 degree weather (with the wind chill)…lol, but our fun bridal party handled it very well I must say.  To make up for it, we did have snow however during the 1st dance back at Paramount Banquet Hall (see below).  Love you guys!  May God bless you both

“What I love about Amanda? See now that’s a hard question!!  That’s like asking what do you love about life! The person you choose to spend your life with is supposed to be your better half. So back to that question as to what I love about Amanda? I love that Amanda is my better half and that I was lucky enough to have found that in my life. Now I’ve been through my share of girlfriends, but what I can say about Amanda that I can’t say about most girls in general is that she’s an old tradition type of girl, and nowadays, I’m sorry to say but that is almost impossible to find.  I love how Amanda lives to love life, and by that I mean there’s never a dull moment with her.  She always seem to find the positive side to everything around her. I love how Amanda laughs, and most of all her smile. That smile and laugh alone makes me feel like I just won the lottery.  The one thing I can say I love most about my wife and partner in crime would be her consideration for others. Amanda is the type of person to care for others before worrying about herself.   Some may see it as being vulnerable, but I see it as her biggest strength, and for that I love her more then anything in the world.  I’ve never seen anyone not like or be drawn to Amanda’s personality.  She seems to just draw people to her and I know  it’s more then just her beautiful looks.  Love you Babe”

“There are many things I love about Mark. Mark is a caring, loving, passionate person. He is the least selfish person I know. I love how he cares so much for those people who mean the most to him. I love how smooth he is with his words.  No matter what situation we are in, he somehow manages to make everyone laugh.  When we first met at a bar during a mutual friend’s birthday, he gave me his number and said “Call me when you get home so I know you got home okay”.  After that, I knew he was the one!  Mark, from day one has made me feel like his princess, and the feeling he gives me every time I see him is what I love the very most.  It’s all those little qualities about him that I love – he is my one and only!”

Event Planner:  Bridal Solutions (Rose Tenuta)
Event Venue:  Paramount Banquet Hall
Wedding Gown:  Vera Wang
Florist:  Gatto Flowers
Decor:  Underwraps
Hair & Makeup:  Picaso Hair Salon
Wedding Cake:  The Sweet Life|
Theme: Winter Wedding

Impulse Photography - Toronto Fine Art Wedding and Engagement Photographers

(Photo:  This is not my bible, it belongs to a beautiful homeless man named Courtney whom I met on the streets of  San Fransisco two years ago.  I would love for mine to look like this though!!)

I needed to set out on this journey.  I felt an urgency.  What is this 28 day quest you ask?  Well, I dedicated and committed my time to reading the bible…..cover to cover…..in 30 days.  However, I ended up finishing in 28.  I really felt a strong calling to do this and was earnestly desiring a deeper relationship with my Lord and Savior.  And I have so much to say, so let’s get into it!

On December 9^th, I started my reading.  I was also in prayer daily.  I asked for God to speak to me, guide me, give me wisdom, direct me.    First thing I noticed is that there were many things that came my way to distract me and take my attention.  It was not easy.  The first few days were like any other.  However, shortly afterwards, something was happening.  As I continued, my mind, my heart, my spirit and  inner man was being renewed.  I believe that when we truly desire to seek God, He honors that and does not disappoint. Well, that’s exactly what happened!  I can’t begin to tell you the changes.  It was like one big HUGE bible study!  I was taking in massive chunks of the word!  And it was changing me.  I was seeing more of God’s heart.  And when I would catch a sermon topic here and there, I thought, “oh, wow, I just read that the other day!”  lol.

There’s something to be said about “soaking in God’s word” and in His presence.  Shutting off the world and focusing on Him.  The one who created us.  The one who knows us better than anyone.  The one who loves us more than you can imagine.  He really opened up my eyes to so much.  Things I had never really thought about before.  I was craving, thirsting for His word more and more.  I was being filled as a fountain full of water!  Like the Samaritan woman at the well when she encountered Jesus, He told her that He could give her living water.  “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”  (John 4:13-14).  This life on earth is temporary and proves to disappoint (as I’m sure you’ve probably already found out!)

Well, I finished reading the Bible cover to cover on January 5^th, and I have never been so in love with Him as I am now.  He helped me to really understand scripture and to memorize it and bring it to mind when necessary in speaking to and sharing it with others.  It was like I was born again…again!  So what’s the main message I got out of this?  Okay, this is it.   To live a HOLY life and OBEY Him.  Of course, we all know that we are to repent and turn from sin when we first come to Christ, but many go on living like the world.  Many Christians believe they are saved, but they are not living a holy life.  Many continue on with their ways.   They are caught up in the things of this world and do not have their eyes on Jesus.  They have a “lukewarm” attitude and approach.  While it’s true that it’s by grace that we are saved, we need to make sure of our salvation.  “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith.” (2 Corinthians 13:5).  If you were to take your last breath today and you are standing in front of God, are you able to face Him without shame, knowing that you have repented of sin and have lived a Holy life for Him?  Matthew 7:21 tells us “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.”  Are you confident that you are doing the will of the Father?  I know I wasn’t.   And by sin I’m not only referring to murder, adultery, stealing etc., but I’m also referring to unforgiveness, bitterness, hatred,  jealousy, pride, gossip, slander etc.   These are poisons.  What are you watching?  What are you posting on Facebook?  He tells us that if we love Him, we will keep his commandments.  Choose today whom you will serve.  I truly needed to repent of many things and cut certain things out of my life.  And I’m so happy I did!  I continue to pray that if there is any sin in my life, anything that is not pleasing to Him, that God would bring it to the surface and into the light.  That He would expose it!  Human nature is that men love their sin and love living in darkness.  Most do not want to change anything in their life.  But like a cockroach, when you turn on the light they all scatter!  Trying to find some darkness again.  Well I say bring on the light!!  I don’t want to be a cockroach.  I want to be clean before my Lord.   As a follower of Christ we are called to “deny ourselves”, pick up the cross and follow Him.  There is so much more I want to say.  You can always call me to chat if you want to know more or have any questions.

Now, in no way am I saying that you must read the bible in 30 days to hear from God, but I am saying to seek His face in prayer and read as much as you can on a daily basis.  Buy hey if God puts it on your heart Go for it!! And if you’ve never read it before, I would encourage you to do so.  It truly is the “living word”.    This is what I did to make things a little more doable:  I started reading the Book of John first (New Testament) and not only did I have my bible open and was reading, but I also played an audio DVD (with entire Bible), which I listened to at the same time.  This way it kept me on track and I didn’t “dilly dally” as much…lol (which I tend to do a lot!).  And what better way to get the word in, by seeing and hearing!  I also have the YouVersion app on my iphone to help keep track of my daily readings and check them off as I went along.  It has many different great reading plans (30/60/90/365 days).  I would absolutely recommend it.

SEEK HIM, LOVE HIM, OBEY HIM.

I love you all!
Silvana ~

(If you’re interested in reading my personal testimony of how I gave my life to Christ you can find it here)

Impulse Photography - Toronto Fine Art Wedding and Engagement Photographers

Impulse Photography is now accepting destination weddings! If you are a Canadian resident and are planning your wedding  in a unique part of the world and are looking for a destination wedding photographer , we’d love to document it for you!  We are now taking on a limited amount of  weddings worldwide and will travel outside of Canada to locations such as Italy, Paris, Greece, Mexico, Bahamas, United States, France, Spain, Jamaica and others.  Contact us for more details:  impulsephoto@bellnet.ca / 905.832.5998

Posted in: Destination Wedding Photographer, Weddings Worldwide

Impulse Photography - Toronto Fine Art Wedding and Engagement Photographers

Emotions stirred as they had their first looks of each other just before the wedding ceremony.  The couple that had met on a blind date were now going to recite their vows to each other before God.  These two were SET UP  by one of John’s gazillion cousins, Christina (who’s wedding I photographed just last year!)  As soon as John pulled up into Suzie’s family’s driveway, her sister,  mom AND grandmother were all there at the door to greet him.  They remember him wearing his turquoise t-shirt and jeans and flashed that winning smile. He took her to Jack Astors for dinner and the rest… IS LOVING HISTORY!!    Something else about Suzie….she has always been on the other side of weddings preparing awesome hair styles for brides (many of whom are my clients as well), and so now it was her time to shine! You can check her out and send her some love at Suzy Choi Bridal Hair.  We had so much fun on the wedding day with their bridal party before heading out to their reception at Bellagio Event Centre.  Love you guys!  Silvana  xoxo

“First things first, I love her smile.  Every time she smiles, it’s special.  If I’m having a bad day, her smile turns it into a good one.  If I’m having a good day, her smile turns it into a great one.  I love that we can talk to each other about anything.  We can talk about sports, talk about work, talk about nonsense (fun of course), talk about joys and frustrations, and talk about our life together.   I love that our talks have really developed our relationship in such a deep and meaningful way.  I love that she is a woman of God.  Her love for God is clearly displayed through her works, her actions, her love for friends and family, and of course through the love that she shows me.  Ever since she has come into my life, I have personally grown in a way that I can’t describe.  She has made me into the man and husband that I am today.  I love that.”

“I love how easy it is to love him.  I love how he only eats the drumsticks because I like the wings.  I love how he can make everything ok, just by holding my hand.  I love how he is slow to anger, and quick to forgive.  I love how I feel when I’m with him; safe, free, and deeply appreciated.  I love his heart.  He is always willing to understand, even before he is understood.  I love his mind.  He is always looking for the best in people, always willing to learn and open to change.  I love his purpose- to serve God and to serve others.  I love him for the man he wants to be… but more so for the man that he already is.”

Venue:  Bellagio Event Centre
Florist:  Centerpiece Flowers
Linens:  Bellagio Event Centre
Event Planner:  Eunice Kim
Videographer:  Ryan Shin

Impulse Photography - Toronto Fine Art Wedding and Engagement Photographers

Carlo just finished having a steak dinner with his friend Tommy, and afterwards, they did what every teenager did in the summer in Vaughan……go hang out in the “La Paloma” parking lot.  He was taken by surprise when, in his own words,  he saw “this insanely gorgeous girl…..I mean, I felt like a deer caught in headlights!”  When he introduced himself, he didn’t think he stood a chance.  He later was pleasantly surprised to hear that Alexis wanted him to call her and found out that she “liked how his shoes matched his shirt.”   They had always “known” of each other as they hung out in the same social circle and have been at the same events, but never really met or had a conversation.  Alexis tells her side in her own words:   “On this particular evening I noticed Carlo and asked my cousin who he was.  She said, “Oh, that’s Carlo”.  And in shock I replied, “THAT’S Carlo?!”.  I couldn’t believe that I did not notice him before.  I told my cousin that I was going to marry him to which she laughed.  In all honesty, it was like Cupid’s bow hit me and opened my eyes that day versus any other day.  Meanwhile, on the other side, Carlo had the same feeling and was having a conversation with his friend about me.  He told his friend he was attracted to me but his friend jokingly told him not to bother because I probably wasn’t interested.  So Carlo was unsure of approaching me.  Being impatient, I ended up asking Carlo’s best friend (now one of the best men at our wedding) for his phone number and we’ve been together ever since!”

Alexis & Carlo, we had a blast photographing your wedding!  I loved meeting Percy, Toby & Houdini!  (On a side note, I remember 35 years ago when my sister was married at your banquet hall, Montecassino Banquet Hall (Chesswood), and I was the flower girl!  How crazy is that?!  LOL)

“I love the way Alexis’s mood explodes with happiness when she sees Italian greyhounds!  She has the sweetest most innocent expression that makes me laugh.  One time in New York, she actually tried to sneak beside the little dog just so I could take a picture of her and the dog without the owner knowing.  It’s funny how early on I knew Alexis was the one.  After three dates, all of which she let me choose the movie by the way, I told her that there wasn’t going to be anybody else, don’t ask me how I knew, I just did.  New, a few weeks before we take our vows, I can say I was absolutely correct!  We have grown together since we were 18 and every day that passes, we grow and love each other more and more.  With Alexis, I laugh because she is laughing.  I’m frustrated and upset when she is sad.  But most importantly, I came to the realization a long time ago that I am only happy when I know she is happy.  Truthfully, I never wanted a girlfriend, I only wanted Alexis.  Soon Alexis will be my wife, my life…..and I couldn’t be happier.”

What I love about Carlo is one of the first things I noticed about him.  Carlo has this ability to make everyone feel so loved and welcomed.  If it is a family event, wedding, or hanging out with some friends, Carlo is the heart and soul of the group; people just gravitate to him, including me.  From the moment I met Carlo, I knew he was a special person because he is so genuine in all that he does that you actually get saturated with his kindness that makes you happy and excited for life.

EVENT PLANNER:  Ferri-Tale Weddings  (Amanda Ferri)
FLORIST:    Dizennio Floral  (Vaughan)
WEDDING BAND:    Uptown Band
DÉCOR:    Have a Seat via Dizennio Floral (Vaughan)
HAIR & MAKE-UP:  David Alexander
VENUE:   Montecassino Banquet Hall  (Vaughan)
CATERER:   Montecassino Banquet Hall (Vaughan)
WEDDING CAKE:   Petits Sweets
WEDDING GOWN DESIGNER:  Ines di Santo
Location: Montecassino Banquet Hall

Impulse Photography - Toronto Fine Art Wedding and Engagement Photographers