Thousand Islands
Elopements

Why elope in Thousand Islands

“A thousand islands, a thousand frames, where the St. Lawrence writes its own light.”

The Thousand Islands region of the St. Lawrence River is one of the most underutilized wedding destinations in Canada, and one of the most extraordinary. The 1,864 islands stretch between Ontario and New York State, each with its own character, some home to castles and historic estates. Gananoque and Kingston provide the infrastructure while the river and its island archipelago provide the setting: water, granite, cedar, and a quality of light that does not exist anywhere else in Ontario. I photograph here for couples who want the intimacy of a destination wedding without a flight, and the visual drama of a landscape that genuinely surprises.

The light

The St. Lawrence River produces a specific golden light in early evening that reflects off the water and the pale granite of the islands. Boat-access portrait sessions between islands at golden hour are among the most memorable I photograph in Canada.