Coffee Shop Engagement Session
We arrived at Istanbul Café & Espresso Bar, a cozy Turkish coffee shop located at Yonge and Eglinton, bright and early on a rainy Sunday morning. It was only 8:50 am and raining, and yet with 10 more minutes still to go before opening, there were already several people eagerly waiting for the doors to open. Looking through the glass store front, we could see the unique décor, which in true Turkish fashion, was a wonderful mix of East and West. Stepping inside, we were greeted by a wonderful array of Turkish mosaic lanterns hanging all around the coffee shop, lending the place a warm, yellow glow, creating an intimate feeling, the perfect place for a first date. Lucky for us, Rachel and Rishi did just that for their first date and invited us along with them to capture their engagement shots where their love story began.
Nestled in the back of the coffee shop was the little table where Rachel and Rishi first had a cup of coffee together, and now, with a cup of freshly brewed coffee and a Rose Latte (yum!), they headed over to the little table once again, yet this time as soon to be husband and wife.
Before we started the engagement shoot, Rachel mentioned her and Rishi didn't feel 100% comfortable in front of the camera, and we could tell they were a little nervous and weren’t sure how to act. So once they sat down at their table, we asked Rachel to tell us about their first date, and her eyes immediately lit up as she told us the story of their 30 minute date, during which Rishi unknowingly convinced Rachel not to take a job abroad. For the rest of the shoot, Rachel and Rishi giggled and chatted away, like we imagine they did when they sat down in this quaint little coffee shop for their first date.
Istanbul Café has so many cute spots that we couldn’t resist but to venture out beyond Rachel and Rishi’s little first date table and take advantage of the whole space – we were even allowed to go behind the counter!! The owners of Istanbul Café, and the awesome baristas, were phenomenal and truly let us have fun and get creative with the shots. They accommodated our requests and even treated us to complimentary coffee refills!! Come to think of it…maybe all that caffeine also played a part in all of their giggling… Well, whatever it was, it worked – the happiness and love shared between Rachel and Rishi was truly evident as they cozied up for their photos.
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