PARKVIEW MANOR
BRAMPTON, ON
KAT AND ROMAN
At the time of shooting Kat and Roman's wedding, I was probably 150 to 250 weddings into my career, and I had never seen anything quite like this.
Kat and Roman are Polish and Ukrainian, and they've spent their entire lives in professional polka dance groups. When they mentioned there would be crazy dancing at their wedding, I figured it would be above average—but that's what everyone says.
Roman and the boys were casually hanging out, and nothing suggested any of them would break out into insane dance moves. The girls were beautiful and elegant, and I thought people would dance normally. I was very wrong.
After a few outfit changes, some of the groomsmen and bridesmaids switched into traditional dancing outfits and absolutely destroyed the dance floor. They were lifting people up, throwing them through the air, doing human pyramids. Girls were being flipped upside down, guys were swinging each other around by the ankles, people were jumping over each other. It was somewhere between professional dancing and Cirque du Soleil—legitimately acrobatic moves that left me speechless.
The energy, the music, the flips, the element of risk—everything was so over-the-top that I was just trying to capture it all. They danced like this at full speed for at least an hour or two. I'm so glad we documented these moments because of how much it meant to Kat and Roman, their community, and their family.
Beyond the dancing, I loved the traditions woven throughout their day. There were morning blessings between parents and their children. Roman had to bring his finest vodka and a briefcase of gold dollars to bribe the "fake bride" who came out instead of Kat at the first look. A local Ukrainian friend acted as the "vodka police," ensuring their vodka met the highest standards—he even provided a certificate.
At the grand entrance, the bridal party held decorative cloths that Kat and Roman ducked under, kissing at every stage. At the final stage, they did the traditional ripping of the bread—going back-to-back and pulling. Whoever gets the biggest piece wears the pants in the house.
These traditions were so fun, playful, and hilarious. They got everyone to loosen up and enjoy themselves. Between the energy, the traditions, the cultural elements, the food, the dancing, and the music, everything about this wedding was a 10 out of 10. Easily one of our favorites of the entire year.
