Photographer Scarlet O'Neill has shot nearly 500 weddings. Now, she's bringing a group of her contemporaries together for an art show at the Gladstone Hotel.

Photo by Erin Leydon.

Not only does she does she hope to show how wedding photography's evolved - from stiff portraits to more natural shots - she also wants to create an alternative wedding show of sorts to help highlight and support the industry here in Toronto.

Photo by Hugh Whitaker.

The Love (Actually) Exhibition starts on February 2, just in time for Valentine's Day. But O'Neill explains the show's about more than just romantic love; it also features the special, intimate moments between local families, as well as Toronto-based couples.

"We’re focusing on the narrative of the pieces and also pointing out the different vendors involved," she says.

As a wedding photographer, she relies mainly on word-of-mouth referrals, so she rarely participates in conventions. But she did go to one while planning her own wedding last year.

“You almost feel like you can’t take it all in because it’s so busy and it’s just so crazy, so I feel like this is a cool kind of spin on it," she says, noting how February's still inquiry season.

Photo by Jenn & Dave Stark Photography.

If a visitor's inspired by something they see in one of the photographs - like a dress or floral arrangement, for instance - they can learn more about it because all of the vendor information will be listed nearby.

But beyond that, O'Neill hopes to dispel some of the assumptions others make about wedding photography, a specialty area many such photographers try to downplay.

Photo by Frances Beatty.

Although today, thanks to the proliferation of wedding television shows, Instagram and Pinterest, it's easier and easier for those outside of the industry - and even those who are years away from planning a wedding - to appreciate wedding photography as more of an art.

For O'Neill, that's really what it's all about. "I think being able to put together a showcase of these real moments really shows people the worth and value behind wedding photography."