Last week, I had the privilege of photographing an incredibly special day for two remarkable people. Tori and Jon are fun-loving, authentic, and genuine individuals who knew how to throw a killer party! Here were some of my favourite parts about the day:

1. The fact that the bride’s dress was handmade by a friend and she was literally stitched into it after she put it on.
2. The expression on Tori’s face as she looked into the mirror for the first time since putting on her dress. “Eeeek! I look like a bride!!”
3. The beautiful handwritten vows that they exchanged.
4. The killer wedding party; this crew was seriously a blast.
5. The fact that the whole day was about the moments, not about the photo ops or the way the wedding looked to those around them.
6. The absolutely stunning sunset we had at the end of the wedding portraits; what a gift!
7. The fact that the reception was catered by the kitchen staff from the camp these two met at.
8. The kissing board that the MCs had where guests could decide what style of kiss they wanted to see. T+J crushed it!
9. The sparkler exit that, despite us not being able to find a lighter and attempted to do it by two candles, was so beautiful!
10. The magnificent couple that we got to celebrate and cheer on all day long!

       

A few days ago, I had the privilege of being part of yet another spectacular wedding. The day felt quite familiar to my own wedding as it was raining, we took photos at Derby Reach, and the reception was at the Fort Langley Golf Course, which was all the same as my wedding! The beautiful thing is that no matter how often I shoot at the same locations, they always feel so different as they are made beautiful and unique by the couple.

Adrienne + Orrin planned a day that was simple and honouring towards their family. Their day was full of sacred moments, warm hugs to keep each other warm, and a pretty rockin’ wedding party. To top it all off, the groom ate a plate of waffles and bacon for his wedding meal; does life get any better?

            

Huge congratulations to you both, Adrienne + Orrin! Thank you for trusting me with the privilege of documenting your day!

This was an absolutely spectacular wedding! To begin, the bride is a teacher, which translates to, “The bride was the most organized human being on the planet and understands how to schedule a day…” It was seriously the dream! On top of that, the groom was so involved in the plans leading up to the day, present with all his guests, and loving towards his beautiful bride all day long. Needless to say, it was such an honour to be part of this beautiful celebration and was such a privilege to capture!

                           

Congratulations, Steph + Dan!

Less than a week ago, Lois and Richard got MARRIED! It was such an incredible day to celebrate two wonderful people. Here were some of my highlights:

1. The amazing vendors that they hired; it was so great to meet so many talented individuals.
2. The stunning views at Pitt Lake in the rain; this is always a killer spot, no matter the weather.
3. The fun we had making sure the bride and groom didn’t see each other during all the photos that we took before the ceremony. They took turns waiting in the car as I did the opposite party; it was quite entertaining!
4. The way the couple honoured the people who had been so critical in inspiring them both. They had many “sponsors” who were the individuals who are people they wanted to honour for the role they have had in their lives. They all walked down first at the start of the ceremony; so great!
5. The fact that the first thing the couple did to begin the ceremony was each read a letter to their parents, thanking them for all that they had done.
6. The moment when the groom started crying while he was reading this letter, and the ring bearer came forward with a kleenex for him.
7. The first dances that ended up teaching us that the couple (and their parents) can really dance!
8. The delicious dinner that was served by such friendly staff.
9. The laid back, family feel that the reception held (and the hilarious and heartfelt speeches!).
10. And most importantly, the incredible couple that was such a joy to celebrate all day long!

                   

Here’s to the new couple and their beautiful adventure ahead!

Chelsea + Lucas’ wedding was spectacular. They had the most perfect day, full of close friends, good food, and top notch dancing! Here were some of my favourite parts:

1. The adorable flower girl who is the bride’s niece. I always love when there is such a special connection with who they chose for this role.
2. The beautiful church that made me think this would be as close to photographing a royal wedding as I will get…
3. The gorgeous flowers by Floralista, as always!
4. The song that the Junior Bridesmaid wrote and sang after Chelsea walked down the aisle (seriously so amazing!).
5. The entertainment I had in placing the wedding party on one side of the pathway along the Sea Wall and then standing on the other side and shooting. You’ll see below, but the amount of bikers and rollerbladers that added to the shot, was hilarious.
6. The awesome city feel that we had as I did the bride + groom portraits.
7. This was my first time shooting at The Loft above Earls and it was stunning! It’s the perfect intimate, cozy reception space.
8. The fact that the night ended with the bride and groom hopping on a plastic horse (seems natural right?)
9. And of course, the stellar couple that we got to celebrate all day long!

                                                 

Cheers to Chelsea and Lucas as they start this wonderful new life together!

Rachel and Richard have the best story. She was in England for a dance competition, and he was living there at the time. From the moment he met her, he thought to himself, “Shoot, this is going to end in paper work.” Sure enough, the months passed, the ring soon appeared and here we are today!

Here were some of my favourite parts of their special day!

1. The west-coast feel
2. The beautiful hats that the groom’s family were wearing
3. The colour of the bridemaid’s dresses
4. The awesome old-school car that the couple drove in
5. The hilarious photo-bombers that kept our portraits quite entertaining
6. The fact that the groomsmen ended up on a boat…
7. The beautiful first dance (helps when you marry a professional dancer)
8. The heartfelt speeches that were intimate and personal
9. The killer dance party
10. The amazing couple who we got to celebrate all day!

                       

All the best on this wonderful journey together, Rachel + Richard!

This summer, I was SO pumped to get to shoot my first Alberta wedding. Having done copious amounts of west coast ones, I knew it would be a treat to get to experience a wedding in a different province and this one sure didn’t disappoint! I’ll let the photos speak for themselves, but here are a few of my favourite parts:

1. How family centred the whole day was; it was clear that the couple value people over plans and made sure their day represented that well.
2. The super relaxing morning that we had in the mother-of-the-bride’s BEAUTIFUL home (Seriously – I have never been into a home where not a single thing was out of place – wow!)
3. The beautiful flowers that were bought at Costco and assembled by the bridesmaids the night before. I love when each bridesmaid gets to make their own bouquet; it adds such a personal touch.
4. The fact that all the groomsmen rocked cowboy hats for the day!
5. The fact that when the couple sat down to sign the registry, they realized they didn’t have the forms in front of them and their response was just to laugh.
6. The hilarious wedding party that gave it their best shot to think of jokes on the spot to make each other laugh (room for growth on the jokes, but A+ for effort nonetheless).
7. The super laid back reception that was more like a big family meal together (and the delicious food!)
8. The killer dancing that put us BC folks to shame.
9. Reflecting on the rehearsal the night before to the day of the wedding, I was so impressed by how many people pitched in to help out. It really gave it a family feel and made me admire the selfless hard work of so many people!
10. The new couple who were so much fun to celebrate!

             

     

This was the most beautiful speech from the mother-of-the-bride. She chose to honour all the people that have played key roles in Tanis’ life. At the end, she told Riley to look at everyone who is standing, and to realize that this is his tribe of people now too.

  

      

Here’s to this new beautiful family and all the exciting adventures coming their way!

Justine and Dave’s wedding day was simply perfect. It represented them so well and honoured their guests in such beautiful ways. We had planned to take a helicopter to do their wedding portraits, but due to the smog, it was postponed. At first, we were quite bummed about this, but it ended up being such a great thing as we had the most incredible backdrops at the golf course! I also have never laughed so hard at a reception – if nothing else, scroll down and look at the reception photos. Some hilarious shenanigans went down.

Here were some of my favourite parts of their day:

1. The super chill vibe in the morning (the bride did some of her bridesmaids’ hair!).
2. The backdrop behind where the party stood during the ceremony.
3. The rockstar “Here comes the bride” sign holder – who found his mom’s lipstick during the ceremony and decided to put it all over his face!
4. The hilarious wedding party – seriously this crew helped make the day so awesome.
5. The bridesmaids’ awesome flowy dresses (see the hilarious running pics below).
6. The great array of kissing we saw during the reception (if you wanted them to kiss, you had to tell them what type of kiss you wanted to see).
7. The fact they ended the night by the bride silly stringing the groom in the face because she had more money in her honeymoon jar than him!
8. The sister of the groom gave one of the most hilarious speeches I have ever heard. She brought out his “Grade 8 autobiography” and read some hilarious stories from it. You know when she starts her speech with, “I’m not much of a speech person, but I will never say no to an opportunity to embarrass my brother,” it’s going to be good!
9. The most hilarious MC’s I have ever heard – you just have to scroll down and look at the photos. They created a song for the bride and groom and had a HILARIOUS performance. Seriously crushed it.
10. The bride and groom that were so much fun to celebrate!

                

                  

Justine and Dave – thanks for letting me tag along on your special day! All the best to you both!

Before I left to photograph this wedding, my husband asked me what the couple was like. I responded by saying, “They are one of those couples who make you want to do such a good job for them because they are so kind.” This honestly is how I feel about Matt and Miranda. They are two of the sweetest, most gentle-hearted people I have had the pleasure of photographing. Their day so perfectly symbolized their beautiful hearts. Whether it was from their wonderful wedding party, to the incredible guests in the room, it was all just so perfect.

Here were some of my favourite parts:

1. The calm, organized demeanour of the bride
2. The fact that the groom was attentive and aware of his bride throughout the whole day
3. The fact I cried the entire time while Miranda & her dad were walking down the aisle; just from the expressions on their faces
4. The attentive bridesmaids that never left Miranda’s side
5. The rockstar groomsmen (seriously – this was the first time in my photography career that I said, “Okay ladies, just copy what the guys are doing!” They were so on it!)
6. The absolutely delicious dinner that was displayed so beautifully
7. The staff at the Conference Centre; I have been to MANY receptions and have never encountered such kind staff
8. The speeches that made you laugh and cry at the same time
9. The first dances that were heartfelt and beautiful
10. The amazing couple that kept us smiling all day long

Seriously loved working with these two. Plus we got a few good pictures out of the day too… 🙂