Merry Christmas and Good Times to all!

We officially close for the holidays today, (we'll reopen January 2) so I thought I'd take this blog post to wish everyone Happy Holidays! No matter what you celebrate, I hope your time is filled with the warmth and love of dear family and friends. We are looking forward to celebrating Christmas with our families, and enjoying everything this season has to offer! Thank you to all our wonderful clients who have made this a great year - you inspire us and trust us with your precious photographic memories, and we appreciate it so very much!

I have so many fall portrait session to share on the blog, but most of them are part of Christmas gifts - so as not to spoil the surprise, I'll be posting portrait session images after the holidays. ;) We'll also be launching a new, fresh website in the New Year, and I can't wait to share it with the world!

So thank you again to all of you for making 2008 a great year - Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Happy Kwanzaa, and whatever else brings you joy this season!

Janice and Kurt - September 27, 2008

What a sweet couple and a sweet day! Janice and Kurt are just perfect together - they have this love between them that is quiet but joyful, often communicated in those subtle, "I-think-you're-wonderful" glances with each other. We had a fabulous time with them and their families and friends, who brought their support and a great feeling of togetherness to the day. After the beautiful ceremony at UBC Boathouse, it was off to various locations around Richmond for the bridal party photo session. They were all quite the troopers, as we dragged them over field, sand, and concrete, all in the name of photography! A tea ceremony was followed by the reception at Kirin Seafood Restaurant in Richmond - I must say that I very much enjoyed the decor in this Kirin, and Janice's addition of the cute kermit mum centrepieces went brilliantly with the room. The reception was filled with a lot of fun and games, some too saucy to post here! Ever heard of the "Egg Game?" 'Nuff said! Adding to the entertainment were the guests, who were required to sing a song with the word "love" in it to get the couple to kiss - good times! Thanks to Janice and Kurt for having us document your wonderful day!

Ley and Len - September 13, 2008

Ley and Len are a wonderfully sweet and sincere couple, and it was a pleasure to share their beautiful day with them. Their ceremony was held at the always lovely Celebration Pavilion at Queen Elizabeth Park, with many family and friends in attendance to show their support. After photos with the family, it was off to Locarno Beach for some windy photo fun (gosh I love long veils and wind!) and then a nearby heritage site, with a final stop at Richmond City Hall. Ley and Len both looked amazing in their wedding attire, and their wedding party looked equally fabulous - I loved the colour scheme of black, silver, and red - it came together particularly well with the bridesmaids' ensembles. The reception was held at one my favourite venues, Richmond Golf and Country Club, with the very cool decor conceived by Ley and Len and then created by friends and family. After an evening of emotional speeches (and a very, very funny video!), it was time to party - and wow, do these folks know how to get down! In fact we were amazed, impressed, and well - blown away - by an impromptu hip-hop dance performance by Ley's brother, Marvin, and Len's sister, Lana - definitely one of the coolest things I've ever seen at a wedding! The photo doesn't quite do it justice, but let me say these two were burning up the dance floor! Ley and Len also spent some time grooving with a few moves of their own, and in fact performed their own little dance routine earlier in the evening. Ley and Len, it was a fun and fantastic day - thank you!

Jessie and Jo - September 7, 2008

Jessie and Jo had one of those epic days - you know, the ones that start early in the morning and finish 14 hours later! A long day indeed, but a very fun one too! We started with coverage of the groom games (a.k.a "groom torture") where Jessie's friends and bridesmaids made Jo and his guys do all kinds of crazy things - let's just say there was a bucket of ice, some whipped cream, and even a little bit of karaoke! Next it was off to two tea ceremonies, and then the wedding ceremony at the beautiful Cecil Green. We followed it up with a a photo session around Cecil Green, Iona Beach, and Richmond City Hall. Now let me say that I have shot at Iona a lot, and it has always been a great spot. However, on this particular day at this particular time, it seemed that every mosquito in the world had gathered at Iona and was quietly waiting for our unsuspecting bridal party to arrive. Needless to say, our photo time at Iona was short! But I have to give major credit to Jessie, who, in her strapless bridal gown, did not have the barrier of Jo's tux and took more than her fair share of bites - fortunately, after seeing the photos she told me it was worth it! (phew...) All throughout the day, Jo always had his arm around Jessie or was ready with a big smile in her direction - he absolutely adores her, and it's clear that the feeling is mutual! The day concluded with a lovely reception at Sun Sui Wah Restaurant - thanks to Jessie and Jo for having us with you!

Stephanie and Michael - August 30, 2008

Stephanie and Michael had big plans for their wedding day and it all came together perfectly! From the florals and decor by Art of the Party to the lavish reception at the Fairmont Vancouver Waterfront in downtown Vancouver, everything was truly wonderful! Stephanie was a bridesmaid at another wedding we photographed back in 2006 - the wedding of Christa and Kevin. It was great to see many of the same ladies in Stephanie's bridal party, and in fact many of the same guests in attendance! To top it all off, another couple of ours were the MC's for the evening - Dave and Kathy did a great job! But I digress... after a very uplifting ceremony in Richmond (check out the emotion from Michael in the image below!), we headed out to Queen Elizabeth Park for photos, followed by a more urban setting in David Lam Park in Yaletown. I have to say that I loved the bridesmaids' dresses - they were all the same lovely mocha crepe, but each maid had a different style of dress to suit her individual tastes. Later a tea ceremony was held at the hotel, followed by an evening reception in the grand ballroom. It was a day filled with a great joie de vivre, and we thank Stephanie and Michael for having us share it with them!

Portrait Session Promo for Past and Current Clients

I'm happy to announce a new Portrait Session Promotion for this fall, exclusive to our past and current clients!

Book a family, baby, or maternity session between October 1 and November 15 and you will receive $100 off the session fee - it's my way of saying "thanks!" for your past business! All sessions include a 90-minute shoot with Laura at a location of your choice, a viewing session at our gallery, and $100 in product credit, which can be used towards albums, custom prints, framing, Christmas cards, etc.

Family Sessions
$395 regular price - $295 during the Fall Promotion
Maternity Sessions
$295 regular price - $195 during the Fall Promotion
Baby Sessions
$295 regular price - $195 during the Fall Promotion

If you'd like more information, please email me and I will send you the full product list and details for the session you're interested in. There are limited spaces available, so please book early to get your day and time. Past portrait session work can be viewed at www.magnoliaphotographic.com, or on our Facebook Fan Page.

Wilson and Tania - August 16, 2008

Pajo's fish and chips, frisbee, and flying a kite (or at least trying to) - plus a wedding - what could be more fun?! We started Wilson and Tania's big day by meeting them and their bridal party at Rocky Point Park, where there just happens to be a Pajo's (best fish and chips ever). Of course the group had to indulge, with the bridesmaids dutifully (and carefully) feeding Tania the ever-so-greasy battered fish. After lunch we walked around the park for the photo session, with a little break for some frisbee and "kite-flying" - I have that in quotes because, well, there was no wind so the kite never got more than about 10 feet off the ground - but it was fun nonetheless! We then headed to Westwood Plateau for a tea ceremony, which was then followed by the beautiful garden wedding ceremony, and all topped off by a fabulous reception overlooking the mountains and valley below.

Creative Paths

It was an image from Rebecca and Kairns' wedding that made Kathy from Creative Paths get in touch with me. At that wedding we had taken an image of a beautiful lily pad in the pond, and Kathy thought it would be great for the serene, calming look she was going for with her website. It turned out the image was a vertical, and Kathy needed a horizontal - so why not shoot some more images custom-made just for her? I had a great time with Kathy and her sister Nancy, who together are starting a business called Creative Paths. Kathy and Nancy are trained in a variety of natural healing methods; Kathy uses Tibetan healing bowls to help people with ailments such as cancer, and Nancy uses another piece of equipment called a Scenar as well as employing a technique called healing touch - very fascinating. I wish them both the very best with their new business! (I'll link to their new site from here when it's done).

Dena and Ryan - August 15, 2008

It was off on a little road-trip of sorts to Harrison Hot Springs for Dena and Ryan's big day, with bright blue skies, sunshine, and - oh yes, the scorching heat! It was a toasty 35+ degrees out at lovely Harrison Lake, and although I was feeling it, I can't imagine what it was like for a groom in a black wool tuxedo - probably something like standing next to the sun. :D I loved the colour that Dena chose for the bridesmaids' gowns - a vibrant coral tone - it stood out beautifully in the photos and provided a great accent to the blues and greens of the lake environment. The evening reception at Harrison Hot Springs Resort was filled with speeches, trips to the candy bar, and dancing - and also the most memorable bouquet toss I have ever witnessed, where Dena managed to wing the bouquet right over the all the single ladies and onto the table behind them - no easy feat considering that it was at least a 30-foot distance!