Adrienne and Pete - July 19, 2008

Oh wow, where to start?! This was a truly beautiful wedding, with lots of personal touches, unique and creative details, and a wonderful couple. This wedding was extra special for me because I actually grew up with Adrienne - we attended elementary school together and lived just a few houses apart. We haven't really seen each other since we were about 12 years old, and she has turned into a gorgeous and strong woman, who is perfectly complimented by the lovely and sincere Pete. Their wedding was held at a relative's farm in Aldergrove, with many of the flowers, decorations, and even the cake created by talented friends and family. We even had the chance to take some photos with one of the resident horses - now, not being too familiar with these animals, I expected, you know, a regular horse. Well, out comes one of the largest beasts I have ever seen (and I have stood beside an Asian elephant!) and I must admit I was a wee bit intimidated. But that intimidation soon faded to admiration for such a beautiful and regal animal, and I must say she was a perfect lady and very photogenic! The evening speeches brought many laughs and a few tears, and as the light faded the tent and barn behind it were illuminated and glowed warmly. Thank you to Adrienne and Pete for having us with you - it was an honour. We hope you had a great time on your honeymoon in Columbia, and can't wait to show you the rest of your images!

Ley and Len - Engagement Session

Ley and Len have a great sense for style and just the right amount of flare, and I have to say they looked fantastic for their engagement session in Yaletown. I loved Ley's cute dress and red shoes and jewelry, and Len looked pretty fly too! It was especially "fun" (some might say "life-endangering") running into the middle of the road between traffic lights to get the classic romantic dip shot in the middle of the road - it's a lot trickier than it looks! Ley and Len are two of the sweetest people you could ever hope to meet, and together they are positively delightful. We're really looking forward to shooting their wedding in September (at which there will be no running into the road for "just one more shot" - promise!) :)

Julia and Kevin - July 12, 2008

It could not have been a more beautiful day for Julia and Kevin's wedding - warm sun, wispy clouds, and a reception at Brock House overlooking the amazing scenery of Vancouver. Julia looked radiant and glowing in a gorgeous princess-style gown with a long, flowing veil sparkling with crystals. I loved her colour scheme as well - green and white - which was carried through to the reception with amazing florals by Granville Island Florist. Later on the dance floor was filled with guests (particularly during "YMCA"!) who partied well into the night. Julia and Kevin's wedding was unique for us, because it was the first time we've ever documented the bride and groom leaving the reception - and they made a grand exit, out the front of Brock House and into a very cool vintage car from A Stylish Arrival. Thanks to Julia and Kevin and their families for a beautiful and memorable day!

Stephanie and Michael - Engagement Session

Michael and Stephanie chose Coal Harbour for their engagement session, and though I've shot there a few times this year, I was amazed at how easy it is to find new and interesting photo spots. In fact I was thinking about this more and how we often do shoot in the same locations yet find new ways to interpret them, and I think it has a lot to do with the couple's personality and how it "directs" us to different spots. Michael and Stephanie are a fun, sweet couple and I really enjoyed wandering Coal Harbour with them, looking for "their" photography spots - I think we found some great ones! Stephanie was a bridesmaid in Christa and Kevin's wedding (click and scroll down to "Christa and Kevin"), so we're looking forward to seeing the gang again in August!

Jessie and Jo - Engagement Session

I think I've mentioned on this blog several [hundred] times how much I love it when people bring props to their engagement sessions - obviously Jessie and Jo took note, because they brought a super-cool silver scooter! We had so much fun zipping around Granville Island - well, actually, they zipped, I walked - and there were only a few times where Jessie had a definite look of fear while Jo piloted the little scooter. ;) I loved the way these two interacted with each other - there were lots of laughs and giggles, but also those quiet sweet moments of just being together. We are really looking forward to their big day in September!

Something a little different...

Not only was this shoot fun, but fascinating too! Our former bride Sharon needed some promotional shots of her naturopathy clinic for her website and advertising, and I was honoured to be chosen for the job. It was so interesting to see the different therapies and treatments provided at the Port Moody Naturopathic Clinic - acupuncture, live blood analysis, oxygen therapy - it was all very intriguing. Thanks to the patients and staff at the clinic who were so cooperative for all my photos!

Four Seasons Whistler - Mystery Couple

Our mystery couple got married on a drizzly June day up at the magnificent Four Seasons Whistler. Despite the weather, the bride and groom seemed unaffected and got through the day with grace, style, and joy. The rain even stopped just long enough for us to get some shots with the spectacular scenery at Lost Lake. From the bride's fabulous shoes and gown to the amazing decor by Tanya at Milestone Events, it was a truly beautiful wedding day and we thank our mystery couple for having us there! ;)

Cheverie Family Portrait Session

I had such a great time with the Cheveries, due in part to the fact that one of the them is Lea, an old friend from my high school days. It was really neat to see her and her family again, and to see that very little has changed! Even though it's been 12 years, Lea still has the same bubbly, fun personality I remember. We went to a beautiful riverside park, which appropriately is located near the Cheverie home. I always like to do family sessions at a place that has personal meaning to the family - the park had this connection for the Cheveries and it was beautiful as well - lots of trees, paths, and wildflowers. Enjoy!

Strong Family Portrait Session

As an excellent gift idea for their parents, the kids from the Strong family got together with me recently for a relaxed and informal portrait session. We had a great time walking around the park, finding some neat spots for images - I think the funky tree (shown below) worked really well and made for a nice shot. Most of the Strong family kids are still in school or just finished, so they were used to having those stiff, fake background, school portraits - my approach is to do the opposite, and use real environments and relaxed poses - I think it's a lot more fun that way, don't you? :)

Tania and Wilson - Engagement Session

I love it when my clients bring "props" to their engagement session - whether it be their pet dog, their motorcycle, or in Tania and Wilson's case - cool retro bikes! How neat is that? We headed down to Coal Harbour on a beautiful evening for some fun with the rented bikes, which came with not-so-retro and not-so-cool helmets. While helmets are great for safety (and I fully endorse safety) they do look ugly in photos, so we lived dangerously and cast them aside for art's sake - I think it was worth it. :) We're looking forward to Tania and Wilson's big day in August!

Janice and Kurt - Engagement Session

Having never actually met Janice and Kurt, I was really excited to see them and shoot their engagement session. Janice booked us all the way from Ottawa for her wedding here in Richmond, without actually meeting me or seeing our work in person - I think that really speaks to the level of trust our clients have in us, and needless to say I'm flattered! :) While spending a week here to finish up the details for their September wedding, we were able to get out one warm, sunny evening for some photos in Steveston Village - check 'em out:

Adrienne and Pete - Engagement Session

Adrienne and Pete's engagement session was just a little extra special for me. You see, Adrienne and I went to elementary school together pretty much from kindergarten all the way to grade 7, and in fact we lived just a few houses away from each other, and as such many afternoons were spent playing together. After Adrienne's family moved, we ended up going to different high schools and didn't reconnect until - you guessed it - Facebook! So as if seeing Adrienne on Facebook after all these many, many years wasn't cool enough, she found out that we are wedding photographers and well, let's just say it will be a great honour to document her big day with Pete in July!