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Pender Island Intimate Wedding // Katie & Jeff

If Pender Island is made for weddings, then Poet’s Cove is where you will find the most intimate of them all. For Katie and Jeff there was nowhere else.

This is where her family built their weekend home 19 years ago, and of course this is where she got ready for their big day.

When I met these guys, I knew their wedding was going to be fun. Katie is gregarious and funny, above all else her friendliness shines through.  Jeff’s dry wit and humour are always evident, as is his innate kindness.  Knowing Jeff is a photographer  – no pressure, then, to make sure the images were perfect!

Surrounded by her friends and family, there were tears and laughter as Katie got ready to start the next chapter of her life with Jeff. Make up artist Amy, with Artisty by Alexa was on hand to apply, and reapply, Katie’s make up as everyone made her laugh and cry in equal parts. Vahn swept Katie’s hair up beautifully. Getting ready for a wedding is always a highlight, and we all had a great time. Especially when she slipped on her Theia Couture Dress.  In a word, stunning.

If you are going to a host an island wedding, then of course it has to be a weekend affair.  Friends and family gathered for the drinks reception on Friday evening and celebrated right through the weekend. From personal vows at the ceremony, to the departure in a Triumph T4 restored by Katie’s dad, it was one to remember.  Especially for Jeff: this was the first time he was allowed to drive the T4!

It was the personal touches that made the weekend so special. Bill, a good friend of the couple, was the officiant.  Who else would make reference to the Hot Breakfast Memorial Fan Club?  Katie and Jeff wrote their own vows, which were equal parts heartfelt and moving and funny. “Accomplice in mischief,” was a particularly memorable quote from Jeff.

The reception kicked off in style as friends and family made emotional toasts and speeches.  There were tears, but it was the cheers that you could hear for miles.  This couple is clearly well loved! It was the song, though, that Jeff had written for Katie and sung by both Bill and Jeff and accompanied by a group of friends, that brought the house down. It was incredible. Only to be followed & surpassed by Katie joining the band for the “rock star” moment that Jeff had promised her. Long live CCR, especially when you are taught by your husband-to-be. As Katie quipped, “Find someone who makes you a band band of ten of your best friends, teaches you a CCR song and cheers the loudest when you crush a life goal in front of 100 of your best people.”

The attention to detail was amazing.  A photobooth was in high demand as everyone had their photos taken.  It was run by the Hemingway Project, a charity that Katie co-founded. The flowers by Platinum Flower Designs were exquisite. Pink, peach, red and white tones decorated the room, and of course the white tiered cake, created by Rain Bake Shop. And the dancing!  It was one of the best bits of the night, seeing everyone getting out on the dance floor, letting loose.

It is the cheers and tears that left me knowing that these two were off to the best start.  Love was definitely in the air.

 

 

 

 

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Vancouver Wedding Photographer // Dionne & Ryan’s Downtown Wedding

West Vancouver Wedding photography

Vancouver Wedding in Gastown

So I may have taken a while to blog about this Vancouver Wedding…..so a touch too long…..I don’t know why, because it is definitely one of my favourite wedding days to date and Dionne and Ryan were magic to work with.

I first met them in a sweet little cafe in North Van, where we chatted about their upcoming nuptials and their little guy Buzz, shared his chocolate chip cookie with me. (cutest dude ever).  I felt connected to this couple right away and super excited to photograph their big day in downtown Vancouver.  We decided to do their engagement shoot at Whytecliff Park in West Vancouver; a gorgeous, gorgeous place to photograph a couple in love.

Captured in the picture below, having a sweet, intimate moment; standing on top of the little island at the park.

Vancouver Wedding Photographer, couple, love, vancouver engagement, photography, couples photography, married, fiancé

 

Their wedding took place downtown at Steamworks in Gastown, Vancouver.  It was a perfect setting with 20′ floor to ceiling windows behind them as they said their vows.  So beautiful, intimate and unique.  The reception was in the restaurant on a private floor that felt cosy and luxurious.  Every detail was thought of and every guest felt the love and care into the day.  Dinner & speeches had everyone feeling good with the wine & happy tears flowing.

Steamworks is right in Gastown, so we were able to  troop around and grab some gorgeous images in neat settings.  So much fun.  Dionne and Ryan were keen to try out anything for a great shot, and it totally paid in dividends.  From images with perfect light and reflections, to pictures including the spectacular background of the city.   Most importantly, it was easy to capture their connection and their love for each other.  It was a dream to photograph a couple like these two; so sweet and easy with each other, so in love and so aware of the other.

Such an honour to photograph weddings for wonderful couples like these.  Check some of my favourite images from the day.

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baby Noah | Burnaby Newborn Photographer

photocrati galleryNoah | Burnaby Newborn Photographer

I feel like I knew this little newborn before he was even born.  I first met Kirsten and Wade at their cousin’s wedding – a very fun wedding 🙂 and next heard from them when they were pregnant with little Noah.  We met at Burnaby Beach to capture Kirsten’s maternity pictures and she was just glowing.  It is amazing how pregnancy just adds a certain glow to women.  Kirsten is already a stunner but just extra gorgeous with a pregnancy glow.  A few weeks later, Noah made his appearance and I was super excited to meet this little baby.  Kirsten was worried that he would rebel and not sleep through his newborn session, but he was a total star.  He had his bottle and then settled in to a nice floppy sleep.  We were able to get many beautiful pictures of this beautiful guy.  I love photographing this stage, it is so special.   To capture their little fingers, toes and expressions.  They are still so squishy and moldable <3  Wade is a big fisher so we set up a little picture with a fishing net and rod – super cute!  Knowing that parents can look back on these newborn images and be reminded of the squishiness and tiny features of their children is so fantastic.  What a treasure.  It even means a lot to that baby to grow up and see the portraits of them.  My kids love looking at their baby pictures and are often struck with wonder at how much they grown and changed.  I think they really feel the value and love in these images.  My daughter, Isla often gets a bit teary at how “little and cute” she was (in my books still is ;))  Pictures are our history, our memories and our love.  Start with the freshness of your newborn, you will never regret it.

 

 

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Engagement Photographer | Burnaby Beach | Bila and Jon

 

What a gorgeous couple and a beautiful night for their engagement shoot!  We met at Burnaby Marine Park, my first time there,  and set off to get some great pictures.  Bila and Jon were so fun to work with, they were totally up for anything I suggested and did it with a smile 🙂  I also found out that Jon’s first name is Fernando and now I just need to find a way to get his Momma singing that song to him at the wedding 🙂  Can’t wait – their wedding is sure to be a blast!

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