Danielle and Andrew - Clayburn Village Schoolhouse Wedding

Danielle and Andrew have to be the sweetest people ever! It was nice to see all their wedding details come together that we had hear so much about at their engagement photos at the Othello Tunnels.  We were so excited to be part of their October wedding at the Clayburn Village Schoolhouse in Abbotsford.

We started the day by meeting up with both the boys and the girls at the Best Western in Abbotsford. I always love when the bride and groom get ready at the same location as I can jump back and forth capturing both. One of the photos that Danielle really wanted at the hotel was a picture of her and Andrew (in the same photo) but so they couldn’t see each other. Well the hotel had this amazing staircase in the lobby that gave us a cool spot to do just that photo.

Weddings are always emotional and at the moment that Danielle’s Dad saw her for the first, we knew we’d be in for a few tears. Both Danielle and her Dad broke down in to tears and it was such a beautiful moment.

We then headed out to Clayburn Village Church for the ceremony. This was my first time in this church and it was so adorable and beautiful. As they said their vows and promised their lives to each other in front of their family and friends, there were lots of laughs and a few more happy tears. One of the funniest moments had to come when the officiant asked “Danielle would you like to marry your best friend?” and her response was “Sherwood” (which is Andrew’s last name). The whole room erupted into laughter!

The weatherman had been calling for rain all day, but so far so good… but our luck only lasted till the end of the ceremony. As soon as we started the bridals and group photos the skies opened up. Well everyone was such troopers, getting a little rain on them as we quickly moved through their photos. We then snuck the bride and groom away to a different location for photos of just them. It was pouring rain, but they never let it get them down!

Then it was time to PARTY! So much love filled the Schoolhouse. We loved hearing all the touching stories throughout the speeches. Then it was time for both the father of the bride and groom to so their speeches. Both had the room in tears, including myself. The bond between father and daughter can be one of the strongest. You could tell in the father-daughter dance how close Danielle and her dad were and just how strong that bond is.

With the first dances done, it was time for the bouquet and garter toss. I always love when people go all out to catch the bouquet or garter! Then it was time to dance!

Such an amazing wedding with the most amazing couple! Congratulations Danielle and Andrew, we were so happy to be part of your wedding day!

Venue: Clayburn Village Schoolhouse

Brides & Bridesmaid Dresses: David’s Bridal

Flowers: Betty McEwan

Catering and Décor: Signature Catering

Bartending: Rochelle Thornley

DJ: Walin Dalen Entertainment

Makeup: Jessica Aldair

Hair: Melissa Auline & Jamie Ditchfield

Tuxedos: Moores

Shae and Trevor - Fraser River Lodge Wedding

Back in September I was able to second shoot for Oh Love Photography for Shae and Trevor’s big day. I don’t often get the opportunity to second shoot but I absolutely love it when I do. Second shooting allow me to spend more time capturing the day from a different perspective and try out new techniques.

The backdrop to their wedding was the ever amazing Fraser River Lodge. When we first arrived I got to go and hang out with the guys as they shot some pool. The girls were getting ready in the bridal suite with the ever fabulous Rae taking care of their hair and makeup.

It was soon time for the boys to get dressed so that we could get Trevor out to the spot where they were going to have their first look. At most weddings my time is spent with the bride all the way up to the moment when they see their groom for the first time. So for me it was a lot of fun to spend the 15 minutes with Trevor as we waited for his beautiful bride to arrive. We talked about how they met and how they purposed and I could see how anxious and excited he was getting waiting for Shae to arrive.

I love first looks as it gives the couple that moment just to themselves to see each other for the first time. Shae looked absolutley stunning in her dress from Everything But The Groom. We spent some time with just Shae and Trevor before the rest of their bridal party joined us for some photos before the ceremony. Then it was time to head back to the lodge to get ready for them to join the family and friends and say their vows to one another. The ceremony was beautiful and full of so much love.

After a few family photos it was time to party the night away. At the reception instead of clinking glasses for them to kiss they had people meow like cats. Shae and Trevor have a love for cats, Trevor even wearing cat socks on their wedding day, so it seemed a fitting way to get them to kiss. I have to admit hearing a random “meow” come over the microphone during dinner made me burst out loud more than once. Just before they started to dance the night away they did the bouquet and garter toss and I absolutely love the images from the bouquet toss!

Such an amazing day with an amazing group of people and I was go glad that I could be part of their big day!

Danielle and Andrew - Othello Tunnels Engagement Session

When I first met Danielle and Andrew over a year and a half ago, I knew that wanted to be part of their wedding day. The more I learned about their wedding and their plans for their engagement session I grew even more excited to tell their love story. They really wanted to do their engagement session at the Othello Tunnels and I couldn’t be more excited! So we planned a date in May for their engagement session, but found out just a few weeks before that the location we were going to shoot at was closed for another month. So we picked a new date in July, certain it would be a beautiful day. We even decided to meet really early in the morning to avoid the heat of the summer weekends. And when the day arrived it rained, but they were totally game for still doing the session.

So we hiked into the tunnels and got some amazing shots inside them and around the surrounding cliffs nearby. The tunnels were part of the Kettle Valley Railway lines and are a big part of British Columbia’s railroad history. If you are ever out in Hope, I encourage you to take an hour or two to go and explore the area!

After walking around the tunnels we headed over to Lake of the Woods on the other side of Hope, which is another spot I’ve always wanted to do photos. Both Danielle and Andrew were rock stars in front of the camera and so natural with each other.

This past weekend we got the chance to continue to tell the love story of Danielle and Andrew, and we can’t wait to share some photos of their big day with you soon.

Jen and Marcus - Beach Grove Golf Club Wedding

We were so excited to be part of Marcus and Jen’s big day in September! It was a beautiful day, with only a few rain drops, and the most perfect skies for photos. We started out the day with Jen and her girls (and her fur baby Bandit) at their home in Ladner. As soon as we walked in the door and saw her beautiful bouquet we knew we would be wowed all day long. The girls spent the next few hours finishing their hair and makeup, sharing lots of giggles and laughs along the way. Then it was time to get Jen into her dress. Just before stepping in her dress her girls surprised her with her “something blue”. Each of her five bridesmaids sewed a tiny blue flower into one of the layers of her dress. They also surprised her with a beautiful book of photos and notes celebrating how much they loved Jen and their friendship together.

It was then off to Beach Grove Golf Course in Tsawwassen for the ceremony. The sun started to peak out just as they started the ceremony. I don’t think Jen and Marcus ever took their eyes off each other throughout the ceremony. Once they said “I do” it was off to Centennial Beach for the group and bridal photos.  As Marcus and all his guys grew up in Tsawwassen it was easy to find a spot off the beaten path where we were not surrounded by tonnes of people. The group was awesome to work with, knocking out the photos like champs! I loved the girls black dresses and their beautiful bouquets, so much elegance. We then made a quick trip over to the secret garden for a few more photos of Jen and Marcus and then it was time to party!

Beach Grove Golf Course did an outstanding job with the food. We loved the touch Jen’s mom’s photo in her wedding dress just as you entered the reception room. It was a perfect way of having her there with her on her wedding day. Throughout speeches we shed a few happy tears and laughed a lot and got to know Jen and Marcus through the eyes of their family and friends. Though they met playing soccer (Marcus’ favourite sport), Jen’s family is a BIG hockey family. I’m sure Marcus will have many Saturday night hockey games in his future! Once the dancing got started the dance floor never cleared, with everyone showing off their best moves!

We couldn’t be happier for Jen and Marcus and we are so glad that we got to be part of their big day!

Venue: Beach Grove Golf Course

Bride’s Dress: Shades of White

Bridesmaid Dresses: The Bridal Gallery

Flowers: Buds and Blooms Floral Shoppe

DJ: Profound Sound

Makeup: Makeup by Rae

Second Shooter: Oh Love Photography

Laura and Steven - Redwoods Golf Course Wedding

I know Laura was super excited to be the first couple on our new blog when we shared their engagement photos. So it seems only fitting to have her and Steven be the first wedding that we share with everyone.

On September 4th, 2016 we had the honour to be part of Laura and Steven’s big day. I had been super excited to photograph Laura and Steven’s wedding pretty much from the moment we had our first consultation! We knew that with all the amazing details they were putting into their big day that it was going to be a photographers dream!

When we arrived at the clubhouse where the girls were getting ready, they were almost done all their hair and makeup with the fabulous team of Faye Smith Makeup and Hair! They had these white antlers above the fireplace, and I knew that was where I wanted to hang Laura’s dress. Sometimes to get the perfect angle I have to do a bit of climbing, so up on the back of the couch I went. What I didn’t realize was that I was shimmying back and forth, and singing to “Man, I Feel like a Woman” by Shania Twain and Laura and her girls totally caught me! What can I say? I’m a total car singer, and according to my husband a wicked finger dancer. We were able to capture all the detail photos on this amazing wood table. Then it was over to Laura and Steven’s place to take a few photos of the guys!

When we got over to the guys they were pretty much ready to go. They just needed their boutonnieres! We pulled Steven aside to do a few photos of him, and the room with 10+ people in it fell to a dead silence. It literally made me laugh out loud because I’ve never had such a captive audience when taking photos of the groom.

Then it was off to Derby Reach to capture their first look. We arrived ahead of the bride by about 20 minutes, but I’m sure Steven would have thought it was lasting a lifetime waiting for his bride. He kept telling us that he just wanted her to get here and that he was so excited for the day. He even reread his vows over a few times (I think to calm his nerves). When we were finally ready for him to see his bride he got the biggest grin on his face. I absolutely love watching the reaction of a groom when he sees his bride for the first time. Steven even started to rub his cheeks after only 5 minutes of being in front of his lovely bride because they hurt from smiling so big!

Then we had a bit of a surprise for Laura and Steven. In their engagement session we had used the vintage love seat that I refinished and reupholstered. So, we surprised them by bringing the love seat along to do a few photos with. It even provided some great seating options for the guys while we were doing photos of the girls.

After doing the group photos and some family photos it was time to take just the bride and groom aside for some bridal portraits! We had a few photo bombers and lots of bugs that decided to come along for a ride in Laura’s dress! Once we were done at Derby, it was time to head to Redwoods Golf Course for the ceremony and reception!

We loved that Laura and Steven chose to have a friend marry them. It made their ceremony that much more special for them. Their vows were beautiful and charming, even quoting Dr. Seuss. After the ceremony we snuck in a few more photos before they rode in, in style, on the pimped out golf cart! I don’t know which was better, the faces of the bride and groom as they rode in, or the guests’ reaction!

There were lots of laughs and a few happy tears before they started to dance the night away. Laura’s dad even brought a lightsaber out during his speech!

We couldn’t be happier for these two. A truly amazing couple, and we are happy to officially make them our first Amazing Day Bride and Groom! 

Venue: Redwoods Weddings

Florist: She's My Florist

Décor: Cinderella Slip-Ons Chair Covers and Decor

Cake: Cake Savvy

Hair and Makeup: Faye Smith Makeup & Hair

Bride’s & Bridesmaid’s Dresses: Everything But The Groom Bridal Boutique

Tux’s: Moores Clothing