Langley Engagement Photographer

Alex and Marianna - Pitt Lake Engagement Session

We hoped for good weather, and all Alex and Marianna wanted for their engagement photos was a location that they could take in beautiful mountains. Then the day came for their engagement session and the mountains were not only socked in by smoke, but there was also crazy wind and torrential rain! Not exactly what you want for your engagement photos. We postponed a week out, hoped for better weather, and boy did it ever deliver. I had so much fun exploring around the Pitt Lake area with them, finding the best spots to take in the lake and the mountains. We talked about how hard wedding planning can be and how much time it takes up. So I shared a little secret with them that I thought of about a year ago.

When you get engaged get a jar, every time there is something you think of that you want to do together, but can’t because you need to do wedding planning/errands write it down and put it in the jar. Then over then your first year of marriage, when you have time to do something together, pull a piece from the jar and do what it says! It’s a fun and exciting way of still doing all the things you want to do together.

These two are so natural with each other and I simply love the way their photos turned out! I was great to hear more about their plans and I can’t wait for the April wedding next year!

Kelsey and Zee - Chilliwack River Engagement Session

When I first met Kelsey and Zee I absolutely loved hearing about their proposal story. I can only imagine the stress that goes into planning a proposal for a guy, to only then have the weather cause your plans to fall apart. Zee had planned to purpose on a Whale Watching trip, but the winds picked up on the day of their tour and it was cancelled. While a week isn’t a long time I’m sure the next week went by at a snail’s pace for Zee until he got his second opportunity to ask Kelsey to be his wife.

Now these two say they have never done photos before but you would never know it by looking at their session! They absolutely killed their engagement photos and were complete naturals in front of the camera. I am so excited for their wedding in February and to get them back in front of my camera again!

Stacey and Dave - Dairy Farm Engagement Session

When I first met Stacey and Dave and they mentioned that they were wanting to do their engagement photos at the dairy farm where Stacey works, my response was, “Heck yeah!” Like, come on? Getting to hang out with an amazing couple and cows? Totally up my alley!

Stacey and Dave met through friends and their mutual love of camping and the outdoors. I think this is one of the reasons that we clicked when we first met. They have a number of family pets, include a few dogs that they love to take on hikes. Stacey also has a pet cow that lives in their backyard!

I may have destroyed a pair of old shoes, and came home with poop on my legs and pants, but it was totally worth it!

We can’t wait for their wedding next April!

Marie-Eve and Matt - Campbell Valley Engagement Session

We first met Marie-Eve at the All Dressed in White Wedding Show at the Anvil Centre in April. She was the lucky winner of our Ultimate Engagement Session with hair and makeup by the fabulous Makeup by Rae, and dinner at The Keg on us! They wanted to have a summery session, so we picked a day in July at Campbell Valley Park for their sunset engagement session.

We spent the whole session laughing and talking about their wedding in May 2018. It was great to hear about how they met, their son, and all the plans for their big day. I’m super excited that we get to be part of their wedding day next year, and I absolutely love the photos from their engagement session!

Val and Nick - White Rock Engagement Session

I think we planned Val and Nick’s Engagement session 10 different times, but mother nature was not being nice and poured rain each any every time. So needless to say, I was super excited when we finally got a date to work and also got the weather gods on our side!

I’ve known Val and Nick for a little while now. They are great friends with my cousin, and Nick was the Best Man in Jennifer and Marcus’ wedding last September. They had picked out a cool spot along the water in White Rock for their photos, and it was so much fun exploring this new spot with them! Now most couples spend the last few months before their wedding doing planning, but not these two. They were running a triathlon just a few short weeks after their engagement photos, and only a month before their wedding.

Val’s ring is a stunner and I could have photographed it forever. It was great to spend some more time with Val and Nick and it got me even more excited for their big day in July!

Kiersten and Josh - North Vancouver Winter Engagement Session

We first met Kiersten and Josh in January at the All Dressed in White Wedding Show at the Sheraton Guildford hotel. I remember talking with them as they stopped by our booth, and hearing about their winter wedding coming up the following January. Lucky for them, and for us, Josh’s name was drawn for our show give-a-way. They won our Ultimate Engagement Session with hair and makeup by the fabulous Makeup by Rae, and dinner at The Boathouse on us!

About a week after the show I was able to meet up with them at a local coffee shop. They told me more about their big day and we planned out their engagement session. Funny enough I found out they live super close to me, and they also have a happy dog named Ruby. We had probably even passed each other while walking our dogs through the neighbourhood!

They really wanted to have a snowy engagement session, and with all the snow we had this past winter it didn’t seem like a hard request! So we planned a date at the end of February and headed up Seymour Mountain to play in the snow. It was the second time that I had to bring out my snowshoes for a photo session. The running joke throughout the session was that although I was the only one with snowshoes on, I was also the only who fell over!

After getting all the snow photos and also getting a few with Ruby, we headed down to Cates Park to take in the sunset. To me these looked like two totally different sessions done at completely different times, which is awesome! This is one of the many reasons I love the lower mainland: you can basically get two totally different sessions within a short drive of each other!

To say we are excited for their January wedding at Swan-e-Set is an understatement. But I’m also super excited for doggy play dates at the park with these two amazing people, and Ruby of course!

Katrina and Bruce - Mission Engagement Session

Our first wedding of 2017 is about to take place next month, so I couldn’t think of a better moment to post one of my favourite engagement session from 2016.

We met up with Katrina and Bruce out at Hatzic Lake on a warm fall afternoon in October. The leaves were a perfect golden colour and the day was crystal clear! I know they were nervous at first to get in front of the camera, but it was evident from the first shot that they were beyond naturals!

As we moved around the lake you could just see how in love these two are with how cuddly they got with each other. We then started to make our way up to Cascade Falls, making a quick stop at a blueberry field where the leaves had turned a vibrant red! I love discovering new spots, and Cascade Falls didn’t disappoint!

We can’t wait to get these two back in front of our cameras next month for their wedding. We know it will be an amazing day with lots of love, laughter, and even more cuddles!

Amazing Day Photography - Mission Engagement Session - Hatzic Lake - Cascade Falls -Blueberry Field - Fall Engagement Session - Fraser Valley Engagement Photographer

Vendor Spotlight - Everything But The Groom

Today we are posting the second vendor spotlight in our series which we will be running over the next few months. See below for a list of the previous vendor spotlights.

Amazing Day Photography - Vendor Spotlight - Everything But The Groom - Wedding Salon - Langley Wedding Salon - Langley Wedding Photographer

In today’s post we are featuring one of the best bridal stores in the Lower Mainland, Everything But The Groom. Located in Downtown Langley, Everything But The Groom is a bridal store that has dresses for everyone. I had a chance to visit the owner Heidi, and the girls over at EBTG last weekend to take some photos of the store and talk to them about why they love wedding dresses.

Amazing Day Photography - Vendor Spotlight - Everything But The Groom - Wedding Salon - Langley Wedding Salon - Langley Wedding Photographer
Amazing Day Photography - Vendor Spotlight - Everything But The Groom - Wedding Salon - Langley Wedding Salon - Langley Wedding Photographer

 One of the things I love about this store is how they have a great selection of dresses in every size. Being plus sized myself I know how stressful it was for me thinking about going to try on dresses and never finding anything that fit my body. I completely understand that this is a feeling many brides have, no matter what size you wear. But this is not something you have to worry about when shopping at Everything But The Groom!

Amazing Day Photography - Vendor Spotlight - Everything But The Groom - Wedding Salon - Langley Wedding Salon - Langley Wedding Photographer

 I had been in the store on two previous occasions when planning my wedding (I got my veil from them), and I remember thinking to myself that the environment or feeling in the store was so friendly and relaxed. I think many people feel that wedding dress stores can be stuffy, but this is not the case at EBTG. You can tell the consultants are having a tonne of fun and all love their jobs, and that the clients are truly enjoying their bridal experience. They pride themselves in having dresses for everyone and making every dress buying experience special and unique.

Amazing Day Photography - Vendor Spotlight - Everything But The Groom - Wedding Salon - Langley Wedding Salon - Langley Wedding Photographer

 In talking with Heidi and the girls at the store, I could immediately tell how much they loved their experience of helping a bride find “the” dress. And while the dress buying experience can be stressful, they will help to take all the worries away from you.

Amazing Day Photography - Vendor Spotlight - Everything But The Groom - Wedding Salon - Langley Wedding Salon - Langley Wedding Photographer

 I think one of the things that make Everything But The Groom stand out is their 4 private bridal rooms for you to try on the dresses. In these rooms they have changing rooms, couches, and an open area to come out and see yourself in big floor to ceiling mirrors. You have lots of space, and it’s your own to enjoy for your appointment.

Amazing Day Photography - Vendor Spotlight - Everything But The Groom - Wedding Salon - Langley Wedding Salon - Langley Wedding Photographer

 Everything But The Groom also has a large selection of bridesmaids dresses, mother dresses, as well as prom dresses.

Amazing Day Photography - Vendor Spotlight - Everything But The Groom - Wedding Salon - Langley Wedding Salon - Langley Wedding Photographer

We had a chance to ask Heidi some questions about Everything But The Groom.

 What can brides expect when coming to Everything but the Groom?

We pride ourselves on providing a relaxed, friendly atmosphere where the bride and her entourage can enjoy the dress shopping experience. Our semi-private lounge areas allow brides to feel comfortable and at ease.

Amazing Day Photography - Vendor Spotlight - Everything But The Groom - Wedding Salon - Langley Wedding Salon - Langley Wedding Photographer

 How many years have you been helping brides find "the dress"?

We just celebrated our 11-year anniversary on October 29th!

Amazing Day Photography - Vendor Spotlight - Everything But The Groom - Wedding Salon - Langley Wedding Salon - Langley Wedding Photographer

What kind of bride to you have dresses for?

I would say just about any kind of bride. We always have a sale rack for those that are more budget conscious and we carry a wide variety of destination dresses for those heading to warmer climates. We a so carry an amazing collection of plus size gowns for those brides that are more curvy.

Amazing Day Photography - Vendor Spotlight - Everything But The Groom - Wedding Salon - Langley Wedding Salon - Langley Wedding Photographer

What's your favourite part/moments about weddings?

 I love the moment when the bride appears at the end of the aisle and everyone sees her and her gown for the first time. I love seeing a bride’s personal style reflected by the gown she chose. I also love seeing the look on her grooms face when he sees her for the first time.

Amazing Day Photography - Vendor Spotlight - Everything But The Groom - Wedding Salon - Langley Wedding Salon - Langley Wedding Photographer

 What makes you stand out amongst all the other bridal stores?

 We aren’t afraid to have fun, and it shows. We all love what we do and our customers tell us all the time they love our honesty and our no pressure environment

Amazing Day Photography - Vendor Spotlight - Everything But The Groom - Wedding Salon - Langley Wedding Salon - Langley Wedding Photographer

 What is your best advice for a newly engaged bride trying on dresses for the first time?

Try to limit the number of people that you bring along for the shopping experience. You want to make sure your voice is heard and you get a dress that represents your vision of how you want to look on your wedding day. Too many opinions can be overwhelming for some brides.

Amazing Day Photography - Vendor Spotlight - Everything But The Groom - Wedding Salon - Langley Wedding Salon - Langley Wedding Photographer

 What other services do you offer?

 We also offer bridesmaids, flower girl, and mothers dresses as well as a great selection of veils, jewelry and hair accessories. Our staff also includes 3 seamstresses that can help with alterations to make your dress fit like a glove.

Amazing Day Photography - Vendor Spotlight - Everything But The Groom - Wedding Salon - Langley Wedding Salon - Langley Wedding Photographer

 Where do you see bridal trends going over the next few years?

 I see trends moving towards a simple elegance. Lace will still continue to be strong, but we are also seeing a return to classic fabrics like satin and mikado. The ball gown is also seeing a rise in popularity after a few years of more fitted silhouettes.

Amazing Day Photography - Vendor Spotlight - Everything But The Groom - Wedding Salon - Langley Wedding Salon - Langley Wedding Photographer

Do you Offer customization for the bride that wants something a little different?

Our seamstresses are able to offer custom options to add on to a gown that has already been purchased, however we do not offer custom gowns from scratch.

Amazing Day Photography - Vendor Spotlight - Everything But The Groom - Wedding Salon - Langley Wedding Salon - Langley Wedding Photographer

 What brands of dresses do you sell?

 Mori Lee, Calla Blanche, Alfred Angelo, Blush by Hayley Paige, Madison James, Mon Cheri, Sophia Tolli, Venus and Bonny

Amazing Day Photography - Vendor Spotlight - Everything But The Groom - Wedding Salon - Langley Wedding Salon - Langley Wedding Photographer

 How far in advance do you recommend for a bride to start shopping for her dress?

 I recommend giving yourself 6-8 months. Most dresses take about 4 months to arrive once ordered and then you want to give yourself a comfortable amount of time for alterations.

Amazing Day Photography - Vendor Spotlight - Everything But The Groom - Wedding Salon - Langley Wedding Salon - Langley Wedding Photographer

 What do you love the most about selling wedding dresses?

 Finding the bride's perfect dress and the look on her face when she really sees herself as a bride in that gown.

Amazing Day Photography - Vendor Spotlight - Everything But The Groom - Wedding Salon - Langley Wedding Salon - Langley Wedding Photographer

 If you could meet any wedding dress designer who would it be and why?

I would love to have met Helen Rose. She designed Princess Grace's bridal gown. I love its classic beauty and elegance.

Amazing Day Photography - Vendor Spotlight - Everything But The Groom - Wedding Salon - Langley Wedding Salon - Langley Wedding Photographer

Is there anything else that you would like for people to know about Everything but the Groom?

Wedding dress shopping should be fun! We want to make sure you, and your friends and family have a memorable experience.

Amazing Day Photography - Vendor Spotlight - Everything But The Groom - Wedding Salon - Langley Wedding Salon - Langley Wedding Photographer

Client Feedback

 My experience at Everything But the Groom was great over all. I first met Laura from EBTG at a wedding show, and being a plus size bride I quickly realized that the dress style I had in my head and the dress style that would suit my body were drastically different things. Laura made me feel comfortable and at ease and I never felt like I needed to justify why a dress made me feel like a lump, she just took it away and brought back 2 more options! My mom, grandma and bridesmaids all made several trips to the Everything but the Groom's Salon in Langley after the show and tried on a number of different dresses before we found "the one" - the ladies were always friendly and very helpful with my (many) questions. We actually purchased our bridesmaids dresses through EBTG as well because we found the quality we wanted at a price that wouldn't break the bank! We even got a discount on the girls dresses since I'd purchased mine there. The ladies were great with keeping me updated on the arrival of our dresses and accessories, and I felt informed through the entire process. I would thoroughly recommend any bride, no matter her size, to go to EBTG and work with Laura (she's wonderful) The salon is bright and beautiful, the staff is friendly, and you get that bridal shop experience but free of the snooty or stuffy atmosphere that can sometimes come with them. Happy hunting! - Laura

Amazing Day Photography - Vendor Spotlight - Everything But The Groom - Wedding Salon - Langley Wedding Salon - Langley Wedding Photographer
Amazing Day Photography - Vendor Spotlight - Everything But The Groom - Wedding Salon - Langley Wedding Salon - Langley Wedding Photographer
Amazing Day Photography - Vendor Spotlight - Everything But The Groom - Wedding Salon - Langley Wedding Salon - Langley Wedding Photographer

Everything But the Groom is a delightful boutique bridal shop jam packed with beautiful dress choices! I was thrilled that my unconventional dress dreams could be met and I fell in love with a beautiful caramel gown, well within my budget. I would and have recommended them to other brides I know. I love my dress, and it made for some epic photos in the wind storm that joined us on our day! – Rhea

Amazing Day Photography - Vendor Spotlight - Everything But The Groom - Wedding Salon - Langley Wedding Salon - Langley Wedding Photographer
Amazing Day Photography - Vendor Spotlight - Everything But The Groom - Wedding Salon - Langley Wedding Salon - Langley Wedding Photographer

So when you are looking for “the” dress, make sure you check out Everything But The Groom!

Amazing Day Photography - Vendor Spotlight - Everything But The Groom - Wedding Salon - Langley Wedding Salon - Langley Wedding Photographer

 Phone: 604-534-9474

Address: 20478 Fraser Hwy Langley, BC V3A 4G2

Website: www.everythingbuthegroom.ca

Facebook: www.facebook.com/langleybridal

Instagram: www.instagram.com/everythingbutthegroom

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/ebtglangley/pins

Amazing Day Photography - Vendor Spotlight - Everything But The Groom - Wedding Salon - Langley Wedding Salon - Langley Wedding Photographer

 

Previous Vendor Spotlights:

 Makeup by Rae

 

Rhea and Dave - Pitt Lake Engagement Session

We can’t wait for Saturday so that we can celebrate the wedding of Rhea and Dave, but first let’s flash back to their summer engagement session at Pitt Lake.

I’ve known Rhea for years and I’ve even had the honour of taking her photo when she was a bridesmaid in a wedding that we photographed a few years ago. I was so excited the day I saw on Facebook that Dave had purposed and that these two amazing people were going to be saying “I do”!

Over the summer we met up at Pitt Lake to do their engagement session. I always like to find new spots and cool little areas, so we set off down a path thinking that it was going to take us on a quick loop. Not so much. We stopped along the walk at different spots and 45 minutes later we finally got to about the half way mark along the path. Since it was starting to get warmer and the sun getting higher in the sky we decided to back track to the parking lot the way we came. It wasn’t the set planned path but we still found some amazing spots. We laughed so much throughout their session and Dave even tried to catch a snake so he could chase us with it.

This weekend will be amazing and I’m sure it will be full of much more laughter and so much love between these two and their families!

Amazing Day Photography - Pitt Lake Engagement Session - Pitt Meadows Engagement Photographer - Langley Photographer
Amazing Day Photography - Pitt Lake Engagement Session - Pitt Meadows Engagement Photographer - Langley Photographer
Amazing Day Photography - Pitt Lake Engagement Session - Pitt Meadows Engagement Photographer - Langley Photographer
Amazing Day Photography - Pitt Lake Engagement Session - Pitt Meadows Engagement Photographer - Langley Photographer
Amazing Day Photography - Pitt Lake Engagement Session - Pitt Meadows Engagement Photographer - Langley Photographer
Amazing Day Photography - Pitt Lake Engagement Session - Pitt Meadows Engagement Photographer - Langley Photographer
Amazing Day Photography - Pitt Lake Engagement Session - Pitt Meadows Engagement Photographer - Langley Photographer
Amazing Day Photography - Pitt Lake Engagement Session - Pitt Meadows Engagement Photographer - Langley Photographer
Amazing Day Photography - Pitt Lake Engagement Session - Pitt Meadows Engagement Photographer - Langley Photographer
Amazing Day Photography - Pitt Lake Engagement Session - Pitt Meadows Engagement Photographer - Langley Photographer
Amazing Day Photography - Pitt Lake Engagement Session - Pitt Meadows Engagement Photographer - Langley Photographer
Amazing Day Photography - Pitt Lake Engagement Session - Pitt Meadows Engagement Photographer - Langley Photographer
Amazing Day Photography - Pitt Lake Engagement Session - Pitt Meadows Engagement Photographer - Langley Photographer
Amazing Day Photography - Pitt Lake Engagement Session - Pitt Meadows Engagement Photographer - Langley Photographer

Erika and Mark - Granville Island Engagement Session

Erika contacted me a few weeks back about doing an engagement session for her and her fiancé Mark. They are getting married in Mexico next year and wanted a very Vancouver feel to their engagement photos. So on a sunny Sunday afternoon we met up with them at Granville Island, a perfect spot for that Vancouver feel! As we started taking photos we were chatting about how her and Mark met at work, funny enough the same place my husband use to work years ago. Then our worlds got a little smaller, Erika studied Biotech at BCIT and my dad was one of her teachers!

We did a full lap of Granville Island finding little nooks to take some amazing photos for them. We loved getting to know them and their love story and we are so happy that we were able to capture this special moment in their lives!

Amazing Day Photography - Granville Island Engagement Session - Vancouver Photographer
Amazing Day Photography - Granville Island Engagement Session - Vancouver Photographer
Amazing Day Photography - Granville Island Engagement Session - Vancouver Photographer
Amazing Day Photography - Granville Island Engagement Session - Vancouver Photographer
Amazing Day Photography - Granville Island Engagement Session - Vancouver Photographer
Amazing Day Photography - Granville Island Engagement Session - Vancouver Photographer
Amazing Day Photography - Granville Island Engagement Session - Vancouver Photographer
Amazing Day Photography - Granville Island Engagement Session - Vancouver Photographer
Amazing Day Photography - Granville Island Engagement Session - Vancouver Photographer
Amazing Day Photography - Granville Island Engagement Session - Vancouver Photographer
Amazing Day Photography - Granville Island Engagement Session - Vancouver Photographer
Amazing Day Photography - Granville Island Engagement Session - Vancouver Photographer
Amazing Day Photography - Granville Island Engagement Session - Vancouver Photographer

Stylize Rustic Country Wedding Session - Campbell Valley Park

When we started the re-branding process back in the winter of 2016, we started to think about doing our first stylized sessions. we were so excited when it all started to come together in the spring and reached out to some of our favourite vendors to see if they would be able to help us bring our vision to life.

First, we needed models. I immediately thought of our friends Katie and Grant. I’ve known Katie pretty much from the day she was born, and spent my childhood summers with her and her sister at our cabin. Katie is an amazing dancer and even gave my husband and me lessons before our wedding! I’ve always wanted to get Katie and Grand in front of my camera, and I was so excited when they said yes.

Next was the dress. I knew what style we wanted but didn’t want to pay an arm and a leg. I reached out to some friends to see if anyone was willing to sell me their dresses. In the end I only needed 1-2 dresses but ended up with 6! My husband kept laughing every time I came home with another dress and wanted to know if I was planning some sort of secret vow renewal or something.

Now it was onto the details. What did I want the session to look like? I reached out to Rae from Makeup by Rae to see if she could do the hair and makeup for Katie. I was ecstatic when she was game! I knew I wanted to have a bouquet and boutonniere, and reach out to one of my favourite florists Jerry at Fresh Blooms. The last piece was a small cake! Heather did an amazing job of the cake. It was exactly what I was looking for. 

Then we got to the day! The weather was perfect and I was so excited! We headed off to Campbell Valley Park. I gave Erin the task of holding the cake while we drove, which resulted in many laughs and a number of “slowdowns!”. Once we got to the park, we walked over to the wildflower field and set up. It was so much fun to just explore my artistic side and play around with posing and angles! Katie and Grant ever brought their dog Harley with them and we snuck him into a few photos!

Next we moved over to the other side of the park and switched dresses to a look that was a bit more formal. The sun was setting and giving us the most beautiful glowy sky!

Now, anyone who knows me knows that I’m just as eager to share images with my clients as they are to see them! So it was sooooo hard to hold onto the photos for over 2 months before I could share them with everyone!

We did one more stylized session this summer: a camping themed engagement session! That one will be next up on the blog tomorrow night.