Niagara on the Lake Wedding: Krissy + Mark

I first met Krissy through email. I knew instantly that she was someone who I could be friends with. The way she wrote was the same as me (and I imagined she spoke the same way too). She was excited about all the same things I was excited about, and we had gone through some similar experiences so I immediately felt a connection to her. For a few months we wrote to each other all the time. It was like we had been friends forever and when we first met for their engagement session I felt like I was seeing an old friend. I'm so happy that Krissy contacted me - because of that first email we created such an amazing friendship that I wasn't just photographing a client's wedding, I was photographing a friend's. 

Their wedding was full of emotion. These two are just so in love that it's hard not to be overwhelmed by it and to feel so happy for them. I'll admit I cried during their ceremony. You could just tell that they are meant to be together and that they'll love each other with every inch of their being for the rest of their lives. The day was stunning too - their ceremony was located at Kurtz Orchards in Niagara on the Lake. On the property is the Gracewood Estate where the two got ready and where the ceremony took place. This stunning venue is lined with winding trees, vineyards, and cherry blossoms. The sun was shining, there was a slight breeze and because the weather had been so bad at the beginning of May, all the cherry blossom flowers had bloomed late so the trees on the grounds were covered in flowers. There was even a moment when Krissy was saying her vows that the wind blew and all the petals fell on the couple. It was magical!

They were surrounded by so much love too! Mark's family was so welcoming and how they spoke about Krissy there was no doubt that she was part of their family. Mark's sister-in-law made all the floral arrangements, including the stunning bouquets of peonies. And Mark's dad walked Krissy down the aisle since her father couldn't be there.

The two also made so many personal touches for the day. When they arrived from Vancouver they had less than a week to get everything together so they spent hours and hours with the help of their family putting together the favours, table numbers, and personal items like photos from their relationship for the reception space. The reception was held at White Oaks resort overlooking a courtyard. As the speeches went on it just solidified how much this couple is loved. I wish them a lifetime of laughs and love and I can't wait to make a trip to Vancouver to visit them

Happy Canada Day!

Happy Canada Day fellow Canadians! I hope everyone is sporting some red and white today and celebrating our glorious country! Growing up in Ottawa I was pretty spoiled with the Canada Day parties. The entire city shuts down and everyone shows their pride. The firework shows last for an hour and everyone celebrates into the night. The first time I ever spent our Nations birthday in Toronto it was a shock. Not to say that people don't celebrate, but it's just that the extent is not the same. I'll be missing the Ottawa celebrations this year but will do my best to show Torontonians how it's done ;)

Port Dalhousie Engagement: Krissy & Mark

Krissy was visiting a friend in the Niagara area in Ontario when she first met Mark. She had traveled from Vancouver to see her best friend and while there, her friend had an idea to introduce Krissy to a guy she knew. She had tried to get him to come hang out with the two of them multiple times and he had declined then finally agreed just to get her to stop asking him each night. After they met in Port Dalhousie they instantly hit it off and their friendship officially began. Krissy had assumed she would never see him again after she had left but he surprised her by keeping in touch and flew to Vancouver three times to see her. After 11 months he asked her to be his girlfriend and they continued a long-distance relationship until later that year he made the move to Vancouver so the two of them could be together. Fast forward two years and Mark proposed to Krissy in Whistler - with a photographer to capture it all!

When Krissy first contacted me she expressed how excited she was to marry her best friend. I could tell from just an email how in love these two were. Their love story was so sweet and their relationship, even through enduring long-distance, was so sound and solid. The two planned to come from Vancouver to Niagara-on-the-Lake for their wedding at an orchard. Since they were coming back to where it all began it made sense to take some engagement photos of the two back in Port Dalhousie. A few days before their wedding we met up on an unexpectedly cold day to take photos near the pier. We went to an ice cream shop (where the two had first met) and then walked along the pier and beach where the two had spent many past dates. The day was great! These two are so full of love and laughs it's infectious.

Featured: Parisian Bridal Shower Inspiration Styled Shoot

Today's a big day around here! The stunning styled bridal shower that Lisa Ho Studio dreamed up and that I photographed is featured on Style Me Pretty Canada today. The shoot was centered around a Parisian Inspired bridal shower with beautiful touches of romance and indulgence. We had a wonderful team involved in the shoot each contributing their talent to make every detail truly exquisite and beautiful. A big thanks goes out to everyone involved

To view the full post, click here (or on the photo below)

Happy Father's Day

Happy father's day! Here's to my dad who is the best photographer I know - who's been know to wait for hours to get the perfect wave-crashing-against-rocks shot or to run outside to get the sun setting by the beach while a pelican happens to fly by. He's a lover of the traditional film medium but would gladly take my digital SLR off my hands if I let him. He is also the smartest person I know and is like having a walking encyclopedia around at all times. Whenever you need an answer to a question about why the world is a certain way, he'll know - which made for some of the most interesting and amusing conversations when we were little. He's also had to live with a household of girls which has resulted in activities like this photo below - thanks dad!

(this is my sister in this photo but it's big deal that my dad is colouring so it had to be shared)