Mount Washington Wedding on Vancouver Island // Jessica and Jordan

Jessica and Jordan’s mountain top celebration at the Alpine Resort at Mount Washington in Comox // Victoria Wedding Photographers

The last time we saw Jessica and Jordan it was for their engagement session in Metchosin. We couldn’t wait to catch up and hit the slopes with them on their wedding day at Mount Washington. Both of them were getting ready at a lodge on the mountain and it was such a fitting place! The girls took over the upstairs, and the guys took over downstairs. The whole lodge was bubbling with laughter and excitement - and a lot of pushups by the girls upstairs! Sleeveless bridesmaids dresses for the best movement of course!

The excitement spilled over into the scenic outdoor ceremony location as guests started to arrive. Whether they were locals, or out-of-towners, all of Jessica and Jordan’s guests were treated to stunning mountain views the entire day. The fog and mist rolling in just added to the remote feeling and intimacy!

After their ceremony we trekked up the chairlift for an even higher view and some alone time with Jess and Jordan and their bridal party. Wow wow wow. We will never forget that experience.

At the ceremony, we enjoyed heartfelt and funny speeches, dancing and some photobooth action!

Check out a few of our favourites!

Wedding at North Saanich Yacht Club Vancouver Island // Samantha and Chris

Samantha and Chris’ beautiful outdoor, oceanfront wedding at the North Saanich Yacht Club // Victoria Wedding Photographers

We love being around Samantha and Chris! They have an uplifting and infectious energy that’s impossible to ignore. They make each other laugh constantly, they communicate with each other just with their eyes, and are obviously very connected. After their engagement session at Lone Tree Hill, we could not wait for their wedding in Saanich - we knew their friends and family would all be just as funny, sweet and connected as they are. And we were so right!

We loved everything about their intimate wedding and how it focused so much on love and the importance of celebrating close relationships. Sam made personalized photo albums for her each of her girls, they made sure to take time for each other, to chat and play games with all of their guests, and had very beautiful heartfelt vows and speeches, then partying in our photobooth. their venue North Saanich Yacht Club was intimate and felt like we were going remote! We could not get over how sweet it was during the vows when Chris reached out to wipe tears from Sam’s cheek. What a beautiful day spent by the ocean!

Holy Moly! 2018 Vancouver Island Wedding Industry Awards - (Winners!!)

2018 Vancouver Island Wedding Awards winners of Best Overall Wedding Photographers, Best Candid Photo, and Best Group Photo! Wew wew!

We clean up alright.

We’ve been living on Vancouver Island for about 2 and a half years now, and it’s been such an amazing experience. Matt was raised in a small town in northern BC, and Sayde grew up in the country in Southern Ontario, so needless to say: small town island life suits us very well!

Aside from the laid back, outdoor lifestyle of Island life, we’ve fallen in love with the community here. The wedding industry community most of all! Even though there are sooo many talented wedding vendors in Victoria area, and all over Vancouver Island, there is a huge sense of support, encouragement, and inclusiveness.

Every year talented wedding industry professionals gather to celebrate the year, enjoy a night out, and indulge in delicious food and drinks at the Vancouver Island Wedding Awards! As the day of the awards drew closer we got more and more excited to enjoy our first date night in 10 months. This year was our first year attending the awards show, and we could not have been more excited to see and mingle with all the vendors we’ve gotten to know.

As parenthood, self employment, and a career in the wedding industry have taught us: things don’t always go according to plan and you need to adapt and roll with it! Half way through the evening parenthood duty popped up I had to leave quickly to pick up our sick babe at the sitter, leaving Matt solo for the awards half of the evening.

I spent the rest of the night driving around to soundly keep our daughter asleep, until it came time to pick up Matt. A heavy armed Matt walked out to the car carrying three white boxes, three bottles of wine, and three envelopes. At first I thought maybe we won some door prizes, until Matt opened each box which housed a glass diamond: Best Candid Photo, Best Group Photo, and Best Overall Wedding Photographer. I ALMOST FELL OVER! Matt also told me that we also placed as finalists for Best Wedding Couple Photo and Best Engagement Photo.

I was instantly emotional for so many reasons..

This year was our wildest year so far; personally and in business! We welcomed our first baby in January, have had more weddings, and more travel than any year to date! This year of baby-obsession, challenges, lessons, excitement, and perseverance-through-sleep-deprivation has been our most fulfilling year, but in the haze of business its easy to second guess yourself and wonder if you’re doing the best job that you could be. Happy clients who love and cherish their photos is what we live and work so hard for as business owners, and these awards feel great to have acknowledgement that our photographs, perspectives, and creativity is translating with clients, other wedding professionals, and other creatives.

We’re so thankful to have the best, trusting clients! We can’t wait to finally have the time in our slower season to start posting more of the blogs from their weddings this year. Until then, here are our winning images!

2018 Winners of the “Best Candid Photo” award from the Vancouver Island Wedding Industry Awards

2018 Winners of the “Best Group Photo” award from the Vancouver Island Wedding Industry Awards

2018 Finalist for “Best Couple Photo” award from the Vancouver Island Wedding Industry Awards

2018 Finalist for “Best Engagement Photo” award from the Vancouver Island Wedding Industry Awards

For the “best overall wedding photographers” category, there isn’t any single image alone that wins this title…it’s more an assessment of the total of the work you produce, so for this photo we have simply chosen a few images as figureheads to represent the award. They are also some of our favourites of the year!

2018 Winners of the “Best Overall Wedding Photographers” award from the Vancouver Island Wedding Industry Awards

2018 Winners of the “Best Overall Wedding Photographers” award from the Vancouver Island Wedding Industry Awards

2018 Winners of the “Best Overall Wedding Photographers” award from the Vancouver Island Wedding Industry Awards

Matt had to accept the awards on his own since I was gone with our sicky babe, but I think he brought enough personality to the winners’ photobooth for the two of us!

We hope you love the images, and please get in touch if you’d like to discuss your wedding day photography, or anything else!

Intimate Wedding at Wild Renfrew and Botanical Beach in Port Renfrew // Holly and Alessandro

Holly and Alessandro host their nearest and dearest at Wild Renfrew for their wild and intimate Botany Beach Wedding Ceremony // Victoria Wedding Photographers

Since moving to Sooke on Vancouver Island a couple years , Port Renfrew quickly became one of our (if not our most) very favourite places.  A quiet, rugged, wild, and mysterious pocket of coast line takes the breath away of every visitor. Winter storms are dramatic, wildlife is abundant, and the landscape is humbling. Our first trip there was a cold and grey November day as huge green waves crashed against layers of black angular lava rock. Like liquid glass colliding against a book of razors. We could only stand there and stare, mouths agape. Just around a bend from there, a short hike through twisted cedars, sitkas and firs, is a smooth refuge of flat beach, sheltered from ocean winds and pock marked by tide pools that teem with sea life.  One doesn't need to wonder why Holly and Alessandro, geologists, would choose this on all places to host their family for their intimate wedding. 

Holly and Ale got ready for their day at the Wild Renfrew cabins, overlooking the Port of San Juan, and mountains filled with new and ancient growth forests.  As a small group, their friends and family walked down to Botany Bay and gathered closely for their ceremony officiated by an inviting and humourous  Port Renfrew local Reet Buckler.  Eagles soared overhead, sea lions played in the kelp bed, and waves crashed rhythmically on the rocks.  After the ceremony and champagne, we stole away with Holly and Ale to explore the coast more for some adventurous portraits.

Thank Holly and Ale for having us there to be a part of your beautiful, natural, an intimate day. We hope you love the photos!

Intimate Spring Wedding at Stanley Park Pavilion // Hilary & Chris

Hilary and Chris host their intimate spring wedding at one of Vancouver's most iconic wedding venues, Stanley Park Pavilion // Victoria Wedding Photographers

It's iconic, it's romantic, it's timeless, it's subtly grand. Stanley Park Pavilion is one of Vancouver's most recognizable and desirable wedding venues. Plunked in the middle of Stanley Park in downtown, it feels like a remote destination. It's no wonder that Hilary and Chris wanted this gorgeous property to host their classic wedding. 

Hilary and Chris started for their day at Westin Bayshore, with views of downtown, Burrard Inlet, the North Shore mountains and Stanley Park.  After a sweet first look, we ventured over to Stanley Park, where Chris proposed, for photos before their intimate, indoor, standing ceremony by the pavilion's beautiful fireplace.  After the vows were exchanged, and the champagne popped, it was time to party!  A very special musical performance kicked off the celebration, followed by dinner and speeches and a whole lot of dancing!

Thank you Hilary and Chris for having us there to celebrate with you! We hope you love the photos! 

Thank you to our second shooter, Laura Scotten for your help that evening!

Stanley Park Engagement Session // Jane & Joseph

Jane and Joseph stroll the Seawall and explore the Stanley Park Gardens in Vancouver // Victoria Wedding Photographers

Wowee! Spring was fabulous, but summer has made a booming arrival!  What gorgeous weather we've been having. On days like these, we love to stroll somewhat aimlessly, check out the sights, play tourist, and take in the long days. That's just what we did with Jane and Joseph during their Stanley Park engagement photos! he park was abuzz with tourists and locals like, as we wandered from the Aquarium, to the gardens, and then the Seawall. It was a perfect day for people watching and flower gazing as we stopped to admire the rhododendrons, azaleas, roses, and alliums all around the park. All the while we chatted, giggled (and twirled!!) with Jane and Joseph, and took the opportunity to chat about them, their upcoming wedding and their excitement for their big day! 

Thank you Jane and Joseph for taking a easy breezy Saturday stroll with us during your engagement photos, we had a blast!

New Westminster Engagement Photos // Cathryn and Robert

We explore New Westminster's board walk and back alleys during Cathryn and Robert's engagement photo session // Victoria Wedding Photographers

Winter and spring are often chalk full of engagement sessions for us, and we've been riding the dizzying high we've gotten as we jump from one to the next!  It's an exciting whirlwind for us, and a huge moment for our couples as they plan their weddings whether their wedding is quickly approaching, or over a year away!  New Years Eve may seem like a long way off to some, but for Cathryn and Robert, who are hosting their Brix and Mortar wedding that day, we're sure it feels like it can't come fast enough!  Hosting an urban wedding at one of the most unique and romantic wedding venues in downtown Vancouver, an urban engagement session seemed very fitting for the theme! What a better place to do it than right in Cathryn and Robert's hood in New Westminster!

We met up with C + R on a sunny saturday evening, with clear blue skies and golden sunlight and they took us on a tour as we snapped pictures! We strolled through the brick alleyways, counted all the new and trendy cafes, and explored the boardwalk near the River Market for sunset. 

Thanks so much Cathryn and Robert for showing us a great time and so many of New West's new gems! We can't wait for your wedding