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!

Foggy, Rainy, Puppy-y Engagement Photos at Mount Douglas // Melanie and Matt

Melanie, Matt and their puppy Nova explore Mount Doug in Victoria during their rainy engagement session // Victoria Wedding Photographers

With Melanie and Matt's December wedding fast approaching, we were so happy to hear they had a bit of time to take for themselves to visit friends in Victoria!  What a perfect opportunity for us to do some engagement photos with them, and meet their sweet puppy, Nova.  Having photographed at Mount Doug in the summer, we thought it would a great place to go with Melanie and Matt. We daydreamed about sunkissed autumn leaves trees at the base of the mountain, and miles and miles of stunning views at the top, that they could experience as out-of-towners.  Well, everything works in theory! Ha ha ha! The fog and mist rolled in creating a very dramatic atmosphere around the whole mountain, which was pretty amazing to take in. We were pretty excited for the images it would create.  The rain followed shortly after; starting up the second we took the lens caps off our cameras.  Being outdoor wedding photographers on Vancouver Island's wet coast, we've gotten comfortable working in all types of weather, but we were so glad to see how easily and enthusiastically Matt and Melanie embraced the rain and fog!  They were all laughs and giggles as their puppy dashed through puddles, and as their clothes became drenched in rain drops.  Even with the dense fog at the top of the mountain, we were still able to take in some spectacular views as tree tops and hills jutted out here and there through the mist. It created an isolated feeling, blanket-like atmosphere: perfect for enjoying some cuddles under their umbrella together!

Thanks Melanie and Matt for dancing and skipping in the rain with us, and bringing silly sweet Nova along for us to meet.  We're excited for the wedding!

Beacon Hill Park Elopement in Victoria // Kaiti and Mike

Kaiti and Mike's secret September wedding in Beacon Hill Park in Victoria // Victoria Wedding Photographers

With September being our busiest month, and the month of our anniversary, we weren't really expecting to have enough time to really celebrate our anniversary.  With so many wedding on the docket, we figured we'd probably spend the day editing, consulting, updating our portfolio, catching up on social media, or meeting with couples.  As it happens though, we were given the opportunity to do something very special on the day of our anniversary.  When Kaiti and Mike approached us with their elopement so secret that we'd be the very witnesses on their marriage certificate, we knew that would be the most memorable way to spend our anniversary.  We couldn't wait for the day to hurry up and arrive so we could spend it photographing, witnessing, and celebrating he marriage of a fantastic couple who would end up sharing the very same day! What a treat!

Kaiti and Mike came from the Mainland to elope in Victoria, and to spend a couple days enjoying the city. We met the two of them on that sunny September afternoon in Beacon Hill Park for their intimate elopement amongst a secluded grove of Garry oaks. What a gorgeous place to exchange such heartfelt felt vows, and rings. After their official ceremony, we spent time exploring around the park and beaches nearby, taking in the sights, the sunlit fog, and wedded bliss!

Thanks, Kaiti and Mike, for including us in such a great day, and congratulations on your marriage!  We hope you love the photos!

Oak Bay Beach Hotel Wedding with Kristi & Kyle // Victoria Wedding Photographers

Kristi and Kyle's steamy, sunny September wedding at Oak Bay Beach Hotel in Victoria BC // Vancouver Island Wedding Photographers

Just like usual, September is our busiest of all the busy months for weddings and photo sessions!  We started the month with a bang, photographing Kristi and Kyle's wedding at Oak Bay Beach Hotel, which was organized to stunning perfection by Anouk of Persimmon Tree Events.
Since their Mystic Beach engagement session in April, we've been counting down the months until we'd get to photograph Kristi and Kyle again, this time on their wedding day!  We were treated with a warm sun, welcoming family members, a wicked cool bridal party, and of course, Kristi and Kyle's undeniable chemistry.

We love to be flies on the wall at wedding receptions and watch as family members see each other for the first time in a while, as strangers become friends, and as everyone celebrates the love between a special couple.  With Kristi's family from the very far west coast of Canada, and Kyle's family from the very are east coast of Canada, we were delighted to float around the reception and hear all the happy chatter, in mixed west and east coast accents, and to watch a blend of wedding traditions from both sides of the country.  One such tradition came in form of a very east coast bottle of Screech Rum.  You just cringed, we heard it.  We tried our best to hold our cameras steady while laughing at the polar opposite reactions between the west coasters and the east coasters after after the shot: pure poison to the westerners, the taste of home to the easterners, dance floor fuel to all!

Thanks Kristi and Kyle for having us there to share and photograph your amazing wedding! You're so fun to work with. We hope you love the photos! 

Royal Vancouver Yacht Club Engagement Photos with Kim and Chris

Victoria Wedding Photographers explore Jericho Beach Park and the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club with Kim and Chris during their sunset engagement photos in Vancouver

Since moving to the Island, we get to do a lot of Skype dates with our couples who live all over BC, so that we can keep in touch "face-to-face".  We officially met Kim and Chris this way as well!  We chatted for a while and fell in love with their dynamic together, their charisma, their senses of humour and out-going personalities.  We knew they'd be a great fit!  They told us about their friends, family, their hobbies and how they met, and talked about their excitement for their up-coming Hastings House wedding on Salt Spring Island. The very place Kim's parents wed.  We especially loved their story of Chris' romantic vision for proposing to Kim, who unknowingly kept foiling his grand plans.  This happens more often than you think, and always leaves couples with an interesting and endearing story as a result.   

Since Chris had planned to propose to Kim on the pier of the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club, and the two spend so much of their time together there, we all thought it'd be the perfect place to do their engagement photos.  We spent a warm and summery evening in the park, on the beach, and ended with a gorgeous sunset looking over downtown! 

Thanks for being such fun and silly subjects for us, Kim and Chris! We hope you love the photos!  We're looking forward to your wedding.

East Sooke Park Engagement Photos with Lindsey and Brent (and Willow!)

Lindsey, Brent, and Willow romp around the fields, cliffs, and beach at Aylard Farms in East Sooke Park during their engagement photos // Victoria Wedding Photographers

East Sooke park is the first place the two of us visited that made us fall in love with, and eventually move to Sooke.  After talking to Brent and Lindsey about their upcoming Church and State wedding, we got to talking about all the areas they really love around here.  We weren't surprised in the least when Lindsay and Brent told us that East Sooke was one of their favourite places, and that they'd love to do their engagement session there, near Aylard Farms.  It also happened to be a first-hike-together place for them, as Lindsey puts it: her and Willow, her dog, were going for a hike date together, and invited Brent along. They hit it off, evidently!!

The day of the engagement session came and we all romped around the park talking about their upcoming Church and State Winery wedding, summer and travel plans, and laughing at all Willows silly antics.  Lindsey and Brent finished off the evening with some good old stick-toss into the ocean for Willow, and stuck around long enough to catch a couple curious seals swim by. 

Thanks to Lindsey and Brent for hiking around the park for us during your engagement session, we had loads of fun! We're excited about your wedding!!