iceland elopement photographers

An Autumn Road Trip Around Iceland // Matt and Sayde's Personal Adventure

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Matt and Sayde's great big, landscape loving, road trip having, honeymoon - babymoon adventure in Iceland // Victoria Wedding Photographers

Way back when Matt and I first started talking and getting to know each other as friends, we talked mostly about photography, and camera stuff in general.  As time went on we chatted more about our hobbies, our childhoods, and things we had hoped to accomplish and do in the future - bucket lists, if you will.  One of the things that embodied all of those things was the experience of past travels, and dream of future travel. We made lists of all the places we wanted to visit, and shared photos of interesting landscapes from places we wanted to see.  Norway, Croatia, Australia, and beyond. One place that came up in almost every conversation and photo share session was Iceland, which crept quickly to the top of both of our lists of must-see places. Fast forward four years to 2016; we were getting married and we were planning a honeymoon to Iceland.  For those who don't know, 2016 was an eventful year for us as we moved to Vancouver Island, worked hard to establish our wedding photography in Victoria, and then got married ourselves.  We decided to wait a year and take our dream honeymoon in a less busy times!

With this postponement of our honeymoon came the most wonderful opportunity: photographing a series of destination elopements in Iceland.  Perfect! Not only would be be travelling, meeting interesting people, and photographing a place we'd been dying to see for years, but we'd also get the opportunity to get to know, and photograph, adventurous couples who were as filled with Iceland wanderlust as we are. You can find each of their elopements in our blog.

This post however is about our personal trip around Iceland in the days leading up to the elopements we photographed. We started our road trip in  Reykjavik and travelled counterclockwise around the ring road, stopping everywhere that made our jaws dropped.  Our jaws dropped almost every ten minutes down the road.  We were awestruck not only by the striking, and often times surreal, landscapes, but also by the way we often felt like we were the only people there, the way the sun hung so low along the horizon on autumn days that it seemed like sunset all the time, and the way the northern lights danced like rivers through the sky at night. So many times we found ourselves staring, or gasping, and asking out loud, "Could this possibly be real?!", as we tried to pinch ourselves awake from what felt like dreams.  

Without further adieu (and because I promised Matt I wouldn't write a paragraph for each photo about the geology of each location, and the saga histories that revolve around them), here's a few highlights from our trip!   Make sure to check out the drone video at the bottom as well! 

 

We also made a video featuring footage from our drone throughout Iceland!  Check that out below:

Sayde's Iceland Maternity Photos // Victoria Wedding Photographers

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Victoria Wedding Photographers take to Iceland for some Maternity Photos 

When we started planning our trip to Iceland, we knew right away that we wanted to shoot some elopements while we were there!  We had an amazing time working with Jessika & Mack, Meagann & Neil, and Farrah & Lance for their big Icelandic destination elopements, and were so glad that they decided to join us on an adventure across such a beautiful country. 

A few months out from our trip date, we got the big news; Sayde was expecting!  As exciting as this was for us, one of our first thoughts was, of course, "What about Iceland??".   With some quick math and reassurances from our doctor, we confirmed that she would be within the "okay to fly" window at the time of the trip.  From that moment, we knew that Icelandic Maternity Photos would definitely be something we wanted to do! 

We connected with Trista at Reclamation Design, our neighbour, and talented fashion designer.  Trista's designs and creatives all her gowns from reclaimed lace and crocheted tablecloths to promote sustainability in the fashion word. She has been taking the bridal and maternity world by storm.  Her delicate and flowy designs were a match made in heaven for the spots that we stopped to photograph, flowing with the chilly Icelandic breezes.  And by chilly breezes, I more mean freezing gales....on some days.  :p

Our approach to shooting maternity photos in Iceland was to see what we saw, and stop if something jumped out at us during our travels!  This made for some fun challenges for Sayde, who would change into the dress in the car.  At 7 months pregnant, was a bit of a task!  But she was an absolute trooper, getting in and out of it with (relative) efficiency as we travelled across the country.  Not to mention being out in the cold wind wearing just a lace dress!  

We love the resulting photos, and hope you do as well!  And it's pretty special that one day we will get to share them with our little girl, due January 2nd!  

Reykjavik Elopement in Iceland // Farrah and Lance

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Farrah and Lance elope in Iceland at the Blue Lagoon, black beaches, with a sunset vow exchange at Seljalandsfoss // Victoria Wedding and Elopement Photographers

We met Farrah and Lance through our friend Emma of Emma McCormmick Creative, and were so excited when they told us that they wanted to elope in Iceland and have us there to take the photos!  Like all of our couples, Farrah and Lance had their own unique way of doing their elopement, and we loved photographing the whole experience.  Farrah and Lance had a not-so-secret elopement, and even had a handful of family members and friends along to share in the day.  A mini wedding! We  love it!  

The day started out dark, with rain clouds looming over Reykjavik and as far as we could see: we assumed that our lucky weather streak had run out.  Our only option for the day was to follow the road in any direction that might lead us towards any sort of light. What a great decision that ended up being!

Black lava rocks, topped with bright green moss is what covers most of the Reykjanes Peninsula where we decided to head.  At Blue Lagoon, the vibrantly blue pools of water cut a contrasting path through the green and black blanket. They're made all the more vivid by their stark white silica borders.  For Farrah and Lance's first look, it made for a very surreal setting, even as rain threatened to pour on them.  From there we headed east, where we were treated to black sand beaches; their grassy dunes stretching for thousands of acres. Here we found an absolute absence of people, and warm sunlight bursting through dense fog, creating an otherworldly and romantic atmosphere.  

Farrah and Lance had saved their vows just for Iceland, and they were hoping to be able to exchange them at a waterfall at some point through the day.  As the day wound down and the sun began to set, we made our way further east to Seljalandsfoss, stopping along the way to visit with some Icelandic horses, and trying to coax them into cuddles with the promise of apples. We made it to Seljalandsfoss just in time for a glorious sunset, which couldn't have been more perfect for Farrah and Lance's romantic vow exchange.

Thank you Farrah and Lance! We had such a great day with you and your squad, chasing the light, fishing for horses, and walkie-talkie-ing like truckers between our vehicles!  Congratulations to you both, we hope these memories last forever!

Snaefellnes Peninsula Iceland Elopement // Meagann & Neil

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Meagann and Neil elope amongst basalt columns, waterfalls and lava fields in Iceland // Victoria Wedding Photographers

 

In our experience photographing three destination elopements in Iceland, on back to back days, we took away so many highlights to reminisce about.  We loved getting to know our couples' different personalities, how they met, and what their lives were like back home, away from this dreamland.  One thing we weren't (but should should have been) expecting was the way all three of our couples would plan and execute their elopement in their own special way.  It only magnified the romance factor of an already romantic way to marry, and we felt it gave us an even more intimate look into the couple's relationship dynamic.

If you read Jessika and Mack's elopement blog from the day before, you know that they had legally married in their home state of Colorado a few days before they left for Iceland.  They had exchanged their wedding rings, but saved their vows for their big day Iceland.  As well, Jessika's wedding dress made it all the way to Iceland without Mack seeing it, so they could get ready the traditional way; without the groom seeing the bride, even though they were going to be in the same apartment at the time!   

The following day we met with Meagann and Neil at their hotel to start the day at their Reykjavik hotel, where they'd get ready together to share the anticipation and excitement of the day.  We found it so romantic that Neil would be the person to help Meagann into her wedding gown (insert 100 heart-eyes emojis), before they looked each other up and down with huge smiles, and headed out the door.  Meagann and Neil also legally signed their marriage papers in their hometown in Ontario, where they had exchanged vows and wedding bands.  The unique twist that we love, is that while the two had their wedding bands, Meagann had not yet seen the beautiful custom sapphire engagement ring that Neil had made just for her.  What a treat for us to get to see her face as Neil opened the little wooden box for her during their ring exchange ceremony. And what better place than an isolated area of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula; at the foot of a waterfall, and overlooking an endless field of bright green, moss-blanketed lava, veined by a river speckled with swans.  The warm light shining through overhead clouds, and the misty wind that danced through Meagann's hair and gown only added more drama to an already dreamlike day.  After their ring exchange, we explored more of the Snaefellsnes peninsula area, that Meagann and Neil had fallen in love with their first few days in Iceland.  They showed us areas that we hadn't had the opportunity to explore on our first trip to the area, and it felt like casual day out adventuring with friends as Neil pointed out all the quaint homesteads he was for sure planning to retire to when it came time.  We took in the impressive basalt column cliffs, took a drive through the incredible Berserkjahraun (mad-man's lava field), and they finished the day with some beachside cuddles at Djupalonssandur (the black lava pearl beach).

Thank you Meagann and Neil for letting us be the ones to peer in and capture such an intimate and personal milestone in your life.  We had so much fun driving around an area of Iceland that meant so much to you, and hope these photos hold a life time of treasure for you! 

 

 

  

South Iceland Elopement with Jessika and Mack // Victoria Destination Wedding Photographer

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Jessika and Mack adventure from Reykjavik to share personal vows and a glorious sunset in Vik during their South Iceland elopement  // Iceland Elopement Photographers

We had already been in Iceland for ten days prior to Jessika and Mack's elopement date. We had circled Iceland's Ring Road to enjoy a lot of the sites, and were treated to amazing autumn sunlight, which hung low along the horizon that it seemed all day everyday was golden hour.  A photographer's dream!  However, the three days leading up to their wedding were the three most treacherous weather days we experienced so far.  Three entire days of racing wind, up to 115 km/h at times.  Three entire days of pelting,  cold and stinging rain. It left me and Matt passing worried glances back and forth to each other as the elopement dates drew closer. We knew Iceland's weather could be intense and unpredictable, and we were bracing ourselves for that.  It was hard to deny ourselves a bit of worry since all our couples had travelled so far to come her to elope with us, and it was beginning to look like we may not even have weather that would be safe enough to photograph them outside!  Jessika and Mack came all the way from Colorado in the US for their wedding, and we really wanted to send them back with images that reflected the experience of their whole trip!

We woke up on the morning of Jessika and Mack's elopement to clear skies and zero wind.  The excitement was immediate and overwhelming, which is evidently magnified 100x when dealing with pregnancy hormones. Enter a relieved and impossible-to-contain happy weepy Sayde.  We planned to meet Jessika and Mack at their airBnB apartment where they would both get ready for the day, without seeing each other, before their first look in Reykjavik!  

From there we travelled a popular-for-good-reason route along the south of Iceland, stopping to visit some Icelandic horses, heritage sites, and a few of Iceland's most famous waterfalls.  We seemed to have some curiously coincidental luck the whole day. Not just with the weather turning out great, but with the areas we stopped to photograph in.  When travelling a popular route, it's expected that we were going to have to share the area with tourists and other visitors.  that day however, it seemed we were either arriving to locations as most people were leaving, or leaving locations as most people were arriving.  At Skogafoss this was made very evident as we photographed Jessika and Mack, with very few people around, right in front of the waterfall.  For a few minutes, any existence of the outside world was e blotted out by the sounds of crashing water made by this colossal falls.  It was just the two of them and us in the whole world, it seemed. As we wrapped up and turned 180 degrees to head back to the car, our eyes widened to the sight of 4 coach sized tour busses unloading simultaneously, and their 200 passengers all stampeding slow motion in our direction.  It was like waking up from the most surreal and beautiful dream to realize a zombie apocalypse had started, and the hoard had found you.  The four of us raced back to the car, dodging other bodies as we went, and breaking into fits of laughter as Jessika and Mack got tangled in a cluster of people who were desperate to take a cell phone photo of the two of them in their wedding attire. Once we were all safe in our car we all broke into a fit of laughter over what had just happened, then we travelled all the way to Vik where we wrapped up our day with Jessika and Mack's personal vows isolated amongst black sandstone formations, and watched a glorious sunset from the top of Dyrholey's jaw dropping cliffs. 

While we loved photographing Jessika and Mack in such a unique and interesting environment, it was even better watching their excitement, the ease of their connection together , and their sweet and personal way they interact together.  Riding around in our little hatchback all day with them was such a great way to get to know them better and really take in the magnitude of what this elopement, and their relationship together means to them.

Thank you Jessika and Mack, for travelling all the way from Colorado to elope in Iceland with us! It was such an unforgettable experience! 

 

Cheakamus Centre Wedding in Squamish // Kristina and Dan

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Kristina and Dan's wedding in the mossy rainforest of Squamish BC // Victoria Wedding Photographers

You probably recognize Kristina and Dan from their Golden Ears Park engagement photos in September! Well, last month we travelled to Squamish from Vancouver Island to photograph their amazing rainforest wedding at Cheakamus Centre. This was the first wedding we photographed at Cheakamus Centre since our own wedding, and we were so excited that it would be Kristina and Dan's wedding! A super adventurous couple in a rainforest surrounded by mountains?!?! Sign us up: it's obviously going to be an epic day!

We kicked things off with a sweet first look at Cheakamus Centre, on gorgeous blue-green duck pond, with Dan and Kristina's bridal party peeking from a far.  Their outdoor ceremony was tucked in an intimate forest grove surrounded by moss, towering trees, and turning leaves.

With their rings exchanged, and vows proclaimed, Kristina and Dan, their friends and family partied the night away with silly reception games, memorable speeches, photobooth antics, and dancefloor shindigging.  

Thanks Krisitina and Dan for having us their to capture your wedding! We hope you love the photos!

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

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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! 

Mountain Top Wedding in Pitt Meadows and Langley // Kim and Radek's Red Serge Wedding

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Kim and Radek take in mountain top views, and enjoy their wedding reception on a private property in Langley // BC Wedding Photographers

We had talked to Kim and Radek about their Pitt Meadows wedding over a year and half before their wedding day, which took place this year.  Time FLEW between then and when their day arrived.  We couldn't wait to see them again and meet their friends and family.  This would be our second wedding of the year to involve Red Serge, and a big clan of RCMPers.  We've seen what a close knit family RCMP'ers are and how they celebrate at weddings, so we couldn't wait to spend some more time in that kind of atmosphere!  

Before the wedding ceremony, we took a Sky Helicopters flight with these two, way up to the top of one of the local mountains. Kim braved the mid-summer, mountain snow in bare feet as the two explored around and took in the views.  After that it was off to see their family and friends for their intimate catholic ceremony, and a rocking reception. Complete with a Mountie themed wedding cake, and of course.. donuts for dessert. ;)

Thanks Kim and Radek for having us there to celebrate with you two, your friends and your family! We're so happy that you've found your forever person! We hope you love the photos.

 

Fan Tan Alley and Beacon Hill Park Engagement Photos with Susan and Peter

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Susan and Peter are getting married in gorgeous Southern California, but approached us because they wanted us to do their engagement photos in gorgeous BC.  We talked for a while about all the great places we could get together for their session; should we go to Osoyoos? What about Vancouver?  In the end, the day before the photo shoot, they made the last minute decision to come to gorgeous Victoria and make a little weekend holiday of it.  We were so excited!  Vancouver Island has some of the most amazing places to do photos, which still end up being quite private. 

We met at Fan Tan Alley downtown and immediately hit it off.  Peter and Susan had one-liner after one-liner and lots of funny banter that kept us on our toes, and hurt our stomach from laughing so hard.  We love to see couples who can effortlessly make each other burst out laughing and smiling.  We explored around the alleys for a while and then headed through Beacon Hill Park before ending our session with with some intimate time on the beach.   It was great shooting Susan and Peter in these iconic Victoria spots, on a gorgeous day before tourist season; it felt like we had the whole town to ourselves and we could capture Susan and Peter in their element.

Thanks for the hilarious memories Susan and Peter, and thanks for coming all the way to the Island to let us photograph you!  Hope you love the photos, here's a few of our favourites! 

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!!

Hawai'i Vacation Scrapbook - Wedding Photographers do Maui!

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Mahalo!  We are back from our vacation in Maui!  No, this holiday was not to shoot a wedding, or landscapes, or our honeymoon. This holiday was for disconnecting, and spending some time with family, to celebrate Matt's father, Brad's, 60th birthday.  We're thankful that we get to travel so much for weddings and photoshoots, and we've seen a lot of incredible places as a result, much of our travelling lately has just been to get to know our new turf on Vancouver Island.  So, some down time with the Neumann side of the family was going to be an awesome, and different, type of trip for us.  We had been excited for this trip for eons it felt like: and just like that, it came, and was over before we could even raise our cameras to take photos.  The best part about this trip in particular was leaving the cameras in the bags, and getting to spend quality time with family members.  As you can imagine, in the busy wedding season, we often only get to see them when we are crashing in their spare rooms so that we can be close to the wedding we're shooting the next day.  Some of the best parts of the trip weren't the grand adventures, but just hanging by the pool with them until after sunset, playing jenga around the dinner table until everyone was too exhausted to carry on. 

We've put together a little scrapbook blog of photos just to show you some of the things we saw and did: lots of sunsets by the pool, trekking up the Haleakala volcanic crater, driving the windy and lush Road to Hana, snorkelling all over Maui (we didn't see sea turtles, but saw so many huma-huma-nuku-nuku-apuaa), waterfall hiking, whale watching, watching surfers, and trying to keep Matt's porcelain skin from burning to a crisp.   He also took the opportunity to work on his vacation beard, which seems to have also traversed the Pacific Ocean and is currently resisting his razor's edge as we make our way back into our normal routine.  

Enjoy the photos! 

Matt and Sayde's Cheakamus Centre Wedding in Squamish - Our Own!

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You’ve seen our proposal photos and read the story, so now it’s time to show you some photos from our September wedding!

What a funny feeling, being wedding photographers planning your own wedding.  We did everything with photographers' eyes, and when looking at venues and vendors, we saw everything as images.  As wedding photographers, we’ve noticed a huge change in the way weddings are done, generation to generation.  Weddings were once bound by tradition, and these days they are more an event of self-expression, and a way to commemorate and celebrate a couple’s personality, lifestyle, and history.  After photographing so many unique and interesting couples, we wanted our wedding to be a reflection of ourselves as well.  Our relationship was built on exploring BC together, hiking the landscapes, and photographing all over the province. It was important for our wedding to really show that part of us and our life together.  We wanted our wedding to have a very outdoorsy feel without being bo-ho in style.  We aimed for a refined PNW feel, blues to mirror the waters we love, greens for the forests, and metallics to bring in some modern glitz.

With their contemporary glass and wood building plunked in the middle of lush moss and fern carpeted rainforest, perched on the edge of the turquoise waters of the river of the same name, Cheakamus Centre in Squamish offered us that environment and feel.  My mom (and her wrangled gang of family members and friends) decorated the whole place to bring the outdoors indoors.  Ferns, peonies, roses, and metallic votives and charger plates, complemented with hand-calligraphy name cards made by Matt’s mom.  Many of the details of our wedding were pulled together by the help of our friends and family.

We headed to Squamish from Vancouver Island a few days before the wedding.  It had been sunny all week leading up to the wedding, and rained buckets the day before.   For those on the west coast, you know that’s the perfect combination for creating dramatic and beautiful days. The day of the wedding we woke up to skies that were clouded and sunny at the same time, and mist billowing up from the pine covered mountains. 

As Matt and his guys headed over to Cheakamus centre to get ready, me and the girls got dolled up by Faye Smith and her awesome team.  Having developed alopecia universalis during our wedding planning (a condition that affects the hair follicles, and causes hair to fall out), it felt so nice to have my wig styled, make up done, and eyelashes donned by Faye!  I felt like myself on my wedding day, and that was so important to me. 

From there, the day unfolded on its own and we had a blast with our friends and family. Many of them came from far and wide, and some even made holidays of it by travelling to Vancouver Island, visiting Tofino, Victoria and Sooke, while others adventured around Whistler, Vancouver and Pemberton.  Check out some of the photos below, which were taken by the incredible team Amy, Tony, and Lindsey at Hoffer Photography who came all the way from Philadelphia!

Some of our vendors:

Photography: Hoffer Photography

Venue: Cheakamus Centre
Hair and Makeup: Faye Smith
DJ: Painted Frog Entertainment
Matt's Suit: The Bay
Matt's Tie: Beaux Ties
Sayde's Dress: Lisa's Bridal
Sayde's Second Dress: Jenny Yoo
Gold Headband: Twigs and Honey
Decor:  Melanie B Floral Designs (thanks Mom!)
 

Thanks so much for stopping by our wedding blog.  If you'd like to know more about our life as wedding photographers in Victoria and Vancouver Island, or about our life in BC, read About Us!

Whistler Engagement Session - Kerri and Nik at Green Lake

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Kerri and Nik's Wintery Engagement Session at Green Lake in Whistler // Victoria Wedding Photographers

It was a bright and sunny day.  Snow seemed to glow from the tops of Whistler’s Backcomb range, birds sang and darted about through crisp air, cedars towered at the edges of the ice-coated lake, couples smiled at each other as they walked hand in hand, and the magical sounds of Notorious B.I.G echoed out into the world from Nik’s Spotify playlist.  The tone was set for his and Kerri’s engagement session.

With a mid-summer wedding on the calendar, Kerri and Nik were keen to do their engagement photos during winter.  What better place than in Whistler to capture a snowy themed story.  We met on the edge of a lake in Whistler, surrounded by mountainous views, and walkable trails.  When Nik and Kerri first stepped out of their car, they pulled with them a bag full of HBC everything. Hats, mitts, they mentioned they also had scarves, but most wonderful of all was a very delicately folded, vintage Hudson Bay wool blanket.  Nik told us that this blanket meant so much to them; it is one of the very first purchases his grandmother made when she immigrated to Canada.  

We knew right away that our session with Kerri was going to be a delightful dichotomy of sentimentality and hilarity.  We were not disappointed.  We explored the edges of the lake together, taking equal break time to cuddle under their blanket, tumble around in the snow, enjoy a snowball battle, and of course, bust into song and dance when the best songs showed up on their aptly named, Engagement Session Playlist.  

Thanks Kerri and Nik for the laughs, and the stories. We can’t wait for the wedding!

Thank you for stopping by to check out our wedding photography. If you'd like to know more about our lives as Pebble and Pine Photography, Creative Victoria and Vancouver Island Wedding Photographers, you can read About Us

Whonnock Lake Lodge Wedding - Minna and Trevor

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Minna and Trevor's Intimate Wedding at Whonnock Lake in Maple Ridge // Vancouver Island Wedding Photographers

Today we're sharing some of our favourites from Minna and Trevor's wedding at Whonnock Lake Centre.

We were so honoured to be there to capture Minna and Trevor's big day with them, and their family and friends.  For those of you who know what the Vancouver area is like in the winter, you know we get rain.  A lot of it.   With the rain pouring down the wall of windows of Whonnock Lake Centre, and the sun setting low into a nest of mist and cloud,  Minna and Trevor hosted one of the most intimate and cozy weddings we've had the pleasure of shooting.  Underneath a canopy of lanterns strung from the wood beams, they and their guests danced and drank the night away. What a celebration!  

Thank you Minna and Trevor for having us there to capture it.  Thanks for standing in the rain while we did some photography experimentations on you!  You're such great sports.

We hope you love the photos!

Thank you for stopping by to check out our wedding photography. If you'd like to know more about our lives in BC, or as Pebble and Pine Photography, Creative and Modern Victoria and Vancouver Island wedding photographers, you can read About Us

British Columbia Elopement - Aria and Zach // Victoria Wedding Photographers

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Aria and Zach Elope on the Sunshine Coast in the Forest // Vancouver Island Wedding Photographers

We're romantics, of course. I think you have to be to work in such an intimate field, photographing such an intimate and monumental milestone.  For a lot of us, an elopement is the epitome of romantic.  So, you can imagine how our hearts were a flutter when Aria and Zachary called us to talk about photographing their elopement on British Columbia's Sunshine Coast. 

We had so much fun with the two of them and their charming officiant, Greig - just the five of us exploring Cliff Gilker Park near Gibsons, and Smuggler Cove past Sechelt.  We loved talking to them, and getting to know about their relationship.  Aria and Zach started dating and knew right away that they were going to spend their lives together.  They got engaged a few months into their relationship, and felt an intimate and private elopement would be right for them... down the road.  They spent their 5 year engagement getting to know each other, growing together, and  then moving from the States to BC together.  As they explore the mountain ranges in BC together, their matching wedding bands illustrate the mountain ranges from where they came.  We love their story, their positive attitudes, and their sense of adventure - it's not everyday that a couple decides they want to get married or elope by a waterfall, in the middle of the mossy woods, in a province they just moved to.

Thank you Aria and Zachary for inviting us on this great adventure with you! We wish you a lifetime of adventures together, and hope you love the photos!

Thank you for stopping by to check out our wedding photography. If you'd like to know more about our lives in BC, or as Pebble and Pine Photography, Creative and Modern Victoria and Vancouver Island wedding and elopement photographers, you can read About Us.

Vancouver Elopement at Spanish Banks - Elizabeth and Doug

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Elizabeth and Doug Elope at Spanish Banks in Vancouver // BC Wedding Photographers

It's not every day that we get to shoot an elopement on the beach right here in Vancouver!  While the idea of eloping may bring visions of Mexico or Costa Rica, for Elizabeth and Doug the beach of choice was Vancouver's own Spanish Banks.  Beautiful in its own right, with views to the mountains and city, it made the perfect backdrop for them to get married with only their moms and a marriage commissioner present.  As they said their "I do's", the hubbub of action at low tide continued around them, complete with a couple dogs who were keen to say hi and see what we were up to.  

Elizabeth and Doug were considerate enough to bring a cupcake for the marriage commissioner as it was also his birthday that day!  After signing papers on their backs, a bit of celebratory champagne for all, this adventurous couple splashed around for some fun portraits.  What an awesome day to capture this elopement at Spanish Banks.  Thanks again, Elizabeth & Doug!

Thank you for stopping by to check out our wedding photography. If you'd like to know more about our lives in BC, or as Pebble and Pine Photography, Creative and Modern Victoria and Vancouver Island wedding photographers, you can read About Us

Wedding at Hart House Restaurant at Deer Lake - Charlene and Josh

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Charlene and Josh Get Married in an Outdoor Ceremony at Hart House in Burnaby // Victoria Wedding Photographers

When we headed from Victoria to Burnaby, to photograph Charlene and Josh's wedding, we knew we were going to be in a for a treat.  They had so many great events planned for their day, so we'd have lots of action to cover, and lots of people to meet in the process - from the tea ceremony, to first look, to western ceremony, right up to dinner, and dancing to live music, it was going to be a great day!   We started the day off with a traditional Tea Ceremony with Charlene and Josh's family and close friends, intimate and heartfelt. Char dressed in a stunning red and gold embroidered silk gown,  and was a vision done up in hair and makeup by The Love Team. 

As we arrived at Hart House it was immediately clear how much care and planning went into  planning every detail of Charlene and Josh's day - even doing most of the planning long distance, since Char had spent so much time in Minnesota doing her residency program (big congrats to her!!).  Amanda and her team at DreamGroup Productions helped the couple pull together so many gorgeous details, from their live music by Amanda Wood Music , and their stunning floral creations from The Flower Factory.  With all these incredible details creating a beautiful atmosphere, there was another detail that stood out for us, and it reflects on the type of wonderful people that Charlene and Josh are.  On the folded side of each place card, was a personal note, handwritten to each and every single guest, from the couple.  When we saw all the thoughtfulness and care put into this detail, our jaws just dropped - Char and Josh knew exactly how to let their guests know that the wedding was as much about celebrating with their loved ones, as it was about celebrating the two of them.

Congratulations Charlene and Josh, we're so happy you had us there! We hope you love the photos!

Thank you for stopping by to check out our wedding photography. If you'd like to know more about our lives in BC, or as Pebble and Pine Photography, Creative and Modern Victoria and Vancouver Island wedding photographers, you can read About Us

Grouse Mountain Winter Wedding - Elizabeth and Trevor

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Liz and Trevor's Intimate Winter Wedding at Altitudes Restaurant on Grouse Mountain // Vancouver Island Wedding Photographers

The temperature is soaring in Vancouver this week, and it seems like summer has come early.  So today, we're posting Liz and Trevor's Grouse Mountain wedding to cool you all off. 

Our first experience with Liz and Trevor was the time we shot their surprise proposal at the Grouse Mountain sleigh ride.  We were really excited to make our way back up Grouse Mountain to shoot their wedding, at the same place they got got engaged! What a treat.

We started off with Liz and Trevor's first look on the staircase in the Grouse lodge, with their bridal party looking on.  Then we ventured out onto the snow capped mountain for group photos before heading over to Capilano Heights for their ceremony with friends and family. Kudos to this group for braving the chilly mountain weather like champs, while we stayed warm in our winter boots and jackets.

After the ceremony, it was time for portraits with Liz and Trevor.  We had a great time with with these two, wandering around the mountain in the snow.  They were super silly and sweet together, and even told us they did some practicing with posing before the wedding. It was fun to watch them ham it up for the camera, which made for lots of great candid moments and laughs!

Liz and Trevor's reception at Altitudes Restaurant was a rockin' good time. They even had a special guest come to teach everyone at the wedding how to do the céilidh.  We made ourselves dizzy in the excitement of capturing all their guests twirling, and dancing, and spinning about with the biggest smiles on all their faces. It turned out to be the biggest group dance session we've ever been in the centre of.  How awesome!  

As the evening came to an end, the snow started to fall, finishing off a perfect snowy spring day.  

Thanks for having us there to capture your day, Liz and Trevor. Congratulations again, we hope you love the photos!

Thank you for stopping by to check out our wedding photography. If you'd like to know more about our lives in BC, or as Pebble and Pine Photography, Creative and Modern Victoria and Vancouver Island wedding photographers, you can read About Us