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!

Shawnigan Lake Engagement Photos // Jacqui and Sean

Packers fans unite as Jacqui and Sean romp and dance around Shawinigan Lake during their sunset engagement photos // Victoria Wedding Photographers

It's been almost two years since we moved to Vancouver Island, and we've felt at home since we got here!  We've met so many great people, and experienced so many new and wonderful places. One of our favourite things to do is to find out about and explore a new-to-us place that is a long time love of our couples. We've heard so many great things about Shawnigan Lake and it's always been on our radar to visit, but it was even better to head there to do engagement photos for Jacqui and Sean, who have Shawnigan Lake summers near and dear to their hearts.

They brought us to Shawnigan Wharf Park near their parents' house to walk the decommissioned train track trail, and watch sunset over the lake. We had a great time photographing as these two romped around the park, danced on the dock and then donned their Packers jerseys and cheese-heads for some laughs. We really caught a glimpse of Jacqui and Sean's dynamic, what makes them such a great couple, and so fun to be around.

We can't wait for their Bear Mountain wedding!

Pender Island Engagement Photos at Magic Lake // Hilary and Chris

Hilary and Chris have a wine picnic at Medicine Beach on Pender Island and hang around their cabin during their sunny springy engagement photos // Victoria Wedding Photographers

One of our favourite goals we've made over the past couple years is to do a lot of island hopping of the Gulf Islands, for fun and for work so we can explore more of island life.  We've seen and photographed weddings and engagements on Salt Spring, Thetis, Galiano, and now Pender, thanks to Hilary and Chris who invited us there to their cabin to explore and do their engagement photos.

We couldn't wait! We met Hilary and Chris at their cabin on Magic Lake, which really was magical! The crisp air, shining sun, lime green willow buds, and lakeside cabin had made us feel right at home and dreaming of spring! After hanging out on the dock with their pup, Lazlo, and cat, Earl, Hilary and Chris took us over to Medicine beach to show us the views and to pop out a wine picnic on the driftwood covered beach! What a perfect way to spend a sunday!

Thanks so much, Hilary and Chris, we had a blast! We can't wait for your May wedding in Stanley Park!

Victoria BC Sunset Engagement Photos // Jane and Nick (and Scout and Randall, of course!)

Jane and Nick's sunset engagement on their ocean property in Victoria // Victoria Wedding Photographers

You know us, we love any excuse to hang out with awesome people with awesome dogs to enjoy an awesome sunset.  It's even better when work involves all of the above!  Jane and Nick came up to Victoria from Seattle last week to enjoy a visit with family, and we stole them away for a glorious engagement session.  We didn't need to go far to embrace some epic Victoria vibes: we found the perfect romantic sunset setting right in the backyard!  

Last year we met Nick and Jane via Skype to talk about their upcoming wedding at Victoria Golf Club this year, and we couldn't wait to meet them and their pooches in person.  We were greeted with huge smiles from Jane and Nick, and lots of tail wagging from Randall and Scout. After some puppy play on the lawn, we headed over to relax on the adirandack chairs for a beautiful sunset.   Throughout the whole evening we were blown away by the natural, effortless connection and chemistry between Jane and Nick, and it was made all the more dramatic with the ocean breeze and warm sunset light.  We can't wait to see these two get married!

McKenzie Bight Engagement Photos // Amanda and Alex and puppy, Kenzie

Amanda and Alex (and their puppy Kenzie) explore the trails at McKenzie Bight in Victoria during their engagement photos // Victoria Wedding Photographers

If you know us (or even just passed us on the street haha), you know we're crazy about dogs. You can imagine the excitement we had this month when we photographed not one, not two, but three engagement sessions in a row that featured our couples' furry best friends!  Our most recent were Amanda and Alex, and the new addition to their family, Kenzie, who was named after one of Amanda and Alex's favourite Victoria trails, and the location of our engagement session with them: McKenzie Bight Trail.

With the rain storms that have been pouring down on the west coast lately, we ended up hitting the sunny-autumn-day-jackpot on our photos with Amanda and Alex.  It was fun to get to know Alex and Amanda as we explored around the trail that these two have grown so fond of,  and to watch as sunlight filtered through the leaves, as their puppy dashed around up and down the trails, and as heaps of seals floated around the base of a river waiting for fish as the sun dipped behind the hills.  Amanda and Alex have such a great connection, and have so much fun together that we just can't wait for their Metchosin wedding at Pearson College next year.

Thanks so much for spending a fun afternoon with us, Amanda and Alex! We hope you love your photos as much as us!

Bastion Square Engagement Photos in Victoria // Stef and Ryan

Stef and Ryan explore Laurel Point, Bastion Square and Parliament in downtown Victoria during their engagement photos // Victoria Wedding Photographers 

We love getting the opportunity to work with other creatives, and other photographers. We're especially excited when other photographers trust our vision, style, and personalities to have us come photograph their wedding day!  When Stef and Ryan hired us to photograph their upcoming wedding in Ucluelet, we were over the moon to get these two photographers and their weiners on the other side of our lenses.  Made you blink: they have weiner dogs.

With Stef's love of Victoria, and her frequent visits to Vancouver Island to see friends, we knew that Stef and Ryan would really want to get their engagement photos taken right here in Vic.  With an end-of-season holiday planned, we lined up their holiday with our schedules to make sure we could get together!  Joining Stef and Ryan on their holiday would be their sweet dachshunds, Farfel and Harvest, and of course, heaps and heaps of November rain.  But as you know, when the ran comes, the tourists go.  We ended up spending the afternoon with them strolling around Laurel Point, and running through alleys in Bastion Square without seeing another soul. We had the city to ourselves it seemed and our laughter echoed through the empty streets!  

Thanks Stef and Ryan for braving this dark and rainy day to have some rainy day fun, and a seemingly post apocalyptic adventure with us! We can't wait for the wedding!

Reykjavik Elopement in Iceland // Farrah and Lance

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!

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!

Linwood House Wedding on The Sunshine Coast // Bo and John-Paul

Bo and JP's ocean front wedding on BC's Sunshine Coast // Vancouver Island Wedding Photographers

If you've followed our work you've seen that we've photographed a lot of adventurous, spontaneous and genuine couples, who cut their own path and do things their way.  Bo and JP are shining example of that! They had so many handmade details to their day, added a lot of personal details into their decor, and it was clear they put a lot of thought into their guests' enjoyment of the wedding!  When we woke up to an absence of sunshine, on the day of their Sunshine Coast wedding, Bo and JP weren't even fazed.  Their outdoor ceremony and reception in Gibsons would continue on as planned, regardless of the pelting rain and the ominous clouds that seemed to stretch farther than than the horizon. No sheltered Plan B necessary!

Sometimes unexpected things happen at weddings that leave us in awe, and such a thing happened during Bo and JP's wedding that left us marvelling to this day.  The rain poured down as guest arrived to the ceremony with beaming smiles in their best raincoats, huddled under umbrellas, and found their ran sprinkled seats.  The rain continued as JP and his groomsmen made their way to the front of the ceremony site and greeted their guests.  And of course, the rain remained as Bo's bridesmaid and man found their way to the front.  Everyone stood with eager eyes waiting for B to be walked down the aisle.  Bo came around the corner to walk down the aisle, and the second John-Paul's eyes landed on her, and the smile spread across his face, the rain stopped. That. Every. Second. 

With the rain gone, and the umbrellas folded and put away for the rest of the day, we carried on to Linwood House to enjoy a day of photographing Bo and JP's connection, their lust for life, all the personal and handmade touches they put into their day, and all the antics of their friends and family.

Thank you Bo and John-Paul for having us there to capture such an amazing day with you, your family and friends. 

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! 

Golden Eagle Golf Club Wedding - Ashley and Mike

Ashley and Mike host their wedding at Golden Eagle Golf Club in Pitt Meadows and enjoy a helicopter ride with Sky Helicopters // BC Wedding Photographers

When we first met with Ashley and Mike to talk about their wedding, we learned a lot about them and how they met, their love for basketball and sports, and how they bond over light hearted competition.  At their wedding, it was fun to meet a lot of their friends and family who were all like a big team.  We had SO many laughs during bridal prep with Ashley, her gals, and brother that we immediately felt welcomed!

Their outdoor wedding was held at Golden Eagle Golf Club, the only place in the lower mainland that it didn't seem to be raining that day!  Guests watched on with big laughs, and happy tears in a fun, but sentimental ceremony officiated by Shawn from Young Hip and Married.  After their ceremony it was time for Ashley and Mike to enjoy their helicopter ride, and some private time by a mountain river bed. 

With their feet back on the ground, Ashley and Mike joined their guests for some speeches, drinks, dancing, and of course, basketball!

Thanks so much for having us their to meet your crew, and celebrate you day with you, Ashley and Mike. Hope you love the photos!

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

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! 

Tips for Looking and Feeling Awesome in Your Engagement Photos

Some great suggestions on how to look and feel amazing during your engagement photos, from Victoria Wedding Photography team, Pebble and Pine Photography.

Let's start with why we love engagement sessions so much!  We get asked a lot by couples if engagement sessions are a totally necessary part of getting married.  The truth is, they aren't.  You can get married without having engagement sessions and your marriage is still just as legal, haha.  However,  we've found that engagement sessions are so valuable because they are a great way for us to get to know our couples a bit more before the wedding.  It helps us to see how you interact with each other, get to know your dynamic as a couple, and how we can best make you feeling comfortable and confident in front of the lens so the wedding day is effortless and has a smooth natural flow to it.  It's also incredibly helpful and fun for our couples who are preparing for the big day.  It shows you how we work as a photography duo, how you feel being photographed, and help you to get more comfortable in front of our lenses, so that you have less to feel nervous about when your wedding day comes. 

 In our experience of photographing weddings, we've found that many of the couples we work with have not had professional photos done together before working with us.  They often have questions about how they can best prepare for the engagement session, so we've put together a handy little tips list.  That way, you can put your nerves at ease, and feel excited!

First and most importantly to remember; this is not a do-or-die list.  As with all advice, follow it to the degree that you're comfortable with, and that feels right for you!

Ability to move freely. 
Because we’ll be walking around, and getting the two of you interacting with each other, the ability to move around with ease is the best way to feel natural in front of the camera.  You want to make sure that you can wrap your arms around each other comfortably, and also be able to walk and sit down without worrying what your clothes are doing, or feeling restricted by them. We also love taking candid photos of you guys just spending time together, so the less you carry with you (purses, backpacks, etc), the more spontaneous the photos can be.  Some couples like to make sure they can keep their phones close by, or like to bring a small makeup/lip touch-up kit along which is totally fine. In those instances, we will usually just carry those things for you in our camera bags until you need them, so they don’t show through your pockets and clothes.

Wear the clothes, and do the hair and makeup style that make you feel like the most confident, comfortable, and vibrant version of yourself.
Keep in mind that when you look at your photos later, we want you to feel like your photos are a reflection of your true self, not a costumey version of yourself.
Our best advice is to not wear clothes, or get hair and makeup done to an extreme or style that feels unnatural or uncharacteristic of you. The best way to look good on camera is to feel like yourself! 
Brides who are planning to have hair and makeup done at the wedding often opt to have some hair and makeup for the engagement session, to see how it feels to be photographed with it done.  Typically it’s slightly more toned-down, and less formal than it would be on the wedding day.  The best way to look good on camera is to feel like yourself! 

Decide on a location you love and feel comfortable in.
We encourage couples to choose a place of significance to them, and a place they feel comfortable in.  We love engagement sessions to tell some kind of story and have a flow to them, so that you don’t feel like you're just standing in front of the camera posing the whole time. If you're in a place you love and are excited about, you'll feel more at ease in front of the camera.  This way we can get you interacting with each other to really capture your personalities, and your dynamic together.  A lot of couples choose walks on the beach or the woods in areas they like, or decide they want to have a date night, like a wine-and-sunset picnic somewhere.  Other couples choose to have their photos taken doing a hobby they enjoy doing.  We like to chat with our couples about ideas that work best to reflect their life together.

Match your engagement style vibe to the atmosphere and style you’ve planned your wedding. 
Weddings nowadays have become less of a traditional mould, and more of an expression of your relationship.  Chances are, you’ve planned your wedding to reflect your personalities, your style and taste, and of course your eccentricities.  We recommend matching your engagement style to fit amongst the same general style of your wedding, and your own personal style.  Some couples consider themselves more outdoorsy and adventurous. Some couples vibe with boho, whereas others are more modern and edgy, etc.  So to avoid feeling uncomfortable or inauthentic to yourself, we usually recommend couples dress in what Matt refers to as, “casual plus, or better".  It's a spruced up version of your own real, personal style.  For example, a couple we shot last year, during a beach sunset, described their outfit choice this way, “we chose outfits to that we would wear to a beachfront patio, on a night out for dinner and drinks with good friends we hadn’t seen for a long time.”   

Complement each other’s style. 
This is not a suggestion to wear a matchy-matchy couples onesie outfit, though that would be hilarious. We do, however, recommend your clothes complement each other’s style and scale of formality. We’ve found most couples have a similar style anyways, but we just throw this in as a tip.  For example, if one of you is in a suit jacket, the other might not want to wear those oh-so-cozy LuLus and gym top.  Or, if one is in a brightly coloured, patterned summer dress, the other probably wouldn’t be rocking the Johnny Cash all-black-from-head-to-toe look.  You're both individuals, but these photos show how you complement each other as two equal parts of a whole.

Play off the season and location.  
This all goes with the goal of feeling comfortable and natural in your surroundings. We want you to dress and feel awesome for the weather, and location you're in.  Heels aren't always the best shoe choice for snowy mountains or sandy beaches. If you're planning to rock a strapless dress at the top of Cypress in the winter, bring along a cute jacket to wear.  If you're planning a romantic summer sunset on a hot beach, leave that parka at home and wear layers instead. 

I know, I know! This isn't one of Andrea and Eddie's engagement photos. But we love their use of vibrant colour and eccentric prints to show their personal style. Don't be afraid to be bold, friends!

Don't shy away from bright colours or prints, but avoid fluorescent neon materials. 
Bold prints and vibrant colours can be a great way to show your personal style, but be weary of fluorescent and neon.  Think Olivia Newton John in her 80’s aerobic leotards.  While these types of colours are mostly seen in workout and road-worker attire to promote visibility and road safety, they have started to pop up in regular style as well for a visual punch.  Great in real life, but these fluorescent and neon colours are so reflective that they’ll reflect their own colour onto your skin in photographs.  If these colours are on the front of your shirt, they will often cast their colour up onto your face and your partner’s, even on a cloudy day. (We’ll have a photo in the blog to show an example of this effect.)

A good night sleep, proper meals, and lots of water! 
This is just a general rule for day to day life, but it applies to the day of your photoshoot as well.  If you’re nervous the night before, try to hit the hay early to make sure you’re not tired the evening of your session. If you’re busy with hair and makeup on the day of, make sure to allot time for food and water through the day of your the photo session.  It’s the best way to look vibrant, feel refreshed, and stay excited through your photos together. Plus, as we all know, it’s hard to smile and feel lovey when we’re hangry. 

These are some of our prep / attire tips. But again, only follow these to the degree that you’re comfortable with, and don’t feel restricted by.  We usually spend a few minutes at the start of each photo shoot to let you guys know what expect so that you know how to interact with each other and the camera during the photoshoot. We’ll shake out all those nervous, awkward feelings at the start so you guys can feel awesome in the photos! 

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