Fort Langley Engagement Session - Ming and Kim

Ming and Kim Explore Fort Langley During Their Engagement Session // Victoria Wedding Photographers

On the day of Ming & Kim's engagement shoot, dark clouds were hovering over the Vancouver area, threatening to downpour at any moment.  And downpour it did!  But only in pockets.  We somehow managed to avoid the rain throughout their whole shoot even though it rained just before and just after.  Talk about perfect! 

We had a great time wandering around Fort Langley area together.  Joining us for a few shots was their cute little pup, Olive.  Ming & Kim were naturals in front of the camera, and Fort Langley made a beautiful backdrop to their shoot.  The rainy day meant it was relatively private, with few people around, and we were free to create to our our hearts' content!

We can't wait to shoot their wedding in September!  Check out all the images from their shoot below. 

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.

Capilano Suspension Bridge Engagement Session - Sandy and Jeff

Sandy and Jeff Explore Capilano Suspension Bridge During Their Engagement Session in North Vancouver // BC Wedding Photographers

Back in March we announced the launch of our new website, and wanted to celebrate by giving away a very special photo session at Capilano Suspension Bridge.  Sandy and Jeff were easily our most enthusiastic couple, entering the contest the most of anyone.  It paid off, 'cause it was their names we pulled out of the box at the end of the draw.  We couldn't wait to meet them!  

What a pleasure working with Sandy and Jeff, and getting to know them.  If there was an award for most laid back and patient couple, they'd win it for sure!  With ever-present smiles on their faces, they waded with us through crowds of people, precariously perching on swinging bridges, and swaying walk-ways, waiting for the perfect time for us to capture the moments that happened between them.  

We had lots of fun swinging from the treetops with you, Sandy and Jeff.  We hope you got your land legs back, and that you love the photos!

Thanks for checking out our work!  To see more, view the links below.

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

Pacific Spirit Park and Spanish Banks Engagement Session - Roxanne and Myles

Roxanne and Myles Explore Vancouver in Their Forest and Beach Themed Engagement Session // Victoria Wedding Photographers

We had a great time first meeting Roxanne and Myles to talk about their winter wedding in Whistler.  We talked about their life in Vancouver and all the things they love to do around the city with their son Cohen.  We were sooo looking forward to getting out into the woods for their engagement photos, and to hit the beach with them.  After all,  the beaches and forests are what we love the most, too!

We headed into the woods at Pacific Spirit Park to explore the trails with Roxanne and Myles.  It's always such a great experience to wander the trails, amongst all the trees, with no one else around.  The quiet and isolated area gave us lots of opportunity to get to know more about Roxanne and Myles, and a bit more about their wedding details.

To finish of the evening, we wandered down to Spanish Banks to enjoy a warm and breezy sunset.  Thanks for such a great evening, Roxanne and Myles. We're looking forward to your winter wedding and meeting your friends and family!

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

UBC and Spanish Banks Engagement - Candy and Tim

Candy and Tim Have Fun Exploring UBC and a Sunset at Spanish Banks During Their Engagement Photos //  BC Wedding Photographers

What an amazing spring it has been in Vancouver this year!  Candy and Tim's engagement shoot was no exception, as we spent a couple hours basking in beautiful sunshine while wandering about UBC Campus and Spanish Banks beach.  The dramatic building seen in the first couple shots is the Pharmaceutical Sciences building at UBC, which is significant to Candy and Tim as they met during their time in the Pharmacy program there!  

When we got down to the Spanish Banks beach it was getting near sunset which made for gorgeous golden light, spilling over into the quiet intimate moments they shared.  It was a pleasure to photograph them, and we can't wait to capture their wedding later this year at Golden Eagle Golf Course! 

Thanks for reading, and if you'd like to see more of our recent work, check out the links below!  

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

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

Jericho Beach Sunset Engagement - Britney and Matt

Britney and Matt Enjoy a Gorgeous Sunset at Jericho Beach During Their Engagement Photo Session // Victoria Wedding Photographers

Vancouver has been having a pretty great string of weather over the last few weeks and we’ve been taking advantage of every minute of sunshine.

Last week we met up with Britney and Matt to do some engagement photos at Jericho Beach.  Britney and Matt are in the midst of planning their December destination wedding, and wanted their engagement photos to reflect their life here in Vancouver.  With Jericho Beach being a favourite haunt of theirs, we decided it would make great place to capture their dynamic, and bits of their relationship together.

We arrived to golden light, budding willows, and teams of ducks flying about.  Since Britney is a biologist, and can rattle off all the names and details of every aviary around, we had some fun corralling ducks to play extras in some of our photos.  After a stroll around the ponds, we made our way over the the beach to get some sand between our toes, and check out the views of the city, mountains, and of course, the sunset.

Thanks Britney and Matt for trekking around Jericho with us! We had fun lots of fun getting to know the two of you.  We hope you love the photos!

Thanks for reading!  If you'd like to check out some more engagement sessions we've shot, have a look at some of our recent blog posts below! 

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

Surprise Proposal on Grouse Mountain - Elizabeth and Trevor

We Photograph a Secret Surprise Proposal on Grouse Mountain in Vancouver // Vancouver Island Wedding Photographers

If you follow our work, and read our blogs, you know how excited we get to do something spontaneous, photograph outdoors, and capture bonafide genuine moments and emotions. So when you read this blog, you'll know that this is quickly becoming one of our favourite events to photograph!

We got a call from Trevor, who was planning to propose the following day, to his girlfriend Elizabeth, on the top of Grouse Mountain, and was wondering if  we'd be up for shooting it.  Incognito.  So......photograph a surprise proposal, on the top of the mountain, and we also get to pretend to be spies? Yes! Yes! Obviously, yes!

Up the gondola we went, feeling mischievous, and finding secret hiding spots.  Matt found a perfect spot tucked in the trees, behind a snow pile, so that he'd get a great closeups of Elizabeth's expression when Trevor popped the question.  Sayde found her spot on a hill behind some trees to photograph the scene as it played out below.  After making sure we were totally camouflaged, Matt texted Trevor the "OK", and Trevor's plan went into play.

We tried not to giggle with excitement (like kids playing hide-and-seek) as we watched Trevor lead Elizabeth around the skating rink, and towards the groomer-pulled sleigh, grabbing a seat near the front. The sleigh took off on its route around the peak, to return about 10 minutes later, passing directly by Sayde is it did.

Then, as the sleigh pulled to a stop and it's passengers climbed out, Trevor stopped Elizabeth and proposed. To which, a very smiley Elizabeth said yes! *Spoiler Alert* After a few minutes to revel in the moment, the two of them wandered off into the trees to enjoy the twinkle lights and call loved ones with the news, smiling nonstop.

Thanks so much to Trevor for inviting us out to do this special photo shoot, and congrats to you and Elizabeth. 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

Stanley Park Cherry Blossom Engagement - Sarah and JP

Sarah and JP Check Out all the Cherry Blossoms in Their Stanley Park Engagement // Vancouver Island Wedding Photographers

If you've stepped outside in Vancouver in the past couple weeks, you've probably found yourself awestruck by the welcoming puffy pink clouds of cherry blossoms hovering over the sidewalks and park spaces of the city.  Stanley Park has an ABUNDANCE of cherry blossoms!

These cherry blossoms were the perfect setting for our sweet and fun engagement photos with Sarah and JP.  These two lovers met by chance one evening, and once they got to chatting, they realized that there was just 6 degrees of separation between them, with lots of connections between friends and relatives.  It's a big city here, but a small world indeed.

For their engagement session, Sarah and JP brought along a vintage Fiat.  It was so exciting to watch this little car blast around Stanley Park, stopping here and there to take in the views, and get some photos. There were lots of big smiles and loads of laughs between Sarah and JP, and it was so refreshing to watch! With the cherry blossoms out in full force, Stanley Park can be a busy area, so Sarah and JP (and us!) wandered over to a more private area to get some intimate shots of just the two of them together amongst the blooms.

Thanks Sarah and JP for trekking all over Stanley Park with us.  We had so much fun with the two of you during your engagement photos!  Hope you love the pictures! 

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

Sea to Sky Gondola Sunset Engagement in Squamish - Paula and Cameron

Paula and Cameron Adventure Around and Enjoy a Private Sunset During Their Engagement Photos at the Sea to Sky Gondola // BC Wedding Photographers

We've been really excited about Paula and Cameron's engagement session for some time now. When we first started planning for it, we talked about locations in Pemberton, then Vancouver, then finally decided on the glorious Sea to Sky Gondola in Squamish.  We've been dying photograph an engagement or wedding at Sea to Sky Gondola since it opened: and who could be a more perfect fit for this location than well-travelled, outdoorsy, and adventurous Paula and Cameron!

It was so fun to experience the top of the summit with Paula and Cameron who had never been up there before, and gave us a lot of opportunities to capture how much they enjoyed the experience, and the amazing views!

By sunset, most other visitors had departed for the gondola, and we had the whole place to ourselves. As the sun set, fog started to crawl into Howe Sound, and up from the trees below. This all made for a really intimate finale to the fun evening.

Thanks Paula and Cameron for the awesome outing! We hope you love your engagement photos. We can not wait for your wedding! 

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

It's a Portrait Session Giveaway Extraordinaire

Hey Everyone,

We feel like celebrating!  We've been working our butts off on this new website and now that it's finally launched, we love it more than ever. Now we want to share the love with you!

In honour of our new website launch, we're going to host a giveaway.  That's right, we're going to take one lucky couple to an awesome location, and do a couples' portrait session with them!

This contest isn't just open to the recently engaged either!  This can be an engagement session, or a we're-not-engaged-but-we're-so-damn-sweet-for-each-other session, an anniversary session, a newly-wed session, or even a just-because-we-love-each-other session.  If you have a love and you want that captured, this is a contest for you.

Update #1 - Location Reveal! 

We are excited to announce that the location for the shoot giveaway will be......drum rolllll.....

Capilano Suspension Bridge!  Between the bridge itself and the assortment of other activities like the Cliff Walk and Tree-Top Adventure, the winners are sure to have a lot of fun, and we can't wait to capture it!

Entries are now closed!

Thanks to all who took the time to enter and share this post!  We will be announcing the winner via Facebook LIVE video at 9:00pm on Tuesday the March 15th, so stay tuned!

Want to see some more fun and adventurous engagement and wedding photos? Check out our Featured Page!

Matt and Sayde

Sayde's Favourite 15 Highlight Images from 2015

As we welcome a new year, and look forward to all the engagements and weddings coming our way (our own included), it’s fun to look back at how eventful 2015 was for us!  It was a year of firsts, as we shot our first Persian and Indian ceremonies, our very first and very special maternity shoot, and introduced our raucous PebbleBooth.  We travelled north for weddings in Kitimat, west for weddings all over Vancouver Island, south to Portland for leisure, and east to Ontario for visiting loved ones.  2015 also marks a year where I got to flex more of my photography muscles as I took on my role as second shooter, after a couple years in a mostly assisting role.

In this post, I’ll write about a lot of the highlights for me this year as a wedding photographer, share some of my favourite shots, and talk about moments in wedding days that stood out for me.  Narrowing this list to 15 highlights was a bit agonizing, because I can picture about 200 highlights I would love to blab about, from every single shoot we did this year!   Thanks to all the amazing couples who trusted us so graciously with capturing their story, you were all so fantastic!

So, without further adieu:

^ “Soft light, in commanding spaces.”
This shot from Darlene and Rob’s second-day shoot has been one of my favourites. Landscape photography was my first love, and after being introduced to wedding photography, I get unimaginably excited when I am in a situation of combining the two of them.  The light at this time of day was perfect for creating dimension in the mountainous background, and cascading a sliver of light across Darlene and Rob’s faces, softly highlighting a gentle moment between them.

^ “Let there be light!”
As a dynamic duo, Matt and I often split up to capture bride prep and groom prep separately – Matt goes to the girls, while I usually hang with the guys.  It’s common at weddings for brides to have amazing prep space; tidy and spacious, and filled with natural light.  These are the best conditions for doing hair and makeup well.  Grooms don’t always get the same degree of luxury. I felt really treated walking into Kyle’s hotel room to be greeted by so much space and light.  Light is a photographer’s best friend.  Kyle’s groom prep photos ended up being some of my strongest this year because I was able to work the space, angles, and light to get some really creative shots.  One of my favourites is this semi-silhouetted shot of him looking in the mirror, with only a sliver of light to highlight his eye.

^ “The moments between.”
I love this smiling shot of Halyna and Jason during their engagement session because it’s so natural.  When we work with couples, it’s often their first time with a professional photographer.  They almost always ask us, “You’re going to tell us how to pose, right?”  One of my favourite things as a photographer is capturing that moment right after they break from a “pose” or a kiss, and have a connection, a laugh, or even just a glimpse at each other.

^ “Curious elements.”
I liked this photo because of its ambiguity and its subtle hint at the couple.  It’s easy to spot love in a photo of the faces of a smiling happy couple, but I like to take less obvious photos, that may just include an element of the couple within their surroundings.

^ “Sometimes I’m just plain f**king lucky.  Fact.”
I do most of the ring photos at our weddings because it’s something I really enjoy.  It’s like shooting tiny landscapes to me.  During Jimmy and Esther’s wedding at VanDusen, I wandered into the garden to capture their rings amongst these funky purple flowers. I got pretty excited when the bee landed in the frame as I was shooting. Then, I got a million more times excited when, during one brief flash of a second, the flower waved in the wind just enough to catch the sunlight just right, flashing a spectrum of light into my lens.

^ “Going with the flow..ing gown”.
2014 was a year of perfect wedding weather. No rain, mild sun, and comfortable temperature at all our weddings. 2015 was a wild card. We saw wind (Lindsay and Darren’s wedding), thunderstorms (Char and Josh’s engagement), and blazing heat (Tamara and Mike, Tarilyn and Joel, Heather and Kyle) we couldn’t have imagined.  While these things weren’t planned for, we ended up very thankful as the dramatic weather created some of our most interesting photos to date.  We always feel so fortunate to work with couples who are so willing to go with the flow and have a fantastic time together!

^ “Bringing the heat.”
As photographers we love to be story illustrators. We are always ecstatic when clients trust us enough to let us in on those intimate parts of their story, to capture it best. Kara and Kirby told us that it was important to them that their engagement photos capture their personalities and their passion. And oh baby, did they have passion!  I walked away from their session really feeling like we captured exactly what they were hoping for, and it felt amazing!  I loved a lot of the flirty silhouettes I captured, and of course, this up-close-and-personal shot of the two of them in an embrace. The sliver of light across Kara’s lips. The playful grin on Kirby’s face. His fingers tangled in her hair as he grabs her head to pull her in for a fiery kiss. Hot dang, you guys!

^ “It’s in the details.”
Lindsay and Darren were a couple who evidently put a lot of thought into how they wanted to style their day, and tried to make each detail personal – for them, and for their guests.  What topped it off was how much effort they made to use local vendors.  That really stood out to me.   This shot of Darren perfectly and carefully tying his shoes is one of my favourite groom prep photos because, for me, it shows a lot of the head to toe details, and emulates the care and tediousness they put into planning the entire day.

^ “The wanderer.”
As the second shooter, I get the opportunity to look at situations from a lot of different angles.  While Matt is working on a shot with a couple, I often sneak around to find different vantage points.  I loved shooting a lot of silhouettes this year, and particularly  liked this photo of a moment between Tarilyn and Joel.  I got to tie in a lot of my favourite elements of photography to create a real setting – the soft light, silhouettes, mountainous and ocean backgrounds, an ambiguous and not-so-obvious subject, and a little bit of luck as a bird flew through the shot.

^ “Framed by nature.”
This photo of Kaylee and Travis stands out for me this year because I got to shoot it embraces my style of shooting, in one of my most absolute favourite places – the deep, dark woods.  Shooting through the lush foliage on a wet day brought the greenery to life, which seemed to create the perfect contrast against Kaylee’s white gown, and the purple in her hair and Travis’s suit to make them pop out of the frame.

^ “Smiling eyes.”
This photo is one of my favourites because every time I see it I wonder, “What is Pegah thinking right this very second?”  I am infatuated by people who smile so greatly that it reaches their eyes.  It’s the most genuine way people express their happiness.  If you saw Pegah and Kyle’s wedding photos, you’ll know that they did not take their eyes off of each other the entire day, and that they seemed to speak to each other just with looks.  Even in this very rare instance where Pegah is glancing away, her smiling eyes never faded.

^”Love is colourful thing.”
Ramiza and Aaron’s dual wedding ceremony was a huge highlight for me.  Their Indian ceremony was rich with every colour in the spectrum, alive with dancing, and rich with blessing.  It looked the way a heart feels when it’s exclaiming love.  This simple shot of Ramiza aligning her rings during her Indian ceremony, really highlighted the vibrantly contrasting colours of her gown,  gold embroidered accents, and her intricate mehndi.

^ “We did it!”
It’s easy to tell you that the endless amount of candid moments at weddings are the most amazing.  Darlene and Rob had an eventful day, which postponed their wedding ceremony by a number of hours.  However when it came down to it, their ceremony had perfect light, happy guests, and an elated bride and groom.  I absolutely love this shot of Darlene skipping giddily, and Rob happily charging down the aisle holding hands. It really shows that no matter what else happens that day, you’ve got each other, and that’s why you’re there.

^ “Dreamy scenes.”
As a second shooter I am always consciously aware of the space I occupy.  I try to find unique angles while not becoming a huge obstruction to guests, Matt, and videographers.  In doing this, I’ve inadvertently developed one of my favourite aspects of my shooting style.  At weddings I’m often the shadowy figure ducking behind a table of glasses, squatting between the legs of guests, or lying belly on the ground to get some of my shots.  At Tamara and Mike’s engagement shoot, lying belly on the ground allowed me to silhouette the couple while turning the foreground into a dreamscape of dandelion puffs.  It also allowed me to stretch out my body past the limits of my shirt seams…effectively rendering my dress sleeveless. But you know how it goes – “do anything to get the shot!”

^ “Finishing on a (up-) high note.”
Tanya and John were arguably our most goofy couple.  In lieu of cuddly and kissy photos, they wanted a fun-loving carnival engagement session that really highlighted their love of laughter.  We were totally on board for the ride(s).  As Matt climbed on the octo-whirl with Tanya and John, I stood on firm ground to try to get a lucky shot of the couples faces as they spun around.  I was lucky to get this single, unobstructed, clear shot of both their beaming smiles before Tanya’s bursts of laughter turned to whimpers of queasiness, and it is one of my favourite shots from the entire day.  Thanks for making the sacrifice, Tanya!

BONUS Highlight!!
I get a bonus because I said so. Since this isn’t a wedding or engagement photo, it doesn’t count as a “Fave 15 Wedding and Engagement Highlights” and therefore is it’s own category and is being included.   This is a shot from our maternity session with Andrea and Eddie, my soon-to-be in-laws.  This session was definitely a highlight for the year for a few reasons.  If you’re from Vancouver you probably will recognize this area as Whytecliff Park. It’s called Whytecliff a reason.  Yes, that’s right, a then-8-month-pregnant Andrea poised herself gracefully on the edge of the cliff for us to capture this semi-silhouetted photo of her, with the setting sun softly highlighting her baby bump.  The low light, her gentle smile, and the smooth ocean, to me, seem to just set a very peaceful mood in this image.

Thanks for having a look at a few of my favourite highlights! I’m really looking forward to all the memories to be made in 2016!

If you want to check out more of our work, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and visit our website!

Matt's Favourite 15 Highlight Images from 2015

2015 was a great year over here at Pebble & Pine Photography!  We had a year full of great clients who were willing to go whichever crazy places we asked them to, and with a smile on their face.  The weather cooperated for the most part, and when it didn’t it still made for some awesome dramatic rainy day photos.  Between Sayde and I, we shot over 53,000 images this year.  You can imagine then, how difficult it is to choose only 15 images each to sum up the year!  The images I’ve selected are just a handful of my personal favourites.  I’d like to extend a massive thank you to all the clients who put their trust in us this year, whether they are pictured below or not; I wish I could have included everyone!

So without further adieu, and in no particular order, here are 15 images that I love from 2015!

^ The clouds and rain chased us throughout this engagement shoot for the better part of two hours!  Charlene and Josh were troopers though, and it’s a good thing because their patience and determination culminated in this image near the end of the shoot.

^ Rob and Darlene’s wedding day was one of a kind!  With an unexpected medical issue keeping the groom in hospital until near dinner time, we lost pretty much all of the allotted portrait time that we had set aside!  With them living in Grand Prairie, and us in Vancouver, and the wedding being in Kitimat, it was nothing short of a miracle that we were able to fit in a quick portrait session before we all departed to our respective homes.

^ I’m a total sucker for silhouettes, and this is one of my favourites that I’ve ever shot.  I love the tones of the sky, the little hint of the sun popping between them, the reeds, the love in Jimmy & Esther’s pose.  Just perfect!

^ We started 2015 with a personal mandate to shoot closer, capture more smiles, more love.  One of the most intimate parts of the day is always the “first look”. We shot more first looks this year than ever before, and there was always great emotion to be captured!  Kyle and Heather’s first look had such big smiles and excitement, I love this adorable moment between the two of them.

^ This image from Travis & Kaylee’s wedding has just about everything that we love at Pebble & Pine!  Mountains, trees, ocean, a rustic red dock, thick cloud cover, and a couple that’s crazy about each other. So glad that we found a little time on their wedding day to sneak off to this remote spot.  Location scouting pays off!

^ Kim & Kyl’s engagement shoot was another example of not letting the rain scare you off!  We love to embrace a little sprinkle from above, as it can turn into awesome pictures like this.  With the city in the background for a touch of soft blurry highlights, the rain really sets off the image.

^ As photographers, we are always chasing light!  Searching out the best spots, yearning for that beautiful backlit sunset goodness.  Darren and Lindsay’s picnic engagement shoot had a beautiful golden sunset that lit them up in pretty amazing ways.

^ This image comes from Lindsay’s bridal prep portion of the day.  Her makeup had just been completed and she was checking it in the mirror.  I was out on the patio of the suite, shooting through the window, experimenting with reflections of the world behind me. I was pretty excited with how this came out, with the wash of blurred colours.  Definitely a favourite of the year.  It’s images like this that help me feel like I am still pushing my creativity to new places.

^ The cool thing about this image from Lindsay & Darren’s wedding, is the ambiguity of the blurred background.  Most people that I’ve asked have been unsure about what exactly they are looking at, which I love!  The reality of the image is that we were inside a barn, and the speckled background is light spilling through cracks between the angled slats of the wall.  With Lindsay & Darren being some-odd 50 to 60 feet or so from the wall, the blurred effect blends together the wall itself and the light spilling through into this gorgeous image.

^ Another from Lindsay & Darren’s big day…what made their day unique was that it took place during record-breaking windstorms which knocked out power to hundreds of thousands across the Vancouver mainland and Victoria area.  Many couples were unfortunate enough to have their weddings cancelled due to the wind, and while L & D’s venue did lose power, we were still able to capture some awesome images!  The wind created drama with Lindsay’s flow-y Truvelle gown, and I actually created an awesome gif from multiple frames shot in sequence.

^ Anton and Natasha got married in Mexico, but contacted me with the hopes of having a portrait session done here in Vancouver with some of the well-known Vancouver landmarks.  Sometimes shoots like these can be particularly challenging, as the popular spots with visible landmarks are not always in the best light, or the most accessible, and it’s tricky to find new and original ways to shoot them creatively.  For this image at Stanley Park’s Siwash Rock, I love the sliver of light across Natasha’s face from the last moments of sunset, with the large rock framing them.

^ Most of the weddings we shoot tend to be in outdoor natural spaces (which we love), so when we get the opportunity to shoot a wedding in the downtown core of Vancouver, it’s a bit of a change of pace for us!  For Pegah and Kyle’s wedding, we pulled out the lighting equipment for some post-dinner sunset portraits.  I love the tones of the city behind them in this one, the leading lines, and their intimate moment.

^ One of my challenges for myself this year was finding more unique and interesting angles on the “first dance” part of the night.  For this image at Pegah and Kyle’s wedding, I was shooting from behind the guests who were watching them enjoy the dance, and I love the way they ended up being framed in the gap, along with being able to see three of her bridesmaids’ faces as they look on while Pegah and Kyle dance.

^ I mentioned it above, but I’ll say it again…I’m a sucker for silhouettes!  During Aaron and Ramiza’s engagement shoot at Iona Beach, we were gifted with just a ridiculous sunset with awesome dark clouds and bright colours.  I asked them to walk up onto the grassy ridge and watch the sunset, and this was the resulting photo.

^ Tanya & John were one of our most fun-loving couples this year, so it was only suiting that we did their engagement photos at an amusement park!  The story behind this image is that the amusement park we chose was a very small mobile park in the parking lot of a mall, and PACKED with people!  It was challenging to find angles that didn’t show the mall or parking lot but still had a lot of colour and fun.  This was my favourite from their shoot, and one of my faves of the year overall.

So there we have it….15 of my favourite images shot in 2015!  Thank you again to all of our awesome clients, and here’s to hoping 2016 is just as fantastic.  Stay tuned, tomorrow is Sayde’s favourite 15 images of 2015!

For more of our work, please check out our website, facebook page, instagram, or head back to the main page of this blog!

Richmond Wedding Photography - Ramiza and Aaron

Ramiza and Aaron Celebrate Their Western Wedding in Richmond // BC Wedding Photographers

We got to see a lot of Ramiza and Aaron this year, since first meeting in January!  As part of their marriage, Ramiza and Aaron wanted to celebrate both their heritage’s traditions for weddings.  That meant we got to shoot four days of celebrating with this incredibly sweet and thoughtful couple!

Welcome to Part One of Ramiza and Aaron’s Wedding Celebration!  The first on the celebration docket was Ramiza and Aaron’s western wedding in Richmond.  We loved how they chose to marry at their local church, just steps from their house. It seemed so personal and welcoming.  Antics ensued with the boys getting ready sans hairbrush , and parading to the church together, to the sounds of congratulatory horn honking. Upon seeing Ramiza in her ballgown, her jewels, and hair and makeup, our jaws dropped. She was truly a regal vision!  After the ceremony, we headed over to Steveton for photos, and then over  to The Paradise Banquet Hall in Surrey for the reception. After some silly reception games, lovely and hilarious speeches, traditional cake cutting and first dance, it was time to hit the dance floor! And this group knew how to hit that dancefloor. Ramiza even surprised us all when she tore off the puffy tulle ballgown skirt to reveal a sexy lace mini dress underneath, to effectively bust out dance moves. All. Night. Long!

These are some of our favourite moments from the day! Stay tuned for Part Two of Ramiza and Aaron’s Wedding to see the events of their Indian ceremonies!

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

Richmond and Surrey Wedding Photography - Ramiza and Aaron's Indian Wedding

We hope you got a chance to see Part One of Ramiza and Aaron’s wedding blog post, where we shared photos from their western wedding!  Now we’re excited to share their Indian wedding celebrations.

This is something we are so excited to share, as Ramiza and Aaron’s were the first Indian wedding traditions we’ve ever photographed.  It was so touching to be part of these events with Ramiza and Aaron.

First, we met up with all the women at Ramiza’s parents home in Surrey for Ramiza’s mehndi party.  What a treat, to be a fly on the wall during this tradition of beautifying the bride.  It was quite a setting to see – the concentrated stillness of the women creating these intricate mehndi designs, the buzzing chatter of women being painted, and of course, the laughter and glee of dancing to celebrate Ramiza’s happiness.

The following night we met back up with them for their intimate marriage ceremony.  Everyone donned their beautiful wedding attire to partake in ceremony traditions, prayers, marriage blessings, guest photos, and the most delicious homemade cuisine EVER.

On the third day, it was time to celebrate!  Ramiza and Aaron and their guest met again at the Paradise Banquet Hall in Surrey for their reception, speeches, photos, and dancing to celebrate their union.  What an amazing weekend!

Congratulations of your marriage Ramiza and Aaron, and thank you for involving us in all your fantastic celebrations.

Here are some of our favourite moments!

Thanks for checking out Ramiza and Aaron’s Indian Wedding!  To see more of our work, check out our website, and follow us on Instagram and Facebook!  Thanks also to Scott Johnson for joining us to capture some of these images.

Milner Chapel & Centennial Lodge Wedding - Halyna and Jason

Halyna and Jason's Vintage-Inspired Wedding in New Westminster //  Vancouver Island Wedding Photographers

Our first glimpse of Halyna was at back in January, at our booth in the “It’s My Wedding” Fair.  Along with her bridesmaids and mom in co-ordinating shirts, Halyna leapt into the photobooth to give it a whirl!  She probably wasn’t expecting to be the winner of our wedding giveaway at the time, but at the end of the weekend, we pulled her strip of photos out from our bucket of 200 entries!

When we got to sit down with Halyna and her fiance, Jason, we learned all about this beautiful blonde and handsome brit, their story, and their autumn wedding plans.

The Milner Chapel in Langley seemed a perfect place to host their ceremony, with the men in their suits, and Halyna in her romantic lace dress.  The cozy quaintness of the chapel created such a welcoming atmosphere for in-town, and out-of-town guests to congregate.   After that, it was off to Queens Park in New Westminster for some photos, and the reception. But first, was a quick stop at a British Pub for the gang to have some post-ceremony, pre-dinner cheers.

The reception was filled with clever kissing games, gorgeous homemade decorations, and of course, delicious food and shots of vodka. The speeches were all so touching and heartfelt, and the dancing was was! What a wedding!

Thanks so much to Halyna and Jason for having us there to be part of our day! Enjoy 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

Fairmont Pacific Rim and Stanley Park Wedding - Pegah and Kyle

Pegah and Kyle's Western and Persian Wedding at Fairmont Pacific Rim and Stanley Park // BC Wedding Photographers

We were introduced to Pegah and Kyle by Kiri, a fantastic wedding planner at DreamGroup Productions, whom we worked with last year.  Pegah and Kyle travelled to Vancouver to have their wedding at the Fairmont Pacific Rim, and having only spoke to them over Skype earlier in the year, we were excited to meet these two in person!

With a beautifully decorated sofreh, marble pillars, and big bright windows, Pegah and Kyle’s ceremony site was the perfect spot for their intimate first look, before their guests would arrive.  We couldn’t get over the smiles on their faces as they took each other in, and the way they hardly took their eyes off each other for the rest of the day – stealing glances here and there, and whispering to each other during their ceremony.  After a few intimate moments together, we heading over to Stanley Park to take some lakeside photos within the park.  With lily pads, willows, and ducks swimming about, the small lake was the perfect ambience for Kyle and Pegah, who looked like they were a Renoir come to life.

Pegah and Kyle rejoined their wedding party, family, and friends back at the Fairmont to host both a civil and Persian ceremony.  This was our first time photographing a Persian ceremony, which was such an honour.  The intricate details of each item of Pegah and Kyle’s sofreh were easy to admire.  After blessings, singing, and many congratulations, Pegah and Kyle and their guests made their way to the reception for speeches.  We loved getting to be a fly on the wall for the speeches that evening, the traditional knife dance, their shoe games, and of course, their moves on the dance floor.  We are pretty sure that Pegah and Kyle hold the record for having the most guests on the dance floor at one time.  It was evident by their celebrating, that each and every one of Pegah and Kyle’s guests were over-the-moon excited for this couple’s marriage to each other!

Thank you Pegah and Kyle for having us there to join in your special day! Enjoy the photos.

Some amazing wedding vendors featured:

Planner: Kiri Mcleod at DreamGroup Productions
Venue: Pacific Rim Vancouver
Dress: Designer – Augusta Jones,  from Bisou Bridal
Videographers: Memento Films
 Hair and Makeup: Atefeh
Florist: Sunflower Florist
Decor: Eclat Decor

Thank you for checking 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.

Burnaby Mountain Rose Garden Wedding - Tanya and John

Tanya and John's Wedding at the Rose Gardens on Burnaby Mountain and Reception at The Burnaby Rowing Club // BC Wedding Photography

You probably remember Tanya and John’s fun carnival engagement, where followed these two around from ride to ride, game to game, cotton candy to cotton candy.  We knew from their love of bright colours, the whirlwinds of laughter, and their sense of adventure, that their wedding would be a blast.

Tanya and John got married at the rose garden on Burnaby Mountain, with views of the Burrard Inlet, and downtown Vancouver. With the roses in full bloom, and bridesmaids in bright pink, even this overcast day seemed bright and cheery!

In true Tanya and John style, following the ceremony, we headed over to Deer Lake Park to take a ride on the carousel, and explore the park.  After that, we joined their family and friends for the reception festivities at the Burnaby Rowing club, where Tanya’s hard work shined. She had done an amazing job creating the atmosphere for her own reception by handmaking all the decor, right down to making the cupcakes for her delicious dessert centrepieces.  Filled with dancing, partying, and lots of laughter, and views over Burnaby Lake, Tanya and John’s wedding was one to remember.

Hope you enjoy the photos!

Thank you for checking 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.

Rainy Stanley Park Engagement - Kim and Kyl

Kim and Kyl Brave Rain to Enjoy Stanley Park in Their Engagement Photos // Victoria Wedding Photographers

Autumn is a pretty wonderful time of year in Vancouver.  Mother Nature offers up a smorgasbord of weather possibilities.  On warm days, the sun can shine through changing leaves like stained glass.  On rainy days, the mist rises up from the mountains like steam from the mugs we cozy up with on days like these.  During Kim and Kyl’s Stanley Park engagement session, we were treated to the entire buffet.

The forecast had been calling for rain all week, and apparently the rest of Vancouver knew about it, and was seeking shelter in cozy apartments, or foggy-windowed coffee shops.  We had the entire park to ourselves, save for a couple runners, faithful to their practice, and a few late-season tourists scouring for that perfect autumn-red maple leaf to bring home as a souvenir.  We met Kim and Kyl while the sun was still peeking from behind the clouds, and the four of us remained collectively optimistic that the rain would hold off.  It didn’t.  And, it didn’t matter a bit. Kim and Kyl did more than just grin and bear the elements, they fully embraced the rain and the chill. As we moved around the park, they spent the shoot keeping each other warm and making each other laugh and smile… even when we took the umbrellas away from them!  Every time we asked if we could experiment with a shot, their response was, “Ya totally, let’s do it. We’ll give it a try!”  We love when our couples trust us this way, even when we ask them to stand right in front of a puddle, while one of us jumps into it, kicks and splashes water around, and the other takes a photo.

Thanks Kim and Kyl for being such troopers, we had so much fun tossing leaves around, and strolling in the rain with you! Enjoy the photos.

Thank you for checking 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.

Pan Pacific Wedding in Downtown Vancouver - Justine and Devon

Justine and Devon's Rooftop Wedding at the Pan Pacific and Stanley Park in Vancouver // BC Wedding Photographers

If you follow our blog, you know we shoot a lot of weddings in remote locations which are often surrounded by trees, or overlooking the ocean, or have incredible mountain views.  The wonderful thing about Vancouver is that there are a lot of great venues to host weddings, where you can have all of the above!  When Justine and Devon told us their wedding would be downtown, on the rooftop patio of the Pan Pacific, visions of their wedding overlooking Stanley Park, the North Shore mountains, and the Burrard Inlet swam in our heads. This was an exciting adventure for us, because we got a taste of what shooting on the big glass jungle is like, at a venue that was perfectly suited for our city loving couple.

The warmth and sun were out in full swing for Justine and Devon’s wedding, which was perfectly fitting for their pool deck ceremony, and the forest of purple flowers that surrounded them and their guests. As Justine walked down the aisle, even the hotel guests stopped everything they were doing just to stand and stare at how beautiful she looked, mouths gapping open between claps of congratulations.

After a gorgeous ceremony the bride, groom and their dapper wedding party piled into the limo to jet off for photos. The first stop was a must-have photo at Justine’s favourite Vancouver store – Louis Vuitton.  Afterwards we ventured over to Stanley Park where the sun shone through freshly changing leaves, and light up the glass buildings in the city behind them.

After our trip to the park, we returned to the Pan Pacific to join family and friends for dinner, speeches and dancing – where Devon had a few hilarious tricks up his sleeve during the garter toss.

Hope you enjoy the photos! Congratulations to Justine and Devon.

Vendors we loved from Justine and Devon’s wedding:
Venue: Pan Pacific Hotel
Justine’s Dress: Martina Liana
Florals: Roa Designs

If you liked Justine and Devon’s Stanley Park and Pan Pacific Wedding, you can see more of our work on our FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM.

Thank you for checking 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.

Campbell Valley Park Engagement - Mikaela and Colin

Starbucks and Pumpkins Fall Engagement Photos // Vancouver Wedding Photographers

We met with Mikaela and Colin earlier this year at the It’s My Wedding Show in Abbotsford when they were in the early stages of wedding planning.  We chatted a little bit about their engagement, a little about their ideas for their winter wedding, and a little bit more about the Canucks and the Penguins.

We were looking forward again, to meeting up with them for their engagement session at Campbell Valley Park in the early days of autumn.  We explored some of the trails, coffees in hand, and admired the warm fall weather, and the first signs of leaves changing.  What a gorgeous evening spent with these soon-to-be newlyweds!

Enjoy the photos!

Thank you for checking 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.