UBC Rose Garden and Sage Bistro Wedding // Vanessa and Graham

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Vanessa and Graham's Sunny Summer Wedding at UBC Rose Garden, and Modern Reception at Sage Bistro // Vancouver Wedding Photographers

We recently had the pleasure of meeting and photographing Vanessa and Graham, during their modern Vancouver wedding. We quickly discovered that Vanessa and Graham (along with their friends and family) are some of the most genuine, kind, and humorous people someone could meet. Their wedding left us feeling a rollercoaster of emotions, as we laughed loudly and cried hard with them and their guests during heartfelt toasts, and sweet moments throughout the day. 

We started the day with a sweet first look in the courtyard of the Sheraton Wall Centre, then quickly headed out to a few local favourites around Vancouver, including Jericho Beach Park, and Pacific Spirit Park.  Next was their outdoor ceremony at UBC Rose Garden, bathed in bright sunlight, and surrounded by guests, roses in full bloom, and of course, a few happy and curious spectators. 

We loved Vanessa and Graham's modern and minimalist wedding reception at Sage Bistro. With such a great group of people, sharing their meals family-style, it really did feel like we were photographing a giant family reunion. There was so much celebration for the people who travelled so far to come together, and homage paid to the ones who could only make it in spirit.

Thank you Vanessa and Graham for having us share in such a memorable day. Congratulations to both of you!! 

Hastings House Wedding on Salt Spring Island // Kim and Chris

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Kim and Chris' gorgeous, hazy, outdoor Salt Spring Island Wedding at Hastings House // Victoria Wedding Photographers

As wedding photographers on Vancouver Island, we love the opportunity to island hop to photograph our wonderful couples. We've photographed on Salt Spring Island a few years ago, and just couldn't wait for the opportunity to go back!   When Kim and Chris invited us to photograph their intimate outdoor wedding at Hastings House, we jumped through the ceiling!  

When their day arrived in August, we knew it was going to be a beautiful one. The skies were hazy with forest fire smoke, and glowing with rich orange light.  Anything the sun touched was painted gold and seemed to radiate with warmth. 

With what Kim and Chris had told us about their wedding, we knew it would be a memorable event as well.  Not only do Chris and Kim have amazing chemistry, and the uncanny ability to make each other and others laugh (and laugh often!), they also added many personal touches to make their wedding as intimate and meaningful as possible.  Hastings House happens to be the place where Kim's parents married almost two decades ago.  With Chris' parents coming all the way from Perth, Australia for the wedding, Kim also got Chris' brother to fly in from Hong Kong for the occasion... to surprise Chris a couple days before the wedding. Boom! Excuse us while our hearts explode.  Of course, the wedding wouldn't truly be a "Kim and Chris Wedding" if there weren't a ton of hilarity and quirkiness involved!  From the guys' custom Indochino suits with tropical liners, to Ice-ing their friends at dinner, and Kim Ice-ing Chris during the garter grab, our stomachs hurt from laughing.  We also have to give a very special VIP shout out to Kim's maid of honour, who spotted a bee in Kim's veil as she approached the altar.  Knowing that Kim is allergic to bees, she promptly grabbed the veil and shook out the bee so eagerly that she pulled it clean off her head, saving Kim from a potential epi-pen prick and a trip to the hospital, and effectively breaking the ice for the ceremony by causing an uproar of laughter from everyone! 

We've been so fortunate to photograph so many beautiful weddings of couples who are so deeply connected to each other, the people around them, and have an insatiable lust for life!  We're so grateful when they let it all show on their big day.

Thanks Kim and Chris for having us along to photograph your wedding, and capture all those amazing moments. We hope you love the photos. Here's just a few of our faves!

Westwood Plateau Wedding in Coquitlam // Kerri and Nik

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Kerri and Nik's Modern and Regal Coquitlam Wedding at Westwood Plateau Golf Course // Vancouver Wedding Photographers

Remember Kerri and Nik’s winter engagement in Whistler?  While January may feel a long time ago, their session is still so fresh in our minds because of how awesome they were to photograph and hang out with on that chilly, bright, music-filled afternoon.  We had so much fun with them that we were counting down the days to their wedding, when we’d finally get to meet the friends and family they had talked so much about, and see more of their wicked dance moves.

The day finally arrived for their wedding at Westwood Plateau in Coquitlam, and we were practically bouncing!  With their black-tie attire, and their easy-going attitudes, the day went seamlessly and regally - from their traditional church ceremony, their portraits, right up until that very last, (very-cocktail-fueled) photobooth photo printed out.  Their whole bridal party, family, and group of friends seemed to burst with energy and love, and this wedding was jam packed with picture perfect, genuine human connection and moments. It was a celebration full of hugs, happy tears, outrageously funny stories, and even more outrageous laughing. We couldn’t get enough!

Thank you Kerri, Nik, and to your family and friends, for being so genuine, loving and well… a little wild!  We loved capturing these moments for you!

Here's a few highlights from the Photobooth!

Mount Douglas Park Newlywed Photo Session // Ashley & Mike (and their pups!)

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Do these two look familiar? Of course!  You probably recognize Ashley and Mike from their Golden Eagle Golf Course wedding in June!  Instead of doing an engagement session prior to the wedding, Ashley and Mike opted to do a newlywed shoot, and we loved the idea.  No pressure from an upcoming wedding, no timeline constraints; just the two of them, basking in their newlywed bliss.  When they told us they were coming to Victoria, on Vancouver Island, we could not wait to photograph them again, show them around our neck of the woods, and catch up to see how life has changed for them over the past 3 months.  One of those changes came in the form of a sweet, clumsy, big-pawed, knobby-kneed great dane puppy named Franklin, a perfect companion for them and their 3 year old lab/mastiff, Dean. 

We met them at the top of Mount Doug to enjoy the gorgeous sunset light, and take in the views of Victoria area, and the Olympic Peninsula!  

Thanks Ashley and Mike for coming out this way, and spending such an awesome evening with us and your fur family! Hope you love these photos as much as you love life as newlyweds!

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.

 

Meghan & Jeff's Wedding at The Prestige Oceanfront Resort in Sooke

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It's been a while since we shot a wedding in our own town of Sooke!  It's a hidden gem for outdoor, destination-style wedding venues, with a plethora of great places to experience, if you're the adventurous outdoorsy type.  Just one of the many reasons we love it so much!  For Meghan and Jeff, it was perfect place to host their wedding! 

Meghan and Jeff met up in Kitimat when Meghan started a career with the RCMP there.  They've since moved to Vancouver Island and built a house right here in Sooke!  Their wedding day, planned by the unbelievably talented Emma McCormick, was held at Prestige OceanFront Resort and was filled to the brim with personal touches.  Meghan's father, also RCMP, walked her down the aisle in his red serge uniform. Meghan donned her own boots for a while.  Pictures capturing Meghan and Jeff's relationship filled the entry-ways, a ping pong table was set up for guests to enjoy.  They had special guests "serenade" them with a hockey-themed wedding song. They were even presented a custom stained glass window made by Meghan's father.  For pictures, we stopped by Whiffin Spit, and then swung by Meghan and Jeff's about-to-be-completed home and snuck inside for some photos together.

We really loved being a part of Meghan and Jeff's day, meeting their friends and family from all over the country, and capturing so many special moments. And especially loved watching all their friends get wild in our photobooth!

Thank you to Meghan and Jeff for having us there, we hope you love and cherish these photos!

Revival House Wedding in Stratford Ontario - Amy and Paul

Amy and Paul get married on Amy's homestead property near Stratford, and host a glamorous reception at Revival House // BC Wedding Photographers in Ontario

A few weeks ago we got the opportunity to head back to Ontario to photograph Sayde's cousin, Amy, marry her fiance, Paul.  Photographing family and friends is always a special treat for us, and this one was extra special since we got to spend some quality time with Sayde's mom, Melanie, decorating the ceremony site where Amy and Paul would be married.  With an added touch of personal meaning, Amy and Paul married on the front yard of Amy's childhood home where her and her siblings were raised.  In addition to becoming a great venue location, we thought this was a wonderful sentiment for a wedding day.  This happened to be right next door (in country terms haha), to where Sayde and her own siblings were raised, so brought back lots of great memories!  

After weeks of rain leading up the wedding, the sun was shining brightly as we started Saturday with Amy, who was effortlessly and beautifully styling her hair and makeup for the day.  The three of us met with Paul in Stratford at the Shakespearean Gardens for them to have a private first look together.  

As friends gathered at the ceremony, it was clear that some were seeing each other again for the first time in a little while, and had come from all over to be at Amy and Paul's wedding: everyone was full of happy greetings, group hugs, and big laughs as many of them played catch up.  With their siblings as their wedding party, Amy and Paul exchanged vows in the glowing sun, in a ceremony lead by Pastor Will Kraemer, who has been Pastor since we were all wee kids, and has performed most, if not all, of the wedding ceremonies for this generation of our family.  Afterward, Amy and Paul made their way to Revival House with all their guests for drinks, dinner and dancing.  Revival House is unlike any wedding or reception venue we've ever photographed, and was decorated so glamorously Design's by Cate that we just could not stop clicking away that night. The energy was contagious as everyone hit the dancefloor to celebrate, mingle amongst the tables, and went ga-ga as Ken's French Fries truck, a Stratford Staple, pulled up later in the night to hand delivery some delicious, salty-vinegary goodness.

Thank you Amy and Paul for inviting us to be part of your big day, it means so much when friends and family want us to be the ones to capture it all.  You both looked absolutely stunning and your never-fading smiles made it clear how much you both burst with love for each other.  We hope you love the photos, and that you had the best day ever!

Golden Eagle Golf Club Wedding - Ashley and Mike

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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!

Royal Vancouver Yacht Club Engagement Photos with Kim and Chris

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

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

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

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

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!!

Tips for Looking and Feeling Awesome in Your Engagement Photos

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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!

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! 

 

Feel free to check out some other blogs here:

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

Nita Lake Lodge Wedding - Roxanne and Myles

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Roxanne and Myles Winter Wedding at Nita Lake Lodge in Whistler  //  Victoria Wedding Photographers

It's been a few years since we've been to Nita Lake Lodge in Whistler to shoot a wedding.  We were ecstatic to get up there, in the middle of winter, with Roxanne and Myles for their wedding.  During their engagement session we learned about their families, their friends, and heard so many great things about their little guy, Cohen, so we couldn't wait to travel from Victoria to meet everyone. 

The Nita Lake Lodge was a wintery dream when we arrived.  Bright sun glinting off curtains of icicles, snow piled high making a border around the lake's freshly shoved skating rink, fireplaces flickering away in Myles and Roxanne's respective 'getting ready' rooms.  Excitement, chatter, and cheers filled the rooms.  

We met for the first look on the skybridge near the lodge, with their bridal party looking on in excitement.  Whoops and cheers echoed down the tunneled bridge as Roxanne gave a quick look over her shoulder to smile at her son Cohen, before heading into the bridge to see Myles.  The girls in their glamourous gold dresses held lush Billie's bouquets, and the men dressed sharply in their navy suits, were accented by gold succulents on their boutonnieres.  With the soft afternoon light, snow, and evergreen trees, they all looked like they just stepped out of a bridal magazine.

After the first look, we flowed right into their outdoor ceremony, and intimate reception.  Emotional speeches, and a heartfelt video slideshow had everyone smiling or in tears (most were both), as everyone watched this wonderful family come together as one in marriage.  

Thank you so much Roxanne and Myles for having us there to be part of your day and capture your story.  We're still smiling about it! 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 as Pebble and Pine Photography, Unique Victoria and Vancouver Island wedding photographers, you can read About Us