Jill and Enrique

Saturday September 22, 2012

Today was a wonderful day as it was my very first wedding in Kenora, Ontario.  I was so excited as I find it so much fun to have the opportunity to shoot in a new location and Jill and Enrique were such a great couple to work with.

Our day started off early as we arrived in Kenora just after 9:00am to scout out various locations and scenery.  The colours were so rich and vibrant as the sun lit up the sky.  It had been cold and rainy this past week so I was so happy to see how picturesque this place could be.

We arrived at the Best Western Lakeside Inn just before 10:00am and literally walked right into Enrique.  He was busy organizing his team of groomsmen but was nice enough to get me in touch with Jill's mom so she could take me up to Jill's room to begin photographing her wedding dress and details.

Jill arrived shortly sporting her adorable "bride" t-shirt, hair swept to the side and make up done perfectly!  Jill is a true natural beauty.....she is simple, organized, classy, but extremely gorgeous.  When she stepped into her dress and the window light shone down on her we just stared at her...it was like a movie because she took our breath away.  Wow!!!!

Next was the fun part...the part where we took this natural beauty and through her out into the windy cold pier...yes Kenora is beautiful but the wind blew such cold air off the water that I could hear Jill's teeth chattering.  She is an all-star, not one complaint...she posed as long as I needed her too.  Thank you Jill for doing this and not accidentally pushing me in the lake!  Brrrr...

Jill has such a huge heart and a great love for her cat, Niko who stayed in a room at the hotel too.  We couldn't resist a few photos, what a cutie!

The guys arrived right on schedule for 12:45pm where we photographed them outside of the hotel.  What a great bunch of guys!  All of them were super easy-going and looked awesome in their suits.

Enrique looked fabulous in his tuxedo and sunglasses but my favourite thing was his smile.  I can see how this Spanish sweetheart stole Jill's heart.  Thank you Enrique, you were such a great sport even after I said...."just one more picture" for the hundredth time.

Jill and Enrique were married at 2:00pm at the hotel.  Their ceremony was beautiful as they exchanged their own written vows (something that I love) but the highlight was when Enrique spoke his final lines to Jill in Spanish...yes, I could hear a few girls heart skip a beat.  They had a wine ceremony symbolizing their lives and the new path they were about to walk upon.  Truly unique.

After the ceremony we headed to McLeod Park with the bridal party for our formal photos.  What a great park.  It had a little bit of everything, from an overhead train bridge, a bit of graffiti, rocks, water, and the feature itself..."Huskie the Muskie".

Thank you to the entire wedding party for your patience...I know it was cold and windy and you all smiled through it.  You were a AWESOME entourage of friends and family, your witty humour kept us all laughing.

Jill and Enrique made such a stunning pair to work with.  I loved capturing every moment from the "warm me up hugs" to the sweet smiles that they exchanged.  You guys laughed at my crazy energy but I couldn't help it as you both inspired me creatively allowing me to feel like a kid again!  Darlene and I could have photographed you all day.

We headed back to the hotel to do family photos as the reception followed.  The room was decorated beautifully with a black and white damask theme  accented with a bold coloured orange.  Very elegant.

It was a wonderful evening, the food was delicious and the speeches were hilarious.  Jill and Enrique have a great group of friends that shared tales of childhood silliness to grown up craziness.

The best part of the evening was when Jill and Enrique surprised everyone with their first dance...as they began their waltz...the music stopped...and they began to salsa.  It wasn't just any salsa...it was the salsa routine from one of my favourite movies...THE DIRTY DANCING SALSA!!  The crowd cheered as Enrique spun Jill around and we watched their fancy foot work glide and turn across the floor.  A spectacular performance...watch out Dancing with the Stars!  Even the dj himself, Greg from Roadshow Sound & Light was inspired as he played a few popular tracks from the movie later that evening.

Thank you to all of Jill and Enrique friends and family, it was great to meet you all.  We had an amazing adventure out in Kenora, Ontario and to Jill and Enrique...Congratulations!  I wish you both all the very best as you begin your new life together and happy moving into your new house!

My Favourite Photo!