Heather and Paul

Ever since I was a young girl I've always loved the season of fall.  I love the smells of the camp fires, the colours of the tress, the special holidays of Thanksgiving and the fun of dressing up for Halloween.  I began to love it more when I started to photograph weddings.  Every wedding is so different from the bride's dress to the choice of venue but also because of the season it is in.

I am always amazed at how beautiful our city is and I think we all forget to take a break in our busy lives and look around us.  What I love about photography so much is how it has shown me the world through a different pair of eyes.   I love to sit and watch the sun's rays sparkle across the river every spring, take a walk through our lush parks in the summer but especially photograph a wedding in the fall.  During the autumn months our city is painted with colours of yellow, red, orange, and brown, and then to add in a bride and groom makes my job.....simply fantastic!

I told Heather and Paul at our first meeting that the weekend that they chose to get married is one of my FAVOURITE weekends for a wedding.  It always seems to fall at a time when the weather is warm, the colours are bold and bright, and our city looks like a painting.  As a wedding photographer I was thrilled to have the opportunity to capture their moments and events at such a vibrant time of the year.

Darlene and I arrived at the couple's home at 10:30am and we were welcomed with a huge hug from Heather.  I loved seeing her excitement as she was about to marry her best friend.  One thing I think is so unique about Paul and Heather's home is how the walls are decorated with images of landscape photography from the groom, himself.....Paul.  Paul has captured the solitude, serenity, and beauty of the special places he and Heather have travelled.

As the morning passed, Heather sat with with each of her bridesmaids as they giggled while they got their make up done and sipped on their coffee.

Heather's parents also had a chance to enjoy the morning with us sharing in stories and laughter.  Soon Heather, with the help of her teary-eyed friends stepped into her elegant wedding gown.

As I photographed Heather, all I could say was,"wow....your eyes are sparkling." Heather has incredible eyes and today they seemed to be smiling too.

The ceremony was held at St. Luke's Church for 1:00pm.  I love photographing here as the architecture and the giant stained-glass windows offer such a romantic setting for a wedding.  As Heather walked down the long aisle Paul stood at the end, beaming.  The ceremony was filled with candid humour and testaments read by their loved ones.

Our first stop with the married couple was to a place called "Cake-ology" in the heart of the Exchange District.  This historic building holds sentimental value to Heather as the store is owned by her sister-in-law and brother.  Anyone who has savored a dessert from here knows....Heather is a lucky girl.  This place is amazing and tasty.

I had so much fun working with Heather and Paul along with their hilarious wedding party.  I  loved the spirit, the energy and the charisma that they shared.  Paul just went with flow as the guys grabbed him for a photo to show off their latest "blue steel" impression.  This team of gentlemen were fun and animated but most importantly loyal friends to Paul.  The timeless gift of a watch was presented to each one as a "thank you" for sharing in the role as Paul's BEST MAN.

Heather and her "MAIDS OF HONOUR" were also a ton of fun.  They were sassy and sweet and the camera loved them.

Another important role that Heather plays is the role of "beloved auntie".  The girls (Camryn and Claire) gushed as Auntie Heather sat next to them.  She was a real princess!

Thank you to to entire wedding party for the love, humour, and priceless moments that you all brought to our day.

It is no secret that Heather and Paul share the same admiration and love for each other.  I saw this remarkable trait during their engagement session as they exchanged smiles and cracked a few jokes.  They have a contagious sense of humour, a genuine character and I find I can never stop smiling when I'm with them.

The elegant reception was held at the exquisite Breezy Bend Golf and Country Club.  The room was decorated with autumn accents of brown, leaves, flowers, and the most decadent dessert table I've ever seen (cake-ology).  Just spectacular!

One thing that I love so much about Heather and Paul is their LOVE OF FAMILY.  It was touching to hear them both thank their parents and siblings (during the speeches) for the roles they each played throughout their lives contributing in their accomplishments and achievements.

Heather knows just how much Paul has wanted a Pug.  As a wedding gift she granted his wish by surprising him with the sweetest Pug ever....an edible one.

After a fantastic dinner, great company, and wonderful dancing, our evening ended.  Thank you Heather and Paul for being such a great couple to photograph and to be with on my favourite wedding weekend.

Another special thank you to all of the family and friends of Heather and Paul.  It was a pleasure to meet you all and to the others..........to have a chance to see again.

Congratulations and Happy Thanksgiving!

Kristen and Paul

We've often heard the phrase, "that's what friends are for."  It can be used in so many different ways from a simple statement to a full out swagger of song.........but I was reminded of it several times throughout the wedding day of Kristen and Paul.

Darlene and I pulled up to Kristen and Paul's house shortly after 10:00am and I was shocked to see Paul standing there.  He was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt and was gathering last minute items before he set off to meet up with the guys.

Hiding in the house was Kristen, her mom, and the bridesmaids.  Kristen was scurrying around finishing up her last minute details from adding the finishing touches to her speech to making sure everyone had their shoes and flowers.  I had to laugh.........here is the bride and groom, on their wedding day...making sure everyone else is taken care of.  Wow, what an amazing couple.  One of her bridesmaids even pulled me aside to show me the gorgeous scrapbook that Kristen had put together for her.  She was so touched as Kristen had documented their friendship with old photographs and keepsakes.  Anyone who has ever scrap booked, or attempted too-knows the hard work and TIME  that goes into the creation of a memory book.  Kristen designed and made one for each of her bridesmaids.........now that it love!

As the morning passed I had a chance to walk around Kristen and Paul's home, it is filled with framed pictures of all of their friends.  From weekends at the cabin to tropical holidays, every photograph had a theme of "good people, great friends..............fantastic times together."
By 11:00am Kristen was ready to step into her beautiful vintage-style wedding gown.  I loved this dress from the elegant neckline to the flow of the material.  Kristen's hair and accessories added the finishing touch to compliment the Old Hollywood design.

When Paul arrived with his merry group of men, he too looked fabulous.  I could see the smile on his face from a few doors away.  It was a perfect day from the warm weather, to the bold blue sky above, but what caught our eye the most was how an airplane had flown by and put a giant "x" over top of Kristen and Paul's house.  As Paul put it best............"x" marks the spot.  Was this coincidence?  Or someone (above the clouds) reminding Paul where his house was in case he had too many beers to celebrate?? Just kidding!  It was pretty cool though.

Within moments Kristen stepped out of the house to greet her soon-to-be-husband, Paul.  After hugs from all of their friends they all posed for a picture before the Party Bus arrived.  This photo was a special request from the bride herself, all she wanted was a photo of her bridal party in front of their home.  This was such a great idea as Paul and Kristen celebrated the beginning of their wedding day with such an important group of people.............their friends.  Cheers!

Darlene and I had such a fun time travelling around with Kristen, Paul, and the wedding party.  What an adventure!  We started along Waterfront of the Exchange District, went to the park in Headingly, and drove through clouds of dust along the winding gravel roads that brought us to our final destination of Bridges Golf Course.  We did all of this in a matter of 3 hours........along with a memorable wasp sting, and a brief fall off the bus.

By the end of the tour all parties involved were still laughing and having the time of their lives.  At this time I knew how lucky I was to be a part of such a fun day with such an amazing group of friends.  This was a group that truly adored Kristen and Paul and they shared in the happiness of their day.

Kristen and Paul were married just before 5:00pm in front of all of their family and friends.  The ceremony was short, sweet, but filled with laughter as the couple walked down the aisle raising their arms with celebration and cheers.  "We did it!"

The reception was fantastic filled with hilarious speeches, a timeless slide show, and a photo booth.  We even had time to sneak out for a few moments to capture a couple of sunset photos.  Any couple who has worked with me knows just how much I love a great sunset.  I was thrilled when Kristen and Paul surprised me with, "hey do you want to go outside for a few more shots?"  Yes!!!! the sun was just about to fall behind the trees as it caught shimmers of Kristen's dress and lit up the sky in pinks and purple.  Paul stood smiling his adorable grin, they both looked wonderful!

Thank you to all of the friends and family who have brought so much joy to the lives of Kristen and Paul which made our day fun to capture the candid moments of their wedding.  As we all know, friendships come and go but sometimes we find friends that last a lifetime.  Kristen and Paul share their lives with such a great group of people and I can see how much they are loved.   Kristen and Paul are more than a husband and wife but are each other's best friend who get to spend the rest of their lives together.

A special Thank you to Kristen and Paul........thank you for your humour, your fun and for giving me the great joy of sharing such a beautiful day with you both!