When I arrived to grab some shots of the girls getting ready the first story I heard about what had happened so far during the day was that Jody went water skiing around Lake Chestermere…with a veil…and a garter.  I guess she just wanted to let everyone know what was going on!  On top of that they offered me pancakes, coffee, sandwiches, and some dynamite macaroni salad while I was there.  All the signs pointed to us having a pretty good day with them!

You may recognize a couple of familiar faces in these next two shots.  On the left we have Jenn (one of our brides from three weeks ago) and on the right we have her sister Brandy.

Jody and Neil had their wedding at The Wedding Pavilion in Calgary and it was our first time shooting there.  It’s a pretty nice place and had everything from a nice open bridal room, staircase leading into the ceremony area, a few spots on the property for formals, and great catering for receptions.  They really take care of their couples so if you’re looking for something a little more hands-off for wedding planning definitely give them a call.

Jody’s dad is into old trucks and this was their ride to the ceremony.  Pretty sweet if you ask me!

I love this moment.  Neil was a bit too eager I guess!

As you’re driving out of Calgary on Highway 1 there’s a couple old barns just on the south side of town that I’ve always wanted to shoot at.  We talked to the owner a few weeks ago and got permission to shoot at them but they’re in the middle of a field full of grazing cows.  Needless to say it was a bit of an adventure to get to them.  Once we were there we wanted to get a shot of Jody and Neil kissing in front of them.  Apparently the cows really liked the show because they started mooing and getting excited.  After that it was pretty tough for Jody and Neil to keep straight faces.

There were more than a few funny moments during the speeches.

One of the great things about our job is that we get to be part of one of the best days in people’s lives.  It’s a chance to meet really cool people and experience all the awesome moments that happen on their wedding day.  This week we had the chance to share in Gail and Dwayne’s wedding and they did theirs with a bit of a twist.  They contacted us a few months ago and told us they were going to get married on Lake Koocanusa.  They didn’t really have any more details aside from the fact that it was going to be small, pretty relaxed, and that the only people who knew it was happening were us and the pastor!  To get their families out there they decided to set it up as a family vacation on a house boat with their kids and both sets of parents.  They pulled it off without a hitch and the reactions of the family when we arrived on the boat for the wedding was priceless!

Gail and Dwayne doing a little high-five for keeping the whole thing a secret!

The water level in the lake this year is quite low so normally the sandbar they had the ceremony on is under water.  Not a bad location if you ask me!

How many brides can say they motored around in a boat from location to location?!

The next series of shots were all taken out in a open grassland just off the lake.  We parked the boat in a cove and went for a bit of a walk and I’ve never seen so many grasshoppers in my life!  Having them get stuck in your sandals was a little gross but the results were worth it!

Gail and Dwayne were even willing to get a little wet at the end of their shoot and waded out in the lake!

Finally, all the guests!

Gail and Dwayne, thanks again for including us.  It was an honour to be part of your wedding!

We’re just about to head out the door for Jody and Neil’s wedding this coming Saturday, but I wanted to make sure that I got Bre and Mike’s wedding up before I headed out the door! I first met Bre and Mike last fall when they gave us a shout for an engagement session – I was initially very disappointed that we were already booked for the day that they had chosen for their wedding. We hit it off really well though, and they found a way to make it work on their end – and I am super happy that they did! Keep an eye out for Bre on this page a little later on, as we are going to do a trash the dress session with her! Thanks again guys!

I put this one in here for guys. Guys have no idea what the girls do to get ready. None whatsoever. Here is a typical image of some organized chaos with the ladies on the morning of a wedding!

I really like Duane’s dress shot!

This was pretty funny! There are a lot of pop stars out there who would have been jealous of the treatment that these two got when they walked down the aisle!

Apparently Mike never cries…

Party Time!

I think that when Duane and I finally get a chance to reflect upon this summer we will say that Mariah and Greg’s wedding in Lethbridge was one of the highlights of the year for us. They decided that photography was one of the most important things to them, and gave us a huge amount of time to explore Lethbridge with them. They planned a spectacular sunset ceremony in the Galt Gardens, and so we had most of the afternoon and evening to do their formal pictures! Awesome! But even more than that – it was a privilege to witness the deep connection between these two. Their love is deeply rooted in kindness and affection. I know that both Duane and I hope that this is just the beginning of a great friendship between us and Mariah and Greg.

I felt like I had an impossible task trying to narrow down the choices for the blog. So… I had planned to tell you all to make sure that you check out the slideshow below – but even that doesn’t feel like it does things justice! But check out the slideshow all the same!

I had to narrow it down to four shots from their first look. I think I could have chosen about fourteen.

Quick stop at Esquires Coffee shop before heading out on the photo-session.

We came across some awesome empty quanset buildings west of town and new that we had to use them!

This one may be one of my favorite shots that I have ever made. It’s like a geometry lesson!

We knew that we had to use the University for a few shots as well. It was a bit of a trip down nostalgia lane for Duane and I as we both went to school here (where we met actually) – lots of good memories for both of us! We headed down to the bottom of University Hall for most of our shooting. As a student here, I had never contemplated the merits of the building from a wedding photoraphy perspective. As a photographer I think I could shoot there for hours!

Shot on the right is Duane’s view.

My view.

One of the things that I love about Lethbridge is how the light gets very warm and heavy during the summer evenings. When Mariah and Greg told us about their ceremony plans I was really hoping that the sky would cooperate. I would say that it worked out okay.

Our good friend Troy delivered the message. I am trying to convince him and his lovely wife to get behind the camera a little later this summer – so hopefully you will get to see them in this space again!

A few sunset shots of them.

And a behind-the-scenes look at Duane working with Greg and Mariah. I love the expressions on both Duane’s and Greg’s faces!

We received a suggestion this past week that we start our wedding blog posts with a shot of the bride and groom all dressed up and ready to go; instead of the usual getting ready shots. So don’t look now, but we’re changing things up ever so slightly! Huge thank-you to Lisa and Scott for including us on your day – it was great to be able to get to know you and to document the deep connection between you. Slideshow at the bottom!

Sometimes we get asked why we don’t feature more pictures of the guys getting ready. Well, to be totally honest – there often is a lot to take pictures of. This is a pretty typical scene for the guys in the morning.

Lisa looked great! 

These two had their first date down in Kensington at the Oolong Tea House; so we decided to head down that way for a few shots. Amazingly, there weren’t very many people in the tea house (it’s been packed every time that I’ve ever been…) and we were able to get a few really neat arrangements. 

We asked the emcee how one obtains a suit like this. The answer, ‘many, many years and much patience grasshopper…’

A dance shot that caught my eye!

This was a really, erm… special… moment in the evening.