Erin & Dan are having a winter wedding at Kicking Horse Mountain Resort in March, and it’s one of those weddings where we get to shoot in our ski boots for part of the day – definitely a perk! Both of them love the mountains and skiing, and want to incorporate some of that into their wedding pictures. Fine by me!

We started out in Mt. Stephen hall in the Banff Springs Hotel.

I haven’t had a chance to explore the hotel much, so before their session I walked around a little, and learned two things; that place is a maze, and there are lots of little rooms and hallways that are great for pictures!

Emily and James love good wine, and wanted to incorporate it into their engagement session. Unfortunately the one thing they forgot to bring along was a corkscrew! With a set of car keys, a stick, and a little ingenuity, apparently this isn’t a problem.

I mentioned earlier in the post that Emily is from the warm south. Turns out she’s never done a snow angel, so by request, to finish their session off they did one. I love the first picture of this set – her eyes seem to say “You want me to lay down in the snow? Really?!”

The flower girl was exceptionally helpful! 

It’s official…doing your portraits before the ceremony is now more common than doing them after!  Here are a few quick shots from Jenna & Mike’s first look.

It wouldn’t be a proper winter wedding without a few flurries.

I love this relaxed portrait of Jenna!

Congratulations Jenna & Mike!  Thanks for letting us share in your day!

We had 562 people vote for their favourite image by Liking it on our Facebook Fanpage.  Congratulations to one of our voters, EmberLynn Crossman, and our lucky blog commenter, Sylvia Watson, who each won a Fine Art Canvas!  Elizabeth Koleyak won the $40 iTunes giftcard for sharing the announcement on Facebook!

Thanks to everyone for stopping by and casting your vote!

Happy New Year!

The Prizes (Four of them!) 

For the winning couple – one of our gorgeous, 20×30 fine-art canvases of their favourite wedding image.

We’ll also be giving away two fine-art landscape canvases for people who participate in the contest. The first is for a person (selected at random) who votes on the Facebook page, and the second is for a person who leaves a comment here on the blog. Do both to increase your chances of winning!

Finally, anyone who clicks the ‘share’ button on our Facebook page announcing this contest will be entered to win a $40 iTunes giftcard!

The Rules (There aren’t many!)

The image with the most ‘likes’ in the facebook contest album will be the considered the Top Shot of 2011.

Voting closes at midnight on December 31st.

You can receive two entries for one of the fine-art canvases –  by either voting on the Facebook page or leaving a comment here on the blog.

The Images

1. Charlotte and Brad – Calgary - Charlotte getting tied into her dress by her maid of honour just prior to the wedding at the Endeavour Art Gallery.

2. Gillian and Andrew – Calgary - I don’t remember exactly what Gillian said here, just before her ceremony, but it was something to the effect of, ‘I can’t believe it’s finally happening!’

3. Sandra and Carl – Nelson - This may be one of the most unique portraits of a groom that we’ve ever created. On the way to the ceremony via helicopter near Crawford Bay.

4. Karen and Ryan – Fernie - We had gorgeous colour here in Fernie this fall. I love how the colour balances out this shot.

5. Caylie and Brett – Kicking Horse Mountain Resort - This may be one my favourite bridal portraits that we’ve ever made.

6. Tifanee and Josh – Cranbrook - I love Tifanee’s confidence and excitement in this bridal portrait. Also, not a bad background.

7. Crystal and Robert – Kelowna - Again, when a beautiful bride and an interesting background come together, it makes for a winning formula.

8. Katy and Brett – Canmore - This was the first time that Katy and Brett saw each other on their wedding day.

9. Melissa and Kalon – Fernie - Not too many opportunities to frame an image like this when the bride comes into the ceremony.

10. Sheena and Milo – Fernie - Yes, that is an absolutely sheer cliff behind them.

11. Alexandra and Andrew – Calgary - Just after their ceremony, Alexandra and Andrew respond to some friends cheering them on.

12. Melissa and Josh – Calgary - I love the quiet moment here.

13. Jacqui and Kevin – Island Lake Lodge – I love the framing of this shot from Jacqui & Kevin’s relaxed wedding.

14. Jana and Mel – Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, Golden - It’s hard to go wrong when shooting at the top of a mountain with an awesome couple!

15. Cheryl and Shawn – Calgary - I love the the simple emotion in this shot – a groom completely in love with his bride.

16. Tracey and Rick – Medicine Hat - If ever there was a shot that epitomizes the people in it, this would be it.

17 – Julie and Ryan – Carstairs - Gorgeous light, great framing, and a pretty good looking couple!

18 – Cori and Arjun – Hawaii - The feeling of safety in this shot is rivalled only by the boldness of the colours.

19 – Amy and Jason – Spirit Ridge Resort, Osoyoos - One of those shots where it would have the exact same feeling if it were in B&W.  I love the neutrality of the background, which only emphasizes the focus on Amy & Jason.

20 – Danielle and Ken – Elkwater, Alberta - One of the snowiest weddings we shot this winter, and it was at the end of April!  This is one of the few moments where it wasn’t a blizzard!

21. Alyson and Gary – Medicine Hat - …and then the complete opposite to the wedding above!  Same part of the province, only a few days earlier!  Instead of dealing with a snow storm, it felt like we had to watch out that we didn’t get a sunburn!  A textbook case of strange Alberta weather!

22. Dawn and Stein – Fernie – We’re used to doing wedding portraits before the ceremony, but usually it’s on the same day!  This image of Dawn & Stein is taken in a meadow near Island Lake Lodge, and they were married in it the following day.

23. Kristine and Eric – Silvertip Resort, Canmore - I love the west-coast feel to this shot!  Hard to believe it was taken in Kananaskis country near Canmore.

24. Tanisha and Lorne – Lost Boys Cafe, Fernie - One of my favourite images of the year, this was shot through a window at the Fernie Tea & Coffee house where Tanisha & Lorne took a moment to warm up after shooting outside on a wet & chilly July day!

25. Natisha and James – Manteo Resort, Kelowna - I love it when our clients are able to carve out 15 minutes around dusk to grab a few portraits.  The light is usually great, and the images tend to have a much different look than those taken earlier in the day!

26. Cathryn and Mike – Island Lake Lodge, Fernie - Quite possibly our most expressive bride ever!  Trying to select a single image from this collage during the toast (more like ‘roast’) to the bride by Cathryn’s dad was an impossible task!

27. Laura and Dan – Island Lake Lodge, Fernie - A moment between Laura & Dan during a heart-felt speech at their amazing wedding at Island Lake Lodge.

28. Ashley and Derek – Fernie - A great moment between Ashley and her dad during their father-daughter dance.

29. Ashley and Clint – Fernie - Our clients are the best!  The light had faded off quite a bit, but they were still willing to wander down this slope in the long grass for a few evening portraits!  Another one of my favourites from the year.

30. Amy and Shane – Cranbrook - Under the stars with a live band and a group that knew how to party!  Amy & Shane had one of the most unique receptions that we’ve been part of.

31. Lynn and Ryan – Banff Springs Hotel, Banff - Another first for us, but reversed this time!  They were married in their home town in Northern Alberta, and then jumped on a bus and met us in Banff where they had a weekend of celebration!

Thank you to all of our clients, their families, and friends for an unbelievable year!

Thanks for a great time Megan & Aaron – we look forward to your wedding next August!

As it turns out, the light falls off pretty quickly this time of year!  A little quicker than either of us was anticipating, so we headed to Banff proper to get a few night shots of Vanessa and Steve.  I love how they turned out!

We had a great time wandering around with Megan and Rafal and getting to know them a little bit. People always look at us like we are crazy when we tell them that the photos are of secondary importance from the engagement session. Great wedding photos are so much easier to capture and create when you are comfortable with your photographer. So to help that along, we go out and act a little goofy, and wander the woods for a couple of hours. Megan was making fun of me by the end, so I can only assume that we were successful in our goal. I can’t wait until their wedding up at Island Lake Lodge next September!

I hope you enjoy the photos!

Julie had a gaggle of flower girls, so there was lot of general cuteness during the ceremony. Julie and Lowell, actually brought their brand-new baby (less than 10 days old!) as well, and I think the flower girls were having a hard time concentrating on the ceremony… 

I love listening to this man perform. If you haven’t checked out Steve’s music before, I highly recommend having a listen over at his website!

The sweet getaway vehicle! I overheard some of the guests questioning my sanity as I got the shot of the horses… something about a headline for a trampled photographer…

I never post any of the family shots on the blog, but while I was shooting them, I looked over my shoulder and saw Lowell and Julie hamming it up for one of the guests. So, so typical for these guys…. =D 

Julie’s brother-in-law and sister had a farm near the reception, so it was a no-brainer to head over there and explore for a little bit! Really glad that we did! 

Some last minute prep before making their entrance to the reception. 

Thanks so much for having me along – I had a spectacular day hanging out with you! We’ve still got a bunch of sessions to post in the coming weeks (some engagement sessions that never quite made it to the blog during the craziness of summer, and some more recent shoots, so make sure you check back over the coming weeks!

We had a lot of fun at Crystal and Robert’s wedding.  It seemed like there was always something funny going on, from the guys getting their ties tied, the recurring joke about criers attending the wedding, and some of the hilarious comments during the speeches and open mic! It was an awesome day with you guys, and we wish you all the best!

This is the view of Okanagan Lake from one of the rooms!  Pretty spectacular!

The flower girl ready to make her big entrance.

There was some gorgeous colours in the trees around Sparkling Hills!

After using some locations near Sparkling Hills, we decided to head back up to the resort to use some of the views and architecture!  I could have shot up there for hours.

I love this portrait of Crystal.

After dinner we were able to steal Crystal and Robert for a few more shots.  

When I woke up the morning of Tifanee & Josh’s wedding, the rain was coming down in buckets.  As the morning progressed though, the rain tapered off and gave way to some low cloud with the occasional sunny break. This was great because I was shooting by myself (Kevan was shooting Karen & Ryan’s wedding in Fernie), and meant I didn’t have to try and juggle my camera, an umbrella, and the rest of my gear while shooting!

The bridesmaids have all been friends for quite a while, and there were some funny moments at the salon while they got their hair and makeup done.

Seems like we’re getting some pretty spectacular backdrops lately for ceremonies!   This one is at Emery’s Bed & Breakfast just outside of Cranbrook.

My favourite portrait of Tifanee!  I should give a shout-out to Avery, one of the bridesmaids, for helping out on this one – she made a great light-stand!

Tifanee really likes old and rustic buildings, so after doing a few shots on Emery’s property, we headed to Cranbrook to see what we could find!

A perfect fall day in Fernie to explore some of the colour that has graced the valley. I casually emailed Karen a couple of weeks back, and said that there was a location that I would really love to use, but that it may require tip-toeing across the top of a small beaver-dam. She emailed me back right away and said that she would bring rubber boots! Considering that they were getting married after their portraits, this was no small decision. While she didn’t have to scramble up anything, I feel that is more than worthy of inclusion in our Hiking Brides Club! I was also very excited to have Nic Genovese along as a second shooter for the day. Nic is a really talented cinematographer here in Fernie, who has done a lot of incredible bike edits. You check out his most recent edit, which was featured over on PinkBike.com. Seriously, check it out; it’s incredible!

The day started out with us meeting up with Karen and her crew at Sparrow for Hair. 

A couple of simple and relaxed portraits prior to meeting up with Ryan.

Ryan impatiently waiting to be able to go see his bride =D 

Their first look. Nic’s photos. 

Gearing up for the hike down across the beaver dam. 

I think it was worth it! 

Nic’s angle. 

Another from Nic. 

Love the classic Chevell that they brought for their ride! 

Then it was off to the United Church for the ceremony. 

The reception was at the Fernie Golf and Country Club. 

I happened to pop my head outside during a break in the evening program. Glad that I did! Have I ever mentioned that I absolutely love living and working in Fernie? 

The shoe game. Always good for a few belly laughs! 

Nic’s view during the first dance. 

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Katy & Brett had a really casual vibe to their wedding. When I arrived at the Painbox Lodge, the girls were hanging out and getting their hair and makeup done while the guys were relaxing to the NCAA football tournament on TV. They decided to do their pictures prior to their late-afternoon ceremony, so any guests that were hanging out at the Lodge had the day to wander downtown Canmore or go for a quick hike.

The first time I met Katy & Brett we were in full ski gear and trudging through waist-deep snow for their engagement session. Normally pretty avid riders, it was their only time out on the hill last year because, in addition to planning their wedding, they were both training for the Penticton Ironman (3.5km swim, 180km bike, and 42km run). Katy proudly wore her Finisher’s jersey while she was getting her hair & makeup done!

Brett likes to build stuff, so Katy bought him some sweet Lego cuff-links as a gift.

I love this moment during their first look!

Nice socks guys!

…and a few details from their reception at the Canmore Golf & Curling Club.

Thanks for including me in such an awesome day Katy & Brett, and sorry for almost knocking you over in the forest!  :D

]]> http://68photography.ca/2011/09/canmore-wedding-photograhy-kb/feed/ 0 http://68photography.ca/2011/09/fernie-engagement-photographers-jm/ http://68photography.ca/2011/09/fernie-engagement-photographers-jm/#comments Mon, 26 Sep 2011 17:37:54 +0000 6:8 http://68photography.ca/?p=9782 Whew!  September has been crazy busy with weddings and engagement sessions, so we’re a little behind on posting!

At the start of the month we met up with Jenna & Mike for their engagement session.  There’s a spot just out of town that’s close to the river that we’ve tried to use a few times, but seems like every time we go there, we find that it’s under water.  Our summer was pretty dry, so we decided to go check it out.  Turns out it was nice and dry, and a pretty sweet location.  Here are a few of my favourites from the session!

There are always some canoes down by the lake at the Lodge, and they were just begging to be taken out on the water.  This isn’t the first time we’ve had a bride in a canoe – you may remember a few shots from Kelsey & Kevin’s wedding from last year.  

While not technically a great shot, these guys stepped up the game a little by changing spots in the canoe while on the water.  Thank goodness we didn’t dump – a soggy couple, two wet photographers, and two drowned cameras + lenses + lights sounds like it might have been a disaster!

Their reception was held at the Picnic Restaurant here in town.  It was a new venue for us to shoot in, and it was awesome!  Great food, really social atmosphere, and the professionalism of the staff was spot-on!

After getting to know her a little, I’d say Cathryn is a fairly expressive person.  There was a little roasting going on during her Dad’s speech, and here a few reaction shots!

Wedding Decor and Floral Arrangements: Janis Robinson of Distant Event Design and Decor

One of the things that I love the most about our jobs is that it lets us see so much new terrain and shoot in new and interesting locales. When Amy and Jason contacted us about shooting at the Spirit Ridge Resort in Osoyoos, British Columbia we were very excited. I love coming into a place like that with no preconceptions about what ‘should’ be done for wedding photography. We deliberately do not check out what other photographers have done before – instead our plan is to just show up the day before the wedding, scout for good light and have fun!

Yet another one of our couples who opted to do a ‘first-look’. Perfect! Amy was so excited as she approached Jason!
And I love his reaction as well! After their first look, we got to wander the resort premises for a little while with them. 
We left the resort for a little bit to head down to an orchard just down the hill. And then up the twisty highway east of town!  After that it was back to the resort for the ceremony and reception. To say that it was hot on that roof would be a bit of an understatement – I think the guests were really glad for the fans and umbrellas. I know both Duane and I were very happy with our decision to each pack a second dress-shirt. Otherwise it could have been a little socially awkward…

Very impressed with the decor and details that Janis put together for them! Making their entrance into the reception… This just confirms my long-held theory: it’s not really a party until somebody busts out a harmonica!
They even let us steal them away for some quick and relaxed portraits at dusk in the vineyard. So nice to shoot when things started to cool down!  Outdoor patio and dance floor. Perfect! A quick change, and then right into the first dance. 

 Thanks so much guys – it was truly a great day! Be sure to leave a comment below, we are going to draw one person’s name for a $10 iTunes gift card sometime later this week…

Kristine & Eric made very clear to us that pictures were extremely important to them, and as a result they gave us tons of time for pictures. They, along with their wedding party, came prepared for an adventure, which worked out well because we decided to go all over the area! Our day started with a first-look in Canmore, and from there we traveled around the Minnewanka loop near Banff prior to their ceremony. Following that, we figured it was probably safe to leave the pavement, and ended up at the trailhead to Mt. Shark in Kananaskis Country!

Check out Kristine’s no-flower bouquet done by the amazing Sarah Mayerson! Calgary area brides, you should definitely check her out! http://www.sarahmayerson.com/

Not a terrible backdrop for your wedding up at Silvertip Resort!  

Receptions are always a blast when there’s a live band.  Another great performance by The Real Deal!

A shot taken during the song “Play that Funky Music.”  The lead singer said the dancing by Eric and a couple of his buddies was some of the best he’s seen!

Congratulations Kris & Eric and thanks for including us in your wedding!  The next Canmore wedding is only a few weeks away, where we meet up with Katy & Brett!

I am sure all of you have heard of the missing child from Sparwood, who was taken from his home on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning. Needless to say that it rocked the communities of the valley pretty hard. While I would never wish for these events to transpire, it was amazing to watch the communities band together, to do what needed to be done in a moment of crisis. I would venture that most people in the three towns stepped up to the plate to volunteer to cook, organize or search. At midnight on the first night, Duane and I were wading through chest-high thistles and up steep banks with a woman in her sixties who had bad knees and who had been out there for two hours longer than we had. This is just one example of course – a big debt is owed to all of the search and rescue crews, the rcmp, the cooks and the volunteers organizers.

It is hard to describe the elation and buzz in town when we all heard the news on Sunday morning. From being so low on Saturday night, when things were looking increasingly bleak, to waking up to learn the best possible news. Wow, what an answer to prayer.  I don’t think my wife and I were alone in our tears of happiness.

Anyway, Melissa and Kalon! What a privilege it was to spend the day with these guys and their wedding party. They gave me complete freedom to explore from their ceremony in Sparwood all the way back to their reception at the amazing Island Lake Lodge. It was the first overcast day that we had in quite some time, and quite honestly I was so happy to shoot in a bit of open shade for once! I love beautiful sunshine as much as the next guy, but it really opens up the possibilities when those clouds roll in! So, when you add great light, creative freedom and a superbly stylish couple then only good things can happen – I really love shooting these small, intimate affairs!

This was the first backyard wedding that I’ve done. I loved it!
Watching as the maid of honour signed the register. After walking out of the ceremony, they shared a quiet moment alone around the front of the house. From there we did a little exploring for the romantic portrait session as we made our way back to Fernie, and Island Lake Lodge for their reception. We found a field with some giant hay-bales, and decided that we had to pay homage to their Saskatchewan roots. Because of the light, I was able to access a spot above Fernie that doesn’t normally cooperate on wedding days. That and I just love driving off-road!  A couple of quick portraits in downtown Fernie.  From there it was up to Island Lake Lodge, where we were sure to do some shots in the Old Growth Forest and down by the lake.  Thanks so much guys! I can’t wait to show you the full gallery of images!

]]> http://68photography.ca/2011/09/melissa-and-kalon/feed/ 0 http://68photography.ca/2011/09/calgary-wedding-photographers-aa/ http://68photography.ca/2011/09/calgary-wedding-photographers-aa/#comments Tue, 06 Sep 2011 15:00:31 +0000 6:8 http://68photography.ca/?p=9500 We spent a fantastic day with Alexandra and Andrew as they celebrated their Calgary wedding last weekend. It was our first time shooting in the beautiful Sacred Heart Church on 14th St, and we spent the afternoon exploring some of the areas just west of the downtown core with them. Then it was back to the Sheraton Suites in Eau Claire for a reception of amazing food and fantastic live music! 

Sandra & Carl like to do things a little different, and Carl certainly seems to have a “Go Big or Go Home” personality! If you follow our blog regularly, you’ll recall their engagement session, where we spent some time with them capturing some awesome images while dodging massive crowds of people, playing games, and going on rides at the Calgary Stampede! That’s a pretty tough act to follow, but if any couple was up to the task, it would be these two!

They decided to have their wedding at their cabin, which is situated on the shores of a mountain lake near Crawford Bay – somewhat limited in its access! Add to the mix that the bridal preparation was in Nelson, across Kootenay Lake, and requires a ferry-ride, and you have the potential for one logistical nightmare! Not to worry though – they had Lisa from We Connect Wedding Planning to help them out and keep the day running smoothly!

 A quick relaxed portrait of Sandra outside the salon prior to meeting up with Carl for their first look.

A quick story involving the Land Cruiser in the image below. As mentioned earlier, they did their preparations and some pictures in Nelson, which required a ferry crossing.  In the morning we had to shuttle a car across to Crawford Bay, and the plan was that I would meet the guys at the cabin and hitch a ride back to the ferry / Nelson. Somewhere along the way the lines of communication were crossed, and it was only by chance that the guys actually were at the cabin when I arrived.  Their cabin is located at the top of a mountain near Crawford Bay, and the road access is primitive – it should really only be driven by 4wd vehicles like the one below. Carl was a little concerned about the time and making sure we caught the ferry, and as a result, he showed the groomsmen and I how to style a mountain logging road.  It was singularly the most awesome and scary ride I’ve ever had in a vehicle, involving a few four-wheel drifts through corners and a couple times where the Land Cruiser completely left the ground! 

When going to our locations, I’m amazed at how many times we hear, “Are you guys taking us in there to kill us?”  The location we used for the next few pictures was one of those spots – an opening into the bush that we happened across by chance while scouting the day before.  They thought we were a little crazy when we first started in there (rightly so – it looked like someone had been camping out in there recently), but by the end they were loving it!

 I love these next two shots!

Logistics seem to be the theme of this post!  It’s pretty stressful trying to plan portraits around a ferry schedule, especially during peak season in the summer!  A couple days prior to the wedding, Carl gave us a call and let us know that he was a little concerned about the timeline, so he arranged to have everyone flown from Nelson to their cabin (hence why I had to get our car there earlier in the day).  The guys managed to find out in the morning, but the bridesmaids had no idea, and thought we were at the airport for pictures!  I love their reactions when they found out we were going to be taking off soon!

…before we flew away we had a bit of time for a couple more portraits though!

They have a pretty sweet property outside of Crawford Bay – complete with a vineyard to make wine to enjoy on the deck after a long day of waterskiing on their own lake!

 Not a terrible way to show up to your wedding!  This was one of those “Go Big or Go Home” moments!

Details!

…and finally, it seemed fitting to get a few more portraits of Sandra and Carl before dinner around their property!

Congratulations Sandra & Carl!  Thank you for a great experience and having us along on such a fun day!

We met up with Caylie and Brett in Lake Louise, and they gave us creative freedom to shoot our way back to Golden where the wedding and reception were being held. Spectacular! I hope you enjoy the images that we were able to create with them.

Caylie and her mom doing a last-minute check of the dress in Lake Louise. Caylie and Brett decided to do a first-look (the absolute best itinerary imo!) and I love Brett’s reaction to seeing his bride for the first time!
The next couple of shots really illustrate the strength of having two photographers – similar angles + completely different lenses = completely different looks. While I was shooting on a telephoto lens (135mm)……Duane was shooting the scene (35 mm). Same for these two shots. I am pretty sure that I could have shot in the Park for the entire day (we had so many locations that we never got to use!), but we had to get back up to the ski hill.Up to one of my absolute favourite places in the Kootenays!
We had time for a few more relaxed portraits before the ceremony… As Caylie came down the aisle, a little gust of wind lifted her veil. I was going to share a whole bunch of reception images, but I am going to blame Caylie and Brett for allowing us to steal them away for a few minutes at sunset… You will just have to trust me when I say that it was an awesome party!  Can we shoot here every weekend? Please? Officially in the hiking brides club! We should make up stickers or something… Okay, okay – one image from the reception, just to prove that it was amazing. 

Can you spot Fernie’s famous Horse and Rider? Duane took this picture to show Julie (pointing just wasn’t working ) and I really like how it turned out!

If ever there was a contrast between an engagement session and wedding, Melissa & Josh would be the example. Both the wedding ceremony and reception were held at the very classy Divino Wine & Cheese Bistro on Stephen Ave in downtown Calgary, and we did a more urban feel for their wedding pictures. Neither of them were set on a ‘traditional’ format, so we did their portraits with them prior to the ceremony, and then went right into the party after it was over.

Melissa and her bridesmaids got ready at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Calgary.  They have such a beautiful space that I couldn’t help but take a few quick portraits of them before we met up with the rest of the wedding party!

I love this image that Kevan captured of Josh and the guys.

Melissa and Josh both went to school at SAIT, so what better spot to do some of their portraits!  Here’s Josh waiting patiently to see his bride for the first time…

Melissa & Josh managed to get two classic Mercury Montereys and a sweet old Caddilac for their wedding vehicles.  They were riding around in style!

 When we were heading back to Divino following some portraits on Stephen Ave, a store-owner chased us down and told us we had to use an open space in his store.  He even left a work-light sitting out for us to use!

 A few details from Divino:

Congratulations to you both and thanks for an awesome day!

First – a few details that Lisa and Ashley put together. 

Ashley was pretty excited about her shoes. Can you blame her?  A couple of quick and relaxed portraits before heading over to the ceremony at the Anglican Church.  These next two spreads are of both Clint and Ashley just before they went down the aisle. I love the range of emotion clearly playing across their faces!  I just love shooting in this church!
Flowers were done by Bunches Flowers and Gifts here in Fernie. The barn! 
Then it was off to the Corner Pocket for the reception.  She was only going to take a minute she said…  Ashley listening to her parent’s speech. …and even though the light had fallen off dramatically, they went out with us for a few more images prior to the dance! I am glad they did!  It was such a warm night – a perfect evening to be out on the patio.

Dance time!  End of the night. This little guy was blowing out the candles on the patio. 

We met with Kristine & Eric for a morning session and went exploring with them around Fernie.  The light in the early morning is fantastic, with the only drawback being that if there’s been a heavy dew, it doesn’t have time to lift.  Oh well, we didn’t get that wet!  Our session was full of fields of wildflowers (which Kristine is apparently allergic to!) and wading through leech-infested water (which we found out about after being in it, but they didn’t bother us).

We had such a great time hanging out with you guys and look forward to your Canmore wedding in early September!

A couple days prior to their session, we got an email asking how we felt about changing the engagement session and doing it at the Calgary Stampede instead!  We knew that it was going to be challenging with the crowds, but it sounded like fun!  Sandra and Carl win the award for the longest engagement session we’ve done to date, lasting about 5 hours, and included a beer break while we waited for the sun to set!

We started out the session with a few locations where there were fewer people.

We then moved to the midway and ride on the ferris wheel so we could get a shot of the Calgary skyline in the background.  It was my first time riding a ferris wheel, and even though this was a big one (baskets instead of seats), there’s surprising limited room to take pictures!

Following the ferris wheel we decided to take a ride on the swings.

This next shot was taken just as they lost their grip while we were going around.  Coincidentally, it’s pretty much the exact moment that I almost fell out of the swing while leaning backwards to take the shot!  

Sandra and Carl played one of the games.  Before we selected one, we asked Sandra which one she thought she would win at, and the water guns was her choice.  She ended up winning Carl a Green Lantern doll.

After doing a few rides and games, we took that beer break I mentioned earlier while we waited for the sun to set and for the midway lights to go on.

Carl is pretty high-energy, so we were impressed when we got him to not move for this next shot, which was about a 1-second exposure.

People really looked at us funny while we were setting up this final shot.  I think the question was, “Why do they have the camera pointed at that puddle?”

Thanks for a great evening guys!  We’re really looking forward to your wedding in Crawford Bay later this month!

 Backing up a little, a few details from the morning.  First off, Tanisha’s dress, which was awesome!

If you look closely at the rings, and you know the Fernie mountain ranges, you should be able to pick out Mt. Fernie and one of the Three Sisters.  Definitely the most intricate rings I’ve ever seen!

We had time for a couple quick portraits with her at her parent’s place before we headed off to the ceremony.

Here’s a quick shot from that chairlift ride I was talking about!

Following the ceremony we had the opportunity to do a few quick portraits with them at the top of the hill before the wind & rain forced us to head back down to the base.  

The one advantage to having scattered downpours on your wedding is it creates some pretty dramatic skies!

…and finally to the Fernie Tea & Coffee House to warm up and get a little respite from the rain!  Thanks Angelika & Randy for letting us use the space.

Tanisha & Lorne planned a few unique things for their wedding, and one of them was to release butterflies at the top of the hill following the ceremony.  Unfortunately  it was WAY too cold / windy for that to work, so they did it following their reception instead!  Such a cool idea!

Finally, a few quick portraits with them before they left with some absolutely spectacular light & skies!

Thanks for having us along guys, it was awesome to be part of your day!

Our session was filled with laughter and crazy stories.  Robert seems to have quite a bit of life experience, from cycling through Europe, to teaching bike maintenance / carpentry in Mexico, and seemingly everything in between!  In comparison to the stories he has, I feel like I lead a pretty uneventful life!  Crystal, on the other hand, officially gets the award for highest heel on an engagement session (possibly any session we’ve ever done) with her 6″ purple shoes.  It always amazes me how nimble some people can be in that kind of footwear!

We’re really looking forward to their wedding this fall at the Sparkling Hills Resort in the Okanagan!

If you’ve been following our blog for a little while, you know that we’ve covered quite a few weddings over the last four or five years. That’s why it is noteworthy anytime we experience anything truly different and unique. I am pretty sure that Gillian and her getting ready posse win the award for “most-tranquil-bridal-preparation.” Usually the getting ready is organized chaos that feels like it could veer towards anarchy at any given moment. Not these ladies! Hushed tones, people quietly moving about getting ready for the day – and Gillian was the poster-child for complete serenity. 

Okay – maybe I exaggerated a little. She did get a bit excited from time to time… =)

A few quick portraits before heading down to the church. 

Andrew’s reaction to seeing Gillian for the first time.

I love the lines in that old church! 

If you listen closely to this photo, you can hear Andrew saying: “Aw mom – not that story!” 

The wedding party had a dance-off after the formal dances – girls vs guys. You’ll notice the similar poses, but thats where the similarities end. While the girls were rocking out, the guys were floating around to something that sounded suspiciously like Celine Dion. 

Andrew atoned somewhat with some pretty sweet break-dancing skills… 

And one last one. I posted this one over on the facebook page, but the story behind it is this: My flash batteries had died, and for some reason I had left our spares in the vehicle (that never happens) so I had to excuse myself from the dance for a moment to retrieve them. I walked outside to a pretty spectacular sunset and suddenly thankful that the batteries had decided to give up the ghost at that particular moment… A neat way to close out a great day. Thanks Gillian and Andrew for having Duane and I along! 

PS – If you missed their engagement session back in the winter you can find it here: Gillian and Andrew – Engagement Session

You never know what to expect with a wedding during the Calgary Stampede! A couple years ago at Jenn & Bram’s wedding we were downtown walking past a bus full of Stampeders (not the football players!), and I had genuine concern that the party-goers were rocking it so hard that they were going to tip it right over! Thankfully Cheryl & Shawn were quite content to avoid the festivities downtown, and were interested in something a little less urban for their pictures.  We did all of their portraits on the west end of Calgary, and aside from the ridiculous amount of mosquitos plaguing the areas we shot in, we had a fantastic time!

Cheryl & Shawn decided to do their pictures prior to the ceremony.  We weren’t totally sure where we were going to do their first look, but when we walked into their house for the first time we knew it would be the perfect spot!

Cheryl taunted Shawn a little before she let him turn around to see her!

The next image is not great from a technical standpoint, but it does prove that Cheryl officially joined the Hiking Brides Club.  After shooting a little in the bush, she was more than willing to scale the retaining wall to save a little walking.

Following their portraits, it was off to Valley Ridge Golf & Country Club for their ceremony and reception.

A few reception details.

…and to finish things off, Cheryl & Shawn made some time for us just before sunset to go grab a few more pictures!

Congratulations guys and thanks for such an awesome day!

Amy with an honourary member of her wedding party! 

Some simple and relaxed portraits prior to the wedding ceremony with Amy.

I love this set of Amy in the moments just prior to the ceremony starting. 

Another beautiful bouquet from Carmen over at The Green Petal here in Fernie!

More people need to use a Rhino as their wedding vehicles if you ask me! 

Sunset photos! 

And then it was on to the party! 

Thanks so much for including us in a great day!

I really enjoyed everything about Jana & Mel’s wedding. It was a light and casual event, and that was reflected in everything from moments during the ceremony, right down to their choices in wedding attire. Both of them are genuinely nice people and a pleasure to be around, so much so that we ended up hanging out with them twice following their wedding! The first was at their after-party, where everyone moved to the pub at the bottom of the ski hill and played a game of giant Jenga over drinks. Later in the week we found out they were in Fernie with their bikes, so we invited them out for a ride to show them some of the local trails. It’s the first time we’ve ever crashed someone’s honeymoon, but they assured us that it was OK!

Check out the custom shoes they had made up!

Part way through the reception there was some beautiful light playing off the clouds blowing over the mountains, so we stole them for a few minutes to get a few final portraits.  I bet you can’t even tell that it was below freezing!