The beautiful Dreams Riviera in Cancun played host to the multi-day affair, from the Vatna, where their enthusiastic guests smeared Vik with turmeric paste (mustard also found it’s way in there), to the Baraat, where Vik made his grand entrance on a horse. From start to finish, this wedding was an absolutely joy. We broke our record for the most photos we’ve ever taken and had the time of our lives.

The day after their wedding day (after Christine and Vik generously sent us to the spa for massages), we took a rocky ferry ride to Isla Mujeres for some portraits. We had suggested this location for its local Mexican feel, rocky cliffs, and proximity to Cancun, but having never been there ourselves, we were crossing our fingers that this location would be worth the trip… and it most certainly was!

Christine and Vik, we are so happy to have had the pleasure of documenting your epic wedding. We look forward to travelling to India with you sometime in the next few years!

As always, you can browse through our favorites above, and we invite you to take a look at their full slideshow by clicking HERE.

Hope to see you there!

Click HERE for more information and/or to sign up.

We all knew this would be the trip of a lifetime, but I don’t think anything could have prepared us for just how much this would touch our lives. We were mesmerized by Zanzibar’s Stone Town; a veritable maze of streets and shops, with deep cultural and historical roots. But it was Kenya that really stole our hearts; in particular, the 47 smiling little faces at the Nakuru Baby Orphanage were we stayed for a few days.

The orphanage is run by Mission in Action, a truly incredible organization that is operated by an Australian couple. It is a big happy family, consisting of 47 (and counting) abandoned or orphaned children. Because there are so many of them, they don’t get to go out much, so during our time there, we took groups of them on various outings, including a visit to the Kenana Knitting village, a special lunch in town, and a very exhausting trip to the pool. But mostly, it is the children who spoiled us. There was an abundance of hugs, kisses, hair petting (they like our soft hair!), funny questions (to Daniel: “Is Davina your wife? Do you kiss him?”), and so much love that I swear our hearts felt physically fuller at the end of the day. MIA is very open about the children’s backgrounds, some of which are downright horrific, so we had the chance to learn all about the kids while we were there. To look down at the child who is sitting on your lap and realize that this is the one who was severely beaten by their parents… or raped as a baby by men who believed they would be cured of AIDS… or left to die by the side of the road just a few hours into their life… or bore witness to their mother’s murder at the hands of their own father… It is hard to find words to describe the feelings that came over us. Yet despite what they have gone through, they are all still just children. Those with traumatizing pasts have come a very long way, and while the traces of their experiences are still visible at times, for the most part, these are all very happy children.

While volunteering at Mission in Action, we took a few trips to local villages where we gave out thousands of biscuits to some energetic village kids, and brought bags of flour and sugar (both hard and expensive to come by) to donate to some local women. The heartfelt gratitude we received when giving these women such a simple gift is something that I will never forget. Arielle was similarly moved when we gave our leftover lunch to some local street kids. Their enthusiasm for food that we would not have hesitated to throw away back home, had her in tears. We also had the opportunity to meet Mrs. Rabbit; affectionately nicknamed so because she has fifteen children, who all share a mud hut no bigger than 300 square feet. (Mrs. Rabbit is the woman in our opening photo, pictured at the entrance of her home with eleven of her children)

After very tearful goodbyes and promises to ourselves that we will return soon, we headed to the Masai Mara, the Kenyan side of the Serengeti. It was chilly, rainy, and incredibly muddy, but we still had the pleasure of spotting many animals, including elephants, zebras, gazelles, hippos, lions, cheetahs, and giraffes.

Since returning home, we have not stopped thinking about life in Kenya. Not a day goes by where we don’t think about the kids, laugh about an adorable thing they said, hear their joyful giggles, or just plain miss them. Our time in Kenya gave us the most precious gift we’ve ever received: perspective. I can tell you that our post-Kenya home is one with a lot less complaining, and a whole lot more appreciating.

We’ve made the very easy decision to keep working with Mission in Action and to do what we can to help them out from a distance. They are involved in many community projects outside the orphanage, on top of running a second orphanage nearby. We saw firsthand just how every penny of sponsors’ money goes to the exact cause that they wish to contribute to, so we feel confident that this is an organization to get on board with. We are currently working on getting each of the kids their own backpack in which to keep their very few personal belongings. These kids share absolutely everything, but the few personal objects that they might have (a toy sent by a sponsor, or even just an empty water bottle that they latched onto) usually gets lost in the mix or broken. For this reason, we want to send each child their own backpack, personalized with their name on it of course, to put the special things that are all their own. Until January 1st, every dollar from every print sold in our ETSY SHOP  will go towards this project. You can also make a donation to the project by emailing us, or donate directly to the orphanage HERE and make sure to read about some of the projects currently going on in the community. We will also be sharing portraits of each and every one of the children at the orphanage, so keep an eye out for those on our FACEBOOK PAGE.

There are so many individuals and families around the world, both at home and abroad, who need help. This is one community that has touched our own hearts and that has given us the simple yet precious gift of appreciation. If you can help, this community or another, please do. And please do take a moment to be thankful for all that you have, especially over the holidays. I know we will.

When we caught up with Sarah and Kyle on the big day, almost one hour before they were scheduled to meet up, Sarah was sitting in her room at the iconic Chateau Frontenac, ready to get started, and Kyle was already pacing the lobby, ready to see his bride for the first time. With no one there to hold up the schedule, this notoriously punctual couple’s wedding day actually ran early; completely unheard of in our experience!

It was a tremendous honor to bear witness to this incredibly romantic ceremony on the Plains of Abraham, overlooking the Fleuve St-Laurent and it was a pleasure to wander the old city, exploring charming nooks and crannies. Sarah and Kyle, thank you for choosing our vision to document your wedding for your friends and family to see, and for you to relive.

But I think that the best part of this wedding was the magic. On what was an otherwise rainy and gloomy weekend, we experienced one of the most sudden, unexpected, and beautiful sunsets we’ve ever seen, just as Ashley and Andreas were heading out for a post-ceremony row on the pond. It lasted exactly 13 minutes, just enough time for them to spend some quiet time together on the rowboat and for us to grab a few scene setting portraits. There is no other way to describe it, other than magical.

You can scroll through our favorite images from the day above, and click HERE to see their full slideshow.

Their two-day event began at Nathalie’s parents’ house, where they had their traditional Cambodian ceremony. Daniel and I love Cambodian traditions and we even incorporated one, the string ceremony, into our own wedding. I just love how the ceremony includes all of the most important people in the couple’s life, from having them primp and prep them (and “cut” Ryan’s non-existant hair), to whispering their wishes and advice. I also enjoy the several outfit changes that are involved, but that’s a different matter!

The second day honoured Ryan’s Filipino background with a church ceremony, followed by portraits in an enchanted forest, and, as promised, a rocking reception. With an exclusive menu, late night McDonald’s buffet, and Krispy Kreme donut spread on top of a dance party so good that even we eventually had to join in, we were truly spoiled with these guys. So spoiled, in fact, that even the next day they treated us to Montreal’s Oyster Fest where we feasted some more.

Nat and Ryan, thank you for an incredible weekend. You were a joy to photograph… and to dine with!

This wedding also gave us the opportunity to work with the wonderful Debi Lilly, who came from Chicago to ensure that every detail was just right.

A big thank-you to Jackie, Kenny, Debi (and the bridesmaids who nick-named me Mila Kunis) for allowing us to share in this very special weekend.

If you are thinking of attending, this is a great time to signup, as there will be a draw for a private skype session with the legendary Steve McCurry. Click HERE for more information on the convention. We hope to see you there!

Annalie is a wedding photographer here in Montreal, and we have had the pleasure of getting to know her and Haig over the last few years. From their backgrounds, you’d think that they are as different as two people can get: Annalie is from Irish/Scottish decents, and Haig is Armenian. But after just a few minutes in their presence, you just know that you are witness to something real and beautiful. Annalie and Haig stuck together throughout the planning of their wedding, opting for a cozy ceremony and cocktail dinner, despite how different it was from what their families were used to. It takes a lot of courage to throw a wedding that is true to your relationship, despite what those around you might be thinking. And the result was a beautiful, intimate celebration, filled to the brim with good old fashioned love.

Annalie and Haig, we are so happy to see the two of you married and happy. Thank you for trusting us so completely.