This year was filled with so many great weddings. Each was unique & so different from the next. I don’t think I had a single  de-ja-vu moment this year.

I want to be able to celebrate how fabulous 2011 was & all the fun photographs I captured. If was to pick all my favorites in a bunch of different categories we’d be here for days looking at all extraordinary photographs; so I’ve selected my single most favorite photograph from each wedding & engagement session. And so without further ado; I present to you the 2011: Favorites!

 To all my fabulous clients: Thank you a hundred times over for allowing me to capture these special moments for you – it really does mean a lot to me! Thank you for your support over the past year and words of kindness; your gratitude & friendship are the greatest of compliments. I hope to be your friend & photographer for many years to come!

Happy New Years everyone & Thank you from the bottom of my heart!!

They picked the location because Dena love British Columbia & Brad loves the outdoors, especially fishing. I’d say they picked the perfect location for them.

We didn’t get a chance to meet prior to the wedding because they were living in Alberta until about 3 weeks before the wedding when they relocated to Prince George. We met the day of the wedding when I showed up at the spa to start photographing Dena’s preparations! That was a thrill but I knew that the day was going to be lots of food from the chats that Dena and I had on the phone leading up to the wedding.

Dena & Brad are such amazing people – and so incredibly relaxed! It was such a pleasure to work with them and meet their family and friends.

They are so caring and their work is so fantastic. They both work at the CNIB and this is where they met.

The day was short & sweet but it was very meaningful. They were both so excited to be getting married. Brad was grinning ear to ear – I think he was the most excited groom ever!

They were married in the beautiful Rose Garden in Queens Park. They had their closest friends and family present with them, some as far as England. The ceremony was great – there was laughter, tears and even a group song hehe.

We spent an hour or so in the Rose Garden following the ceremony for some beautiful portraits of the bridal party and the newlywed couple.

Afterwards, we all ventured to the Centennial Lodge just across the way for a small celebration.

Although my day was short, I had a fantastic time photographing this sweet wedding. I was thrilled to work with Brad and Sarah and I hope to be able to photograph them again soon!

Enjoy!

James & Theresa were so relaxed and easy going all day. The bridal party was up for anything. And the family was so much fun.

We started out the day at the prep locations. Theresa was relaxed but anxious once she had the dress on. I really loved the custom hanger she had made for her dress! It was wire shaped to spell Mrs Gallello hehe – too cute! We also had the CUTEST flower girls ever – they were so beautiful in their white dresses and fancy shoes!

They were married at the Immaculate Conception Parish in Surrey – beautiful parish. Although James and the groomsmen weren’t too fond of standing in the direct sunlight with their black suits on – the poor guys were all dabbing sweat from their heads throughout the ceremony. Theresa’s mom was showing tears of joy the moment she stepped on to the aisle – her first child to get married and her only daughter.

After the ceremony, we all headed to the local baseball fields – yes a bride in a white dress on a baseball field! James & Theresa play on a softball team and they were playing in a tournament the day of the wedding, so we went to pay them a visit between games. We took over the diamond and dugout for a bit while one of the teammates offered up shoe polishing services to the bridal party

Once we had our fill of the baseball diamond we headed to a few other locations on our way to the party. We had so much fun with this bridal party – they were all such great participants and totally up for anything!

The party continued at the Roma Hall in Queensborough – I love this location (and not because it’s 4 blocks from my house hehe). The food is always stellar and the decor is beautiful. Theresa & James went with a beach theme – seashells and turquoise were used throughout the decor and it looked beautiful!

We had so much fun with this wedding!

James & Theresa – thank you for allowing us to capture this special day for you! We hope you had as much fun as we did

Enjoy the photographs!!

After the ceremony we stayed on the grounds to sneak in some bridal portraits of the newlywed couple. Their daughter had other plans for us though. She wouldn’t go without mom & dad! We did portraits in intervals with her right next to them, just outside of the camera frame. We were able to get a few quick portraits but we felt bad for their daughter so we called it quits and decided to reschedule another day for their portraits.

The bride & groom, along with their guests, celebrated their wedding in the restaurant at Newlands. They all shared in a great meal & stories.

Although the day was short for me, I felt very honored to be able to capture this special day for Greg & Sheena.

I can’t wait for our rescheduled bridal session!

Enjoy this sneak peek

Vicky and the ladies were preparing at her soon-to-be in-laws breathtaking home! I walked into the solarium, where all the make up and hair was being done, and I think my jaw dropped to the floor hehe. It was amazing – you’ll see in the photographs below Vicky was relaxed and just enjoying  every moment, even though she said she had butterflies, she was still very calm.

Once all the ladies were looking fabulous, we all headed over to the Historic Stewart Farmhouse in Surrey for Vicky & Chad’s first look. This location is one of my favorites for weddings! It offers so much to my clients and I never get tired of it and today was no exception. It was the perfect location for their first look on the veranda of the historic house. The first look was so lovely – I love when we decide to go this route! When Chad turned and saw Vicky for the first time, he lit up! All he could say was “Wow, you look so gorgeous hun” and was he ever right. Vicky is a gorgeous woman and her dress was so well suited to her personality and style. Chad looked pretty handsome too

We all had such a fantastic time at the farmhouse! The bridal party was hilarious and up for anything – even climbing a tree…haha. I wonder what else we could have gotten them to do We were all having such a blast at the farmhouse that we nearly lost track of time and showed up late for there ceremony! We just couldn’t stop taking photographs of these good looking people

The ceremony and reception followed at the Northview Golf Course in Surrey. The ceremony was held at the upper garden while the reception followed inside the clubhouse with breathtaking views of the golf course & mountains.

The reception was beautiful. The speeches were so special they brought tears to my eyes. The love these families have for their children and passed family member is so great there are no words to describe it. They welcomed each other’s families together, officially, and toasted to the many years of happiness to come.

Vicky & Chad, thank you thank you thank you! Your hospitality and sincere thoughtfulness was amazing, even during your special day when we should be catering to you. I really, truly, am thankful for being able to capture this amazing day for you & your families. I look forward to the many years of friendship we have ahead of us. And most importantly, I am so excited for you both, in this new chapter in your lives together!

May love guide you through the rest of your day’s together!

I started the day at Amber & Chris’s beautiful historic home, where the ladies were all getting ready. While the ladies got ready I made use of the beautiful features of the house to do some detail shots – LOVED all the architectural accents in the home. The ladies all looked beautiful and Amber was glowing as soon as she put on her dress.

When Amber stepped into the aisle & Chris saw her for the first time – it was pure joy & love in his expression, such a beautiful moment! The ceremony was so touching. The church is extremely beautiful and the lighting was fantastic!

We continued the day with lots of fun & laughter at a few different spots in the New Westminster area. We hit up the Rose Garden in Queens Park for some great scenic photographs. My favorite location was the courthouses in New Westminster – amazing location hidden away from the hustle & bustle. They were so much fun to photograph! The bridal party was a blast and super relaxed.

The Metro Hall – the BEST hidden gem for reception venues in the city! No joke – this venue is A-MAZING!! It’s so chic & glamorous inside that minimal décor needs to be done. Amber & Chris picked a perfect spot to tie in their wedding décor – red, black & a touch of white – glamorous! The reception was a blast; speeches were so heartfelt and sincere. I didn’t know these people but after their speeches I felt like I was part the group. The catering was one of the most delicious dinners I’ve had at a wedding. The Butler Did It Catering is an amazing team of chefs & servers – impeccable service! Oh, and the food was delicious too The cake was provided by C for Cake (a friend of Amber & Chris’); so yummy!

As the evening progressed into the night the dancing started and the party really got started!

Amber & Chris – your wedding was an amazing day! I hope you had as much fun as we did. Thank you again for allowing us to capture this monumental day for you.
Enjoy your sneak peek!

They each have very unique interests & they let those shine through in their wedding day. Mel loves zebra print…they had a zebra print wedding cake (so cool!). Matt loves mixing & creating cocktails…they had signature cocktails mixed in custom martini glasses.Their unique identities are so strong but compliment the others incredibly well.

The breath-taking ceremony was at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in Surrey. What a beautiful church! Their friends and family filled the church with so much love & support for this couple.

The evening continued at Redwoods Golf Course with emotional speeches & immense gratitude. The expressions of love & support from the family were refreshing.

The love that Matt has for Mel is so beautiful & he doesn’t hide it. He lets the world know that she is the most beautiful woman in the world.

Mel & Matt – thank you so very much for allowing us to share this amazing day with you & your lovely family. We really enjoyed getting to know your families & friends, even if only just a little bit. You are surrounded by an amazing group of people who love you more and more each day.

Enchanté

Church: Our Lady of Good Counsel | Reception: Redwoods Golf Course | Florist: Bridal Beginnings | Dress: The Bridal Gallery | Second Shooter: Darko |

I was really excited when Jeannie & Dale asked me to capture their special day because we had worked together the year previous at another wedding and we all got along so well.

This day had been 11 years in the making, to the day. Jeannie was so excited when I arrived at the salon, she had ants in her pants She was dancing around the salon & grinning ear to ear.

After the ladies were all beautified we all headed back to the house to get ready for the first look but the boys had beat us there, so we had to hide Dale in the limo while Jeannie got dressed and did her finishing touches. The bridal party ooohh’d & aaaahh’d during the first look from the windows above – it was super cute.

There ceremony & reception were held at the Diamond Alumni Centre at SFU. This venue was amazing! I can’t say enough about it. The food was A+++, the views were gorgeous & the staff were superb. Great choice Jeannie & Dale!

Jeannie & Dale both went/are going to school at SFU. Dale recently graduated – congrats! They wanted to keep with the school theme & their favors were etched pencils & we even found an empty classroom for some fun photographs It worked out perfectly because mother nature decided to open up on us & tried to rain on our parade. You can’t spoil this photographer’s fun!

The reception was a big hit with the guests. I think the highlight of the evening was when a young little boy told me (in secrecy – shh don’t tell anyone) that he had poked his fingers into the wedding cake LOL Luckily Jeannie & Dale are very relaxed individuals and also found this hilarious!

The day was fantastic & I am so happy to be included in it. Thank you again Jeannie & Dale – you guys were great. I hope you had as much fun as we did!

Second Photographer: Darko Sikman
Hair & Makeup: Euphoria Salon
Venue & Catering: SFU Diamond Alumni Center
Cake: Family Friend

The preparations for the big day all started at a beautiful boutique hotel in downtown Vancouver, Hotel Le Soleil. When B&M told me they picked this hotel specifically for the photographs of the prep I knew it would be a FANTASTIC choice! I fell in love with this hotel the moment I stepped inside. To top it off, it went perfectly with the entire day’s theme – romance!
B&M tied the knot overlooking English Bay harbor with their closest friends & family at their sides. The bridal party consisted of family, lifelong friends and very important people in their lives. In total the bridal party had 13 very important people; a man of honor, maid of honor, bridesmaids, men of honor, groomsmen & groomswoman.  I love how they did the bridal party & it made it lots of fun for everyone!

I was so excited for after the ceremony, as the bride’s mother had arranged for a very special & romantic surprise for the bride & groom. They had no idea! As we got to the spot where this surprise was waiting for us, B&M still had no idea. After some clever hinting by the man of honor, B&M were absolutely shocked that this had been organized.  What was it you ask? Okay, I’ll tell you – a private horse drawn carriage!! How romantic!

The party continued at the Vancouver Rowing Club with food served by Louis Gervais Fine Foods. The speeches were so heartfelt & warming, with a few mild jokes at B&M’s expense about their relationship in the years previous. The stories of how they met & their experiences were funny & endearing. The bride’s father surprised the guests with a performance playing trumpet with Canada’s greatest pianist. It was a beautiful performance! The night wore on & the party started as the dance floor grew in size.

I was so happy at the end of the night to be a part of this amazing day! B&M truly are an amazing couple; kind, caring, genuine are only a few of the words I would describe them as.

B&M – I hope your special day was everything (& more) that you had dreamed of! The wedding was full of such romance & love and I know that you will continue to carry that through your days together. Thank you again & again for including us in your special day – it was fun & adventurous!

To much love & happiness in the future – cheers.

Second Photographer: Darko Sikman
Hotel: Hotel Le Soliel
Ceremony: Ferguson Point, Stanley Park
Horse Drawn Carriage: Stanley Park Horse Drawn Carriages
Reception Venue: Vancouver Rowing Club
Catering: Louis Gervais Fine Food