I love supporting great causes… and here is a plug for a fashion event happening in Stratford that will support a couple great charities.

Danna Nicole is hosting an evening of food, wine and fashion on November 13th, 2009 at 8pm. The best part of this event is that ticket sale proceeds plus 10% of all store sales from this event will be donated to Maji Matzue Orphanage in Africa and Optimism Place of Stratford.

So, mark November 13th, 2009, 8pm on your calendar if you’d like to attend.  Tickets are $15.00 each and a limited number of tickets are available.  They are available from:

Danna Nicole
87 Ontario Street
Stratford, ON  N5A 3H1

(519) 305-5536

We’ve had some really odd weather this year, so when you get a lovely, sunny, autumn day, well… you just want to get outside and take in the sunshine.

Mother Nature was really kind recently when I spent some time with Kayleen and Gerben.  They will be getting married next year in Stratford so we got together for their engagement session.

Gerben’s family has a really beautiful farm somewhere between Stratford and Woodstock (OK, so I can be directionally challenged sometimes) and we spent the afternoon there – walking around, talking, entertaining the horses, having a little (OK, a lot) of fun and chasing the light until it disappeared.  And as you can see from the colours in the photos, it was a beautiful autumn day!

Kayleen and Gerben:  Thanks for a great afternoon – I had a lot of fun with the two of you.  Anne and I look forward to your wedding!

If Kayleen and Gerben have given you access to their online gallery, please visit our home page at www.roelphoto.com and click on “online gallery”.

One thing that Anne and I are really grateful for is that we get to travel internationally several times a year.  It is a big, beautiful world out there and we love seeing (and photographing) it.

We recently visited Scotland – it was my second time there and Anne’s first.  It was really special visit for both of us as it is a really beautiful country, the people are unbelievably friendly and also, some of Anne’s late relatives hail from the Inverness area.

Autumn is a really unpredictable time in Scotland – sometimes the weather is great, sometimes it is not.  We were really, really fortunate to be blessed with several days of sunshine (when we toured Argyll and the Isle of Skye) and witness a really wild storm on the east coast (in Stonehaven).  It didn’t really matter what the weather was like… the countryside is stunning and in the event of inclement weather, we just found a cozy pub and consumed several pints a pint and ate some great meals.

After I get some sleep (and more time to process images), I will post more about Scotland… in the meantime, I’ve posted some of my favourite shots from our trip in this post and also in the online gallery.

In the winter of 2008, I had the pleasure of meeting Holly at a bridal show. When Holly and her fiancé Nathan invited me to their home the following year, I knew they were extremely well organized. Why did know this? Not only did they take a year to research wedding photographers, they also booked us to photograph their wedding over 18 months in advance!

We recently spent some time together in Stratford for their engagement session. It was a really leisurely time together despite the cool and cloudy weather.   I really appreciated the opportunity to get to know them better before their wedding day.

Holly and Nathan: Anne and I look forward to your wedding next summer – and we know everything will run like clockwork!

If Holly and Nathan have given you access to their online gallery, please visit our home page at www.roelphoto.com and click on “online gallery.”

Anne and I had the pleasure this past winter of meeting Catherine and Stephen at the Bridal Expo in London, Ontario. We found out that they planned to get married in Mississauga, very close to where we lived prior to moving to Stratford.  And when they let us know that they wanted us to photograph their wedding … well, we were thrilled to hear the news.

Catherine started her morning getting ready at the Waterside Inn in Port Credit (where they also had their reception). After spending some time with her and the family, we then headed to St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Lorne Park – and stopped en route to visit Stephen at his family’s home.

Mother Nature did manage to cooperate with us for most of the day, so after the service, we went to visit Benares Historic House – a beautiful location where we decided to have a little fun.  Then finally, we went back to the Waterside Inn for their reception.

Catherine and Stephen:  you and your families are wonderful people and thank you again for kindness and the honour of photographing your wedding.  We enjoyed our day with you and we wish you lots and lots of love (and happiness) in your life together.

If Catherine and Stephen have given you access to their online gallery, please visit our home page at www.roelphoto.com and click on “online gallery.”

When Anne and I moved to Stratford, Ontario about 3 years ago, we knew that we would be geographically close to London – but we had no idea that we would be spending so much time there! We feel extremely fortunate as we have been warmly received by the people of London – and thrilled that most of our wedding clients are from there.

I met Joanna and her sister last winter at the London Bridal Expo … and shortly after the show, Joanna and Ryan hired us as their photographers for their wedding. Needless to say, we were thrilled when we heard the news.

I had the opportunity to spend some more time with them during their engagement session this summer – and in a few short months, their wedding day was upon us (isn’t it amazing how quickly time flies when you are planning a wedding?).

Joanna and Ryan were married at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London (a really beautiful church). Mother Nature was somewhat cooperative with us, and when the rain stopped after the family photos, we briefly headed out to Eldon House for a few (quick) shots with the bridal party.

We then arrived at the London Convention Centre for their reception. For those of you looking to host a large event, this is a great place.  The staff are extremely well organized, very professional and courteous. Not to forget, their catering staff really know how to serve a great meal!

Joanna and Ryan: Anne and I are honoured you chose us as your photographers and hope you had a really wonderful day. We wish you nothing but joy and happiness in your life together. BTW, I hope you had a couple Mai Tai’s for me in Hawaii!

If Joanna and Ryan have given you access to their online gallery, please visit our home page at www.roelphoto.com and click on “online gallery.”

It is hard to believe that fall is almost here!  And every fall, there are always many great bridal shows in London, Ontario.

We recently exhibited at the London Fall Bridal Show – it was a great success.  On September 26th and 27th, we will also be exhibiting at the London Bridal Expo which is being held at the Western Fair Grounds.  There are lot of great ideas for those of you getting married soon – so come and check it out.

And if you do go, please stop by our booth and say hello!  We apologize that we are no longer accepting new clients for 2010 (as we have reached our maximum number of bookings for next year), however, if you are one of the first 100 people who mention this blog post when you stop by, Anne, Zeus, and I will have a little “something” for you.

p.s. Aren’t these great shoes? Hey, guys can appreciate great shoes too …

For the regular visitors of this site, you might have noticed something new in our online gallery – we now have a “Travel” section.

Anne and I have been really fortunate to travel quite a bit over the past couple of years.  We’ve seen some really great places and oddly enough, I happened to have a camera (or two) with us during our travels.  I sometimes post a few select shots on this blog and a few friends suggested that I make all of them accessible in my online gallery.  So, I have done exactly that.

If you would like to to visit the “Travel” section of our online gallery:

1. go to our home page, www.roelphoto.com
2. click on “online gallery”
3. once the gallery loads, you will see a screen similar to the image above
4. in the lower right hand corner, use the drop down menu (circled in red in the image above) and select “Travel”
5. you only need a valid email address to access the travel galleries – no password is required

I will upload more galleries as I get more time over the next few weeks.  And if any of you plan to visit any of the places we have seen and would like any information, please do not hesitate to contact us.