2012 is going to be an amazing year.

I’m lucky enough to be friends with both the bride and groom and I was more than thrilled with the opportunity to photograph their wedding with Shaun.  They are both so much fun to be around, and I felt honoured to be asked.  Shaun’s had the opportunity to photograph a couple other tropical destination weddings before, but it was going to be my first crack at it.

Spending an entire week with close friends and family is some-kinda-wonderful.  Especially when everyone got along as well as this group did.  Adventures in the sun, sand, ocean, and discotheque were abundant, and waterpolo at 4pm was an obvious crowd favourite.  What a great way to have a holiday with all of your favourite people.  Typically after a full day photographing a wedding with a couple and their families, Shaun and I walk away feeling like we’ve made new friends.  But, after a week with Joyce and Derek’s friends and family, we were blown away by how wonderful our new collection of friends were.

They lucked out with excellent weather, having only one day with some rain.  The day of the wedding went by so smoothly. Warm, sunny, breezy, and fun.  After a beautiful morning ceremony on the beach, we spent the day photographing the couple and bridal party throughout the resort, stopping for as many drinks and snacks as were needed though.  Joyce and Derek were up for anything.  It was awesome!  Next up was the poolside reception.  It was beautiful and cozy.  Just the way it should be.  After an ah-mazing dinner and some lovely speeches came the dancing.  I must say, there were some excellent dance moves pulled out and after shutting the pool bar down for the night, we headed out for more dancing at the discotheque.

Thank you so much for including us in your destination wedding plans.  We had a wonderful time.

Here are just a sampling of some of our favourite pictures.

- Steph

Coming from two incredibly warm families, its no wonder these two are lovely and lead such rich lives surrounded by family and friends.  They both have groups of friends that have all known each other for years!  The kind of friends that will be there for the rest of their lives.  It felt like everyone was family.

We had so much fun with this bridal party.  They were all so friendly and easy going it felt like all we had to do was pick the location to sit them in and let them chill.

A beautiful reception was held at the Radisson, and the room looked wonderful thanks to the craftiness of the bridal party.  After dinner, speeches, and a slide show that had the loudest ooh’s and ahh’s for a baby boy that I’ve ever heard , Rob from Nuance Sound started up the dance party!

Thanks for including us in your wedding day!

- Steph

The ceremony and tea ceremony were held at the beautiful Oasis Conference centre and we were able to take a few pictures in the garden out back before heading off to a few other locations.   It is always fun to incorporate locations that not only photograph well, but also carry some meaning for the couple.  Edmonton’s Wild Flower Restaurant was where Harvey took Mahory on their first date.  They arranged for us to spend some time in the restaurant that afternoon too!

After being treated to a few hours of portrait time we headed back to Cha for Tea Palace to enjoy a ten course chinese dinner!  Two words for you: Delicious & Full.  Never have I been so full.

The evening was wonderful.  Friends and family had travelled from all over to enjoy the night.  The speeches, hugs, and conversations were filled with laughter and warmth.  In keeping with tradition, the couple along with their parents went around to every table and did a shot of Hennessey XO with their guests before they joined everyone on the dance floor, with Faz from Alicat’s for the rest of the night.

We had a great night, staying late to dance with everyone was awesome, and we truly appreciated feeling so welcomed.

Congratulations again.

Steph

And on their wedding day his smile was even bigger.

Linda looked stunning!  She radiated all kinds of beauty as she came down the steps to meet Raad.  Both of their families were there to celebrate the event.

After an afternoon of portraits at the University and Art Gallery of Alberta, with the ridiculously fun bridal party we headed to a gorgeous reception at the Shaw Conference Centre.  The Room looked incredible and guests were treated to an amazing meal and a night full of dancing.

The whole day was wonderful, but I’d have to say my favorite part were the speeches again.  When people have the opportunity to share the love.

It is the time of the day when we’ve been shooting for about 10 hours and the feet are starting to scream at me, but it doesn’t matter because I’m only thinking about how wonderful these two people are for each other.

Congratulations again,

- Steph

I arrived to find Sam enjoying some champagne while having her make-up done.  All the girls were at Sam’s sister’s place getting ready. Sam was more than a little excited to start the day.  She had also kept her wedding dress a surprise from almost everyone so I had to sneak into the room early to photograph it.  It was an exquisite dress and matched her bridesmaids’ chiffon dresses perfectly.  Every detail was thought of, prairie flowers, her memere’s jewlery to wear, along with a gift from Joseph. The girls wore necklaces Sam had given them.  Everyone looked stunning.  The guys were looking pretty stellar too.

In order to ensure all six bridesmaids and the bride looked stunning… it take some time.  Even with careful planning, it’s bound to take some extra time.  If a bride and groom were to take one piece of advice from this wedding it should be that even if the timing doesn’t seem to go your way, it doesn’t mean the day wont be absolutely incredible!

Sam and Joe actually had quite a few unseeable hiccups along the way.  One being that the only road leading to the chosen location among the pines was flooded three days before the wedding!  They had to haul in rig mats to allow for trucks to get through with their guests.  It was definitely worth it though.  The ceremony was full of everything that was important to the couple.  They had their pastor lead the ceremony and a justice of the peace was there to make it official.  They had a friend play the music, and there were hymns specifically chosen to commemorate those who had passed on.  It was obvious how important family and friends are to them.

For us, spending the day with a ridiculously fun bridal party, having a bride who was so easy going and adventurous (she even kissed a frog), having a couple who is 100% head over heals for each other and having the opportunity to taking photographs in Bonnyville’s natural surroundings, including Joseph’s grandfather’s farmstead… it was a dream come true.

After the portrait session portion of the day, we headed to the beautifully decorated hall to enjoy a full on traditional Ukrainian dinner.  (Shaun and I even had our romantic table for two reserved for us).  It was an amazing night, so many friends had gathered together to help make it incredible.  There were homemade cupcakes, a friend made their beautiful cake and a fantastic photo booth was put together.  Thanks for a wonderful day and Congratulations once again!

- Steph

After the ceremony at St Matthews church, Gord and Talia took them to a variety of locations for the formal pictures.  Its always great to include personal touches throughout the day, so they started out with the Old Strathcona Street Car because of Robert’s grandfather’s connection to the trains.  Next they headed downtown for some fun urban portraits at the AGA, which is always a treat for photographers to use for portraits.  Gord said he was impressed with the bridal party.  Everyone was a ton of fun, and they were up for anything, even when they were out of time.

The Reception was held in the beautiful Delta Centre Suite downtown where after some emotional speeches the group got to dance it up to some NKOTB and some other fun songs.

Here are a few of our favourite images from the day.  Congratulations Jennifer and Robert.

- Steph

Michelle and Katie from Behind the Scenes Events coordinated the event. They were on hand for anything and everything, helping to make sure the day went without a hitch.  Everything and everyone looked incredible.  Jennifer’s hair was done by her hairstylist from home who has been doing her hair since she was five years old.  Make up was done by the talented Lauren from High Gloss, and the flowers were gorgeous! And as always the Shaw Conference centre’s Riverview Room looked amazing with aqua blue accents for their reception.

We were treated to the whole afternoon for formal pictures with the bridal party.  They even had time for a break at Mc Donalds… where we snagged a whole section to ourselves to dine.  Jennifer was so cute, she decided to stash a cheeseburger in her clutch for later… you know just in case there wasn’t enough food at the incredible dinner they were serving their guests later in the evening.

The Fijian dinner was delicious, and after some hilarious speeches from family and friends, Jennifer treated Kumar to a surprise.  She arranged for a couple of dancers to perform for everyone.  It was beautiful.  Once the official dance started, it never stopped.  People flooded the dance floor to strut their stuff.

Congratulations Jen and Kumar!  Thanks for including us in your day.

Steph

From there, it was off to Fort Edmonton Park!  The locations there are always fun for bridal portraits.  Lise and Brian’s ceremony and reception were held back to back at Egge’sBarn.  The party was relaxed and fun, just like the couple.  They served a vegetarian dinner and the decor had a Dia de los Muertos (Mexican Day of the Dead) theme that was headlined by the beautiful cake topped with Calaveras (sugar skulls).

Congratulations again.  Here are some images of the day.

The guys looked dapper in grey, and the girls looked stunning (Dao helped a little in this department). Sarah wore a 50′s inspired dress and rocked a stellar Marcel hair wave. As we walked down Whyte Avenue for the formal pictures, people literally stopped in the streets to oooh and aaahh.

They had their ceremony and delicious cocktail, cappuccino, gelato, reception at the Transalta Arts Barns. Emilie from Nuance Occasions was there to keep things rolling smoothly, the place looked incredible, the googie decor was incorporated throughout the whole day, the attire and even the drinks.  But the day was made truly incredible because of how great Sarah and Andy are together. It was one of those ceremonies that inspires and reminds those invited what marriage is all about. Friends sang and read excerpts from ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’, ‘Generation X’ and ‘Numb3rs’. They exchanged handwritten vows, listing off the different admirable characteristics they shared for each other. They’re pretty happy with each other.

The reception was full of excitement. After some tasty treats provided by D’lish catering, people danced to the musical talents of the Provincial Archive and HOT Club Edmonton! We were treated to fancy signature drinks, a cappuccino bar and homemade GELATO…as well as a surprise when Sarah squeezed into her Ukrainian red boots from high school to perform a dance for Andy and the crowd. There was a DIY sparkle infused photobooth keeping people entertained and glittered. At some point I think a few actual ‘wedding crashers’ from the next door’s swinging dance party showed up to show off a little. It was a crazy fun time.

But dancing skills, good taste in food, and looking good in glitter aren’t the only qualities Sarah and Andy share. They’re also very caring people. The day after their wedding they held an amazing event. Wedhead. She shaved her head to raise money for Cancer and Andy fully supported it. Her gorgeous, thick black hair was donated to Angel Hair for Kids.

Wedhead was inspired by friends and family who were not able to celebrate the wedding, by those who have beaten cancer, and by those who continue the fight. They raised over $17,000.00! You can read a little about some of the reasons they chose to support the Canadian Cancer Society here! We included a few of the images from the event.

Here is a list of all the vendors that helped make this happen

FLOWERS!! – obviously the La Piazza Dasee
Espresso – Senorita Margarita

Stationary - Pinkpolka
Bolero - Alexandra Grecco
Origami doves - Made By Jo (Vancouver)  entirely JANINE’S brainwave.
Atomic starbursts on tabletops - Tiffzippy
Wedding Bands - Titanium Knights
Bracelets - Rose of the Mire
Bridesmaids’ Clutches - Made By Hank
Veil - Twigs & Honey
Andy’s Bicycle Cufflinks - Bathtub Jungle (custom made, but now they’re a regular item in her shop)
Girls’ Flats - The Generation (Canada)
Bridesmaids’ atomic starburst earrings - Kustom Kitsch
Custom Hanger - Lila Frances
Andy’s Suit – Jaafar’s Tailor (Calgary)
Bride’s Dress – Melissa Sweet Fiesole (secondhand)

Steph

PS: Does she not look like Demi Moore did!?

On July 9th (one of the rainiest Saturdays of the year so far!), after 7 years of dating, and a two year engagement, Bryce and Amy were officially welcomed into each other’s family. By the closeness and excitement of these two families, anybody could tell that they already were.

Amy looked stunning as she walked down the aisle towards Bryce and any nerves that were there before, vanished as they stood up together and shared their vows. The Ceremony took place at St Andrews United Church and as soon as it was over the rain cleared up, giving us so sunshine for family pictures in the field across the street. If it weren’t for the crazy mosquitoes, it would have been perfect. (thanks for trooping it out with us). Because of the rain, we’d already picked an indoor location to use so we were able to escape the swarming pests for most of the formal portraits. Then we headed to Ceili’s for a drink to relax a bit before the reception. With the bridal party totalling 14, the day was non-stop entertainment.

The reception was held at the Dutch Canadian Centre and it looked incredible inside. Amy’s mom Shelly had created much of the fabulous decor by hand! After dinner, a cowboy’s poetry reading and some emotional speeches (seriously..Amy’s dad had the entire room in tears!), the dancing started and I dont think it ended till they needed to close up.

Thanks for including us in your wedding day. We were happy to be able to celebrate with your two families!

- Steph

We spent the afternoon taking photographs around the University, Alberta Provincial Museum, and Emily Murphy Park before heading back to the Faculty Club for the reception.  Once again, the speeches were my favorite part.  Both families were so excited to be officially welcoming in a new family member.  They were filled with pride and adoration of the couple, and peppered with so many jokes I found my self laughing so hard I almost forgot to take a picture.

Alishia and Eric created an ipod playlist that kept the dance floor going all night.  People of all ages were busting moves.  Some of which I’d never seen before… I also had to keep my eye on one of the little girls.  She had her eye on Shaun all night and even asked him to dance.

Thanks for including us in your wedding day. Congratulations and all the best

- Steph

There were more than a few reasons that Shaun and I were excited for this wedding.  Firstly, it was a Ukrainian wedding at St John’s Ukrainian-Greek Orthodox Church.  This was the church that Shaun grew up attending Sunday School and Ukrainian Dancing at.  And this also meant that there was going to be Ukrainian Food!!! Great Ukrainian food.  St. John’s puts on one of the best Pyrohy suppers in the city, and we were blessed with a fantastic feast.  But more importantly, we were excited to see Joanna and Travis get married.  They are great.  They have one of those relationships the movies try to capture.  One where they are best friends and always beaming with happiness.  The joy was palpable the entire day.  During the speeches, Joanna would smile at Travis continually.  Even though I knew I had caught it numerous times, I couldn’t stop taking a picture of it.  I think I got it at least 20 times.  I will point it out to you later in the post.  The biggest smile might have happened while we were being told how wonderful and caring Travis is… he cares so much, about everything.  Even plastic plants, which apparently need watering too.  Hehe.

We had a great day with everyone.  The weather turned out to be gorgeous and the reception was a blast.  Especially with the Playboys playing the important Ukrainian music along with the requisite polkas, oldies and country standards.  They even had a close friend sing their first dance to them, which as we all know is a perfect way to start your life together.

- Steph

This is just one of the images I was referring to earlier

To add to the personal touch, Brenna’s brother performed a personalized ceremony for them at the Tucker Theater at the Citadel. Having done this at our wedding, we understand the importance of having a close family member play such an important role in the ceremony.

Brenna was a fan of our previous indoor wedding sessions and had suggested a few locations for their wedding. We started out at Commerce Place, then over to Marble Slab for some super delicious ice cream, and then to NAIT for a few more images.

The reception was full of tear inducing speeches, flying butterflies, yummy food, and dancing. Brenna and Mason also reluctantly received the passing of a family heirloom referred to as “The other woman”. We will leave it at that.

And for the second wedding in a row, Flashworks photobooth was on site to provide some great entertainment for the guests, and also for the couple. All guests were asked to create a scrapbook page with a copy of their photostrip.

It was a great kickoff to the busy season of weddings, and we look forward to the rest of the season. Congratulatios Brenna and Mason!

-The Scade’s