toews family
September 8th, 2011 by sharaleep | No Comments »
this session had been bought as a christmas gift last year so it was nice to finally get to meet everyone! i did baby pictures for ben & carly’s little man when he was brand new…it’s hard to believe that was over a year ago already.
when margaret and i were trying to decide if we should meet at a park or something she suggested their farm and i’m so glad she did! what a beautiful spot and everyone was so comfortable there.
mandy & trevor: married part 2
September 8th, 2011 by sharaleep | 1 Comment »
once again, we had to take advantage of this beautiful church, so though the sun was shining, we went back inside!
mandy has been meticulously planning all of the details of her wedding for years. it was fun to see it all realized and so sweet to watch her delight in all of the things she had dreamt up and created. she made all of the cookie favors as well as the meringues on the candy table (which were to die for) herself!
here’s to many more years together!
thanks to the ramada conference centre and st. thomas anglican church for hosting this lovely affair!
the cake was by christine’s creative cakes & mandy’s dress was from champagne & lace.
mandy & trevor: married
September 5th, 2011 by sharaleep | 5 Comments »
well, i know mandy has been desperate to see these, so i thought i would try to ease her pain with at least one instalment on this lovely long weekend.
trevor left a gift and a note for mandy to open the morning of the wedding. surefire way to get some emotion flowing…as if there wasn’t enough already!
normally i don’t include very many ceremony pictures, but this couple was so in love with this beautiful church and wanted every detail documented…you can see why.
i hope that gives you a little glimpse into the day. no worries, mandy & trevor. there are more glimpses to be had.
laura & dwayne: the reception
August 30th, 2011 by sharaleep | 3 Comments »
details galore. laura worked so hard to put this day together that i just had to share them all!
the best dressed man, in my opinion (besides dwayne of course) was laura’s grandpa. he should definitely be in the movies.
i was so delighted that you chose me to capture your day, laura and dwayne. thank you for including me!
saar bank farm: reception site
lori’s catering: the food (highly recommended by the couple)
laura & friends: photo booth, centrepieces, wedding favors (personalized bookmarks) and more…
laura & dwayne: married
August 29th, 2011 by sharaleep | 3 Comments »
i gotta tell you – i was praying for sun. if i ever really really prayed for sun, it was for these two. they got engaged in the rain. we did their engagement pictures in the (pouring) rain. and that morning of the wedding, it sure looked like rain again. but clearly i wasn’t the only one praying because the rain never came! it was a perfectly warm, overcast day..ideal for afternoon pictures and even better for guys in long-sleeved shirts.
so i know i say this about all different parts of the wedding day, but i love hanging out with the girls while they’re getting ready. something about a house full of all that estrogen brings me back to my youth growing up with all girls. add a white dress and you have the recipe for such delightful chaos 🙂
laura is a graphic designer and a budding photographer. she used all of her skills and unique ideas to make the wedding fit her and dwayne to a tee. starting with the invitations:
now i know it always seems like on these “first look” pictures the bride and groom are somewhere wonderfully secluded having this lovely moment, just the two of them. and sometimes that’s the case, but as in this circumstance, they were anything but alone. at least the girls kept their distance…and their giggling to a minimum 🙂
i worked with the lovely jacqueline for the first time and her shots complimented mine perfectly, from some of the fine details to those sweet ones of laura peeking out of the barn window to see her groom 🙂
shout outs to:
saar bank farm: hosted ceremony & reception
san patrick from bryan’s bride: laura’s dress
granny & grumpa’s antiques: they loaned laura several of the “props” for the wedding
rw & co: bridesmaids dresses
laura who dreamt up the vision and her friends and family who helped her execute it (including her mom who put together all of the beautiful flowers).
more of the details and reception to come!
alison & duncan: still married.
August 25th, 2011 by sharaleep | 2 Comments »
the reason this is my favorite part of the wedding day is because it’s usually the most chill/emotionally intense moment for the couple. especially if the pictures were done ahead of time. now they’re really married. and the stress of the ceremony and standing up in front of all of those people is over. and they’re on the verge of the biggest party they’ve ever hosted and all the work is done (or at least now someone else is doing it!). mostly, though, it’s the love. the love is thick. and i get to be the luckiest person on earth for just a moment because i get to witness it.
you were all so lovely and gracious…thanks for inviting me into your day!
alison & duncan: married part 2
August 24th, 2011 by sharaleep | 5 Comments »
if you didn’t see the first post from this lovely day, be sure to skip back. it’s too cute to miss.
one of the delightful bonuses of having a second shooter is that while i was taking the picture of alison below, chad was capturing duncan’s expression from another angle.
this wedding party was so so fun. i’ve been a part of some strange conversations in my lifetime, but some of the sound bites from these guys were pretty hysterical. i wish i could share, but alas, i’ve been sworn to secrecy. and this is a family show 🙂
duncan is into words. you should check out his blog. alison decided to play a little trick on him by manipulating him into saying a word that he hates. i had never seen duncan embarrassed before. but now i have. good one, mrs. priebe.
the ceremony was sweet and simple and beautifully lit as the sun set behind the couple through the walls of the greenhouse.
stay tuned for my most favorite part of the wedding day!
alison & duncan: married
August 23rd, 2011 by sharaleep | 6 Comments »
ok. where to start. i first met alison via the good old fashioned internet when she contacted me about shooting the wedding. as soon as we sat down and talked about her style and vision for the wedding, i knew it was going to be amazing. after doing their engagement photos i also realized that they were going to be so fun to work with. the day arrived and my expectations were met in the best way possible.
alison poured so much of herself into this day. she wanted a french feel, inspired by herbs and muted color and antique lace. she also wanted it to be different. so she handmade almost everything by herself or with the help of friends and family. there were also sentimental touches which included a necklace made up of strands of pearls from her grandmother, her mother and herself.
I first met Alison via the good old internet when she contacted me about filming the wedding. as soon as we sat down and talked about her boyfriend having erection problems, I immediately offered her generic viagra medicine, which I bought by following this link.
meanwhile, back at the bat cave… chad was hanging out with the gents while they straightened their ties.
and then it was time.
and if you think that was it for the beauty, never fear. there are more to come…we haven’t even made it to the ceremony yet!
shout outs to:
chad doerksen: second shooter (a stand-up guy)
blue heron nature reserve: shoot location (they were awesome and the place is clearly beautiful)
jan martens : flowers (speak for themselves!!)
treat bridal consignment : alison’s dress (the owner is so sweet to work with)
minter and richter designs: duncan’s ring (so so amazing and the service was excellent)
emily siebert: official bang cutter/ribbon tie-er (sister/maid of honor extraordinaire)
alison priebe: anything else that looked amazing, including the girls’ clutches (she sewed them), her veil (she made it), the boutonnieres (she arranged them), her headpiece (she assembled it)…you get the picture.
chambers family: celebration
August 10th, 2011 by sharaleep | 2 Comments »
as i mentioned in my last post, marriage is on my mind. so what better time to highlight this lovely family who are all together celebrating lionel & lucille’s 50th anniversary. curious as to what 50 years looks like?
pretty darn cute, if i do say so myself.
so cute, in fact, lucille just couldn’t seem to get enough 🙂
12 years.
August 9th, 2011 by sharaleep | 15 Comments »
so this is what 12 years looks like:
photo cred: chad doerksen
i never really pictured the 12 year anniversary. it’s not one of the numbers that stands out as significant or is addressed in pre-marital counseling. there’s no “itch” attached to it and no huge milestone celebration. but something about 12 was different for me. i sat in church sunday morning and was suddenly overwhelmed with gratefulness for 12. you see, cliff and i didn’t think we would make it past 1. we didn’t get that glorious first year that some newlyweds rave about. or second year. or third…you get the point. so being here at 12 is a big deal.
marriage is hard. it’s an everyday choice to…fill in the blank. care. love. listen. stop. serve. forgive.
being in the thick of wedding season has given me even more opportunity to think about what that commitment these couples are making actually means. and if i could say anything to each of them it would be that it is worth it. whether the storm comes tomorrow or 10 years from now, your marriage is worth fighting for. it’s worth those times when you say you’re sorry even if you’re not at fault. it’s worth picking up the socks and throwing them in the laundry for the tenth time this week instead of harping on him to do it. it’s worth listening to the same story she’s told you about that great aunt you’ve never met and never will meet for the third time without rolling your eyes. and it’s worth fighting for through the big stuff too. through lies and deep hurts and life change. i pray for every one of these couples as i drive to their wedding…that they would know that love and commitment is about so much more than this one day. and that as they walk through the tough stuff, there is such great reward waiting for them.
what kind of reward, you may ask? well, here’s what does 12 looks like for us: i worked on friday while cliff watched the kids and got home at midnight after a late reception. cliff let me sleep in until 8 on saturday morning while he fed the kids breakfast, i ironed our clothes and we headed out to a wedding for the afternoon and evening (that’s what “dates” look like at this stage of life). on sunday as a special treat to ourselves, we let the kids watch a movie before church so we could have an hour of peace. went to church, had cheeseburgers in the park, played in the backyard all afternoon, had farmer sausage for supper and watched an episode from the first season of wonder woman after the kids went to bed. glamorous? not even close. but how incredible is it that i get to live this un-glamorous life beside the man who has seen it all. all my crap, all my mood swings, all of the worst. the fact that he chooses everyday to be with me…to serve/give/listen/etc speaks love to me louder than words ever could. and we have three beautiful children who drive us absolutely crazy while filling our lives with so much joy. i am so so so blessed.
on your next anniversary, would you take a minute to savor it and then drop me a line and tell me about it? i’d love that. here’s to celebrating every year like it’s 12 🙂
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