Posts Tagged ‘abbotsford wedding photographer’

richie & ashley: married

Monday, April 22nd, 2013

well, you’ve probably heard me refer to these two as the smiliest couple on the planet and they certainly didn’t disappoint on their wedding day.  it was raining pretty hard at times and they wouldn’t let it get them down, even after one of the groomsmen fell in the mud and was covered nearly from head to toe (i’m not even exaggerating) before i had taken a single picture of the wedding party.  thank the lord for dutch farmers and their big, empty unfinished barns!!

they are part of a big family and a tight knit farming community and it was pretty fun to hear all of the tales from both sides of wild driving and mischief making.  i knew there was a twinkle behind those smiles that told a bigger  story 🙂

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in weddings 4 Comments »

madisen & jeff: married

Sunday, April 14th, 2013

madisen and jeff.  i think they’d be okay with me just saying it: things happened pretty fast for them.   it seemed like i had just found out they were dating when i heard they were engaged.  i’m sure they’ve had their fair share of sideways looks when people heard their entire relationship can be dated back to less than a year ago.

but here’s the thing: who cares!!!

you can’t tell me it’s too fast when you see this man’s eyes well up with tears as his bride walks down the aisle toward him (even though he just saw her 5 minutes ago!!).  or when you see the look between them as they grip each other’s hands while it’s described what those hands will mean to them in the years to come.  or when you see them give each other a hard time or laugh themselves silly while they beat the crap out of dora/diego pinatas (long story). or when you hear the affirmations from friends and family that the two of them together was so. clearly. right.  it just was.

so cheers to you, my sweet friends…this is just the beginning!

thankfully the guys were super boring and always just stood there doing exactly what i asked them to.

jeff has spent the last year apprenticing a violin maker.  as a surprise, his mentor had a professional violinist come to the reception and play the violin jeff made.  it was pretty special.

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in weddings 5 Comments »

jaime & jon: engaged

Thursday, April 4th, 2013

the first time i met jaime and jon was at their engagement session and i don’t know if i’ve ever encountered such enthusiasm at a first meeting…especially from the future groom!  they are clearly so excited to be taking this step toward marriage, their joy is positively contagious.  i’m definitely looking forward to their summer wedding! 

Tags: , , ,
Posted in engagement pictures 4 Comments »

sukhi’s getting married

Tuesday, April 2nd, 2013

i love our old neighborhood!  we lived right across from the sikh temple and that first year we found ourselves swept up in the beauty of the surrounding community.  there’s a huge sikh festival in the fall where they celebrate their holy book and we were so eager to participate, but at that point no one knew us so everyone was curious about the “gori”(white woman) in the salwar.  i embraced the strange looks and began to make friends with our neighbors.  when the same parade came around the following year, i got the inside track as i was allowed to come and watch some of the morning food preparations on our street and get taste tests of all the best punjabi delights.

i was so ecstatic to hear of sukhi’s engagament in the fall and even more pleased when she invited me to attend and photograph some of the pre-wedding celebrations.  she and her family had lived next door and we had spent hot summer days hiding in the shade of the lane between our homes while she let my kids douse her with water.  best neighbor ever!

the week of the wedding, it’s customary to signal the beginning of the maiyan(a period of separation between the engaged couple) with a celebration at the bride’s home.  sukhi’s family joined together the night before the wedding to prepare her for marriage by performing the vatna and chuni ceremonies, which involve giving the bride an intricately embroidered veil as well as applying a special paste to her body.

it was such a beautiful thing to be a part of…to watch previous generations bestowing blessings and gifts on this woman who was about to start her own family.  thank you so much for welcoming me into this evening as one of your own!

sukhi’s mom is one of the most beautiful women i’ve ever met.  her smile is contagious and she is so warm and generous.

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in weddings 6 Comments »

2012: a year in pictures

Saturday, February 23rd, 2013

i was so conflicted about how to encapsulate an entire year of pictures into one blog post.  all business?  all personal?  some of both?  none of either?  and i don’t like picking “favourites” because the reality is that there are beautiful moments in every.single.session and to decide one is “better” than another…just doesn’t sit right with me.  so what you’re going to get is a little bit of everything.  a whole bunch of moments bundled up into 4 minutes of your day you will (hopefully) be happy to have witnessed.

2012 was full of “feeling”.  i grieved this year.  a lot.  i cried alone and with others and alone again.  i was conflicted in my spirit over why this life is the way it is and wondered how beautifully good people could suffer so much.

at the same time, i rejoiced.  like there was no tomorrow.  i got to witness the very first breaths of a sweet new life and be present as another was released back into the hands of her creator.  i got to see a million first steps as married couples bounced down the aisle and see the tears of joy as their parents freed them to start their own families.  i saw my own kids eager to start school and comforted them when they returned to me with scrapes and bruises of all kinds. i got to cuddle warm little bundles and wiggly toddlers and watch as moms and dads reluctantly let go of their child’s hands so they could take a few wobbly independent steps.  maybe not all of that sounds like rejoicing to you, but to me it represents joy of every kind…what moulds us and shapes us and challenges us and gives us hope for the future.  in a word: life.  what a year.

(the song is paper house by lisa hannigan)

if you watch this and are stirred; if you see these people and wish it was you in those pictures; if you trust me to walk alongside you and the ones you love while you dance and play and enjoy each others company, then you are my client.  you are the one i want to serve.  call me.  email me.  just don’t be a stranger.  i can’t wait to meet you.

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in baby pictures, engagement pictures, families, my family, weddings 19 Comments »

mika & rebecca: engaged

Thursday, February 14th, 2013

i know these two are spending today, a day to celebrate love, apart.  so as my gift to them, here’s a little reminder of a day they were together.  keeping each other warm, making each other laugh, reminiscing about first dates…a good day.

i loved rebecca’s story of how on their second date, he picked her up in what she determined to be a “junker” car and wondered why someone with a steady job couldn’t afford a more reliable vehicle.  it was only after a few months of dating that she began to notice all the stares and compliments that “junker” car got and realized it was actually what one might call a “classic”.

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in engagement pictures No Comments »

snowy winter wedding: nick & katie

Saturday, December 29th, 2012

it’s such a gift to watch two people fall in love…the first night katie came home after meeting nick she was all smiles and glow, but wouldn’t admit that she liked him.  soon enough the commitment was made and as everyone has said, we all knew the wedding day would come as these two weren’t the kind to enter into anything lightly.

you two are most certainly meant to be together.  can’t wait to be a witness to the continuation of your story!

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in weddings 6 Comments »

chris & mallory: married

Wednesday, November 21st, 2012

chris and mallory are delightful.  that’s the best word I can think of to describe them.  they are kind, they love their friends and family and they like to laugh.  they didn’t even mind when i poked fun at them every once in awhile and certainly weren’t afraid to dish it out either, which always makes for a fun day for me.

it was cold and beautiful and cold (did i say that already?), but we did our best to make quick work of the picture time so they could get back to enjoy the party awaiting them.

bless you in this beautiful journey you’re beginning together!

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in weddings 5 Comments »

abbotsford backyard wedding – daniel & chantal

Thursday, October 25th, 2012

it was a normal day, by all accounts, other than the fact the daniel had a nasty toothache.  he sauntered into the dental office, no idea that his whole world was about to change.  as he slowly regained consciousness coming out from under the influence of the anesthetic, the face of an angelic brunette appeared as if in a dream (picture the scene from little mermaid when prince eric is waking up on the beach after ariel saved his life…i’m pretty sure it was exactly like that).  what was he to do?  he couldn’t just let this sweet princess slip away, never to be seen again. coffee. yes, everyone likes coffee, right?  and so began their courtship…from the dental chair to the altar. (based on a true story.  emphasis on “based” i.e. the majority of the details above are not factual).

special thanks to the incredible ladies over at spruce collective for opening up their space to use when it was POURING rain.  go check out their store, full of vintage and handmade delights.  stay tuned…i just might be doing a little giveaway for this sweet shop on the weekend to honor the increasing fan count on my facebook page!

Tags: , , ,
Posted in weddings No Comments »

mallory & chris: engaged

Monday, September 17th, 2012

if there is one thing these two are going to do a lot of, it’s laughing.  they laughed because they were uncomfortable having their picture taken.  they laughed at chris’s awkward jokes.  they laughed even as we were getting kicked out of a corn field.  carry the laughter with you into marriage, chris and mallory.  as friends of mine just said after being surprised that they were not only having a fourth child, but a fifth as well (twins!!), “sometimes all you can do is just laugh”.  true dat.

Tags: ,
Posted in engagement pictures 3 Comments »