Jan 23, 2012 | Uncategorized
Today is a big day! I’m finally getting around to posting some music headshots I did for the talented and lovely Veronica Noade last summer. I was waiting to get a sample of her music before blogging her photos, and before I knew it, the photos had been sitting on the back burner for way longer than I had expected! So without further ado… here she is: Veronica Noade. She’s a unique blend of house, jazz and pop. And her music is now online, check it out here! And what’s even better is that our second photo session for her next album is schedule for next week. She approached me with a great vision for her next shoot and I can’t wait to get creative with her! In the mean time, here are her photos from our last session, with new ones coming up real soon. (feel free to say hi to her on facebook too!)
Jan 19, 2012 | Uncategorized
Almost end of January and I’m so behind in blogging! I still have lots of images from 2011 that still need to be blogged, so I’m working on catching up so that I don’t fall too far behind! Roger and his parents came over to my studio for a fun little shoot, and what a treasure he is! Big bright smile and the cutest eyes that’ll melt your heart. He’s such a sweetie! And his mom and dad know it well. We all love this little guy. 🙂
Jan 11, 2012 | Uncategorized
Winter weddings in Winnipeg aren’t common, but when they happen, I sure do love the photography experience! It’s always a challenge to find locations that’ll work with the unpredictably cold weather. Thankfully for Naomi and Nick, this year has been unusually warm and we were able to spend a good amount of time on our outdoor photos. I was also excited about going to a new indoor location that I hadn’t used before for weddings: the University of Winnipeg. Not only did the locations and weather turn out great, but Naomi and Nick are one of the warmest, friendliest people around and it certainly shows by the family and friends that surround them. They also have a great sense of style and know how to look good in any kind of light! And I have to say Naomi’s family has great taste in music – during the getting ready photos at Naomi’s house, the Sufjan Stevens Christmas album could be heard in the background. How great is that?? It’s exactly what I’ve been listening to at home during the holidays!
Naomi and Nick – enjoy the many years ahead as you treasure the love you have… it’s real and it’s big, and it’s so wonderful to see! Thank you so much for making me a part of your day and I hope to see you guys again soon!
Jan 1, 2012 | Uncategorized
Happy new year everyone! 2011 came and went and although we are fresh into 2012, I’m still looking back at my 2011 wedding photography season. Yesterday I blogged my favourite photos, and today I’m blogging some of the most memorable moments of last year’s weddings. A lot of these photos never made it to the blog, so today I’m excited to be able to share some of the stories and moments that make weddings so memorable. (most of these were picked because they either made me laugh, cry or say, “aaaaaaw!”)
We took photos of Adrienne and Steve before their ceremony so we set up a “first look” photo moment to capture them as they saw each other for the first time. I particularly loved this first look because their son was nearby watching them. It was just so cuuuute! Totally made my heart melt, so I just had to share this moment with you.
When I first arrived at Kyla’s hotel room on the morning of her wedding to take getting-ready photos, she was having a private moment in the bedroom reading a letter that her soon-to-be-husband Darrin had given her. As I was peeking around the door I could tell this letter was a little more than just a simple “I love you, I can’t wait to marry you” type letter. There were about 2 or 3 hand-written pages that she was carefully reading as she was wiping tears away. It wasn’t until after the wedding when I was editing the photos that I had the idea of blending part of his letter into some of their wedding photos. They agreed to share snippets from the letter, and I was delighted to be able to combine this eloquently-written love letter into their wedding photos. Here is my favourite one:
This might be more of an outtake, but it makes me laugh every time I see it! Here’s Adrienne and Steve’s son, once again, stealing the show. I guess the ceremony was kind of boring to him, so he decided to take a little rest in the middle of the floor. That little guy just cracks me up! What a character. I love him to bits.
Remember Lisa & Neil’s ceremony on the beach? As picturesque as it was, it was interrupted by a slight mishap. In the middle of the short ceremony, the officiant dropped one of the rings into the sand! The ceremony was halted and everyone there started carefully sifting through the sand to try to find it. After about 10 or 15 minutes of digging (which seems like an eternity when the ceremony is only supposed to be about 7 minutes long!), the ring was finally found by none other than the groom himself! Yay!
Of course, I took pictures of all of this, in between helping dig in the sand too. That definitely counts as one very memorable moment. Getting married in the sand is a little trickier than you might think! 🙂
Meet Flint! The most good-looking dog I’ve ever seen in a tux! (hard to see, as he’s walking running down the aisle to bring his owners’ rings to them) I loved that Megan and Jeremy included their favourite buddy in their ceremony. He definitely put a lot of smiles on people’s faces that day, and I was happy to be able to take even more photos of him. Flint and I are even Facebook friends now! I love it. (you may remember Flint from these photos)
This was taken right after Julie & Sean’s wedding ceremony. I particularly loved this moment because I had never seen a bride’s mother and aunts soooo exuberantly happy! Julie’s mom and aunts are Italian and full of life, laughter and love – I couldn’t understand the language, but I could definitely see the emotions – lots of happy tears and big hugs and kisses. Aaaaaw! 🙂
I guess the funny-faces happen a lot more than I realize! Of course, these photos rarely make the blog post (or the wedding album), but they’re definitely fun. I had to share these two. Oh yes, you gotta have a little fun in the middle of your formal photos, right?
It’s kind of hard to share with you how beautiful the hymnal singing was during Naomi & Nick’s wedding ceremony, but I just had to share it anyway. This was from December 29th’s wedding, and I thought it was just so lovely. Their Mennonite church definitely knows how to put on some great singing. Complete with a music director on stage, the whole congregation took part in some multiple-harmony parts for a beautiful rendition of their wedding ceremony hymns. I almost wanted to put down my camera and join in with them!
I bet you remember this photo! I had been anticipating the big reveal of Laura & Chris’ cake for almost a year, having met their cake artist the summer before and hearing rumours of how great this was going to be. It certainly turned out even better than I could have ever imagined! Nina from the Cake Studio did a great job at tying in their love of football into their wedding cake! How awesome is THAT?!
One of the most memorable father/daughter relationships of last year was the one that Crystal shared with her dad. His speech to her nearly had me in tears and then seeing them dance together was so heart-warming. Just one look at their faces and it says it all.
Mario wrote a special song for Valérie and played it for her during their wedding ceremony. The words were up on the screen and I don’t think there was a single dry eye in the church that day, including myself, of course. It was written in French and was just about as poetic and lovely as a love song could ever be (and everything just sounds better in French!). There were many photos of Valérie, crying, smiling, but I loved this one the best, as she took in the moment. Beautiful and unforgettable.
Ok, how CUTE is this?? One of the most memorable moments from Charity and Sam’s wedding is when we were able to snap a picture of this cuteness… Charity and her little nieces with the red Chinese umbrellas. Such sweetness. Charity is one lucky aunt!
I think I have hundreds of photos of Kyla’s veil… because it almost stole the show on her wedding day (good thing Kyla was drop-dead gorgeous because instead, she stole the show). This veil was her mother’s wedding veil and so being able to wear it on her own wedding day was something very special. Not only that, but it was also a super long veil and Kyla told me ahead of time that she wanted lots of veil shots. To which I said of course! I love doing veil shots, but if there’s no wind it can get a little tricky. So we had a few veil-flufferer volunteers (bridesmaids and Duncan my second photographer). Yes, veil-fluffering is the official term.
Who needs a “just married” getaway car when you have a fancy motor boat at the lake! We ended the afternoon with a cruise around Joanne’s dad’s lakefront property. I was in a second boat while Joanne and Sam rode in her father’s boat. You can’t see him, but my second photographer Duncan is ducking somewhere in there. He got a few shots of them, but when they’d come near my boat for a few more photos I’d signal to Duncan to duck so I could take some photos of them without him being seen. So much fun! And what a picture-perfect day for a wedding boat ride! Look at the beautiful water!!!
Yes, I get super excited about fun shadows when it comes to photography. Especially when it’s the walking-into-the-sunset type of shadows! Amber and Matt finished their wedding afternoon with some lovely photos as the sun was getting nearer to setting. These are definitely some of my favourite moments of a wedding: the time I have alone with the couple to take some romantic photos in the beautiful glow of late-afternoon sun.
Ah yes, Laura & Chris’ wedding party. What more can I say? They were a hoot, and it was awesome to see everyone having such a great time. I love this photo. (and it made it into their wedding album. love love.)
Sometimes, summertime in Winnipeg gets a little hot. Here we have one of Crystal’s bridesmaids elegantly taking in the cool river breeze. I was busy taking bridal photos of Crystal when this was happening behind me. Sometimes it pays to steal a quick glance behind one’s shoulder. You never know what kind of photos are waiting for you!
I just love this photo! As the guests were entering the reception hall, I took a picture of each one of them. One of my favourites is of Katie & Graham’s minister who had married them earlier that day. He performed a lovely ceremony and I was glad to be able to capture such a great portrait of him!
Oh, and this one was pretty good too – of all the lovely ladies from Katie’s family!
This might be a subtle moment, but one that marks well the loveliness of Kim and Ryan’s wedding. This is one of her many “I love you” winks to her soon-to-be-husband. Aaaaaw! 🙂
Happy new year everyone, and to all my 2012 wedding clients, I can’t wait to share many more memorable moments with you too!
Gabrielle Touchette Photography
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Oct 30, 2011 | Uncategorized
A few weeks ago I was out in southern Manitoba for a couple photo sessions, one of them being this lovely family. Kara contacted me earlier that month and asked about family photos – she mentioned having an awesome farmyard location near Altona, as well as a super cute 6-month-old baby, and I just couldn’t wait for the photo shoot after that!
I met up with Kara and her family at a gorgeous property owned by a pottery artist – I have to say, it was a photographer’s paradise! So many wonderful locations and of course, with a beautiful family like theirs, the photo opportunities were endless. Unfortunately, we were all on a Thanksgiving weekend schedule, and it had to eventually come to an end – but not before getting a ton of great images. What a warm, friendly family – it was such a delight to have crossed paths and I’m looking forward to more photo sessions with them in the future! Thank you guys for this great family photo session, I had a lot of fun!
(oh, and speaking of artists – you must check out Kara’s dad’s website. He’s a painter and his work totally blew me away. Love it! www.stevepennerartist.com)
Oct 30, 2011 | Uncategorized
Last night I had the absolute delight to photograph Kim and Ryan‘s wedding – it was far from the ordinary wedding, and I liked it! Short black wedding dress, a big wedding party full of bright colours and the best part: an outdoor night photo session! It took a bigger team than usual to pull this off in the small window of time we had, so I have to say a big thanks to my second photographer Denley and to my lovely assistant Lisa for helping me out. I couldn’t have done it without you guys!
Kim asked me to post a sneak peek today before they whisk off to somewhere really far and really warm… so this is for you Kim. Of course, many more photos will come when you come back to Winnipeg. Enjoy the honeymoon you two lovebirds!
Oct 26, 2011 | Uncategorized
More photos to come soon, but for now, a little sneak peek. I had a ton of fun with these guys – such a great duo. I can’t wait for the big day! (but I also can’t wait to post more of these photos!) Soon soon…
Oct 22, 2011 | Uncategorized
My idea of a fun Friday evening? Dropping off my baby daughter at my parents’ so that I can go and have fun with some new photography gear! I rounded up a few friends and my husband to be my models and we headed to the banks of the Red River and to the famous Esplanade Riel foot bridge here in Winnipeg. I timed the shoot so it would be during sundown and I pulled out my new lights to get a great mix of natural light and artificial light. The results? Awesome! I was so focused on my lighting and composition that I did a pretty bad job at guiding my models (so I’m sorry for the lack of diversity in some of the facial expressions!) but again, this was more for fun than anything, and it’s a good beginning. Thank you to Joanna for volunteering (she’s famous for the broccoli photo I took of her, as well as shooting her wedding) and thank you to Duncan (if you’re a former bride or groom of mine, you will know him best for being my very-talented second photographer). And of course thank you to my always helpful husband Chad for being my model countless other times too.
And on to the photos now… How fun is this??? We only had an hour to shoot (you wouldn’t believe how FAST the sun goes down in the very last minutes of sunset!). Before I knew it, we had taken most of the shots I had planned on getting, and the sun quickly faded below the Winnipeg skyline. So here they are – photos with flash lighting mixed with sunset light.
(PS: oh, and I had some fun with an “antlers” photo… you’ll see it:)
Oct 20, 2011 | Uncategorized
When I get a call from past wedding couples telling me that they just had a baby and they want family photos, I get super excited! So when I heard from Theresa and Paul that they had an adorable little baby girl, I just couldn’t wait to meet her! Cute name too: Magda. What a sweetheart.
We headed to the park for a quiet morning photo session while the leaves were still on the trees. It was great reconnecting with them again, and of course to meet up with them at this new stage in their life. What joy! Here are the photos from our session.
Oct 18, 2011 | Uncategorized
Meet Julie & Mike: new to Winnipeg and soon to celebrate 30 years of marriage. I sure am glad we crossed paths! And it’s a funny story at that, too. While I was out shooting this engagement session a few weeks ago, a woman walking by with her dog ran up to me and asked me for a business card. From what I remember, she said something about needing photos of her and her husband in their new home-city, Winnipeg. I was happy to give her a business card, but didn’t think much of it. Lo and behold, just a few hours later that evening, I get an e-mail from this lady (introducing herself as the lady from the park!) wanting to book a portrait session. Before I knew it, I met up with Julie and Mike in Osborne Village and we did a lovely portrait couple session. I love these spontaneous ways of meeting new people!
Julie and Mike come from far away (let’s just say that the thought of -35C winter weather frightens them and they have an adorable southern accent!). They now call Winnipeg home and they wanted to capture a bit of their life, here in the city, to send back to their friends and family down south. I love these types of sessions! I work with a lot of newly weds and young couples, so having the chance to see a couple with 30 years of marriage under their belt is an absolute delight. My time with them was brief, but I caught a glimpse of true friendship, respect and admiration — and above all else, true love. They are so comfortable with each other and were such sweethearts! Love love love it. They reminded me a bit of my own parents, and couples like that totally inspire me. I’m not naive and I know that 30 years together is a long journey full of ups and downs, work and commitment (and that might be an understatement!), but they are a reminder that it is also one of great fun, rich enduring love and immense joy. I’m always more than happy to create photos to reflect just that.
THANK YOU Julie and Mike for a beautiful glimpse into 30 wonderful years of marriage, and congratulations on your anniversary! Oh, and welcome to wonderful Winnipeg! 🙂
(the ironic thing is that they wanted a typical Canadian fall photo session to send pictures back to their friends and family, yet the day we shot this session was a record-breaking hot day in October – it was about +31 C that day. How funny! — or should I say, how typical Winnipeg…?)
Oct 13, 2011 | Uncategorized
Here’s a sneak peek from a recent engagement session… don’t you love it?? Gorgeous. More photos coming soon, I promise!
Oct 13, 2011 | Uncategorized
Katie and Graham’s leather wedding album just came in and I’m pretty excited about it! I took a few photos of it before delivering the album into their eager hands, so here they are… The specs: 10″ x 10″ genuine leather cover with 20 pages (10 spreads) Flush mount album (thick pages with photo-quality printing – exquisite!) Will last a lifetime and more… beautiful!
Oct 12, 2011 | Uncategorized
Last year Frank and Leanne decided to give her mom a photography session gift certificate as a Christmas gift, and it was just this past week that they used it for a fun family photo session at the park. Great gift idea – especially when there’s a first grandchild involved (and a super cutie at that!). This session was kind of special for me as Frank and Leanne are my first official wedding couple ever! I was going to post a link to their wedding blog post but realized that I can’t even find a blog post of their wedding photos! I guess I didn’t start the habit of blogging wedding photos until a little while after their wedding… Anyway, here they are, years later, with an adorable little addition to their family.
Oct 5, 2011 | Uncategorized
Late evening… Winnipeg in the Fall… a park with golden light and an engaged couple madly in love… my idea of a great setting for a photo shoot! This is why I love photography so much!
Now on to the weather… it’s so warm, which is unusual for Winnipeg. The leaves are changing colours yet the temperatures still stay summery-warm. It’s the best of both worlds! I had such a great time with Danielle and Jon – they’re so easy to be with, there’s always lots of laughter and they have such a strong love connection. You don’t have to wonder – love just emanates from this pair! I can’t stop looking at their photos, I love them so much! And now I can’t wait for the wedding next year…. Félicitations vous deux!
Oct 4, 2011 | Uncategorized
Meet little Mason – he just turned one, and he loves exploring, eating dirt, running in grass and watching geese. He’s curious, attentive and loves to play peek-a-boo. What a cutie! I first met his parents at Laura & Chris’ wedding – they were in the wedding party so it was nice to see them again, to spend a bit more time with them and to get to know them better. They’re great people, amazing parents and of course very photogenic! I had a blast, and I’m excited to share the photos. Here they are!
Oct 3, 2011 | Uncategorized
Where do I begin?
Everyone, meet Crys and Denley. Crys, I just met this past year. Lovely lady with AMAZING style and a fantastic personality. She’s a keeper, Denley.
If you know me, you might also know that Denley was my wedding photographer. A few years back, fresh out of photography school, I was planning a wedding and having to make the decision of hiring a wedding photographer. Where to start?
It was easy: Denley was a good friend of ours and also a photographer that inspired me. He was enthusiastic, adventurous and artistic. I observed his work and totally trusted him to capture one of the most memorable days of my life. Chad and I were thrilled when he said yes to photographing our day!
Fast forward a few years, and roles have reversed. I’m now photographing HIS engagement session and upcoming 2012 wedding! I’m honoured to return the favour and to create photos for them that they’ll love just as much as we love ours!
So here they are – Crys & Denley’s engagement photos. I’m so excited for these two – it’s evident they’re made for each other. When I met Crys, it made perfect sense as to why Denley was with her. She’s smart, confident, beautiful and has an incredibly warm and generous heart. Denley has a huge heart and an earnest way about him and together, I think they could conquer the world! (or at least inspire us to love, celebrate and rejoice more, even on the gloomiest of days!)
Congrats you two. You KNOW I can’t wait for the wedding day!!
(a few notes about the session: I wanted to go somewhere out of my ordinary shooting locations, so when they told me they wanted to incorporate cycling in their engagement shoot, the streets of their neighbourhood made perfect sense. Lots of interesting walls, textures, nooks and of course, leafy greens. Woot!)
… oh and because you’re probably curious, I’ve included a few photos from my wedding that Denley took. Scroll down!
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…and here are a few photos that Denley took at our wedding. Thanks Denley! (and yes, I had a bridesman! my brother! and yes, short custom-made dress, DIY flower bouquets, polaroid photography and thanks to Chad’s idea, hot pink for his guys!)
Oct 3, 2011 | Uncategorized
This blog post is all about kids! Two siblings and their cousin. I had lots of fun with these two girls (adorable!!) and I was all the more excited to meet this little guy – complete with a mini Winnipeg Jets onesie! YES! Oh, and check out his hair – he’s got quite the do for a tiny man – I love it. 🙂
We started the photo session at my studio and then headed to Assiniboine Park for some more fun outdoorsy photos. The weather cooperated and we ended up having tons of pictures – lots of running around, crawling under trees and even blowing bubbles. Fun! Oh and scroll down to see some of the cute kisses. Love it.
Oct 3, 2011 | Uncategorized
There’s a lot of thought put into the editing work of your wedding photos, and although it is often overlooked by non-photographers as the invisible side of wedding photography, this is actually one of my favourite parts of the whole thing. When I’m out there shooting a wedding, getting my compositions and lighting just right as well as working with my brides and grooms to get them to look their best, there’s a kind of artistry involved. A lot of relational exchanges, setting moods or being attuned to subtle yet powerful moments, all the while making sure to capture it with the right technical camera settings.
I love that part of the artistic work – but I equally like sitting down at my iMac and visually processing all my images and deciding which ones to keep and how to edit them. I’m known for vibrant colours and high contrast captures & edits, but lately I’ve been experimenting with vintage edits and processing wedding photos with a bit of an old-timey look. It certainly doesn’t fit every photo, but this last wedding I photographed seemed to have a lot of potential for these types of vintage looks. So I went to work (if I can even call it that!) and picked out some of my favourite photos that I felt would benefit from an alternative edit. Here is the result. A small collection, but one I’m growing fond of.
Oct 2, 2011 | Uncategorized
It’s now autumn in Winnipeg and we’re still getting amazing weather. Knowing that Amber and Matt’s wedding was coming up, AND that it was going to be an outdoor ceremony at a park, I was super excited! Mild temperature, big sun and beautiful colours in the trees… not to mention a gorgeous bride (scroll down and see for yourself!!) and her handsome groom. I was thrilled to be their wedding photographer! (sigh, I love my job.)
I had a lot of fun with these guys – Amber and Matt are super friendly people, really easy to be with, and both have really enjoyable personalities. The wedding party (consisting mostly of friends and siblings) were just as wonderful and fun to be with, which is no surprise. Together, they made a great wedding party and you can tell they were definitely enjoying every moment!
So here are the photos… Amber & Matt – an amazing couple with a spark of love that makes you believe it can’t ever be undone. It was an honour to be their wedding photographer and to create artwork from their celebration of love. Félicitations vous deux!
PS: stay tuned for a second blog post of this wedding with alternate edits!
Sep 25, 2011 | Uncategorized
When I first started thinking about Kim and Ryan’s engagement session, I got pretty excited about the opportunity to do a Fall engagement session. Winnipeg is great, but heading out the city is even better! So we went to Birds Hill park and took advantage of the beautiful September evening light. I knew it wouldn’t disappoint! What a gorgeous setting with an amazing couple. It truly was a perfect evening.
I first met Kim a few weeks ago after a couple of my old co-workers told her to contact me for her upcoming wedding. When she called me on the phone, I sensed an instant connection. Kim is full of life and love and such a sweetheart. She makes you feel like you’re old friends, even if it’s the first time you meet! So when I also met Ryan that evening, I wasn’t surprised that they’re engaged – together they both glow and their love looks so comfortable. And I experienced just that while photographing them: it was comfortable, lovely yet full of spontaneity and playfulness! A great love match. Enjoy the photos. (Can’t wait for the wedding!!)
Sep 25, 2011 | Uncategorized
Working with Julie for her headshot portfolio was an absolute pleasure. I connected with her immediately – she has an amazing personality and is obviously a very gorgeous woman. All in all, a beautiful person, both inside and out. Good luck Julie in your career – I know you’ll be very successful! 
Sep 24, 2011 | Uncategorized
Amber and Matt got married today. They were absolutely LOVELY! Enjoy the sneak peek.
Sep 23, 2011 | Uncategorized
Congratulations to Charity and Sam who got married a couple weekends ago on what was one of the very few rainy days this summer! But a little rain didn’t stop these guys from having a beautiful wedding. The sun even broke through the clouds at the end of their ceremony! (which we were able to see thanks to the large windows in the second floor main gallery at the Assiniboine Park Pavillion – what a gorgeous setting!)
After the ceremony we headed outside for what looked like a short break from the rain. We managed to get all the family photos done, plus a few more with Charity’s nieces and nephew with red Chinese umbrellas. Their Asian-themed wedding definitely was great to photograph! So many rich, vibrant colours. All in all, Charity and Sam’s wedding turned out exactly as I had imagined it: quaint, intimate and romantic with a nice touch of vibrant red. My favourite part was the last few photos we took in the greenery of the park – with Sam making Charity laugh and them fully enjoying their wedding day. It was an honour to witness their union of love and I wish them all the best in the many years to come! (To see more photos from their wedding day, visit my facebook page.) 
Sep 20, 2011 | Uncategorized
A few weeks back, I was very happy to meet up with the Kroeker clan at the park for some family photos. Not only did we have a great summer evening for a fun photo session, but it was also a chance for me to catch up with my husband’s cousins and to see how fast their kids are growing! This first photo here is of little Jamie, who is pretty much the same age as my daughter – so of course, I easily gravitate to her with my camera. 🙂 Oh little baby girls, they make me smile.
It was a lot of fun and I think they too had fun. Including ending the night with a HUGE toboggan slide. These photo sessions make me feel like a kid again!!
Sep 18, 2011 | Uncategorized
Tonight I made the drive to Birds Hill Park to take photos with these two love birds. Such an adorable couple – a ton of fun, easy to be with and all-around great people. This is just a sneak peek (I know, I know, 4 is a lot for a sneak peek!) but I couldn’t help it. I can’t wait to blog the rest (as I’m sure Kim is too). Happy last week of summer, everyone!!!
Sep 15, 2011 | Uncategorized
When I arrived at Kyla’s hotel room on the morning of her wedding to take getting ready photos, she was sitting quietly in her room, reading a love letter that her soon-to-be-husband had hand-written for her. She had a kleenex in hand, tears in her eyes, and reading what I thought must be a pretty profoundly moving letter. A little while later, as I was taking a photo of the card and letter he gave her, I couldn’t help but catch a peek at the letter. From the few words I saw, I could tell it was an incredibly beautifully written love letter. Not only that, but the guy had great handwriting! (let’s admit, that’s a bit of a rarity!)
Fast forward to a few weeks later, and as I was editing their wedding photos, the thought of this letter came back to mind and I started visualizing these words of love superimposed over some of their wedding images. That’s when I had the idea to e-mail Kyla and ask them if they’d be ok with sharing a few snippets of the letter to blend into their wedding photos. They said yes, and I was thrilled! I almost got teary-eyed myself when I received some of Kyla’s favourite quotes from his letter. His words to her hold such meaning and truth because they come straight from his heart – no pretense, nothing dressed up, just his honest expression of love.
And now here are quotes from this letter, blended together with some of their wedding photos. I can already picture these images as float mount prints on their living room walls….. gorgeous.
Sep 14, 2011 | Uncategorized
Kyla and Darrin got married on Saturday August 27 and what a beautiful celebration it was! The day went off without a hitch, I think in part due to Kyla’s amazing organizational and scheduling skills! We packed a lot in this day, and although it was a little tight, we sure did get lots of photos. Here’s a snapshot of their 6-hour photography coverage:
12:15pm – getting ready at Inn at the Forks
12:55pm – first look
1:30pm – ceremony at All Saints’ Anglican Church
2:30pm – family photos at Legislative Building
2:50pm – wedding party photos at Legislative Building
3:55pm – photos at the Millennium Centre
4:30pm – photos in the Exchange District
5:00pm – photos at Kildonan Park
5:50pm – back at Inn at the Forks for photos of the receiving line and reception details
Whew! I’m glad we attempted to pull off this schedule – Kyla was on time and on task, and we were able to quickly gather everyone and get all the shots we needed (plus TONS more). It was a sheer delight photographing these two. Kyla was stunning and Darrin was quite dashing, and both of them were so natural in front of the camera. It was hard to STOP shooting! We got tons of veil shots (that’s her mom’s veil from her own wedding!) and of course super romantic photos of the two newlyweds together. I was in photo-paradise the whole 6 hours! Kyla, Darrin, congratulations. You are a tremendous example of what great heights love can take you, and how strong it can move you. I caught a glimpse of something real and permanent, and I would wish it on anyone who’s in love!
Darrin wrote a beautifully written love letter for her to read while getting ready at the hotel. I didn’t want to invade her special moment so I snapped this photo from behind the door. What a romantic guy! 
Another great moment was when Kyla’s father came to see her before the ceremony. The look he had on his face needed no words – you can tell he really cherishes his daughter. 
I have to say that this was one of the best wedding ceremonies I had ever had the privilege of witnessing. So profound, so moving, so meaningful. Loved it. 
Kyla had such a genuine laugh. This is one of my favourite candid photos of her and Darrin together. 
Sep 13, 2011 | Uncategorized
August has been the month of multi-family portrait sessions – and it’s been great getting to spend time with these large families! The Fontaines were all gathered in Winnipeg one weekend and they took advantage of the reunion by hiring me to photograph their extended family. We decided to go to the Manitoba Hydro building on Portage Avenue where there is ample space and large windows. Everyone was dressed to the nines and looked extra-spiffy! There were lots of people and lots of photo combinations to take, but we managed to fit everything in our hour and a half time-slot, right to the last minute. Here are a few highlights from my photo session with this bubbly happy family. Quelle belle famille!
Sep 12, 2011 | Uncategorized
Ever thought of using fake flowers for your wedding? I can hear some of you gasp in horror just at the thought of it. But truth is, a few of my past brides have — and pulled it off quite well, actually. Weddings can cost quite a lot, and for those of you who have planned a wedding, you know very well the high cost of flowers. This is not to say that we should do away with real flowers — by all means, I would never advocate that! (especially coming from me, one who LOVES receiving surprise bouquets of roses from my husband…) And also, I have to say, we all know there is something to real, fresh-scented flowers. But some brides have made the choice of opting for plastic or silk flowers in order to cut down costs. I’m also by no means advocating a super-cost-cutting wedding – after all, this is a once-in-a-lifetime celebration of love for you and your life-partner, so if there are cost concerns – let’s talk about budget priorities instead of massive budget cuts.
Fake flowers aren’t for everyone, but for those of you who are considering one way of cutting costs, they’re not that bad of an idea. And with a great photographer who understands light, composition and more importantly: can expose a photo correctly and edit it to perfection, fake flowers are quite often hard to notice in a good wedding photo. Think about it: would you rather have expensive beautiful flowers photographed by a low-quality photographer… or would you rather have low-quality flowers photographed by an excellent professional wedding photographer? Winnipeg, I know how much you like a good deal… but I also know how much you appreciate good photography. So if it’s a toss up between a bad photographer or fake flowers… maybe try for the fake flowers. Just a thought.
What do you think?
Sep 5, 2011 | Uncategorized
Congratulations to Adrienne and Steve on their beautiful (but windy!) Friday wedding out at Southwood Golf and Country Club in St. Norbert. When I first met Adrienne and Steve, I was really excited that they chose me to photograph their wedding – the details, the ideas and artistic touch they were putting into the planning of their wedding all sounded fabulous. I couldn’t wait to see it all in real life! The day finally came on August 26 and although it was beautifully sunny and somewhat mild (compared to the excruciating heat we’ve had this whole summer!), it was a tad windy. Actually, that’s probably an understatement. By the time we got to St. Norbert for the ceremony, the wind had really picked up – so much that it was blowing over the chairs that were set up for the outdoor ceremony! Unfortunately, it had to be moved indoors, but it went off without a hitch.
Adrienne and Steve are a super easy-going couple, full of life and laughter, genuine smiles and earnest love. You can tell they’re not only lovers, but best friends and life partners. They were an absolute pleasure to photograph – not to mention their adorably cute 2 and a half year old son. I took waaaay more photos of him than I thought I would! He was just too cute to resist! Oh, and scroll down to take a closer look at the bridesmaids’ handmade custom necklaces – created by the bride herself! LOVE IT! I told her she should start selling them. They are fantastic! Congrats you two. 🙂 All the best.
And here are the beautiful necklaces, made by Adrienne. Gorgeous!
