Caroline and Rob – Prestige Hotel Sooke Wedding

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Caroline and Rob chose the Prestige Oceanfront Resort in Sooke for their wedding because it was a beautiful location. Sooke in a small and gorgeous town about 30 minutes east of Victoria on Vancouver Island which was perfect for the ceremony and reception for their wedding.

First of all, the day started with an amazing sunrise, which was a good sign for the events to come. The hotel sits next to a wharf where there are lots of local fishing boats moored. There is also a beautiful gazebo which is used for wedding ceremonies. The sun rising behind it made a beautiful image.

The room that we used to get ready was gorgeous, spacious and bright. Lana, doing hair and makeup, made short work of the bride, brides daughter, and the mother of the bride, and other family members who needed to get various ties tied!

Molly had a very important of being the ring bearer, and was primped and primed for it.

You can see Molly looks very pleased with herself.

The little details. The rings were absolutely amazing.

The ring bearing puppy had a custom collar to carry the rings

The ceremony took place under a sunny blue sky with friends and family in the gazebo. He cried when he saw her. I always joke and say tears are perfect, but …. yea, I’m not joking. It was touching to see the love here.

The hotel grounds are spacious, and provide some great little hidden spots for both family photos and formals for the bride and groom. The front entrance has some perfect spots, as well as the dock and marina area behind.

The Prestige has a unique little spit of rocks beside the pier that made an unbelievable spot to do some fun formal photos.

I love getting a photo of everyone at the wedding surrounding the happy couple.

The reception had some fun and games, speeches, and a few tears as well I think.

And the shoe game.

Because of COVID we weren’t allowed dancing, but we were allowed a first dance outside. Sparklers held by their family and loved ones surrounded them and illuminated them as they danced their first dance as a married couple.

To wrap it all up, these two had a challenging time making this wedding happen. Right now we’re in the midst of COVID-19, and anyone who planned to have a wedding this year knows it’s an astronomical task to get things together, find a location that accepts weddings, pare down your guest list, find hair and makeup that is verified as COVID certified… it’s nuts. However, they persevered and pushed through a bunch of challenges, and ended up with an absolutely amazing wedding.

I am so proud to have been invited to be a part of it and capture their day for them!

Bride and Groom: Caroline and Rob
Venue: Prestige Oceanfront Resort, Sooke
Hair and Makeup: The amazing Lana Temireva
Flowers: The incomparable Tina from Platinum Floral Designs

Chris And Angela – Richmond Wedding

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Chris and Angela are a pair of local realtors in the gorgeous Fraser Valley. Their wedding was an amazing affair, hosted at the lovely River Rock Casino in Richmond. As usual I loved doing the getting ready photos of the bride and her ladies.

Sylvia and Cory’s Beautiful Wedding in Mission

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Sylvia and Cory had an amazing wedding right in my hometown of Mission, BC. I was completely in love with them from the start, and we got on great!

The getting ready was done in a gorgeous house a bit out of town, which worked out just perfectly.

Engagement Photography- Caitlind and Jordan

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I shot Caitlind way back when I was doing a “portrait-52” project years ago. Well, she was recently engaged to the very awesome Jordan and I was very proud to be asked to shoot their wedding and engagement, and of course the engagement photography!

Engagement sessions are really helpful for both the photographer and the couple. In a nice relaxed setting they get to see their wedding photographer in action. Do they pose, are they impatient, how precise do they make you, etc.

For the photographer, it’s almost the same. How well does the couple follow directions, are they super awkward, super giggly, super serious. How hard do I have to work to get something natural that looks good on camera? Most importantly, what bag of tricks do I need to pull from… is it the “serious photographer” bag? The “happy friend bag”? Maybe the “super dirty and inappropriate jokes to make you smile” bag? Every couple is different in what they respond to, and this is the photographers chance to see what works best before the big wedding day.

So it’s a win-win all around.

Turns out these two are not only great together but I got to use a few from my favorite bag of tricks. I’m not going to say which it is but it rhymes with “smirty blokes” 🙂

For this session we headed to Fishtrap Creek Park in Abbotsford. I’d actually shot there before doing family photography as a fundraiser last year. It’s a great location with a nice variety of looks for a shoot like this.

I timed the shoot so we caught the sunset, giving some beautiful golden light behind Caitlind and Jordan. I love the look that this gives me. I only wish I could have gotten one of those epic, God painting the sky with colours you’ve never seen before type of sunsets, but sadly, that couldn’t be arranged! Instead I used the gorgeous sunlight reflecting off the trees (and people), which works just perfectly for these two.

Caitlind and Jordan it was a blast spending time with you to get these great images, and I cannot wait for the wedding!

Top Trends in Bridal Colors for 2017

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Enlightenment Is Not Just One State

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Chilliwack Wedding – Connor and Karly

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I got the pleasure to photograph with Rick of RH Studio Photography to shoot Connor and Karly’s wedding in beautiful Chilliwack, BC. I shot with Rick before and he’s an excellent photographer and friend. In this case he needed someone to cover the groom and his groomsmen getting ready, and of course extra coverage for the ceremony.

Bride Getting Ready

Bride and her bridesmaids getting ready at her parents home.

Karly looked amazing even before hair and makeup.

The makeup artists have a *lot* of gear!

Groom Getting Ready

The guys getting ready was a fairly unique experience for me. Picked up in a pickup truck in deep downtown chilliwack, driven up some sketchy roads into the backwoods of Chilliwack (which is already pretty far out there). No, this isn’t the start of a horror movie. Connor and his friends grew up out here, having fun, fishing, swinging off trees over the river, and they wanted to hang out there and relive some memories from the old days (and maybe have a bit of liquid courage as well).

Picked up in a strange truck by some strange guys.

They all got back after a bit of reminiscing about old times it was back home to get ready.

Making himself even more handsome than before.

One of the big challenges as a second shooter is sometimes having minimal contact with the couple beforehand, and having to turn into everyone’s friend right away. Gaining the confidence of the groom-to-be and a gaggle of groomsmen within a few minutes, and getting great and honest photos is a challenging task for sure.

Ceremony and Reception at The Secret Garden

The ceremony and reception took place at The Secret Garden at Woodbridge Ponds in Abbotsford. The location is gorgeous and a great spot for a wedding ceremony and reception.

Sign a leaf and let the couple know you were there.

Ceremony

The ceremony area is the great expanse of manicured grassy area with lots of room for seating and a raised area which gives the crowd a good view of the bride and groom.

The flower girl and ring-bearer were adorable.

... and most adorable ring bearer — … and most adorable ring bearer

The couple were preceded by the wedding party.

And then giving the bride away.

And the ceremony was of course amazing.

Connor and Karly are a wonderful couple and I was privileged to be allowed to share the day with them. Big thanks to Rick at RH Studio Photography for inviting me to work with him again. Having a second photographer as part of the photography at your wedding gives you more chances to capture moments, better coverage, and allows your photographer to be in two places at once! Something to think about when you plan and budget for your wedding photographer.

Hilary and Kyle dancing at their wedding reception

Maple Ridge BC Wedding – Hilary and Kyle

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Bride and bridesmaids toasting — Bride (in curlers) and bridesmaids toasting

Getting Ready

I never know how to start these entries, so I guess I’ll tell you the story of the day, and show you some photos. The day started with myself and my good friend and second shooter Jeff showing up at the property on the east side of Maple Ridge. They had the entire small guest house / studio separate from the main house and it was a bustle of activity. Hair and makeup were there, busily helping make six gorgeous ladies look their best.

Bridesmaid Putting Brides Necklace on — Getting a little help with jewelry

Bride sitting in dress and veil — Sitting and looking amazing

Bride putting on earrings in mirror — Hilary getting ready

Wedding Ring Photo

I took some time to photograph the rings in between catching laughs and hilarious moments with the ladies. Rings are one of my favourite things to photograph, and a real challenge to give each set their own unique story. In this case I used what I thought was a table cloth (turns out it was a wrap just sitting on a table) using the window to light them. This time I had a tripod, allowing me to get an incredibly clean photo of the rings.

Wedding bands on a blue cloth macro — Wedding bands in the sunlight

The Gents Getting Ready

While all this was going, Jeff was spending time with Kyle and his groomsmen. It’s a rough job to be honest. Part of being a great photographer is being able to have a genuine connection with your subjects. As the main photographer I have several meetings with the bride and groom, and spend the majority of the day with them. The second shooter is generally only there for the day of the wedding, and is expected to show up at what is essentially a stranger’s house and in an hour or two create a connection with them and get amazing photos. Well, Jeff is awesome for this which is why I shoot with him whenever I can.

Groom and groomsmen in a line standing on deck

This is one of my favourite photos from this shoot, I’m honestly quite sad that I didn’t take it!

Groom tying tie in bathroom mirror — Groom getting ready

The Ceremony at Eighteen Pastures

The ceremony and reception are at Eighteen Pastures Golf Course, in east Maple Ridge, not far from Whonnock Lake. My good buddy Dan lived just up from there while we were in high school and I spent a lot of time near there, and never (until pre-scouting the area) spent time there. Funny how things work sometimes!

Groom smiling before the ceremony — Groom being not nervous at all before the ceremony

Hilary and her dad hiding before the ceremony

The ceremony itself was great. They said their vows in front of their friends and family and a few tears were shed.

Smiling father of the bride walking his daughter down the isle

Bride and groom holding hands at the alter — Seeing each other at the alter

Bride looking at groom over shoulder — Looking at her new groom

Groom putting ring on brides finger — “With this ring I thee wed”

Bride and groom hand in hand at the isle — Saying their vows

Groom beside bride signing wedding register — Register signing

Bride and groom walking down the isle — Walking out, man and wife

Formals

Not all weddings are perfect. More specifically, not all wedding weather is perfect, and this was one of those times.

Groomsman holding umbrellas — Preparing for rain

However, thanks to the tents that we had up, some good timing, and a little skill with the camera, I was able to hide the rain and show the smiles and happiness that everyone had.

Bride formal portrait in black and white

There was a quick…. intermission lets say while the groom and groomsmen attended to some business. And before you ask, yes they actually were.

Groomsmen and groom taking a quick break — Quick intermission

… and back to the two of them looking amazing.

Bride and groom formal photo — Bride and groom ready for their happy ever after

Reception

One thing I haven’t mentioned yet, is the way the reception was decorated. This goes into my top ten most impressive decorating jobs ever. Basically a full on ‘Alice down the rabbit hole’ treatment, including little ‘drink me’ and ‘eat me’ signs in the cupcakes, a wacky wedding cake, moss and greenery decorating the head table, matching signs… simply a breathtaking job!

Photography by Alan Bailward Photography – http://bailwardphotography.com

There were speeches, great food, all that good stuff, followed by the first dance.

First dance bride and groom — First dance

Followed by what I can only describe as a multi-level, multi-style, dance montage that was performed and was truly impressive!

At the end of the night there were laughs and hugs and tears and I left the happy couple. I’m super proud to show off these photos and to share the story of this lovely couple!

Bride groom and wedding photographer — A thorn between two roses

Links

Ceremony and Reception – Eighteen Pastures Golf Course

Vancouver Wedding – Barbara and Steve

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I got to work again with the wonderful Nicole Aurelie of Nicole Aurelie Photography (Facebook page) and jumped at the chance. She was shooting Barbara and Steve’s Vancouver wedding and I got to be her second shooter. Basically I get to not worry (as much) about the must have shots, but instead get to get details, shots from the side, get a different angle on the ceremony, and do some more out of the box thinking. Of course there’s also the dragging around bags, getting Nicole things she needs, keeping an eye out for hands out of place and any collars out of sorts.

Barbara and Steve were awesome. She’s fun and bubbly, he is a military man with a sense of pride and order about him. We started at the Sandman Hotel in downtown Vancouver with the ladies getting themselves ready.

Barbara and Steven — The Makeup Artist Stretch

Details, details, details… you know I love details!

From there we headed to the ceremony at the little church where they were married. A simple but beautiful ceremony, followed by some lovely family photos under the trees. I tell you I got a workout wrangling people for Nicole and getting the many, many family members out of the background of the photos!

From there we went to the beautiful Queen Elizabeth Park for formals.

Reception was held at the BC Regiment office (I told you that Steve was a military man) which was done up nicely. A normal wedding reception if you ignore the tank in the middle of the floor 🙂 We snuck out for a few quick photos on the downtown streets before the reception proper started.

When things did get started the dinner was served and merriment started. Speeches, the shoe game, and then the band started up.

The couple on their first dance.

Everyone got in on the dance party after!

Many thanks to Nicole for bringing me in for this wedding, and to Barbara and Steve for being so great!

Vancouver Summer Wedding – Galen and Patricia

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The story of this lovely backyard summer wedding in rural Vancouver, for me, makes it even more fun than normal. Less than a day before I arrived I was running the Tough Mudder race in Whistler with 10 of my closest co-workers. It was over five hours of obstacles and slogging through the mud, dinner, a few hours sleep, then a 2 hour drive back home, pick up my gear (packed the day before of course, and then back to Vancouver to join these two awesome folks for the day.

Meeting and Wedding

I met Galen and Patricia through my dear friend Geri, who I had the pleasure of attending her wedding as a friend and guest long before I was nearly as into photography as I am now. Geri never had a “real” wedding photographer at her wedding and has always regretted it, and made sure that these two had one, and I was very honoured to capture this day for them.

2016-06-20 Vancouver Wedding — Bonus: hidden cat

The ceremony was a simple home wedding in the couples basement suite with a small ceremony and a few close friends.

Love Is More Sweet With A (Bit) Of Struggle

Galen and Patricia faced some fairly big hurdles to get here. They met online while he lived up here and she lived in the southern US, and in addition to all the normal challenges you can expect with this sort of meeting. I have no idea how I would have navigated the first date to engagement to moving in together part! Patricia had literally arrived with all her stuff days before, adding the stress of moving to another country to the stress of a wedding. Sometimes simpler is better 🙂

Backyard Formal Photography

The backyard was simple but great for the formals.

And a bit of smooching as well. They were pretty good at that part though!

Galen and Patricia, wishing you all the best and thank you for the great memories and the great day! Especially the part where the cats kept on chasing the pen used for signing the registry, and Galen taunted one of them just a little bit too much and ended up with a set of claws in his… well, that’s maybe a story for another day!

Blog

Bride Getting Ready

Groom Getting Ready

Ceremony and Reception at The Secret Garden

Ceremony

Getting Ready

Wedding Ring Photo

The Gents Getting Ready

The Ceremony at Eighteen Pastures

Formals

Reception

Links

Meeting and Wedding

Love Is More Sweet With A (Bit) Of Struggle

Backyard Formal Photography