Engagement Photography- Caitlind and Jordan

alan

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!

Chilliwack Wedding – Connor and Karly

alan

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.

Charmaine and Mike – Abbotsford Wedding

alan

I’ve known Charmaine for a while, she worked at a camera store I frequented, and asked me to be the photographer for her home wedding (one might call it an elopement) in Abbotsford. It was actually pretty intimidating, because she was a photographer as well, but luckily she was (mostly) busy with the whole “having marrying the man she loved” thing. The photos hopefully show how beautiful it can be to capture a small ceremony with just friends and family looking on at home.

She got ready at home with her daughter Emma.

Don’t think for a second this was a somber affair. There were more than a few laughs getting the dress on…

They had done up the family house wonderfully, with a garland hung along the hallway.

Both bride and maid of honour wore their favourite comfy shoes.

A quick moment of Charmaine and her father just before walking down the isle.

The ceremony itself was short and sweet. Family and friends were present.

After the ceremony the father of the bride, who was sadly suffering from a bout of flu, immediately stood up to hug his new son in law.

Followed by a post-wedding selfie (selfies are a thing with these two).

Formals were in not the best weather, but Fishtrap Creek Park. Had a couple of nice locations that the bride and groom liked, and after a bit of avoiding puddles, we did some formals of the happy pair.

And yes, there were more funny faces here as well.

This one’s a bit embarrassing to me. I had a flash setup to throw a bit of extra light on Charmaine and Mike and with the wind, well, it fell over. Twice. Once I caught it, the second time the groom (with his panther-like reflexes) caught it before it hit the ground just as I snapped a photo.

Oh, and I also slipped and fell ass-over-teakettle on the slippery wooden steps. I’d rather not talk about that though, ok?

And back to the beautiful couple.

She goofed around on the playground on the way back. I tried to convince her to race after the big flock of Canada Geese in the middle of the field, in full wedding dress, but apparently that’s not something you should do in a white flowing wedding dress that’s brand new. Who knew?

Back at the house we packed up and headed home. Me to go and edit, these two on their honeymoon.

This photo is why I encourage couples to go for an all day session. There are more opportunities to capture the little moments. Here I was getting a couple of detail photos of Charmaine’s hairdo at the end of the day and Mike looking at her while she looked away. One of my favourite shots of the day.

Formals: Fishtrap Creek Park

Ceremony: Abbotsford home

Remember that if you are interested in some fun and beautiful photos like this, book your free photography consultation now.

Amanda and Adam – Abbotsford Wedding

alan

Amanda and Adam had everything you could want in a summer wedding in Abbotsford. Sunny and gorgeous and warm (maybe a bit too warm at times)! The bride and groom got ready at their own houses (well, him at his, her at her friends). Before the ceremony they took their wedding party to the great gardens at the Abbotsford City Hall for some great sun-drenched formal portraits. The ceremony, and following reception, took place at a quaint little community hall called Straiton Community Centre. What you’d think was your standard community hall, but decked out in it’s Sunday best (as it were), it worked just perfectly for these young kids! The wedding photography was relaxed and informal and they hardly even noticed I was there!

Adam and Amanda, thank you for trusting me with your wedding photography. I know it was very important to you and I’m so happy that I had the time with you to create these images. You and your friends and family welcomed me as one of their own and I’m proud to say I was part of your day!

Krystina and Aaron – Abbotsford Wedding

alan

The biggest challenge of Krystina and Aaron’s wedding was setting up the engagement. We fought mosquitoes, schedules, and wet grass to get those done. After all that, the rest of the actual wedding was easy!

I arrived as she and her gorgeous bridesmaids were getting ready. The hairdresser was a card and got into a bit of photo bombing. The rest of the ladies were as radiant as the bride as the morning progressed.

One of my favourite things to do is to capture the little details of the day. Rings, shoes (well, boots in this case), and the dress of course. These photos may not go up on your wall on a 48”x36” canvas, but you’ll want them in your wedding album to remember the little things that made your day so special.

Did I mention these guys were full on horse people? I’m friends with Tina on Facebook and her feed seems to be nothing but photos of her riding a horse. Of course, some of that bled through into the wedding.

Some of my favourite moments are the quiet little times in between the big events. A look in the mirror here, a hug from the mother of the bride, letting her baby go, these are the important things.

The ceremony was at Jubilee Hall in Abbotsford. Small and quiet, but still lots of fun. Sometimes all you need are some chairs placed out on the grass with an adorable flower girl and ring-bearer peaking out to see what’s happening.

Aaron looking at his bride.

Formal photos were done at Edenvale Gardens, a great location with a lovely garden, barn and wooded areas.

Reception antics abounded.

The father/daughter dance. I can’t guarantee that I didn’t have a tear in my eye at this point. Probably.

And of course dancing into the night.

Thanks you two for a great day!

Getting Ready: Mom’s house.
Ceremony: Jubilee Hall
Reception: Jubilee Hall
Formals: Edenvale Gardens

Brittney and Derek – Chilliwack Wedding

alan

I won’t lie, one of my favourite parts of wedding photography is the getting ready phase. The bride and bridesmaids getting their hair and makeup done, drinking a bit of champagne, exchanging gifts and laughter. I’m able to blend into the wall and be a fly on the wall, capturing these little moments (and the chaos) just like one of the girls. Honestly it’s a bonding experience that I love as much as the rest of the wedding!

Here I was helping out Rick from RH Studio Photography, I hung out and took photos while the bride and bridesmaids got ready while he did the photos of the groom, and then helped out at the ceremony and formals. Rick’s a great guy and you should definitely check him and his work out!