Our first couple of the year is Shiva and Karl. We met them a couple of months ago when Shiva found me by way of the blog of the lovely Leanne Pedersen. After meeting with them and hearing all about the planned for the big day, we can't wait to get the season started! Their beautiful wedding will be held at the gorgeous Sutton Place Hotel

White Rock beach is one of my favourite places to go. Jason grew up in that town and I hope we'll one day move back there as I absolutely love being by the water! The tiny districts are full of cute little shops and a very welcoming sense of community. If you're ever on White Rock's East Beach and are a fish 'n' chips lover, definitely check out Moby Dick's Restaurant and be ready to stand in line, it's worth it!

What a great start to 2010! With our engagement sessions underway, there will be lots to come this next month. We have been looking forward to starting the year and began with a great couple whom Jason used to work with back in his techy days. Jason had received a call from a former co-worker and when he told me about Clarissa I was looking forward to meeting her and Dan at the consultation. Clarissa just spent hours upon hours volunteering at our wonderful Olympics and we enjoyed her many stories about her experience. Like her, many of us were in a state of 'no time' as our lives went on hold for those two weeks and now, getting back to 'normal' life, the wedding bug has arisen once more and things are picking back up as spring is almost here!! Not to mention some very confused cherry trees who are more than a month early and are in full bloom!! I love this time of year, as you can see the light staying longer and the colour towards twilight has changed and has brought its warm glow.

Here's another cutie patootie for you! Little Miss B, along with Mom and Dad were an absolute pleasure to photograph! Little Miss B started off a little shy but then was right into it as soon as Mommy put on her fluffy white dress! Her wide eyes scrunched with excitement and she let out a squeal of glee as grabbed hold of her tu-tu and batted it up and down with joy! Once she was on the floor, off she went motoring around on her tummy. Funny how your past sometimes meets you in the future, I had actually gone to high school with her parents who were a few grades ahead of me and for the shoot I went to see them near the town I grew up in. It has been years since I've been there and so much had changed and yet the old things I remember were still there. Before I knew it, I had filled up 2 whole cards with so many big smiles and fun with Mr Teddy! Here's some of my favs from the session.

One of our gorgeous couples from 2009 had their beautiful red and blue wedding featured on Wedluxe's blog. check it out for some great details and haute style!

As I mentioned before, there are many babies on the way and new arrivals seem to come every month! We are so excited to meet all the new little people in our world and eager to introduce them to everyone! Here is little 7 week old Aiden who was a dream to work with. Always looking at the camera and so intrigued by the clicking noise that it was hard to get him to pay any attention to his parents! Great fun and a great time.

We wanted to send out a huge thank you to Mike Alexander and Media Hill Publishing, owners of the Complete Wedding Directory, for choosing one of our beautiful brides to be the cover for their 15th anniversary issue!

Samira is seen here wearing a gorgeous Badgley Mischka gown.

This year we have so many babies on the way, I absolutely love it!! We found out that 4 of our good friends are pregnant and a bunch of our 2008 brides. We're so happy for everyone and we can't wait to meet the new babies!!

Jody and Melissa were so amazing, watching them enjoy one another and just the happy and excited look on the faces of expectant parents is so contagious! Here's a few of my favs from their session this past weekend.

As many photographers know, the Wedding & Portrait Photographers International association (WPPI), which we are apart of, has their annual convention coming up in Vegas, March 4th-11th. We attended last year and for anyone who is thinking of going, we highly recommend attending! We learned so much and are still going over the wealth of information we received!

Along with the convention, WPPI also has their annual print competitions in both the 8x10 and 16x24 categories. We've been waiting to submit our work until this past year and we were not disappointed! We won two Accolades of Excellence for two of our favorite images of the year! This means that we scored high on the association's rating scale of technical and artistic ability. We were very excited to receive our awards the other day and also must congratulate our couples in the winning images for without them, it wouldn't have happened! We also want to congratulate all of the other winners of the competition. It's always interesting to see the new things happening in our industry from people around the world!

We love, love, love destination weddings! Jason and I are so honoured when a couple wants to bring us down to share with them in some of the most beautiful places on earth! We met Sandy & Pat last May, we instantly connected and what a lovely couple they are, so giving and a lot of fun to be around! The wedding ceremony took place on the beaches of Playa Del Carmen and then we were whisked away to a quaint local house turned restaurant for their own private beach party! It was amazing food and so cool to be right there on the beach with the music pumping away and the stars creating the most awe-inspiring backdrop! This place even had it's own swing bar where you get to sit on suspended seats will sipping your cocktails. We look forward to seeing everyone again at the home reception in May.

This beautiful wedding was planned and designed by the very talented Harumi Suzuki of Harumi Signature weddings http://www.harumiweddings.com/

Here are a few of our favourites. I had such a hard time choosing without giving away the show!

The new issue of Wedluxe magazine has hit newsstands and we can't say enough, how beautiful this magazine is! They did an excellent job and the pages are filled with all sorts of inspiring weddings and features that are sure to delight! Brides, you will want to look through the pages again and again, gazing over the many sparkling details that are hot this season. We wanted to give a huge thank you to Troy and Monika who's stunning Vancouver Club wedding was featured in this issue! More images can be seen here.

We're very much looking forward to Sara & Phil's wedding next year! After spending an afternoon with these two, we realized how much fun they have together and I think that is the most important part! They laugh, they joke and seem to blend perfectly with each other. At the end of our shoot, we heard the roar of a vintage muscle car pulling into the parking lot. Phil's gaze was glued to the car and I thought, "how cool would that be to get a few pics with the car!" Just as I began to walk towards it, he peeled out into traffic with a monsterous growl of the engine and he was gone, nuts! As we were driving back, I spotted the car parked in a gravel lot and asked Jason to turn in. A it turns out, the owner was more than thrilled to have us take pictures of his "baby" with the bride and groom-to-be and kept offering to show us the best angles and of course we took him up on it! Phil and Sara posed with the beat of a car, whose engine was bigger than me, and I think that was the icing on the cake!

One of the last weddings of the year for us was for the very wonderful, Marguerite & Dean. Starting at the Sutton Place Hotel in the morning and then off to the gorgeous Holy Rosery Cathedral for their wedding nuptials. With a little drizzle in the air, we headed back inside the Sutton Place to photograph a few more shots before the reception. I love this time of year when the sun goes down early and the city just glows with sparkling Christmas lights! The ambiance inside was the same, so warm with family and relatives wandering the golden-lit hallways sipping on their drink as the bubbles shimmer in the glass echoing the many twinkling lights all around the room. When it came time for the first dance we were treated to an unexpected Ode to 80's rock complete with flowing long blond hair and air guitar! Then, it was back to the traditional slow, side-to-side swaying of the dance- lots of fun to watch these two rock out!

Whew, finally have some free time to catch up on some much needed blogging! We've been quite busy this last month with baby shoots, top-secret fashion shoots and one of our last weddings of the year in Cancun! Dean and Marguerite's wedding was one of the best this year. These are two very easy going, fun-loving people that just make you smile. They had many surprises at their wedding including a very unexpected first dance that was the best we've seen all year! More to come for their wedding post! These were some of our favourite pics from their engagement shoot back in September.

A few months ago, we had the great privilege to go down to Puerto Vallarta and photograph Amanda & Mark's wedding. A few months later, Mark's brother and sister-in-law asked us to come and do a family session with their two little boys, Evan and Carter. We were so excited when we got the message because we had a little taste of them at the wedding and couldn't wait! We started off with little Evan who was full of surprises that day! When we got quite, as we normally do in our sessions, Evan began signing away in his crib while throwing us these cute little glances out of the corner of his eye! Love it! Then, when it came time to be with Carter, we were in for an adventure! We played Circus Masters as we gathered all of his stuffed toys around him and then went on a safari in his fort made from his bunk bed and blankets! I love it when the children start to play with you because that's when their real self comes out and that's the perfect moment!

We got to meet little Luka through one of our good photographer friends, Melia Sorenson, and I'm so glad we did! Luka is your typical 18 month old, curious, energetic, playful and has little legs that take him EVERYWHERE!! It's such a fun age because as photographers, you have to learn how to connect with kids at any age and meet them on a level that excites them. I have so much fun with the kids that I hardly even realize that 2 hours has gone by and it's almost time for their nap! I'm sure I must look very silly to parents because when I'm on a shoot, I am more often than not right down in the dirt with them enjoying the world from their point of view. It's always very satisfying for me knowing that the kids are having fun but most of all being themselves, the way their parents know them. Although, it seems to be quite often that when it's photo time, new quirky smiles or funny giggles come out and parent's say "that's new!". I love it, every second of it and I always look forward to the next little person I'll get to meet!

Well, here we are, wrapping up the final few weddings of the season and what a year it has been! Cheryl & Cam's wedding was held at the newly renovated, Terminal City Club in downtown Vancouver. We started the day with the portrait session to take advantage of the warm weather and start the day off with some fun! The day consisted of discussions about the Canucks (who were playing that day), striped socks and the meaning behind the big blue object at the new Convention Center (which we're still unsure of after a long and quirky conversation!). Please enjoy these tasty treats from their day!

Finally, it was John and Helen then Ashley and Mike's turn with their little ones, Gracie and Jack. What a beautiful family with kids who are full of life and spirit. We finished off with the large family shot and it's just so amazing to see how a family grows from just two people and becomes a mighty force that can change the world, one person at a time! Jason and I have truly been blessed and learned how to communicate effectively and clearly in our marriage with help from the tools and advice of John and Helen, two very gifted relationship teachers and pastors. If you're looking to learn how to have better communication and relationships with your family and with the ones you love, I encourage you to check out the various books and teachings written by these two very talented people and watch your life grow as you fill it with all things good!

The Burns family has always been huge part of our lives. Jason and I first met at the church where John and Helen are the Pastors and we also had the privilege of having them marry us and start us off in our new life together! Over the past 7 years, we've watched as their family of 5 has grown to a family of 14! We had done their headshots before for various events at the church such as LifeWomen and the MVP Men's Conference but had never had the chance to photograph the whole family, until now! We headed down to Crescent Park and had a blast with the kids and everyone! Their Oldest daughter, Angela and her husband Rod were up next with their 2 beautiful kids, Madison and Miller.

The Burns family has always been huge part of our lives. Jason and I first met at the church where John and Helen are the Pastors and we also had the privilege of having them marry us and start us off in our new life together! Over the past 7 years, we've watched as their family of 5 has grown to a family of 14! We had done their headshots before for various events at the church such as LifeWomen and the MVP Men's Conference but had never had the chance to photograph the whole family, until now! We headed down to Crescent Park and had a blast with the kids and everyone! Their middle daughter, Danica and her husband Chris are up first with their 2 beautiful daughters, Medo and Shalom.

One of our last September weddings was with Connie & Craig and we couldn't have asked for a better day! We had lots of great shots around town with the wind gusting at hurricane force, it was a task in itself just to keep her veil under control! One of my favourite parts of the day was during the garter toss at the end of the night where Craig's little nephew wanted a piece of the action! While Craig was busy, he walked right over and with no shame, lifted up Connie's dress to get right in there with his uncle!! He stood there with a bewildered look on his face wondering why everyone was laughing so hard but then figured "OK, let's do it again!" and went right in for a second go at it! A great ending to a wonderful evening!

Last week we had the Smith Family come in for a very special session at the Pacific Palisades Hotel in their retro penthouse suite! I've known Ian and Sharalee for a few years now and she had their first born, Rayah, just before Jason and I got married. That was actually one of the last times I saw the family. Now they have 3, count them, 3 VERY blond, blue-eyed, beautiful little girls and they are expecting their 4th ( count them...1,2,3,4!!!) little girl in a few months! Working with larger families is always fun for me because you can't really tell kids what to do, you sometimes just have to go with the flow and let their little legs runs around and have fun. We get a lot of great moments like that when everyone is just interacting with each other and having a good time! Here's a few of my favs and yes Sharalee, we were able to have Ella sit still long enough to get that cute little smile!!

Last week we had our last summer hurray with the Dean Family in the late evening sun out at Crescent Beach, one of my favourite places to shoot at one of my favourite times of the day! I remember photographing their first born, Beckham, and now they are expecting another beautiful baby very soon! Congrats!

Last week we had a rare opportunity to have a night shoot around our beautiful city. Pooneh & Arash were married recently and had yet to do their photos so we were so happy to be able to do something different and exciting! It's funny how the places you normally go in the daytime look so different at night. With the natural light turned off and the building lights on, it lends such a different feel with an air of romance, like Romeo coming to steal his Juliette away in the night!

We had the pleasure of photographing Amanda & Ben a few weeks ago in some of the best places that our city has to offer! Their intimate ceremony was held at the Celebration Pavilion in QE Park and then headed to Yaletown for their outdoor shoot. The reception was at La Terazza where they have THE best pasta in town! Usually places and people are very weary when it comes to seeing a photographer with a big camera and allowing you to shoot in their space. Ben, with his super skills managed to get us into some of the most awesome places for their photos where in times past I had tired and got turned down. I guess it's harder to say NO to a gorgeous couple than it is to the photographer. Lesson learned! Here's some of the moments from their day. I think this is one of my favourites of the groom's face when he's seeing his beautiful bride for the first time!

What an adventure this wedding was for me and Jason. When we heard that Amanda & Mark were going down to Mexico for their wedding, we were soooo excited! The day before we left, Jason and I had just finished a beautiful 14hr wedding and then had to fly out at 4am, which was only in a few hours. We managed to eventually make our way and arrived at the gorgeous 5-star resort, The Riu Vallarta in Puerto Nuevo. The wedding wasn't for a couple of days so Jason and I gladly slept in to get ready for their big day and to take a little adventure of our own (That story and pics coming soon, you won't want to miss it!) It was so beautiful the day of the wedding but EXTREMELY hot. So hot that we actually had to stop taking photos in order for everyone to get out of the heat for a little bit until it cooled down. By that time, the sun was making it's glorious descent and we caught some great shots and then explored the beautiful grounds of the resort. The ceremony was short and sweet and you can't beat a reception on the beach! Congrats Amanda & Mark!!

You may remember about a year ago a blog about a couple who met on E-Harmony, yup, that's right, the claims are true, you can find your match via the internet. We actually know of about 5 couples who somehow met online and are now either married or engaged! Justin is like a foot and a half taller, maybe more, than Christine and it's so cute to see her go up on her tip toes to give him a kiss! Their stature may be extremes but their hearts are the same, BIG!
Christina & Justin's day stared off with a beautiful ceremony at Hycroft followed up by a mountain top view at Capilano Golf & Country Club. I really wanted to highlight some of the great shots from the day's outdoor shoot. They got their model on and rocked that place up and down!

Our second fab wedding of the back-to-back weekend was with the delightful Christine & Jordan. You may remember them from a few months ago when they brought along their adorable whippet/pit bull terrier, Tigger! She was looking at them all day and couldn't figure out why there were so many people in the house. It was the cutest thing when we caught a quick shot of her staring at Christine's wedding dress hanging in the window.

Later, we headed out to the North Shore for pictures beforehand and I was ecstatic- literally jumping up and down when we got to the park and saw the surreal weather conditions that we were going to get to enjoy. I was so glad they decided to do photos beforehand as the clouds burned off later in the day. Jason and I have been waiting for this all summer as shooting with the elements is one of our favourite things to do. Here's some stunning shots from earlier in the day. I could stare all day at the beautiful skies we get here in BC.

Last week was a wonderful back-to-back weekend of 2 gorgeous weddings with two gorgeous couples! The first one was Troy and Monika. Every bride dreams of planning her wedding and being involved in every little detail. Monika didn't get that chance 100% because she had been away abroad for most of the year finishing her education to become a doctor. While she was away, the amazingly talented Angela Girard of Reflection Events helped to make Monika's dream wedding come true! Her beautiful gown was made by a local designer, Kathryn Bass for Pure Something Co.. The ceremony was held at the Holy Rosary Cathedral downtown and then off to the Vancouver Club for the sparkling reception. My favourite part of the whole evening was seeing all the friends and family holding each other and dancing away the night. Troy and Monika were so happy and elated that watching them, I almost cried. It reminded me of my own wedding. Ahh, how time flies by.