Millie+Sugi=Aloha!

alo(sharing)+oha ( joyous affection, joy)+ha (life, energy, breath)=

Aloha: Joyfully sharing life!

I love this definition of "Aloha!" It so perfectly reflects the wedding of Millie & Sugi who flew us out to the beautiful island of Oahu to photograph their day. All their guests had come from afar to celebrate with the happy couple as well as enjoy the Hawaiian sunshine!

We first got to know Millie and Sugi a few months ago when we shot their B+G Session in San Fransisco, one of their favourite cities. It was quite the adventure climbing the windy cliffside by the Golden Gate bridge!

Last week, we met them on the island of Ohau. At the Halekulani hotel, Millie got ready in the luxury of her oceanside room.

Three necklaces: one for the ceremony, one for the reception, and one dancing the night away.

Loving our new 85mm 1.2 lens! Into the dress.
Shoe sparkle.
The lovely bride.
And the handsome groom. Millie laughing with her girls before the ceremony.
The walk down the aisle. Yay! Married!

The incredible Jan, from Vancouver's Horizon Wedding Films, hard at work on the beach.

And husband and wife enjoying the a moment by the ocean.We're always up for a little rock-scrambling...but Millie wasn't expecting this wave!At the reception, each table was labelled with postcards from the couple's favourite cities in the world.
Nice dip, Sugi! Congratulations Millie & Sugi!

I LOVE Florida!

It's 81 degrees right now and the sun is shining and the Gulf breeze is blowing. It is absolutely AMAZING weather here today. I met with Susan & Jim at the florist this morning for the consultation. They're getting married on Sanibel in May. They had just driven down from Cincinatti. Can you imagine going from Ohio to this (see picture)? Needless to say, it is a picture perfect day on the island. There were dozens and dozens of people lining Periwinkle on their bikes. There were people taking in the rays at the pool, people having lunch on the terraces and sidewalk cafes...just gorgeous.
Later this afternoon I'm driving down to Naples for a rehearsal. Erika & Gareth are tying the knot on the beach Sunday evening and then having a huge bash at her mom's house, traditional wedding reception followed by a New Years party. We did have to put a tent up (better safe than sorry), but it looks amazing. Lots of cool lighting and decor. The coolest thing, Gareth, who is a carpenter, built a dancefloor/platform over the entire pool. It is outrageous. I'll be sure to post before and after pictures.
Ok, I want out of the office- enjoy the day gang!

Holiday Surprises!

This has been such a great holiday season. I have to tell you about my Christmas because it ROCKED! Christmas morning we woke up to one of my wedding day 2-way radios, "Mom we're awake. Can we come out?" Explanation: last year our kids got up and saw all the stuff Santa brought and we didn't get to see the looks on their faces. So this year, before they went to bed, we gave them a radio. We told them to radio us when they woke up and we'd come get them- not to leave the room! Needless to say, it was hilarious. Even at 7am.
So at Christmas dinner at my sister-n-laws house, she announced she was finally having a baby! It was just the greatest thing to hear. I cried of course. All of my clients who are newlyweds know that I am forever crying- totally water works factory. I honestly didn't think it could get better. I was wrong.
After dinner, we went to our best friends house for a Christmas party. I'm telling everyone the great news about my sister, and one of our closest friends says, "Guess what! I'm pregnant too!" I screamed, and started crying again. They're due just 2 weeks apart. Great night huh? Believe it or not, that wasn't the end of it.
An hour later, my best friend makes a toast to the pregnant friend, and at the end of the toast says, "And I have one more surprise. Follow me out to the dock." We get outside, and our other set of friends (who I set up exactly 2 years ago this week), is on the boat with Reverend Chris. It was a surprise wedding. I immediately broke into tears- again. Actually, by this point I'm completely sobbing.
Ok, so maybe I was a little sad about not getting to plan even a little bit of the wedding. But getting to watch as a guest was priceless.
Happy holidays everyone, and I hope yours are as special as mine.

New Wedding Blogs

Hi all...I know, long time. I owe some pictures! I've decided to post weddings individually on their own blogs. Here's some new ones:
Krista & Chris
Jennifer & Alyn

Lisa+Adam=Devotion

Lisa and Adam knew what their wedding day was all about: each other, their family, and their faith. It was raining all day, but that did not dampen their spirits one bit!

We took some of our favourite shots while Lisa was getting ready.
Mother and daughter - both thrilled when the dress was on!
Lisa's eyes are so expressive - you can just tell how excited she is about seeing Adam for the first time!
Their First Look .
The rain was really coming down, but we were able to get some beautiful portraits of Lisa...

Simple.
And real.With Dad looking on...The girls hammed it up to keep warm!

While the guys took a swig from their flasks (a gift from Adam).

Inside, the fabulous Kim and Andy from Wedding Design Studio
transformed the Langley heritage hall into a luxurious setting for the ceremony and reception.
Adam and Lisa's ceremony was filled with joy, prayer, and music.

The band members from their church had everyone singing.

It's official!The two MC's made a hilarious video like nothing we've ever seen before. The two guys re-enacted Lisa and Adam's first meeting and proposal. It had the whole room in stitches.We convinced them to sneak out for a few night shots outside.Then it was back for some emotional dances for Lisa.
With her husband.And her dad.
What an amazing day - the love in that room was tangible to everyone there! Congratulations!

How'd it get to be December already?

It's been a month and there have been 2 really great weddings! I can't wait to share the pictures from both. Just this weekend was Julie & Phils. What a great couple. I had so much fun planning with them. For their rehearsal we had a tropical elegant dinner, beach front under a tent. The kids had their very own space- and totally took advantage of it. Finally Saturday, after a beautiful church ceremony they had a perfect Christmas themed wedding reception. Priority number 1 for Julie and Phil was the DJ. And boy did we have the perfect DJ! The dancefloor was at max capacity the whole night! It took a huge portion of planning time and a big chunk of the budget to get that DJ- but it was worth it because it was what was most important to the bride and groom. To see the photoshow, click the link on the right.

And last month was Krista & Chris's Vintage Hollywood wedding. It was amazing- by far the most personal ceremony I've witnessed. The Pro pics will be out soon, so I'm going to wait for those before I post too much more about it...something to look forward to for sure.

Natarie+Great Light=WPJA Honour

We had so much fun with Natarie and Jackie on their wedding day last summer. The best part for us was shooting them along the tree-lined road leading up to Swaneset Resort in the dramatic late evening light. When Natarie ran over towards Jackie, Chris captured this romantic image.
We thought it was pretty cool that it was recognized by the WPJA, a prestigious international association of wedding photojournalists, for excellence in the category of silhouettes, shadows & light. One judge said "The spotlight and twirl of the dress remind me of an old Hollywood movie." Right on! Thanks for the kudos, WPJA!

Robyn+Billy=Classic

Robyn and Billy are the kind of couple you just adore the second you meet them! They were so excited to be getting together with all their friends and family from around the country. Despite the blizzard the day before their wedding, everyone arrived safely to join them at their alma mater, Gonzaga University.

Robyn got ready in one of her old classrooms. The buttons sewn the back of her gown were from her grandmother's wedding dress- what a beautiful tradition!

And what a beautiful bride! I love the drama of these shots.

The campus grounds offered lots of great spots to shoot - like this fire escape the guys climbed.While the girls snuggled together below to keep warm in sub-zero cold!The university chapel was filled with warmth.
Hooray - married!When we first drove into town, we found this old cigar factory & just loved the texture of its brickwork. On route to the reception site, Robyn & Billy braved the windchill factor so we could get some cool portraits here.
It was dark once we arrived at the Davenport Hotel, truly one of the classiest hotels ever. (If you're ever in Spokane or near it, stay here! The 1912 architecture is incredible & moreover, the friendly service offered by everyone, from the doorman to the wedding coordinator, was unparellelled!)


A balcony view of the elegant couple.And a ballroom view of husband and wife's first dance.