Sorry its been so long everyone. I've moved! My previous blog host wasn't as user friendly as I had hoped. So let's try this again!
The spring/summer wedding season is over down here in Florida. It's pretty darn hot in these parts and the rain can be ferocious at times.
My last event this season was a vow renewal and anniversary weekend. I miss my clients terribly. I truly had such a wonderful time planning with them. And then when it came time for their events- I fell in love with their family and friends too. They truly have the best people in their lives. I felt so honored to be a part of their 40th anniversary. The weekend was full of events which was called "Family, Friends, and Forty Years". My clients and their guests played golf, shopped, fished, and toured all over Naples. And that was just the 1st half day! After a welcome reception that evening, my clients and their guests jumped aboard their chartered trolleys for a narrated tour (narrated by my clients!) of some of the must see sights of Naples and ended their day with a beautiful sunset cruise. The next day they had an open house, and then everyone paraded down the block to the beach for their vow renewal. It was such a sight. A few hours after the ceremony it was time for cocktails, dinner, and dancing. Boy did they dance! The band (The Landsharks, absolutely amazing- one of the best ever!), had everyone out of their seats nearly the entire evening. Yep, we had to extend an hour because the party was way too hot to shut down! The next morning there was a farewell brunch at their home.
Photos: My favorite EVER vow renewal clients! The flowers up there- believe it or not we used them for 3 different events- and that's the last one! True sign of a fantastic florist! I used them at the welcome reception on Friday, the cocktail hour before the dinner Saturday, and finally at the farewell brunch on Sunday. And the last photo is the tail end of the parade to the beach (1 block walk from their new home).
I had a really difficult time saying goodbye to these clients. I always do, but these clients were different. It was an experience not like one I've had before. I balled all the way home. I've cried a few times since then too. Thanks Gary & Janet... it was such a pleasure.

Sailaway Getaway

Is there anything more romantic that taking to the sea with the one you love?

After a three-day-wedding-extravaganza during the hottest weekend of the year, Chris & I snuck out of the office to hoist the sails on our baby Good Scout. No phone, no internet, no cameras (well, other than the little point&shoot).

We tied down the kayaks to the deck, stocked the galley with wine and cheese, and motored our cosy 29-foot Nor’sea out of the harbour towards the northern San Juan Islands.

It was a perfect blue-sky day and once we got to Georgia Strait, we let her rip! Woo-hoo ~what an exhilarating feeling it is to be flying across the ocean swells with the wind in your sails!

We got to Echo Bay just in time for sunset and a glass (or two) of wine. We spent the next day exploring Sucia Island (once the refuge of rum-runners and opium-smugglers) by foot and by kayak.

And although I was a little surprised by the riptides...

Paddling past the sandstone caves was awesome!

A sail on Good Scout - the perfect mid-week escape! Now back to weddings!

Jessica+Gonz

Gonz – you gotta love this guy! Though he said he was nervous about being in front of the camera, he is pure magic ~ and it doesn’t hurt that his fiancée Jessica just happens to look like a covergirl!

During their e-session, he stopped traffic for us, found the best routes to our locations, and gave restaurant advice to some British tourists who thought the couple were celebrities on a photo shoot! And why not? They looked like stars as they checked each other out in front of our favourite blue wall...

Snuggled up in a doorway...

And got passionate under the bridge...

And Gonz kept his girl warm when Chris wanted to get “just one last shot” on the bridge after dark (it was worth it – dontcha just love the light trails?!).

Congratulations guys! And don’t forget – “It’s good to be Gonz!”

Lisa+Kevin

Cool, calm, and totally cute, Lisa and Kevin were a blast to shoot on their engagement session. Lisa was stunning in an emerald green sundress ~ she looked like she should be kicking some bad-guy butt with those other Charlie’s Angels. And Kevin could not keep his eyes off her – the two of them are so obviously in love!

We did some "traditional" shots for the parents...

And then headed off to the east side to wander the redbrick roads and hang with Gassy Jack.

Kevin loves the architecture of this old building so we did some cool urban scenics.

Then we found a steel staircase on the side of a dilapidated old building to do something completely different. These guys were totally into adventure for art’s sake. Who knew making out in an empty lot could be so fun anyway?

Paddling the Sunshine Coast

We’re at the beginning of the 24,000 km highway that winds its way along the coastline all the way down south to Mexico. Route 101 starts here at the tiny village of Lund, and we’re here hanging out, eating super-gooey cinnamon buns on the patio, rock-scrambling along the shoreline, and dangling our legs over the pier while on assignment for British Columbia Magazine (check out our stories Land of Legends and Destination:Clinton in this season's issue currently on newstands).

The waterfront town is on the Sunshine Coast, and it’s pretty darn sunny and smoldering! At over 30 degrees, it’s so hot we decided to go for a dip in the ocean after kayaking over to Savary Island. The little island feels like a tropical oasis with its sweet beaches. It’s so charming, even moody old Captain Vancouver liked it when he passed through some two hundred years ago. It took us a couple hours to paddle over, and we had to navigate some pretty big rollers (well, they felt big in a kayak), but the white sandy beaches we relaxed on for the afternoon were well worth it.

On the way back, the ocean was calm, we saw one bald eagle, and four wide-eyed seals followed us. Nothing like a sunset paddle. And a glass of wine on the patio of The Sunset At the End of the World Restaurant on the shores of Lund.