One of the great things about being a wedding photographer is when you have the opportunity to document really great friendships. Krista is part of a group of girls who grew up in Souris and shared the common bond of figure skating together. I’ve had the privilege of photographing four of the girls’ weddings now, and it’s always a pleasure to work with them all again and see how they’ve remained close over the years.
The last time I shot in Souris was in the winter (for one of the bridesmaids’ weddings), so I was interested to see what it was like in the autumn. Or what I thought would be autumn – the weather did its best impersonation of winter that day with blowing snow. To the wedding party’s credit, they all trooped out without a complaint for a shoot in and around Souris. The bridesmaids toughed it out in their sleeveless dresses, running in and out of the cars between shots to stay warm. Derek and the boys had it easier in their tuxes, but to Derek’s credit, he kept on trucking long after many an other groom would have packed it in. It was great working with Derek and Krista who seemed to just enjoy the whole experience – smiling and laughing all day long.
One of my favorite moments at the reception was when Krista’s father, who had just turned 80, played Krista & Derek’s first song on his saxophone. Another notable moment came later in the evening when two members of Krista’s family pulled off one of the greatest performances/strip-shows I’ve ever witnessed at a wedding. Definitely a memorable reception, and all-in-all a really wonderful day. A sneak peek into the wedding:
It’s been a season of baby portraits, but what made little Lukas stand out was just how expressive his eyes were. It’s hard to get the attention of some babies, but Lukas not only keenly followed me with his eyes, but also gave these great expressions that seemed to suggest he knew something that the rest of us didn’t. Tania, Cornelius, and Lukas were clearly all very happy to just be with each other and I think it definitely showed in the pictures of the new family. Some of my faves from the session:
One of the last weddings of the “summer” took place up at Camp Morton, just North of Gimli, where Cassie and Tyler tied the knot. It was my first time back in nine years since I was there for a camp-out with friends and family after my own wedding, and I had forgotten what a picturesque place it was. Another pleasant surprise was seeing our good family friend Heidi playing her beautiful blue harp for the ceremony.
Cassie was held up briefly en route to the wedding, which gave me time to catch a number of nice candid moments of Tyler and his family patiently waiting. It wasn’t long though before the bride arrived, looking every bit as picturesque as the scenery. She made a lovely processional through the trees and met Tyler along the rock-walled edge of the field where they got married in a cozy outdoor ceremony. Afterward, we took advantage of the wonderful greenery and the beach along Lake Winnipeg for a quick portrait session. A shorter day than most for me, but still very much enjoyable and a pleasure working with Cassie & Tyler. Here are a few of my faves from the day:
I met Sean about five years ago during my previous life working with the government of Manitoba. Smart fellow, keen wit, and you could tell he was destined for big things in the workplace (which he now appears to be well on his way to achieving). It just so happened that his wife Twinkle was also into photography and was thinking of getting into weddings. So it came to be that I got a willing and skilled shooter to help me on a number of shoots, as well as a good friend to boot ever since. Shortly thereafter I left the civil service to shoot full-time, and it wasn’t long before Twinkle took the plunge too. She’s now successfully running her own business in town – you can check out her work at her website: www.twinklereyes.com
Earlier this summer I had the honour and privilege to photograph Twinkle & Sean’s celebration of their 10th year of marriage. An intimate gathering of close family and friends at Chez Sophie, the evening was highlighted by their children Chloe & Mark making remarkable and heart-felt toasts to their parents. The food and atmosphere was great, and with Mark being about the same age as my son, it was fun watching them romp around together with the gaggle of other kids that were tearing around the place. Congratulations on ten years Twinkle & Sean! (and thanks for waiting on the pictures!)
It was a happy confluence of events: a much belated but very welcome summer day in September, a bunch of convertible car enthusiasts just happening to stop by Cherry Hill Estate that evening, and a lovely couple named Jasmine & Scott getting married. The amount of traffic on the way to Steinbach had me worried at first, but as soon as I spotted the limo following me most of the way, I knew I was still going to get there ahead of the bride. Once there, everything else went off without a hitch: a picturesque outdoor ceremony, a photo session amongst some very cool cars, and a reception full of laughter and fun.
It was an easy mission to photograph a couple like Jasmine and Scott who were clearly so excited and happy to be getting married. And it was a wedding party to remember as well – I felt pretty short all day surrounded by Scott’s groomsmen who were all seemingly 6’5″ in height, while Jasmine’s sisters pulled out quite the awesome rap session during the speeches. Congratulations Jasmine & Scott! It was a beautiful wedding and a pleasure working with you!
