I really enjoyed how Maria and Phil managed to combine quiet elegance with whimsical fun on their wedding day.  The entire wedding party looked sharp in their tuxes and dresses, but it was the details – the cool shoes, the big white balloons, the tango at the reception – that really added the character to this wedding.  It was my first time being on the job at the Fort Whyte Centre, and the weather held up for a perfectly soft and overcast outdoor wedding ceremony. If I’m any judge, I think the most anxious part of the day for Maria and Phil was the anticipation leading up to their elaborately choreographed dance.  That said, they pulled it off to much applause and fanfare, and it didn’t take long for all of Phil’s DJ friends to get the music going.  Congrats to the couple!  Some sneak peeks from the day:

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I’ll admit to a certain nervous anticipation before Anjali and Arun’s wedding.  I’ve photographed quite a number of Sikh and Hindu weddings now, but this was the first time photographing both ceremonies… one after the other… on the same day!  To my pleasant surprise, the day just flew by and the constant rush of events made for lots of fun and eventful shooting.

We started Saturday bright and early at the Fairmont (though not as early as Anjali who was up with the sun at 4am!).  Under a light sprinkle of rain, the groom’s procession with Arun on his horse made its way to the hotel, where first the Sikh and then the Hindu ceremonies went off without a hitch (other than a brief moment when I wondered if the ominous buzzing of the fire alarm – caused by the smoke from the ceremonial fire – was going to be followed by a cold shower from the sprinklers). Then we had a nice long portrait session, ending Saturday at the Legislative Building and starting Sunday at Red River College.  Just as they were on their engagement session, Anjali and Arun were wonderfully patient and so friendly and easy to work with during the shoots.  We got a ton of nice shots through both days – it’s going to take me awhile to go through so many!  But here is a sneak peek at some of my faves from the weekend.

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The past year or so has given me the distinct pleasure of seeing a lot of my wedding couples from the past and photographing them again as they transition from a couple to a family.  I fondly remember working with Tiffany and Ken on their engagement shoot – it was one of the very first times I’d ever pulled out lighting for an on-location shoot and I recall fumbling around a bit and smiling politely as I did a little “learning on the go”.  I’d like to think I’ve since gotten a bit better with my lighting, and though I’m sure I had my share of bumbling around again, hopefully they found the shoot a little smoother this time around!

At least Emily didn’t seem to mind – for being just a little one, she was amazingly patient with me as we started out shooting at the St-Boniface Basilica and ended up in the studio.  From what I could tell, Emily seems to take after her mom’s sunny elegance and her father’s cheery expressiveness – she had some of the most expressive eyebrows I’ve seen on an infant, and she would made this great little face every time she was anywhere near facing the sun (with Ken’s acting background, I’m sure she’ll have no shortage of inspiration for expressions).  It was great to meet you Emily!

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Every spring, I look forward to the opportunity to work with the wonderful Sareen family and their two little ones: Mya and Aidan.  It was a bit of a revelation when it occurred to me that this was my fourth annual portrait session with them – how time flies!  With last year’s shoot taking place in the studio, we changed it up this year and I eagerly headed over to their home to chase after the kids with my camera in their own environment.

While there’s the usual surprise in seeing how much they’ve grown every year, the signs of change were rather apparent this time: you know time is passing when they’re out of diapers and have moved on to losing teeth.  But some things remain the same and as always, the kids were super excited, falling over each other to show me their latest toys, and all-in-all just a blast to be around. I spent some time following them around the house as they showed off their rooms and newly found piano skills (I don’t recall my kids being quite so focused as Mya was on the keyboard).  And with it being a bright and sunny afternoon, we headed out to the park, running after them as they pedalled furiously away on their little bikes.

Always a joy and a pleasure to work with – thank you to the Sareens for sharing your lives with me!  And some of my faves from the session:

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