Kelsey & Allison - Mountain Estate Wedding in Kimberley, BC

wedding date - June 1st, 2019

Kelsey & Allison are friends of mine who met and live in Calgary, and I was lucky enough to travel to photograph and attend their destination wedding this past June in British Columbia! I was actually there to capture their fun surprise proposal during a family photo session in PEI in 2017 too. I also photographed Kelsey’s brother’s wedding (Rory & Hannah) in 2016 so it was great to work with everyone again!

Kelsey & Allison wanted a fun destination in the mountains where everyone could come together so they chose the small town of Kimberley, BC - about a 4 hour road trip from Calgary. A big group of friends and family travelled from PEI and all across Canada for their wedding and we made a full week of activities around it. They wanted all of their guests to stay close and get to know each other, so they organized events and hangouts before the wedding day too. Our group rented a big house and spent a lot of time with everyone beforehand.

The wedding was held at Cherry Creek Estate, a huge property outside town with a view overlooking the ranch and mountains. The staff were wonderful (shout out to Dave), the photo locations were so good, and it was a really unique spot that we had all to ourselves. They had a quick outdoor ceremony, a long relaxing cocktail hour, a reception with incredible food, and an even better DJ.

I’ll always remember this wedding and was so lucky to have been a part of it. A great destination wedding can really bring people together and make it a whole experience, and theirs definitely did just that. Congratulations Kelsey & Allison!

One piece of wedding advice from the couple:

“We wrote and read our vows to each other the night before so we could half keep it together during our ceremony. It made us feel really connected going into the next day.”

Planning a destination wedding yourself? I’d love to hear more - it can cost a lot less than you think!

number of guests - 85

Hair - Nicole Wilhelm (@nicoledidit)

Makeup - Candace Janisch (@ladylipstickslinger)

Wedding Dress - Designer - Nicole Rita Tomney (@nrtfashions)

Wedding Suit - Stylist Lauren Larsen (@atelierbyensemble)

Florals - MJ's Floral Boutique (@mjsfloralboutique)

Transportation - Free Spirit Travel Bus

DJ - DJ Ray

Prince Edward Island Mini Weddings

wedding dates - July 21st, & September 15th, 2019

I’ve been asked about our mini wedding days so many times over the last few months so I’m pleased to share some photos and a bit of the back story! Hey, even CBC was talking about them.

Last winter Kristina from Elysian Weddings & Events and I met for coffee about an idea she had for a full day of small weddings back to back where couples would essentially share a full day booking from some of our Island’s top vendors. Although admittedly we weren’t sure if it would be a hit or not, I was on board right away. We discussed a lot of the details and what was important, but above all we wanted couples to feel like they were treated special and had a quality, fun, and positive experience that wasn’t rushed. Couples each would receive a two hour time slot which included their wedding ceremony with photography, videography, ceremony space, officiant, coordination, florals, champagne, and cake - all for $2,500! You just needed to show up with a marriage license. We assembled a top notch team of vendors and the host was one of the Island’s most loved venues, Clinton Hills. Once the July 21st minis were announced, they filled up right away and there was enough demand for a second day to be added in September! In July we celebrated 4 weddings, and 3 in September.

We loved how every wedding did things differently and felt unique. Each couple decided how they wanted to spend their time so some opted for a first look while others arrived together. Their families would then head up to the wooded ceremony space at Clinton Hills (or inside if raining). After their own personalized ceremony by Elysian Weddings, we walked to the outdoor courtyard at Clinton Hills for cake & champagne. We took a group photo and let our couples relax and mingle with their friends and families before we captured some family photos. Once guests departed Simon and I took each couple around the property for their own fun portraits and video.

After they left us, every couple had their own plans for the rest of the day and night. Some rented restaurants for private dinners with guests, one had a stay at Dalvay, some threw a big party, one stayed at home and enjoyed a kid free evening, and one even had a full tent wedding reception afterwards! It was so nice to see how everyone made the day unique to them.

It was the biggest compliment to hear from every couple how much fun they had, what an easy experience it was, and how they would recommend it to others. We’ve also had so many people say they wish they had done it too!

We would love to host these again so stay tuned for the details on this Summer’s upcoming mini wedding day! Thank you to all the vendors who made these days so great:

ceremony & coordination - elysian weddings & events

venue - clinton hills weddings & events

photography - brady mccloskey

videography - simon reid studios

florals - sakurah’s flower studio

cakes - butter (july), KGJ Bake Shop (september)

Laura & Chad - Bahia Principe Esmeralda Wedding in Punta Cana

Wedding date - may 9th, 2016

A wedding? The beach? Sun? Great people? Food? Drinks? YES, I'm in! 

I was thrilled to get the email from Laura & Chad inviting me to be a part of their wedding week in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic this past May. Anyone who follows my Instagram knows I love to travel any chance I get and what better way than photographing a destination wedding at the beautiful Luxury Gran Bahia Principe Esmeralda

With almost 40 guests in our group ranging from ages 2 to 94, there was plenty of excitement for the big day. Wedding day was three days after we arrived and the ceremony took place right on the beach before sunset. The ceremony was performed in Spanish and a local band serenaded everyone down the isle. The scenery was picture perfect and with a bride and groom so easy and fun to work with, it was a joy to photograph. After the sun set we all enjoyed a great meal together and some stayed to extend the party well into the wee hours of the morning. 

Even though I had just met Laura & Chad and only knew a few of their guests before the trip, everyone was incredibly friendly and welcoming and I felt right at home as soon as we got on the bus from Charlottetown. I had a blast spending the week with everyone basking in the sun, snorkeling, ordering Bahama mamas, eating too much ice cream, and visiting the "disco" a time or two...

Thank you Laura and Chad for being the most wonderful hosts, and to everyone else who made the #happilyeverheron wedding week such a great time! This was certainly one for the books and I cannot wait for the next destination wedding.

To view the video of their day from Boxtop Film, click here.

2015 Favorites

From East Point to North Cape, from Belfast to Cape Egmont, from PEI to New Brunswick, 2015 has taken me far and wide capturing the moments that matter to you. I sincerely cannot thank each and every client enough for putting their trust in me this year. It's been an honor capturing every wedding, family, couple, commercial job, and everything else in between. 

Each year I sift through every session to choose my personal favorite shots to share. For many different reasons these shots are just a few of the ones that stick with me. I hope you enjoy this collection and I cannot wait to see what 2016's will bring. 

Enjoy,