Sandra and Aaron are a fun couple to be around…they each have great sarcastic sense of humour. Sandra is from Ontario, and Aaron is from Alberta, and since they both live in Victoria, it seemed the best ‘middle spot’ to have their wedding. Friends and family flew in from all over to enjoy their big day. The weather couldn’t have been more cooperative in showing folks from away that it doesn’t always rain in Victoria. In fact, their wedding was on one of the hottest days of the summer. Their ceremony was at St. Andrew’s Cathedral, and the rest of the festivities took place at the Hotel Grand Pacific. Sandra’s grandmother kept us laughing pretty steadily during the morning, spurred on by an interesting article about sex and aging in the Globe and Mail. Not hard to see that the sense of humour runs in the family. Congratulations Sandra and Aaron!

Gillian and Ryan were married at the Westin Bear Mountain Resort in August. They didn’t want to leave their guests for too long for portraits so we were on site for the whole day. I stayed with the girls before the ceremony and photographed them getting ready and Gillian was quite possibly the calmest bride, taking care of everyone else from makeup and hairdos, to making sure every last gal had a drink! After the ceremony, we hopped in a van and were driven through the bumpy back roads to the 19th hole for some bridal party and couple photos. Ryan looked pretty slick and Don Draper-esque in his suit, and Gillian’s backless dress was gorgeous. By the time we returned back to the resort, the wind had picked up and blankets were handed out for the guests dining on the patio…which made for a pretty cozy reception!

Anita and Ken had their vow renewal at the Abkhazi Garden surrounded by family and friends from all parts of the globe. We took some photos prior to the ceremony and when we arrived at the garden, Anita changed into her gorgeous custom gown. I knew once I saw the gown that I had to somehow conjure up some wind, so I suggested we head out for some more photos after the ceremony. We went straight toward the ocean because if I’ve learned anything growing up by the sea, you can always count on a good gust of wind there! As hoped, the wind was blowing…really blowing, and freezing. Anita stood there like a trooper and then took a little break from the wind to warm up with a rest in the long grass. Only one minor mishap during the day with a broken Manolo Blahnik shoe, but the rest of the day went off without a hitch! Jenna Shouldice was with me shooting for Anita and Ken’s big day, and as always it was a treat to have her along! I’m sure she’ll have some of her images posted down the road. Congratulations again Anita and Ken!

Since Layton and Candace smashed pumpkins in October, it (sort of) made sense that we smashed pies in the summer. Or at least it made sense when I suggested it in February…as a bit of a joke…but we still did it. Lyndsay and Adam decided on cream pies, for the splatter factor. It was pretty gross, and turned disgusting when they kept discovering coconut up their noses at supper. Whoops. A crowd gathered at the beach when they saw the two pies come out of the bags and they cheered as Lyndsay and Adam smashed pies in each other’s faces. Talk about romantic! We saw every sort of light that day, from golden light overlooking Victoria, to pink and blue light at the beach…it was really a dream. Not to mention I can cross ‘Photographing married couple smash anniversary pies in their faces’ off my bucket list!

Lyndsay Cotterall is a Vancouver-based photographer. She contacted me at the start of the year wanting to book a portrait session with her husband Adam to celebrate their second wedding anniversary. In her email she wrote that she wanted to top Layton and Candace’s shoot, and I was up for the challenge! Lyndsay and Adam booked a mini-island getaway to Victoria and we met up for their session at the Laurel Point Inn. They were running a bit behind (after driving all over the city looking for a grocery store to buy pies…this will make sense in part 2!), and I was waiting outside the floor elevator at the hotel when I saw a flash of blond run past. The next time the elevator doors opened, there was Adam…arms open for a giant hug. Quite the greeting from a complete stranger! He said he always goes for a hug first! We started shooting in the hotel room, and with the racket we were making jumping on the bed, I’m sure any neighbours who saw me head into the room with a camera must have thought something strange was going on inside! Lyndsay and Adam were up for anything so we took photos until the sun went down, and ended up spending just over 5 hrs together during their session. We met up with Jenna and Tristan for some supper at the end of the night, and talked non-stop like a bunch of photography nerds. It was really great to finally meet Lyndsay and Adam, and I look forward to more shenanigans with them in the future!