Dear 2017, Thank You

For the past few years I have posted a Thank You to all of the couples we worked with over the year. It is hard to find new words to describe how lucky we are to be able to capture these big days and really when it comes right down to it I think a heartfelt Thank You is the best I have.

I went into 217 with a great deal of fear and nervousness. This was my first full calendar year in which I didn’t have the safety net of my engineering career, and that was a very scary thing. But thanks to our clients (and of course my wonderfully supportive husband and second shooter Dave), I think it turned out better than I could have ever imagined!

We captured 17 incredible days for 17 truly awesome couples. We loved each and every one of them (both the days and the couples) and I am so looking forward to working with them again in the future as their lives together grow. For now though I just wanted to highlight them all again one more time.

(Also – as a side note, I also love all of the people we have been fortunate enough to work with for the many portraits sessions and events we have captured this past year, but that would make for a terribly long post that I don’t even think our clients would read)

Nathalie + Marc-Andre
Their wedding day was truly the perfect start to our 2017 wedding season. I loved their low-key, relaxed wedding day and how beautiful everything was and of course I loved how adorable Nathalie + Marc-Andre both were throughout the entire thing.

Shannon + Kevin
Shannon + Kevin’s wedding day was truly one of the highlights of our season (even with it being so early on in it). Not only was it gorgeous to look at, but these two amazing people surrounded themselves with even more amazing people which meant we got to hang out with them all and have a really great time!

Krysten + Jon
Krysten + Jon are honestly two of the sweetest, kindest people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. Mix that with the perfect amount of sarcasm and general humour and you have a truly memorable wedding day that we were so honoured to be a part of.

Rebecca + Keith
Oh Rebecca + Keith – what can I say other than I freaking love these two people! Their wedding day was full of so much laughter, joy and tear-jerking amounts of love that not even all that rain could dampen anyone’s spirits.

Angela + Paul
For me, Angela + Paul’s wedding day can be broken down into two things: true love and wacky shenanigans. Not only was it so wonderful to capture the love these two share, but it was so hilarious to be a part of the crazy moments their friends and family planned for them. This will definitely be a wedding day I remember for a long time to come.

Jennifer + Bergil
Being wedding photographers we obviously see a lot of couples in love, but the way Bergil looked at Jenn on their wedding day was truly indescribable. Getting to witness it and capture it for them filled my heart with so much joy and happiness. Mix that with Jenn’s stunning natural beauty and everyone’s genuinely kind personalities, and it was a great day for sure.

Juliet + Blake
It seems that every year we get to capture a wedding of a family member or dear friend, and this year that was Juliet + Blake. Having grown up as next-swamp-neighbours (and just so that doesn’t sound so weird or offensive, there was a swamp between our parents’ houses growing up), it is sometimes hard for me to picture young Blake getting married, but he grew into a wonderful man and found an absolutely delightful woman to spend his life with. Getting to photograph Juliet + Blake’s wedding day was a true honour and joy for us both.

Jennifer + Kyle
Good old August 12, 2017. I think this is a day that every Ottawa wedding industry pro will remember as it is the day where it not only stormed with intense power and fury, but with hail – so much hail. For us it meant moving to some back-up locations and doing our best to keep people as dry and relaxed as possible. We were assisted by a truly amazing team of vendors of course, but really we couldn’t have done it with out Jenn + Kyle. They didn’t let the weather get them down and were so incredibly wonderful (and gorgeous) to work with and didn’t mind the multiple mini-portrait sessions we did with them between the bouts of rain.

Ellen + Graham
Oh my goodness, Ellen + Graham’s wedding day was memorable for so many reasons, but the one that sticks out the most in my mind is how unbelievably stunning it all was! Ellen in that perfect dress, her gorgeous ladies, all of those handsome guys and such breathtaking backdrops all day long. Plus, we were surrounded by such wonderfully charming and kind people – we really couldn’t have asked for anything else.

Karine + Douglas
Karine + Doug are without a doubt two of the most wonderful people. They are so genuinely kind-natured and thoughtful. And their wedding day was a perfect representation of them and their wonderful qualities. We loved literally every second of their day, and that includes the drive out to Wendake, Quebec too!

Mary + Adam
A wedding weekend in forest – yes please! Mary + Adam had planned out their wedding weekend beautifully! The wedding day itself was the perfect combination of beauty and grace mixed with a relaxed atmosphere and true country hospitality. I personally loved the elements of individuality they had added into their day from Mary’s bouquet to Adam’s tie and all the fun events they had planned for their guests.

Courteney + Steve
We are often graced with pretty easy-going couples, a fact that I absolutely love about the people we attract, but these two were not only easy going and trusting of our style, they were absolutely hilarious during the whole day! Courteney + Steve are so wonderful together and we had a blast being a part of their wedding.

Krystal + Luke
This was without a doubt one of the most incredibly beautiful wedding days we have ever been a part of. Krystal + Luke had planned a beautiful day in terms of the decor, venue, the guys’ outfits and ladies’ dresses – and Krystal in that dress: va-va-voom!! But really, the day was so wonderful for us because of all the amazingly sweet people we got to work and hang out with all day long (plus, there were lots of horses and ponies – like seriously, they were at pretty much every location – including bridal prep).

Kristen + Chris
In my opinion, the very best wedding days have well thought out details, and Kristen + Chris had seriously well thought out details! I had so much fun fiddling with all the pretties during prep and the day just kept getting better and better as it went along. These two are just so freaking adorable together and Chris is a true wordsmith bringing so many people to (happy) tears that day.

Chantal + Mathieu
Chantal + Mat are not only super pros at portraits now, but they are just so darn cute. And the way the look at each other and speak about their lives together is truly heartwarming. Mix that all with their wonderful humour and a great set of family and friends and you have one of our favourite wedding days of 2017!

Sabrina + Jeff
There is just something about Sabrina + Jeff that I absolutely adore. I am not sure if I find myself relating to their introverted personalities, the fact that they pulled off such a great intimate wedding, or if it is just because they are real salt-of-the-earth people, but I think they are just great! From the moment I met Sabrina I knew I had to work with her and I am so grateful that we got that chance. Their wedding day was private and unique, and being a part of it really did feel like a special honour.

Alyssa + David
Seriously guys, October 2017 just kept getting better and better. Every time I came home from a wedding I thought for sure there was no way a day could be as good as that one. So when Alyssa + David’s day came around, I was a little nervous – but don’t worry, the year ended on a true high-note because these two planned a gorgeous day and filled it with so much love, happiness and beauty (and mother nature was so good to us too)! I really couldn’t have asked for anything better than to end our year working with this enchanting couple!

Wow, what an amazing wedding season! Thank you again to all of our couples – I can honestly say that we loved each and every one of your wedding days and I really am so incredibly honoured to have been a part of them (as is Dave, although he isn’t writing this right now).

And finally, a huge thank you to all of the vendors we have been lucky enough to work alongside in 2017. Anyone in the business knows that weddings don’t plan themselves and it takes an entire team of pros to pull them off. So thank you all for your hard work and dedication and I urge anyone reading this to check out the original blog posts for these wedding days so you can find out all the other talented professionals who helped make these weddings a reality.