One of the best parts of being a Kelowna Wedding Photographer is that I get to travel all over the Okanagan for weddings and engagement sessions!
For Kiara & Ben’s Naramata Engagement Session, we four-wheeled it up the mountain in Ben’s jeep to this beautiful location on his family’s property. I get to see views and locations that I wouldn’t be able to see otherwise! How lucky am I??
We had so much fun and I can’t wait for their wedding in 2021!!
Well… to start, the first time I met this adorable duo, I took them UNKNOWINGLY to a nude beach. A hidden nude beach. And naked people just started emerging from the trees surrounded the beach, which utterly confused us. By the third person and some exploration, we realized we were definitely the trespassers. You know… with all our clothes on and whatnot. Needless to say, it made for a hilarious and memorable first meeting!
Their beautiful Summerhill Pyramid Winery wedding had far less nudity than their engagement session, thank goodness! Although, it was SO windy during their mountain top first look and first set of bridal party photos, that many of them could have ended up dress-less! We decided to cut it short and resume later in the day because it was just far too windy!
There were so many fun moments over the course of the day – from the sabering ceremony where Laura’s dad had WAY too much fun, to the pogo stick competition, sweet and tearful speeches, I couldn’t have been happier and more honoured to spend the day with this beautiful couple!
Gabby and Cam got married at one of my all-time favourite venues; Silver Sage Stables.
Guys! This venue is so incredibly beautiful. The barn and wood provide an incredible canvas for any wedding decor, the golden wheat field is the MOST beautiful (who doesn’t want to get married in the middle of a wheat field?!), especially in the evening during golden hour (just look below), and the whole property is surrounded by mountains. Any direction you look, there is beauty.
The beautiful thing about this wedding was…. well… everything. But what I love the most is when an incredible group of vendors come together to make a bride and groom’s dreams come true. I got to work with some of my favourite people of all time. Gabby, who is on Team Top Knot made the obvious choice in having Sara on board as her planner and decorator. Sara and Gabby are both two of the most incredible humans on this planet and I’m keeping them both forever (don’t worry, I’ll share!). The colour palette for this wedding was such a breath of fresh air for me! Let me tell you… I just LOVE it when I get to photograph at a unique venue with unique decor. It keeps the creative juices flowing and fills my heart with pretty warm fuzzies. Sara is a genius when it comes to providing something beautiful and unique for her couples. Petal and Vow provided the florals for the wedding party and reception and they were breathtaking! The bridesmaids carried floral hoops rather than bouquets – another favourite of mine!
Gabby and Cam opted out of having a first look and waited to see each other at the ceremony. I love this way of planning the day because the excitement and anticipation really get the tears and emotions flowing! After the ceremony, the light was so incredible beautiful. Wedding party and family portraits took place and then we ate the most delicious food from The Chef Instead. I’m not exaggerating at all when I say that this was some of the best wedding food I’ve ever eaten – and I’ve eaten at a lot of weddings! Not to mention, at the end of the day, we were sent off with fresh, homemade donuts. WHAT?!?! I don’t think that anyone except wedding vendors can understand how much of a gift that is!
After dinner we snuck out for a quick couples’ session with Gabby and Cam as the sun set. This is quite possibly my favourite part of the day, not only because the light is the most beautiful at this time of day, but also because the wedding couple get to spend a moment away from guests and just get to take it all in. They can have a moment to be together and not have to entertain their guests. They just get to enjoy the moment together. It’s a beautiful time!
Winter engagement sessions in Kelowna are generally pretty warm. Like this session. But guess what? I complained anyway because I really dislike the cold. In the winter, I grasp at anything that will keep me cozy. Fireplaces, tea, cuddles, blankets, more cuddles….
Fast forward to this week and it’s -17 degrees. Brrrrrrrr.
So. I figured I should probably post this session before it gets warm and we don’t want to think about snow anymore.
Jessica & Patrick and I needed to keep warm this day, so we didn’t stop moving – them a little more than me. I really love love love it when my couples can commit to the ridiculous things I ask them to do. These two really gave it their all. They committed to the cuddles, the affection, the terrible (TERRIBLE) jokes I tell, my awkwardness, to braving the weather, to really not being shy about their love.
Just take a peek for yourself – their love shines bright!
The Hotel Eldorado is one of my absolute favourite wedding venues in Kelowna. It’s on the water, their reception spaces are full of light, and the staff and food are incredible.
Joy & Mike’s ceremony was held on the rooftop with an unobstructed view of the lake and mountains as a backdrop.
As usual, I will let the images speak for themselves. You’ll see a beautiful couple, the reactions of guests of what goes down in history as the best “Best Man” speech ever delivered in the history of weddings by Mike’s son, and did I mention… a beautiful couple???
Even though I am a Kelowna Wedding Photographer, sometimes, I get to travel to new and fun locations. Riannon & Jon’s engagement session took place on a beautiful day in one of the many forests scattered around Vancouver.
These two have a connection like no other and it is so so so refreshing!
Being a Kelowna Wedding Photographer means sunny weddings by summer and cold, snowy engagement sessions by winter! Often, my favourite locations to photograph couples at are just stops on the side of the road! No two locations are the same and it makes it so that each couple has their own unique engagement images. Tash & Tyler even brought their sweet little (brand new) fur baby, Baxter, along for the fun (Yes, they named him after the dog in the Anchorman movie, which just happens to be one of my favourite movies of all time!). Baxter just wanted to run around and I probably spent the first 10 minutes giving Baxter his own little solo session. I’ve got to say – Tash & Tyler were MUCH better listeners than Baxter!
One of the best things about being a Kelowna wedding photographer is that I get to go to wineries. Lots of wineries. Lots of wine. Even better is that I get to go to amazing wineries like 50th Parallel Estate Winery, nearly every weekend (jealous?). The view is incredible! Just incredible!
Alannah and her ladies prepared themselves for the wedding by drinking champagne and juice with fresh berries at Sparkling Hill. No big deal. The guys got ready in a villa at Predator Ridge. No big deal.
The two met at 50th Parallel Estate Winery for their first look with their wedding party peeking from above on the stomp pad. The ceremony took place overlooking the Okanagan Lake and the rain in the distance. After the ceremony, they were driven away in a 1960’s white Cadillac.
My absolute favourite part of the day was Adam & Alannah’s first dance. If you know me, you know I am a big softie and a family gal. The two danced to a recorded version of a song, sung by Alannah’s late grandfather. There weren’t many dry eyes, including my own!
The truth is, there are so many amazing details about this wedding, that you’ll just have to go ahead and take a peek at this blog post. Make yourself a tea, coffee, or grab a glass of wine and enjoy!
