The day started at Sherena & Clay’s house where we did a first look but it was Hershey stealing the show in the cutest tuxedo we’ve ever seen. He even had a cute little top hat. Unfortunately he couldn’t make it to the wedding because he wasn’t feeling well but at least he was able to participate in some photos while Sherena was finishing getting ready.

After seeing each other for the first time in their wedding attire for their first look, we headed to a nearby farm for photographs with the family and wedding party. The wedding party looked great in purple and black and we tried to keep them in the shade as much as possible as Edmonton is experiencing warmer than usual temperatures for September.

After we were done photographs with the family and the wedding party, it was time to photograph Sherena + Clay. We found a bunch of great locations at this farm and could have spent hours photographing them but we had to get them to the golf course on time to get them married. Here are a few of our favorites from the farm.

After our photo session at the farm, it was off to Red Tail Landing for the ceremony and reception. We were excited to work with the team from Jennifer Bergman Weddings who helped plan and organize the details for the day including some fabulous decor and beautiful reception details. Local singer Erica Viegas supplied the music for the ceremony and cocktail reception that followed. Sherena & Clay also had the cutest flower girl and ring bearers who did a great job.

Their ceremony was beautiful and Sherena was glowing as she was walked down the aisle accompanied by her mom and dad.

After the ceremony, we stole Sherena and Clay away for a few more minutes to take advantage of the beautiful late afternoon light before their reception started.

We hope you enjoy your sneak peek guys! Enjoy your honeymoon and we can’t wait to share the rest of the photos with you once you get back.

The weekend started on Friday with an Indian ceremony at the Bharatiya Cultural Centre on the south side. It was our first Indian ceremony and there were so many interesting elements to photograph. It was a very colorful ceremony filled with several important rituals, a few tears, and lots of joy. Amanda looked beautiful in a traditional sari and Sumantra looked great in his traditional robes. Pandit Laxman Sharma and Pandit Pankaj Dixit conducted the ceremony and did a great job of explaining the various rituals to those in attendance who were not familiar with some of the traditions and customs of an Indian ceremony.

The weekend continued on Saturday with a traditional western ceremony held on the back deck at the Edmonton Country Club. Amanda looked radiant in her beautiful gown and there were a few tears shed by everyone in the audience when she walked down the aisle with her father. After the ceremony and family photographs at the golf course, we headed over the University of Alberta to do photographs with the wedding party before returning to Edmonton Country Club for the reception. Here are a few more sneak peeks from Saturday. We can’t wait to share the rest with you once you’re back from your honeymoon!

Here are some of the vendors we had the pleasure of working with:

Florist: Flowers by Merle

Cake: The Art of Cake

Cupcakes: Kelly Eves

DJ: Revolution DJ Services

Ceremony & Reception: Edmonton Country Club

Thanks again to both of you for choosing us to photograph your special day. Here are a few quick picks from Saturday’s wedding. Can’t wait to share the rest with you soon!

The day was organized by Michelle French and her wonderful team from Behinds the Scenes Events and they kept everything running smoothly and on time. If you’re a soon-to-be bride & groom, you should definitely consider hiring a wedding coordinator to take care of all those small details so you can relax and enjoy your day. Other vendors we had the pleasure of working with included:

• Bridal Party’s Hair and Makeup: Mud Studio
• Florist: Coral’s Design
• DJ/Band: Paradise
• Limo Service: Good Times Quality Limo
• Tuxes: Derks Formals
• Wedding Dress: Wedding World

Here is the album we designed for Ragan & Jason.

The Hildebrant’s farm was such a great location for photography. As city kids from Edmonton, Sarah and I both enjoyed wandering around the farm and experiencing all the sights and smells. Ken & Joanne have a great collection of animals including horses, cows, donkeys, Wallabees, Chinese Geese, rabbits and more. The ceremony and reception all took place out at the farm but we briefly ducked into town for a few photos with the wedding party at one the local schools and in front of a an awesome grain elevator. We then headed back to the farm for some more photographs with Jordana & Dale. Jordana looked amazing in her beautiful gown and Dale was very handsome in his black suit.

Here are a few sneak peeks at some of our photographs from the wedding this past Saturday. Enjoy your honeymoon guys and we’ll see you when you get back!

We were introduced to Ragan & Jason by Ragan’s mother Valerie whom we had met at the dinner with Chef David Adjey. Val is a local food educator who runs a great blog at www.acanadianfoodie.com and was also one of the organizers behind the Eat Alberta event which we photographed a few months ago.

The day started with Sarah photographing the guys while I headed over to Valerie’s home to photograph the ladies getting ready. Ragan was glowing in her beautiful gown from Bridal Debut in Sherwood Park. After hitting a few speed bumps involving a missing suit and a broken bussell button, both Ragan and Jason made their way to Robertson-Wesley United Church for their ceremony in front of friends and family. It was a beautiful ceremony filled with plenty of emotion and some original vows which included some quotes from Dr. Seuss.

After the ceremony was completed we headed outside to take some family photographs in front of the church. Then it was off to photograph the bridal party on the grounds of the University of Alberta after a quick stop at Jason’s aunts’ place to take some photographs with Jason’s mistress – his new motorcycle. Ragan and Jason looked so cute together and were laughing and smiling the whole time.

From there we made our way back to the Edmonton Petroleum Club for the reception and an amazing meal. It was the perfect ending to a wonderful day and we felt so honored to be included in their special day. Sarah and I want to wish Ragan and Jason all the best and offer up these sneak peeks at a few of our favorite images from the day’s events.

It’s your wedding day. A day that you’ve been thinking about and planning for months and in some cases years. Nothing could possibly go wrong. Right? In most cases this is true but not when it comes to Mother Nature and not when it comes to heading out into the great outdoors for your wedding photography.

As those who had weddings in Edmonton this past weekend can attest to, Mother Nature doesn’t always appreciate the fact that it’s your wedding day. When Sarah and I were married back in July of 2004, Edmonton experienced a violent downpour resulting in parts of the Whitemud along with many basements being flooded. So what happens if Mother Nature decides to ruin your day with a flash flood, a violent downpour, a freak snow storm, or some other natural event that has everyone running indoors to escape her wrath? Fortunately for us – we had a backup plan.

It all begins with proper planning between you and your photographer. When we meet with our brides and grooms, we always make it clear to them that they need to have a backup location in mind and it is their responsibility to book something in the event of bad weather. The last thing you want to be doing on your wedding day is scrambling to find a good location so it’s a good idea to work out where you will go in advance so that everyone involved in photographs knows where to go in the event of bad weather. Here are five things to consider when planning to have your photography and/or wedding ceremony in the great outdoors:

1. Location, Location, Location

Once you’ve decided where your ceremony and reception are taking place, try to look for an indoor location that is conveniently located near where your ceremony or reception is taking place. The further away your backup location is, the more time you’ll spending getting to it which means the less time you and your photographer will have for photos. Also, if you plan to have your family photos done at an alternate location, keep in mind that it may take family members some time to get there and no matter how good your directions, there’s usually someone in every family who will get lost on the way.

If you are planning an outdoor ceremony, try to pick a backup location that is very close to where the outdoor ceremony was to take place. That will make it easier to redirect your guests to the new location when they arrive and if you have to pull any decorations indoors, you won’t have as far to go.

2. Accessibility

Consider the people on your guest list who will be attending the wedding. Are any of them in wheelchairs or need to use a walker? If they are going to be involved in the family photos, are they able to access the location easily? If the location involves climbing stairs to get to the area where you plan to do photos, will they be able to get there? Is the area handicap accessible? What about parking? You might pick what you think is the best indoor location but if grandma and grandpa can’t get there then it will be difficult for them to be in the photographs.

3. Availability & Affordability

There are only a limited number of great indoor locations in Edmonton where you can go for photographs. Many of the most popular venues such as the Muttart Conservatory, Art Gallery of Alberta, McGrath Mansion, and Rutherford House require you to book the space in advance and many also charge a fee to book the space. During the busy summer months, many of these locations book up to a year in advance. Fees will vary from location to location but in all cases the fee is typically non-refundable even if you don’t wind up using the space for your photography. The best way to think about this fee is as a form of wedding photography insurance. You hope you won’t need to use it but if the weather doesn’t allow you to do your photos outdoors, you’ll be glad you paid it.

If you are getting married in a church, many couples choose to use it as a backup location for family photos if they can’t go outside. If you’re planning on this option, find out if there is another wedding taking place after yours. If so, you may have to clear out as soon as your ceremony is over which means you won’t be able to use it as your backup indoor location.

4. Size of the Location vs. Size of Your Group

Before you book a location, consider it’s size relative to the size of your wedding party and family. If you plan on doing a lot of large family groupings, make sure the space that you’ve selected can accommodate everyone. Places like the Muttart Conservatory might look like a great location for photography but because of the way it’s laid out, it’s not the best location to photograph a large group of people. If you have a smaller group or plan to do more intimate family photos involving a small group, you may find that there are a few more locations for you to choose from.

5. Check with Your Photographer

Most experienced photographers have likely had to deal with adverse weather conditions and wedding parties who weren’t prepared with a backup plan. Ask your photographer for their advice on locations where you might be able to go but don’t wait until the night before to spring this on them. If you haven’t booked a location in advance, start looking at the long range weather forecast and if it doesn’t look good, start coming up with a Plan B. Before you book a location, seek the advise of your photographer on the suitability of a particular location. You might have your heart set on a particular location but if it is poorly lit or is crowded with distracting backgrounds, it might not be ideal for photography. If you find yourself short on options, let your photographer know about the location you’ve chosen so that they can scout it out if they haven’t been there before. Professional photographers with proper lighting gear can find creative ways to make just about any location work but lugging extra gear and setting up lighting will require some additional time so be sure to allow enough time for this. Being able to cope with adverse weather conditions and think on their feet is one of the areas where a Professional photographer will start to separate themselves from the ‘shoot and burn’ photographers you’ll find on sites like Kijiji.

Conclusions

No matter how much planning you do, at the end of the day, if Mother Nature decides she doesn’t want to cooperate by delivering perfect weather, there isn’t much you can do about it. Smile, relax, embrace the elements, and try to have fun with it. Worst cast scenario – pull out the umbrellas, put on some fancy rubber boots and take advantage of the stormy skies for some dramatic photographs. If you have a good backup plan in place however, you’ll reduce your stress levels and hopefully have some great stories to tell about your wedding day.

The day started with the girl’s getting ready in the west-end home of one of Rachel’s friends. While I love photographing both the guys and the girls, I think one of my favorite parts of the day to photograph is the girls getting ready. There is always so much going on between hair and makeup to the actual process of getting the bride into her dress and out the door. It’s also a time filled with lots of nervous energy, excitement, anticipation, laughter, and often a few tears.

Once the ladies were ready, we made our way to West Meadows Baptist Church for the ceremony. Both Rachel and Kev are very spiritual individuals and both are heavily involved in their church. Their ceremony was filled with plenty of emotion, prayer, laughter, and joy. The ceremony also featured personal vows that they had each written for one another as well a beautiful song that Rachel sang to Kev. After the ceremony we did some family photographs at the church and then headed out to Leduc for photographs with the bridal party at Telford Lake before heading over to the Nisku Inn for their reception.

Thanks again to Helga for asking me to 2nd shoot with her and thanks to the happy couple for allowing me to be a part of your day. Here are a few quick hilites from Rachel and Kev’s wedding day.