One of my favourite things about being a Kootenay wedding photographer is just how often I see familiar faces around the wedding circuit. It's rare that I photographer a Trail, Rossland, Fruitvale, or Nelson wedding without seeing a vendor, guest, or member of a wedding party that I recognize and can chat with. Bryan is one such fella! I've had the pleasure of working with him in the past while he was a groomsman in at least one or two of my previous weddings. We also bring our beloved pooches to the same veterinarian and have crossed paths at the clinic. Trail is a small town!

So I was thrilled when Shaelyn and Bryan hired me to photograph their Trail wedding coming up next summer. As fellow dog lovers, it was really important to them to include their gorgeous fur-baby into their engagement session at Birchbank-- a request I am always happy to oblige (even though it makes things a bit crazier, and certainly a bit wetter when the dog is a swimmer and we are shooting near a body of water! ha!)

I can't wait for these two beautiful humans to tie the knot. It's going to be an epic day!

Thanks to Covid, Liz and Anthony had to plan and then re-plan, and then re-plan again their wedding. Originally they had wanted to get married in Hawaii-- in the same spot that Anthony's parents said 'I Do' 30 years prior. But travel bans put the kibosh on that idea. Then there was the plans for a bigger event in the West Kootenays-- where Anthony was born and raised. But again, Covid had other plans. We actually had to reschedule the entire Castlegar wedding just a month before the big day because inter-provincial travel had been banned, and this couple wasn't able to travel from their homes in Vancouver to the Kootenays to attend their own wedding. It was nuts! 

In the end, this beautiful couple had to whittle their guest list down to just 10 people, AND get married on a Sunday, aaaand their big celebration was a lot more of a 'intimate wedding pop-up' with only their immediate families in attendance. But who cares, because they finally did the thing!

Positioned on Castlegar's historic Britlliant Bridge, with wind sweeping her veil, Liz finally got to marry her Prince Charming. It wasn't the wedding they had originally planned... and it wasn't even quite the wedding they had planned as a back up... but it was absolutely perfect.

Their ceremony was absolutely stunning, and I don't think there was a dry eye to be found. Afterwards, the family went back to Anthony's parents backyard for a champagne toast. To wrap the afternoon up, the couple let me take them to one of my favorite locations near Nelson, BC for some intimate & scenic wedding portraits with just the two of them.

If 'covid weddings' are teaching me anything, it's that weddings do not have to be big in order to be special. In fact, the smaller and cozier the wedding the most intimate and personal it tends to feel.. which, in my books, makes them even *more* special. But, I'm pretty sure I knew that long before Covid. 

Special thanks to:
Olea Floral for her gorgeous work on the florals
Larissa for her Second Shooting & Photography Assisting
Laura for her makeup

How beautiful is this bride's smile? Goodness gracious. 

Vanessa and Marc got married at Castlegar's beautiful and very quaint Little Bear Golf Course on one of the hottest days of the summer (But who is keeping track, really, when every day this summer has been 39 degrees?) The heat didn't keep these two from smiling from ear to ear all day long though! Their ceremony was uber short & sweet, allowing their guests to go from the business of sitting in the hot sun to celebrating with a cold drink in their hands as quickly as possible-- something I didn't hear anyone complaining about ;)

We didn't have a ton of time for portraits, but the bride specifically requested a shot of her veil 'blowing in the wind' out the window of a family member's classic Ford Bronco. It took some work (and a lot of anxiety from me about the veil potentially getting caught in the truck's rear tire! ahhh!) but we were able to bring the bride's vision to life, and create one of my most epic photographs to date. 

These two love birds not only just got married, but also just purchased a new home and are in the process of moving and renovating as I write this. I am wishing them a lifetime of happy memories in their new and love and laughter in their marriage. 

Venue & Catering: Little Bear Golf Course
Flowers: Olea Floral
​Makeup: Alex Hitchcock 
Hair: Luca Hair and Aesthetics 
​Second Shooter: Nadine Premont