Reva and Chris - Wedding

I started to worry a few weeks ago when there was snow in and around Calgary... I knew I had one more wedding left for the season and was fretting what mother nature would have in store for October.  Well, I couldn't have been more wrong; 25 degrees and sunny on October 2nd?! Go figure.

Reva and Chris had a gorgeous day to say "I Do."  I first met these two (and their little dog, Mary) in February of last year for their engagement portraits (which you can see HERE.)  I was thrilled when they called me again this spring with a date set for their wedding- it's such an honour when clients choose me to capture these special moments and milestones.

I want to start with a quick image from their ceremony... though it's hardly what you'd expect!  I almost never share ceremony photos on the blog because it's such a private, intimate moment to say your vows with family and friends there to witness.  It just never seems right to share that on the internet.

However, the ring bearer and flower girl playing in the aisle was just too cute.

 

I love the shoe game. :) 

Congratulations, Reva and Chris, and thank you for having me as a part of your special day!

Ali and Matt - Just Married!

A few images from yesterday's beautiful wedding at Kamp Kiwanis in Bragg Creek, Alberta.  Ali and Matt had an amazing day!

They opted for a "first look" before the ceremony - so nice to have these quiet, peaceful moments together before the chaos starts.

From there, we did portraits around the camp. 

Ali, you're a knockout.

Matt, you can pull off a Sears Repairman tie like no one I've yet met. 

Who know outhouses would make a neat portrait location? 

Ali and Matt, you two were a blast to work with.   I know I said this about ten times yesterday, but it's couples like you that make my job easy; you're gorgeous, you're so obviously in love, and all I have to do is show up and press a button.  

All the best to you both as you begin your lives together! 

Natasha and Phil - Wedding

"In love, there are no mistakes."  Wonderful words from the bride's mom at Natasha and Phil's wedding yesterday.  While I've just gotten to know Natasha and Phil, I can attest that they are so fun, so caring, and have such good, kind hearts; their family and friends know this, of course.  They are genuine and real and so is their love.  Also, they have GREAT taste in music. AND they sent me home with Crave Cupcakes... so, yeah... all in all, it was a pretty fantastic day!

Their bridal party was so much fun and a total group of lookers. Made my job really easy, that's for  sure! 

And one shot from the reception (which was so full of amazing details that it might just need its own blog post later on...)

Congratulations! 

Michelle and Martin - Just Married!

Yesterday was a beautiful day for a wedding and Michelle and Martin couldn't have made better use of it... what a contrast from the rain pouring down my windows as I write this blog post not 24 hours later.

Pearce Estate Park provided some beautiful photo ops after the ceremony.

Congratulations!

Allyson and Cody - Wedding Reception

The first of my 2010 weddings left me with sore cheeks from smiling too much... you can't be around Allyson and Cody and their family and friends without laughing uncontrollably and grinning from ear to ear.

Allyson and Cody were my choice couple for the contest I ran for free wedding photography.  You can read their entry HERE. Go ahead - I dare you not to laugh!

Allyson and Cody pushed things back by a year, hence the inconsistency with the dates - initially, they were apologetic and offered to forfeit their prize. Ridiculous, I said! A year is a year - no big deal. And let me tell you, this party was totally worth the wait.

We got together in Madden, Alberta, a town "hamlet" with a population in the double-digits. Talk about a hidden gem...

After leaving Madden, we headed down to Crossfield for their reception.  A few short speeches, a delicious dinner, and some dancing to end the night. Perfect! 

Cheers!

Shannon

Some news regarding weddings...

Some brief admin stuff to mention... as announced a couple of weeks ago on the Shale Photography Facebook Page, I won't be taking weddings for 2011. I'm going to take a year off to reevaluate where my business is, where it's going, and where I want it to be. As much as I love shooting weddings - and I really, really do - they require a HUGE amount of time throughout the spring, summer, and fall months; I've been working way too hard the last few years and have worn myself thin. It's time to step back and determine how to do this so I can actually live my life and not just live to work. I still love this work and love this business, but I know I need to adjust things while that's still the case instead of waiting until I've burnt out and don't want anything to do with it anymore.

I will still be booking portrait sessions (family, babies and children, couples, and boudoir) as well as some commercial work, so please don't hesitate to contact me regarding anything you may be interested in. 

Tara and Deon - Just Married

The 2009 wedding season went out with a bang yesterday as Tara and Deon said "I do." Or was it Tara and Dora? Or Tara and Dylan? The JP had a little trouble during the vows... but if anyone could laugh through something so ludicrous and the JP saying the wrong name throughout their wedding ceremony, it's these two. It's obvious even to a stranger that Tara and Deon are friends first, above and beyond everything else their relationship has to offer. They are entirely at ease with one another, having fun and playing. And, in celebration of that (since I'm convinced that it's the secret to a long and happy marriage,) their photos were all about fun. And this blog entry is going to be all about fun.

Everything - the ceremony, portraits, and reception - were done in and around Fort Calgary.





















The big entrance as Mr. & Mrs. H.



After dinner, they played "The Shoe Game" - I hadn't seen this one before and it was really cute. If you're planning a wedding right now, google it!



Cutting the cake? Way too boring for these two.



Tara and Deon's first dance was to "1,2,3,4" by the Plain White T's- a nice, fun change from the usual first dance choices.



But they still ended the night with some slow-dancing.



You know how you often hear brides and grooms say that by the end of the day, their faces hurt from smiling so much? When I left Fort Calgary last night, MY face hurt. No joke; I had so much fun with these guys that my cheeks were actually achy from so much smiling and laughter.

Congratulations, Tara and Deon, and may your love grow with each passing year of marriage- as they say, "May you look back on your wedding day and realize of all the days you are married, it was the day you were least happy together." Cheers!