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An Autumn Road Trip Around Iceland // Matt and Sayde's Personal Adventure

Matt and Sayde's great big, landscape loving, road trip having, honeymoon - babymoon adventure in Iceland // Victoria Wedding Photographers

Way back when Matt and I first started talking and getting to know each other as friends, we talked mostly about photography, and camera stuff in general.  As time went on we chatted more about our hobbies, our childhoods, and things we had hoped to accomplish and do in the future - bucket lists, if you will.  One of the things that embodied all of those things was the experience of past travels, and dream of future travel. We made lists of all the places we wanted to visit, and shared photos of interesting landscapes from places we wanted to see.  Norway, Croatia, Australia, and beyond. One place that came up in almost every conversation and photo share session was Iceland, which crept quickly to the top of both of our lists of must-see places. Fast forward four years to 2016; we were getting married and we were planning a honeymoon to Iceland.  For those who don't know, 2016 was an eventful year for us as we moved to Vancouver Island, worked hard to establish our wedding photography in Victoria, and then got married ourselves.  We decided to wait a year and take our dream honeymoon in a less busy times!

With this postponement of our honeymoon came the most wonderful opportunity: photographing a series of destination elopements in Iceland.  Perfect! Not only would be be travelling, meeting interesting people, and photographing a place we'd been dying to see for years, but we'd also get the opportunity to get to know, and photograph, adventurous couples who were as filled with Iceland wanderlust as we are. You can find each of their elopements in our blog.

This post however is about our personal trip around Iceland in the days leading up to the elopements we photographed. We started our road trip in  Reykjavik and travelled counterclockwise around the ring road, stopping everywhere that made our jaws dropped.  Our jaws dropped almost every ten minutes down the road.  We were awestruck not only by the striking, and often times surreal, landscapes, but also by the way we often felt like we were the only people there, the way the sun hung so low along the horizon on autumn days that it seemed like sunset all the time, and the way the northern lights danced like rivers through the sky at night. So many times we found ourselves staring, or gasping, and asking out loud, "Could this possibly be real?!", as we tried to pinch ourselves awake from what felt like dreams.  

Without further adieu (and because I promised Matt I wouldn't write a paragraph for each photo about the geology of each location, and the saga histories that revolve around them), here's a few highlights from our trip!   Make sure to check out the drone video at the bottom as well! 

 

We also made a video featuring footage from our drone throughout Iceland!  Check that out below:

Westwood Plateau Wedding in Coquitlam // Kerri and Nik

Kerri and Nik's Modern and Regal Coquitlam Wedding at Westwood Plateau Golf Course // Vancouver Wedding Photographers

Remember Kerri and Nik’s winter engagement in Whistler?  While January may feel a long time ago, their session is still so fresh in our minds because of how awesome they were to photograph and hang out with on that chilly, bright, music-filled afternoon.  We had so much fun with them that we were counting down the days to their wedding, when we’d finally get to meet the friends and family they had talked so much about, and see more of their wicked dance moves.

The day finally arrived for their wedding at Westwood Plateau in Coquitlam, and we were practically bouncing!  With their black-tie attire, and their easy-going attitudes, the day went seamlessly and regally - from their traditional church ceremony, their portraits, right up until that very last, (very-cocktail-fueled) photobooth photo printed out.  Their whole bridal party, family, and group of friends seemed to burst with energy and love, and this wedding was jam packed with picture perfect, genuine human connection and moments. It was a celebration full of hugs, happy tears, outrageously funny stories, and even more outrageous laughing. We couldn’t get enough!

Thank you Kerri, Nik, and to your family and friends, for being so genuine, loving and well… a little wild!  We loved capturing these moments for you!

Here's a few highlights from the Photobooth!

Fan Tan Alley and Beacon Hill Park Engagement Photos with Susan and Peter

Susan and Peter are getting married in gorgeous Southern California, but approached us because they wanted us to do their engagement photos in gorgeous BC.  We talked for a while about all the great places we could get together for their session; should we go to Osoyoos? What about Vancouver?  In the end, the day before the photo shoot, they made the last minute decision to come to gorgeous Victoria and make a little weekend holiday of it.  We were so excited!  Vancouver Island has some of the most amazing places to do photos, which still end up being quite private. 

We met at Fan Tan Alley downtown and immediately hit it off.  Peter and Susan had one-liner after one-liner and lots of funny banter that kept us on our toes, and hurt our stomach from laughing so hard.  We love to see couples who can effortlessly make each other burst out laughing and smiling.  We explored around the alleys for a while and then headed through Beacon Hill Park before ending our session with with some intimate time on the beach.   It was great shooting Susan and Peter in these iconic Victoria spots, on a gorgeous day before tourist season; it felt like we had the whole town to ourselves and we could capture Susan and Peter in their element.

Thanks for the hilarious memories Susan and Peter, and thanks for coming all the way to the Island to let us photograph you!  Hope you love the photos, here's a few of our favourites! 

Westwood Plateau and The Pear Tree Wedding - Inna and Kevin

Inna and Kevin's Intimate Elopement-Style Wedding in Burnaby // Vancouver Island Wedding Photographers

We're ringing in 2017 by doing some time travelling!  All the way back to 2016.  We have the technology!

Today we're reminiscing about that time we travelled from Victoria to Burnaby for Inna and Kevin's wedding at Westwood Plateau.   With the club closing for winter, Inna, Kevin and their dozen guests had the entire venue to themselves, and cozied into a window-filled room to exchange vows and rings. 

After the ceremony, we all headed to a place very special to Inna and Kevin, The Pear Tree Restaurant, in Burnaby.  Known for their fine dining experiences, the staff treated all its guests to a bouquet of courses: each innovative, intricate and flavourful.  After each delectable course, toasts, laughter, and vodka flowed through the room.

Thank you Inna and Kevin for having us there to celebrate your love with you and your loved ones!

Thank you for stopping by to check out our wedding photography. If you'd like to know more about our lives in BC, or as Pebble and Pine Photography, Creative and Modern Victoria and Vancouver Island wedding photographers, you can read About Us

Craidelonna OceanEdge Wedding in Sooke - Genny and Dave

Genny and Dave Get Married at Craidelonna Lodge in Sooke // Vancouver Island Wedding Photographers

When we met Genny and Dave last year, we were excited at the idea of potentially shooting their wedding.  They were sweet, genuine, outdoor-loving, and lived in one of our favourite places to visit in BC, Sooke.  We also learned quickly that Genny and Dave loved fishing, and spending time out on the boat with their daughter, Hannah.  What a better place for a couple of ocean folk to get married than at Craidelonna OceanEdge Lodge, perched right on the edge of a hillside, with panoramic views of the sea, and access to a beautiful ocean beach.  We have always loved weddings at Craidelonna, and feel it's one of the very best wedding venues around Victoria, even on all of Vancouver Island.

When we arrived that day, many people were enjoying the views.  All the men hung around in the crow's nest, overlooking the ocean, chatting, toasting the occasion with tequila, and of course, chiding Dave about how he had to spend a saturday on land.  All the ladies spent time on the lower patio, catching up, drinking wine and admiring Genny's bridal dressing process.  What a beautiful and radiant bride and mom, Genny is.  With her beachy curls and sparkling gown, she could have been a mermaid. 

From the intimate and seemingly isolated location, custom decor, speeches and toasts from friends and family, and service from the warm Craidelonna staff (family, really), Genny and Dave's wedding felt incredibly personal.  Even their caterer, Toque Catering, incorporated Genny and Dave's own fresh caught crab and halibut into their delightful and creative dinner dishes.

Thank you so much, Genny and Dave for inviting us to meet your friends and family, and capture this special day!  We hope you love the photos.

Thank you for stopping by to check out our wedding photography. If you'd like to know more about our lives in BC, or as Pebble and Pine Photography, Creative and Modern Victoria and Vancouver Island wedding photographers, you can read About Us