real weddings bc

Goldstream Waterfall Elopement with Katie & Steven // Victoria Wedding Photographers

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Katie and Steven come from the UK to elope in Victoria near a waterfall in Goldstream Regional Park // Vancouver Island Wedding Photographers

Who says weddings are for Saturdays only? Who says you have to wear a wedding dress and tux? We love a good Thursday afternoon elopement in the woods! And that’s exactly what Katie and Steven had planned. It felt so fly off the cuff like a true elopement in the movies would: running to a far off place, absconding into the woods in their favourite outfits, grinning and beaming at each other in a romantic whirlwind ceremony in front of a waterfall with no one else around. I mean, aside from their officiant and their photographers.

Here are a few of our favourites from Katie and Steven’s elopement at Goldstream Regional Park.

Whonnock Lake Centre Wedding in Maple Ridge // Melanie and Matt

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Melanie and Matt's intimate December wedding at Whonnock Lake Centre in Vancouver // Victoria Wedding Photographers

2017 was a fantastic year!  We travelled all around Victoria, Vancouver Island, Vancouver, BC, Canada, and globally to photograph some truly amazing celebrations.  It was so great to finish on such a high note, photographing Melanie and Matt’s intimate wedding at Whonnock Lake Centre in Maple Ridge.

 Late autumn weddings in Vancouver area always make us think rainy, foggy, misty delight, and always makes for a cozy warm indoor affair.  Melanie and Matt’s wedding was all of those things!  Whonnock Lake with it’s wooden beams strung with lights, the views of a mist covered lake, and floor to ceiling cathedral windows is the perfect place to host such an event.  We love weddings that end up taking place just before the cusp of holiday season, because they always seem that people are extra chatty, extra huggy, and extra emotional as they catch up with people they haven’t seen for a long time, meet new and interesting people, and celebrate the love around them.  It was clear that all Melanie and Matt’s loved ones and friends were having the time of their lives, and enjoying a memorable evening together: as we photographed the evening, it felt that we were photographing a big family reunion with so much closeness, photo booth fun, and dancing joy! 

Thank you Melanie and Matt for having us there to join your family and friends in such a personal and intimate moment in your lives. We hope you love the photos!

Thanks so much to Summer Rayne Photography for coming along to be our second shooter for the day! We appreciate your help and amazing talent!

Bastion Square Engagement Photos in Victoria // Stef and Ryan

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Stef and Ryan explore Laurel Point, Bastion Square and Parliament in downtown Victoria during their engagement photos // Victoria Wedding Photographers 

We love getting the opportunity to work with other creatives, and other photographers. We're especially excited when other photographers trust our vision, style, and personalities to have us come photograph their wedding day!  When Stef and Ryan hired us to photograph their upcoming wedding in Ucluelet, we were over the moon to get these two photographers and their weiners on the other side of our lenses.  Made you blink: they have weiner dogs.

With Stef's love of Victoria, and her frequent visits to Vancouver Island to see friends, we knew that Stef and Ryan would really want to get their engagement photos taken right here in Vic.  With an end-of-season holiday planned, we lined up their holiday with our schedules to make sure we could get together!  Joining Stef and Ryan on their holiday would be their sweet dachshunds, Farfel and Harvest, and of course, heaps and heaps of November rain.  But as you know, when the ran comes, the tourists go.  We ended up spending the afternoon with them strolling around Laurel Point, and running through alleys in Bastion Square without seeing another soul. We had the city to ourselves it seemed and our laughter echoed through the empty streets!  

Thanks Stef and Ryan for braving this dark and rainy day to have some rainy day fun, and a seemingly post apocalyptic adventure with us! We can't wait for the wedding!

Reykjavik Elopement in Iceland // Farrah and Lance

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Farrah and Lance elope in Iceland at the Blue Lagoon, black beaches, with a sunset vow exchange at Seljalandsfoss // Victoria Wedding and Elopement Photographers

We met Farrah and Lance through our friend Emma of Emma McCormmick Creative, and were so excited when they told us that they wanted to elope in Iceland and have us there to take the photos!  Like all of our couples, Farrah and Lance had their own unique way of doing their elopement, and we loved photographing the whole experience.  Farrah and Lance had a not-so-secret elopement, and even had a handful of family members and friends along to share in the day.  A mini wedding! We  love it!  

The day started out dark, with rain clouds looming over Reykjavik and as far as we could see: we assumed that our lucky weather streak had run out.  Our only option for the day was to follow the road in any direction that might lead us towards any sort of light. What a great decision that ended up being!

Black lava rocks, topped with bright green moss is what covers most of the Reykjanes Peninsula where we decided to head.  At Blue Lagoon, the vibrantly blue pools of water cut a contrasting path through the green and black blanket. They're made all the more vivid by their stark white silica borders.  For Farrah and Lance's first look, it made for a very surreal setting, even as rain threatened to pour on them.  From there we headed east, where we were treated to black sand beaches; their grassy dunes stretching for thousands of acres. Here we found an absolute absence of people, and warm sunlight bursting through dense fog, creating an otherworldly and romantic atmosphere.  

Farrah and Lance had saved their vows just for Iceland, and they were hoping to be able to exchange them at a waterfall at some point through the day.  As the day wound down and the sun began to set, we made our way further east to Seljalandsfoss, stopping along the way to visit with some Icelandic horses, and trying to coax them into cuddles with the promise of apples. We made it to Seljalandsfoss just in time for a glorious sunset, which couldn't have been more perfect for Farrah and Lance's romantic vow exchange.

Thank you Farrah and Lance! We had such a great day with you and your squad, chasing the light, fishing for horses, and walkie-talkie-ing like truckers between our vehicles!  Congratulations to you both, we hope these memories last forever!

Cheakamus Centre Wedding in Squamish // Kristina and Dan

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Kristina and Dan's wedding in the mossy rainforest of Squamish BC // Victoria Wedding Photographers

You probably recognize Kristina and Dan from their Golden Ears Park engagement photos in September! Well, last month we travelled to Squamish from Vancouver Island to photograph their amazing rainforest wedding at Cheakamus Centre. This was the first wedding we photographed at Cheakamus Centre since our own wedding, and we were so excited that it would be Kristina and Dan's wedding! A super adventurous couple in a rainforest surrounded by mountains?!?! Sign us up: it's obviously going to be an epic day!

We kicked things off with a sweet first look at Cheakamus Centre, on gorgeous blue-green duck pond, with Dan and Kristina's bridal party peeking from a far.  Their outdoor ceremony was tucked in an intimate forest grove surrounded by moss, towering trees, and turning leaves.

With their rings exchanged, and vows proclaimed, Kristina and Dan, their friends and family partied the night away with silly reception games, memorable speeches, photobooth antics, and dancefloor shindigging.  

Thanks Krisitina and Dan for having us their to capture your wedding! We hope you love the photos!

Beacon Hill Park Elopement in Victoria // Kaiti and Mike

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Kaiti and Mike's secret September wedding in Beacon Hill Park in Victoria // Victoria Wedding Photographers

With September being our busiest month, and the month of our anniversary, we weren't really expecting to have enough time to really celebrate our anniversary.  With so many wedding on the docket, we figured we'd probably spend the day editing, consulting, updating our portfolio, catching up on social media, or meeting with couples.  As it happens though, we were given the opportunity to do something very special on the day of our anniversary.  When Kaiti and Mike approached us with their elopement so secret that we'd be the very witnesses on their marriage certificate, we knew that would be the most memorable way to spend our anniversary.  We couldn't wait for the day to hurry up and arrive so we could spend it photographing, witnessing, and celebrating he marriage of a fantastic couple who would end up sharing the very same day! What a treat!

Kaiti and Mike came from the Mainland to elope in Victoria, and to spend a couple days enjoying the city. We met the two of them on that sunny September afternoon in Beacon Hill Park for their intimate elopement amongst a secluded grove of Garry oaks. What a gorgeous place to exchange such heartfelt felt vows, and rings. After their official ceremony, we spent time exploring around the park and beaches nearby, taking in the sights, the sunlit fog, and wedded bliss!

Thanks, Kaiti and Mike, for including us in such a great day, and congratulations on your marriage!  We hope you love the photos!

Church and State Winery Wedding with Lindsey and Brent // Victoria Wedding Photographers

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Lindsey and Brent's summery September wedding at Church and State Winery on Vancouver Island // Victoria Wedding Photographers

We first met Lindsey and Brent at Victoria's Modern Bride Wedding Show back in January, and have been eagerly awaiting their Church and State wedding since we did their spring time engagement photos. Wow, how time flies!  

Even though their wedding fell on an autumn day, Lindsey and Brent were still treated to summer sunshine.  What could be a more perfect way to start off a summery wedding, than with a private first look between bride and groom, under a willow tree, in front of a duck filled pond, in Beacon Hill Park in Victoria?!  To add a cherry to an already intimate first look, Lindsey and Brent took the time to read each other some very personal and emotional vows, before heading to the ceremony with family and friends. 

Church and State is already a top notch, rave-worthy venue, but throw in the organization and stylings of Borrowed and Blue Events, and you've got an unforgettable atmosphere for a wedding there: equal parts welcoming, breathtaking and intimate.  We always love speech time during weddings because it gives us another little peek through the window into our couple's lives, and Lindsey and Brent's family's opened those windows wide.  We finished off the night as the music cranked louder and these two and their friends left everything on the dancefloor (mostly just a lot of shirts)!

Thanks for having us there to celebrate with you, Lindsey and Brent, we hope you love the photos!

UBC Rose Garden and Sage Bistro Wedding // Vanessa and Graham

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Vanessa and Graham's Sunny Summer Wedding at UBC Rose Garden, and Modern Reception at Sage Bistro // Vancouver Wedding Photographers

We recently had the pleasure of meeting and photographing Vanessa and Graham, during their modern Vancouver wedding. We quickly discovered that Vanessa and Graham (along with their friends and family) are some of the most genuine, kind, and humorous people someone could meet. Their wedding left us feeling a rollercoaster of emotions, as we laughed loudly and cried hard with them and their guests during heartfelt toasts, and sweet moments throughout the day. 

We started the day with a sweet first look in the courtyard of the Sheraton Wall Centre, then quickly headed out to a few local favourites around Vancouver, including Jericho Beach Park, and Pacific Spirit Park.  Next was their outdoor ceremony at UBC Rose Garden, bathed in bright sunlight, and surrounded by guests, roses in full bloom, and of course, a few happy and curious spectators. 

We loved Vanessa and Graham's modern and minimalist wedding reception at Sage Bistro. With such a great group of people, sharing their meals family-style, it really did feel like we were photographing a giant family reunion. There was so much celebration for the people who travelled so far to come together, and homage paid to the ones who could only make it in spirit.

Thank you Vanessa and Graham for having us share in such a memorable day. Congratulations to both of you!! 

Westwood Plateau Wedding in Coquitlam // Kerri and Nik

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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!

Mount Douglas Park Newlywed Photo Session // Ashley & Mike (and their pups!)

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Do these two look familiar? Of course!  You probably recognize Ashley and Mike from their Golden Eagle Golf Course wedding in June!  Instead of doing an engagement session prior to the wedding, Ashley and Mike opted to do a newlywed shoot, and we loved the idea.  No pressure from an upcoming wedding, no timeline constraints; just the two of them, basking in their newlywed bliss.  When they told us they were coming to Victoria, on Vancouver Island, we could not wait to photograph them again, show them around our neck of the woods, and catch up to see how life has changed for them over the past 3 months.  One of those changes came in the form of a sweet, clumsy, big-pawed, knobby-kneed great dane puppy named Franklin, a perfect companion for them and their 3 year old lab/mastiff, Dean. 

We met them at the top of Mount Doug to enjoy the gorgeous sunset light, and take in the views of Victoria area, and the Olympic Peninsula!  

Thanks Ashley and Mike for coming out this way, and spending such an awesome evening with us and your fur family! Hope you love these photos as much as you love life as newlyweds!

Mountain Top Wedding in Pitt Meadows and Langley // Kim and Radek's Red Serge Wedding

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Kim and Radek take in mountain top views, and enjoy their wedding reception on a private property in Langley // BC Wedding Photographers

We had talked to Kim and Radek about their Pitt Meadows wedding over a year and half before their wedding day, which took place this year.  Time FLEW between then and when their day arrived.  We couldn't wait to see them again and meet their friends and family.  This would be our second wedding of the year to involve Red Serge, and a big clan of RCMPers.  We've seen what a close knit family RCMP'ers are and how they celebrate at weddings, so we couldn't wait to spend some more time in that kind of atmosphere!  

Before the wedding ceremony, we took a Sky Helicopters flight with these two, way up to the top of one of the local mountains. Kim braved the mid-summer, mountain snow in bare feet as the two explored around and took in the views.  After that it was off to see their family and friends for their intimate catholic ceremony, and a rocking reception. Complete with a Mountie themed wedding cake, and of course.. donuts for dessert. ;)

Thanks Kim and Radek for having us there to celebrate with you two, your friends and your family! We're so happy that you've found your forever person! We hope you love the photos.