I vividly remember reading Jessica’s destination wedding inquiry on my blackberry this past summer… At the time I didn’t think of it as an ‘inquiry’ - it was simply the highlight of my whole week. I jumped up and down giddily in my kitchen, thinking of how amazing it would be to document their love in such paradise. And we’ve brought it to life this past week.
Jessica & Ryan complete each other. It’s been such an inspiration watching them exchange their vows. In every silent look, in every touch.
Back at the Barcelo Maya Palace hotel room, Jessica put the finishing touches on the girls’ make-up herself. Here’s a moment with her mom, who made all the beautiful bridesmaids’ and flower girls’ dresses! In the mean time, I quietly snuck away to photograph Jessica’s gown, much to the amusement of the beach bodies outside.
Here’s Jessica, moments before leaving for the ceremony…
The ceremony was so touching… Perfect strangers lingered, hugging their beach towels in awe.
The violin played as we celebrated in the intimate circle of family and friends…
As the sun softened into the horizon, we went for a walk on the beach nearby…
The wedding reception dinner was the perfect intimate gathering at the Barcelo Maya Palace dining room
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I love this next one…
We met on the beach at around 4 pm, expecting sundown just after 6 pm. Little did we know, it would start raining! Of course, the first thing you pack with you when going to a Mayan Riviera wedding vacation is an umbrella. Not! In the next few photos, the warm drops are not quite a nuisance, and the light is so soft and delicious. 
Check out this beach stroll - I love it when both bride and groom venture out to ‘trash the dress.’
I held my breath, as Jessica & Ryan gently stepped into deeper waters. The beach at Barcelo Maya is amazing, but a bit rocky in some spots. I held my breath tighter - now with a death grip on my camera, as I followed the couple into the waves.
They make it look so easy, don’t they? Here’s the memory of laughter, salt on our lips, and the sound of crashing waves…
Can you tell it’s still pouring rain? Here are Jessica & Ryan falling back into the water! I wish I could show you a picture of what I looked like here - none of us had a plastic bag to protect my Canon 5D Mark II (although it’s apparently pretty water-resistant), so I emptied my big black shoulder bag, put the contents under a lawn chair on the beach, and held it right over my head, just so that I could barely see what I was shooting! It worked, and probably got a giggle or two out of Jessica :) 
How cool are my brides exactly? Cart wheel cool. That’s right, Jessica is upside down. In her wedding gown. In the rain. Top that! 
The sun peeked out for a few moments, as if rewarding us for our persistence. We celebrated love.
And like this.
Here is a maze walkway of the gorgeous Barcelo Maya Palace Beach Resort, bathing in early morning light.
And my uber awesome parents, who spontaneously came down from Edmonton for their very first Mexico vacation!
The iguanas here deserve their own post… They are truly epicurean creatures
Stay tuned for more, and I’m off to the beach to soak up some more sun 
Robyn’s best friend and incredibly talented Vancouver designer 
What’s a wedding gown without a little corset tightening!
“Robyn, do you think he will cry?” … “Hm, one tear. He will cry one tear.” 
There was something about this first 2010 wedding that I was looking forward to most - the First Look… I was so thrilled when Robyn & Graeme agreed to see each other for the first time before the ceremony! We decided to meet in Gastown, in the character building of Malene’s cozy 
Ah! But let’s back up for a moment. Graeme slowly walked up the stairs to meet his radiant soulmate on the 9th floor… Standing in the light of his halo…
The weather was incredible for January, but it POURED, DRIZZLED, and simply RAINED the whole afternoon! Robyn & Graeme were such troupers, shedding their umbrella for me for some timeless urban bridal portraits. I loved my first Vancouver wedding in the rain. Loved it.
I caught Robyn running into this Gastown alley as I tripped over a puddle… It’s out of focus, but I love the ‘runaway-bride’ effect!
And a little saucy grunge of a typical Vancouver back alley.
Robyn is amazing. She is so kind, genuine, and gorgeous … I loved every moment with her!
I was really excited to take Robyn & Graeme to the famous Vancouver Gastown Blood Alley…
The perfect overcast sky over Stanley Park was our next location for more bridal portraits. By then I was so soaked, there was no point in hiding under an umbrella 
A moment later, the lens cover is off… Robyn, you are my star. And her gorgeous bouquet was made by her mom Patsy. So much love in that arrangement!
The ceremony time was approaching and we made our way to the Vancouver 
Robyn is minutes away from saying ‘I do.’
Robyn & Graeme had a beautiful reception at the 
The little precious boots atop of this heavenly cake made by Graeme’s sister Amber have been in the family for over a 100 years. Robyn & Graeme, you are exceptional people, thank you so much for sharing your beautiful wedding with me! 
The women danced and proclaimed joyous blessings ‘Ah Weeeee-ha’ and danced around the groom and his barber, who worked with the precision of a surgeon. Soon after, the men joined in, also managing to realize a sly plan to soil Zak’s face with shaving cream just as the barber finished his impeccable job!
Another Lebanese wedding tradition followed, whereby the groom was to get dressed methodically by the men. His suit jacket, tie, watch, belt, and even shoes!
Although Lebanese food deserves it’s own blog post, here is a peek at the irresistible treats… Mmmmm… And the yoghurt dip - a personal favourite of my dad and I 
It was time to rush to the bride, I couldn’t wait to see Zeina! As I walked into the house, I couldn’t help but notice a white creeping cloud of pure -40c accompanying me … Quick, quick, close the door!
Back inside, Zeina’s gorgeous bouquet.
I love this shot of Zeina. She looks like a queen to be, surrounded by her princesses (and one little prince) 
Moments away from seeing each other for the first time, Zak is looking out for his bride! Zaffeh is the traditional Arabic celebration, which symbolizes escorting the bride to her husband.
I was so happy to sneak out to the Aviation Museum with Zeina & Zak for literally a few minutes, right after the traditional family portraits. I was hoping for some daylight photos inside, but the tired December sun went down so quickly! We still managed to get a few shots, and here are my favourites. I like the harsh ambient light and mysterious moodiness…
Zeina looked so beautiful. We got a few moments to spend together before the reception at the Westin Hotel.
The traditional first dance… The videographer and I did just as much dancing around them 
It was so great to have Randy Lim of 
I usually abstain from calling anything ‘epic,’ but this photo really has been, for my business.
It was pouring outside. Buckets, cats, dogs & all. We were is an old barnyard and Vivaldi’s ‘Four Seasons’ was playing on my boom box. It was wild.
This shot was taken moments before the First Look. Koranne gave me more pizzaz than I could have even hoped for, and rocked it out like a true Nova Bride.
Paige floated about like a modern-day Audrey Hepburn. So much grace and poise. It was starting to rain and we were about 5 min running distance from shelter, but Paige didn’t even stir, trusting that I would get the shot. Soon. The wind was blowing pretty heavily to the left, so I had my assistant Kemi pull the veil to the right and then let go so that I could catch it in mid-air!
Rob and I were having a conversation through the half-open door, as I was looking for good light. This is what I saw when I glanced over - and couldn’t resist. In fact, the first frame I shot only had ‘lieve’ visible, so I had to nonchalantly push the door a bit wider - to reveal the sign hanging above the bed of one of his groomsmen 
Not a new concept by any means, but it was so spontaneous and fun! After a ‘french’ picnic of baguette, cheese, olives, and … champagne, we kicked off our shoes for some fun in the fountain. The setting August sun was tastefully diffused by the trees…
Ok, the secret is out - I love giving a bit of direction and making it look like I’m catching my subjects in a more or less candid moment. Kathy looked so elegant in the white robe, so I asked her to go hang out at the foot of the bed… In the few moments of experimenting with the width of the space between the shutters, the whole gang of bridesmaids gathered behind me, curious to see why I was kneeling in such an awkward spot. ‘Awwwwww,’ I heard from them in unison - they were snapping away too! 
I love the flare. And the love. This photo was taken the night before their wedding - this was the sunset marking the beginning of a new journey together. Did I mention I loooove flare?
The sun hid for a few seconds for me to catch this shot. The air was heavy with the promise of rain. I shouted out ‘runaway bride‘ to Sarah just before releasing the shutter. The old Ukrainian-German farm was also amazing…
I just love what’s going on. Not even sure how, but I convinced them to cozy up on the bed! As I looked around the room, I noticed a Marilyn Monroe calendar. Done! 
Clean-up on aisle four!!! Not quite… But we definitely made the day for a few bored Sobeys employees. 
‘No worries, I’m insured,’ I chuckled nervously, as Kristina and I made our way up to the second floor of this abandoned farmhouse. Every step creaked and squeaked, and I kept repeating in my head … ‘please don’t scream if you see a mouse, please don’t scream if you see a little mouse’ - all clear, we were safe. And it was so worth it! This photo was one of my favorites, we found this antique violin case…
I think this is the kind of a moment little girls dream of when they imagine their dream wedding day. I love the energy of the shot. I was up at the front with them, and realized the bride and groom had turned around and were quickly walking towards the church front doors! I don’t think I tripped anyone… but I busted my butt to make sure I got to the door first!
Hana created this magic all by herself. So inspiring. Doesn’t she make you wonder what it is that she’s seeing out of that window?!
All brides are graceful. Seriously.
