Allasan & Mike - July, 2012

Hey guys!

So, wayyy back in November of last year, we met up with Allasan & Mike to do their engagement shoot. It turned out to be rainy, cold and totally romantic. It’s kind of hard not to sound cheesy, but these two had such a connection with each other that just flooded our camera with all sorts of loveliness and I’m pretty sure neither of them were feeling the cold in this picture. Can you guys feel the heat or what?! 

Fast forward to this past July, and it really was actually pretty steamy outside. The wedding took place at the Ancaster Mill, which, for any of you brides-to-be, is a pretty fab place to get married. We were so impressed with the professionalism of the staff and the amazing delicious food (Portobello mushroom in phyllo pastry? Honestly, I still think about how mouthwatering it was, and its been a good couple months now.)  Anyways, so Allasan and her girls arrive, and her bridesmaids rise to the occasion, making sure her hair piece and dress are just perfect. I know that one of the things that Mike just loves about Allasan is how fabulous she looks when she’s laughing, which is a lot, thanks to all the fabulous friends and family she has. 

 There are reasons why we just love the getting-ready pictures, and this is one of them:

 The moments between a father and his daughter, are so special. I just love how adorable Allasans mom is in this picture!

There is really nothing better than a good ole shot of Beefeater to get you right straightened out before the big walk down the aisle.

As Allasan and her parents make their way down the aisle, the cello is playing and their friends are smiling and all eyes are on her – especially the ones that matter the most.

 After a beautiful ceremony, we head to the falls and have a fantastic time with the bridal party. Don’t you guys just love how the contrasting yellow flowers look with those gray bridesmaids dresses?

 I kind of have a soft spot for daddys and daughters.

Next it’s time for some pictures with the new Mr & Mrs. I was so looking forward to this part because the connection that exists between these two is so strong, and it’s such an honour to be able to capture it in camera. I mean, I don’t even think I’m going to comment on these next few, they kind of speak for themselves...

(squeal!)

Amazing, right?! : )  Next we head off to the reception, beautifully decorated with the perfect hints of Mike & Allasan’s personality. S’mores bonbonnieres are such a fab idea, (the back of the tags said "Sending S’more Love" Love it!!) And each table was designated by these cool retro postcards, signifying the couples love of camping and travel. 

Now, I just have to pause for a second here, and give a shout out to two of the groomsmen. First, the best man made the funniest speech I have ever heard at a wedding. Honestly guys, it was hilarious and sweet and these two are lucky to have this guy in their lives. But one of their other groomsmen also contributed something really special  - he made this freakin’ beautiful cake!Check it!

Pretty cool, huh?

The night continued with a lot of laughs, and good times, 

and ended with a lovely first dance to Strangers In The Night, a la Sinatra. With bubbles, and the love of their friends just pouring out, these two are headed towards a fun, adventurous life together – with a cool (tee hee) Icelandic honeymoon to kick it off!  Thanks guys for having us out, we had a fab time and enjoyed every moment! 

Ashley & Mike, June 2012

It was a gorgeous summer day at Cambridge’s famous Langdon Hall, and we were excited for Ashley & Mikes casual cocktails & lunch-time wedding. All of their closest family and friends were in attendance, and the sweet ceremony was simple and heartfelt – a few tears were definitely shed!  I don’t think I’ve ever met a guy who wears so much love on his face – or his Kleenexes – for his lovely bride. 

The rings that the couple exchanged were custom made out of heirloom jewellery from their families, I love how they are matching yet each is still unique, a beautiful metaphor for the deep respect and love these two have for eachother. 

All of the guests had a great time lingering over an absolutely delicious meal,

and we were lucky to have been serenaded by the couples close friend who just happens to have been part of the talented Amarone String Quartet. 

After lunch, we hung out with the absolutely adorable nieces and nephews of this beautiful new little family, and had a great time! I love all the opposites in this picture - part pretty princess, part total tomboy! 

Sasha & Chad June 2012

Hi Everyone!

We are so pumped to finally share this amazing wedding we were honoured to be a part of earlier in the summer...yay!

When we first met Sasha & Chad, we knew right from the start that it was going to be a beautiful wedding. They were planning a low key, rustic, DIY kind of wedding and we couldn’t wait to see what they had in store. They also wanted us to capture the first moment they saw each other, before the ceremony, which we were more than glad to oblige to. We find that first-look moments take a lot of the pressure off our brides and grooms and it lets them just relax and revel in each other before all the hoopla (tee-hee) really gets going. 

Okay, first, check Sasha's custom made 50's style dress...amazing!

I love how Chad was super nervous

 And how Sasha was just beaming

And how seriously beautiful the whole thing was.

I know you guys noticed her stunning bouquet of deep red peonies and burgundy calla lilies, courtesy of Lush Florals. Her shoes were Vivienne Westwood,  and yep, they were bubble gum scented!

After the first-look, we headed off to Rodman Hall in St Catharines. This is a beautiful  little Art Gallery owned by Brock University, and the weather was absolutely perfect, despite being a little stormy earlier in the day. The best thing about rainshowers, is it washes everything clean and makes things so lush and green and perfect. It’s pretty much one of the best things that can happen, like a fresh new start on your wedding day.  (Alanis Morrisette does not know what she’s talking about)

These dudes were more than willing to stand next to this beautiful bride! :)

We headed off to White Meadows Farms.   The ceremony took place in the golden light of late afternoon, outside under their hand made trellis. We just loved this little guy:

Someone called him Colonel Saunders, which was totally perfect somehow.

 As Sasha & Chad were saying their vows, a trio of horses ran through the fields behind them – seriously, guys, it was actually kind of magical.We managed to get a quick snapshot of it:

Just before the reception started, Mike and I invited Sasha & Chad for some quiet time away from the crowds. While the guests are enjoying their cocktails, this is often a time where we can get the best shots, because everyone is relaxed and they are finally married – which is an absolutely amazing feeling, I must say.

Now for the reception! Both of us looking forward to seeing all the handmade details that Sasha had worked so hard on, but we really weren’t prepared for just how lovely and welcoming the farm looked after Sasha and her friends had worked their magic. From the hand sewn bunting, to the cross stitched signs, everything was intended to to invite comfort, love, and warmth, which is exactly how I would describe this warm couple and their lovely friends and guests.  

The menu was seriously to die for – lobster mac and cheese, cabbage rolls, delicious roasted vegetables and many other mouth-watering comfort foods, made the guests feel like they could just eat and eat. Probably the some of the best food we’ve had at a wedding to date. But I think everyone had their eye on the stunning dessert table that their family and friends had all generously and lovingly donated too. You pretty much can’t get any more intimate and special than having an entire pot luck of sumptuous desserts made by your closest friends and family, and what a lovely way to have your guests contribute to your day.

All in all, it was a gorgeous day, with a beautiful and gracious couple, and we are so lucky to have been invited to share it with the two of them. Thanks guys!

I shoe-shoe-shooooes you

Hey everyone! It's me, Kate :)
So, how many of you would describe yourselves as shoe-a-holics? There are some peeps out there who go ca-razay for shoes. Although I am not a shoe girl myself, I can totally understand how fun it is when you slip on that perfect pair that just makes you feel fun, feminine, sexy and ready to take on whatever comes at you. And what better day to feel like that, than on your wedding day! So I was scouring pinterest, and came across some pretty little numbers and I thought I'd share them with you.

I like these ones because they are simple, but then BAM they have that slice of bling right across the foot - not too much, not too little. 

I tried my darndest to source these for you guys, if anyone knows...:)

These next ones remind me of the ones that Baby was wearing in Dirty Dancing.

 This means two things. One, nobody will put you in the corner. And two, maybe your new husband will be so enthralled by your fab shoes, he'll do the 'dirty dancing move' on you (Crazy, Stupid, Love anyone?)

a la Jimmy Choo

I love these ones cause they are edgy and funky...but still pretty and feminine.

And these last ones I liked, especially the gray. Cause you guys know how I am in love with gray :)

Or you could go all out, like one of our brides did, and get your rockstar on with these hot pink beauties!

 All these shoes are pretty saucy, and definitely add some style to your look, but it's a good idea to make sure you bring some back up shoes. You could even bring some for your bridesmaids too, maybe pick up some flip flops at Old Navy or something. But really, they can be any kind, I'm sure you guys have seen brides wearing Converse, or even silver sparkly ballet flats will work - here is a link to a DIY version that I found. I also came across these cute Toms - totally feminine, and I'm sure really super comfy too!

.

Okay, thats all for me for now! I'd love to hear from you guys and what you guys are planning on for your day!

Shades of Gray - Bridesmaids Dresses!

Hey guys, it's me again, your friendly neighbourhood Kate. Just wanted to write a quick post about a pretty trend I've been noticing lately when it comes to wedding colours. So I'm pretty sure most of you have seen the taupe/nude bridesmaids dresses lately. Taupe can be a pretty, fresh colour, when it's done right  - like in the cool, casual kind of wedding as seen below.

bridalcouturegirls.blogspot.com

I think you could probably get dresses like that fairly inexpensively too, which is cool. But the one trend that I'm totally digging right now, is gray. Now normally, I would think gray would be drab and kind of institution-like, but when you've got a dove-gray, or a pearl-gray or even a summer-stormy-sky-gray, paired up with gorgeous bright flowers or shoes? You've got a relaxed, yet sophisticated, fresh look that's probably going to compliment most of the different hair and skin colours of your brides. I remember choosing the specific shade of purple we had because all of my bridesmaids had dark brown hair and pale skin, so it totally worked. But with gray, you could could do multiple shades, even more into a silver tone if you wanted. Anyways, I just wanted to share a couple of examples that I've been seeing around - and one very cool idea for a your groomsmen.

Gowns by Melissa Sweet

See this is one set that I really love - look how pretty the navy looks with the gray suits? Totally pretty, right?!

Dress by Danny Ying

Isn't that dress pretty? Like think about adding fuchsia, dark orange, red, purple, or yellow accents. Or green! Or teal! Possibilities are endless guys, seriously, endless.

And you know what, you don't even have to add a splash of colour to this colour scheme to make it fresh - check this one out.

And one last one, just cause I have a serious pitter-patter for dudes in vests. And this vest, is simply fantastic. Especially with the extra fab details on that white shirt - and hey, you don't even need a tie with this one.

Alright, that's it for me today - thanks for tuning in! :)