What made Jennifer and Aidan most excited about their wedding day and how did you plan to prioritize this in your pictures on their special day.
Response directly from Jennifer “I think what was most exciting for us for our wedding was seeing all of the little details come together and watching our friends and family enjoy and react to them. The planning process was so long and at times stressful so we were looking forward to seeing the whole picture together and just enjoying it after months of planning. Details such as the step-stools for the altar that my sister in law hand-painted and the old window frame that was on our welcome table that Aidan sanded and made to display our photos. The desserts that my mother in law lovingly prepared and our officiant who stayed to read people’s tarot cards during the cocktail hour. The wedding was a labour of love from our friends and family so to see our personalised stamp on the day with both of our personalities was important and exciting for us!”
It was very clear from the beginning that family & friends were very important to both Jennifer and Aidan. To capture moments as organic as possible, we always kept our eyes on their family and friends. Couple of moments that really stood out were: during dinner when Aidan’s brother and his fiance spontaneously started dancing while waiting in line for the buffet and Aidan’s dad stopping midway through the stairs to fix his partner’s boutonniere – capturing these moments really shows that Jennifer and Aidan’s wedding was intimate and personal! The smaller space actually allowed us to see more around our surroundings. I think photographs of brief moments are what makes intimate weddings feel so personal.
There is a beautiful relaxed quality to the day of shots around the Berkeley Bicycle Club of the couple what was your approach?
It’s a beautiful venue! The history of the building itself adds to the intimate quality to the photographs.
What do you like best about your profession and what are some of the ways you continue to evolve and inspire yourself within your field?
There are so many aspects about being a wedding photographer that I love, but the best part is giving my couples photographs that they’ll value for years to come. I love that as artists we evolve and find inspiration in everything. For me, I take workshops from other photographers to further educate myself. The way I see weddings have changed, it’s not just about documenting events as they unfold, but noticing connections between people and documenting those relationships as a story. I find inspiration in everything – films, painting, environment, and couples themselves. Sometimes I’m inspired at the spur of the moment, such as in the way the light is falling on a dress or the way the couples interact with each other.
What are some of the advantages from your viewpoint of having a smaller intimate wedding and how do you highlight these special qualities in your work?
Definitely the advantages of having a smaller intimate wedding is that you get to really spend quality time with your guests! I show interaction between people by being a quiet observer – really noticing what’s going on everywhere as much as I can.
Did you scout the venue ahead of time to find all the cool little spots or was this spontaneous?
Yes, I did scout the venue ahead of time because Jennifer has mentioned that they would be getting married in front of a window which would be backlit. To really prepare myself and to see if I’ll need flash, I came weeks before the wedding to not only check the ceremony space but the whole venue. I don’t always scout the venue unless I think there may be some challenges with space or lighting.
How do you work with the changing lighting throughout a wedding day to get the best possible pictures at every hour?
I’m constantly aware of the direction of the light and how it falls on my subject and I’m always shooting so that I’m correctly exposing (lighting) the skin tone. Photographs can look very different depending on the type of light – overcast, sunny at high noon, sun set, indoors – so I need to constantly change my camera setting to get the look I’m going for. The more I photograph I see that there is beauty in every type of light (even at high noon!), the photographer just has to know how to work it! I use natural light predominantly and effective composition and emotional photos really helps to create impactful images.
How would you describe your photographic style?
My photographic style is natural, emotional and honest. My photographs are often inspired by nature (or the environment) and relationships between people. I capture emotions as they unfold naturally but will guide couples with loose directions if I need to (e.g. give prompts to really show those emotions!). Often my favourite photographs are organic ones where people are just being themselves!
You chose some very interesting compositions in your shooting that bring fresh eyes to the day. How do you approach framing a picture?
Thank you! The way I compose often happens on the spot and I can’t predict how I will photograph something until certain light, shape, or space catches my attention. This sounds so vague but I’m always trying to see thing a bit differently so that I’m not bored by using the same composition all the time.
What was the most memorable part of this wedding day from your perspective and how did you capture it?
The wedding ceremony was so memorable for so many reasons. Aidan’s best friend sang as Jennifer was walking down the aisle, and they had an unplugged wedding so I was able to capture real reactions from the guests instead of capturing guests behind their phones. One of my favourite photograph is capturing Aidan and Jennifer exchanging a look while their wedding document was being signed – it’s the “we’re married” look! You can clearly see excitement in their eyes!
florist : Kingston Road Flower Market
Officiant: Lori Lytle
DJ: Pablo Quiogue
Hair & Makeup: Laura Tran
Wedding Dress: Mori Lee from Sophies Gown Shoppe
Jewelry: Slashpile Designs
