Monthly Archives: July 2010

Jul 23 2010

Harmony & Nicky: Wedding at Knox United and Sutton Place!

Harmony and Nicky got married on July 17th and it was a spectacular day!  The girls got up at 4:30am to get their hair and make-up going…WOW!  Troopers I tell ya, and they had so much energy throughout the day!  Kudos ladies.  When Dan and I arrived at Harmony’s parent’s house, extended family members were showing up to get ready for some Chinese traditional games and the tea ceremony.  The morning went by so fast with another tea ceremony at Nicky’s parent’s house just down the street.

Their beautiful ceremony took place at the Knox United Church on 41st and Balaclava.  Harmony’s family’s dog Sam was the ring bearer!  Awesome!  Great creatives followed were we stopped at UBC and the Museum of Anthropology, and then the Burrard Street Bridge.

Dinner at the Sutton Place Hotel is always superb, the people there are so great.  After setting up a few lights in the room, we took a seat at our table, and soon after the first course, a waiter comes up to Dan’s seat with a full champagne glass.  He points to Nicky and says it’s from him.  Oh we had a good laugh!  Right before leaving the Museum of Anthropology, Harmony and Nicky popped open a bottle of Dom Perignon.  The plan was everyone was going to have some in the limo, but Dan and I were worried about our time and wanted to head to our next location, so we skipped out on the champagne.  Kindly enough, Nicky thought of us and from across the room, he raised his glass to us as the waiter gave us a glass.  Thanks man!

Here are some favs of the day!

Harmony wore a Qipao (chi-pow) for the two tea ceremonies that took place before the wedding ceremony at Knox United. Loved her red shoes to match!

Harmony got ready in her white wedding gown in a little room in at the church.  Her dress was so classy!  A favorite of mine so far this year!

Knox United Church has a beautiful sanctuary with a stunning green back drop behind the alter. 

Camera toss!  Dan always forgets to smile…kind of hard to think about smiling when you throw your camera in the air, so I forgive him. Lol

Harsh sun makes cool shadows!

The pretty ladies!

And the studly men…

There’s this one spot at UBC that always has great light because of all the shade from the trees.  We let the wedding party go to the limo first and did a few creatives with just Harmony and Nicky.  They posed themselves up for these next few shots!

The Museum of Anthropology is a pretty sweet building.  The only downside was that they had to face the bright sun!  Thanks guys – we know it was a HOT day, but you all were great!

Shifty lens!;)

We parked underneath the Burrard Street Bridge and then walked up.  Such a cool view!

Speeches were great!

The “shoe game” as we know it…slightly altered, but same concept.  Some funny questions…one was, “Who will drop the baby first!?”  And no…Nicky is not answering to that question in this shot!

For the bride and groom speeches and their first dance, Harmony changed into another red dress.  Love the open back!

Thank you Harmony and Nicky for a wonderful day!  You’re both such kind and generous people and it was a blessing to be part of your day!

Check out their slide show below!!

Cheers!

K&D

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Jul 21 2010

Tara & Jarrett: Vintage Hollywood Glam Wedding – Celebration Pavilion and SFU!

Excitement!!  That’s what was running through our bodies as Dan and I drove up to the Howard Johnson Hotel on Kingsway.  As we got settled into the hotel room to shoot Tara and Jarrett getting ready for their wedding, the atmosphere was happy and relaxed.

We had seen them a few days prior at their rehearsal, and they kindly invited us to go back to Tara’s parent’s place in North Van for a light dinner and gift openings.  They had a gift for us too!  We truly felt like we were part of their circle of friends.  Everyone was so kind and generous.

Their ceremony took place at the Celebration Pavilion at Queen Elizabeth Park, and their reception was at the SFU Diamond Alumni Center.

Dan and I are thrilled for Tara and Jarrett and we are tremendously happy with the images and the moments we shot!

Enjoy some favorites of the day!

Tara’s wedding dress:  AMAZING.  The beading, the laced back, the color, the fit…it was all so perfect, and Tara looked stunning in it!  Totally fit the vintage glam look Tara was going for!

I didn’t realize the look Tara was going for until her make-up was being applied by Cynthia Martinez, who did a fantastic job!  I snapped a whole bunch of photos through each stage, and eventually gave Tara a peek at an image of her on the back of my camera….she started crying!!  Oh no!! I made the bride CRY on her WEDDING DAY!  In the middle of her make-up being applied!!!!  Oh Cynthia must not have been happy with me!  Thankfully though, Tara was crying tears of joy!

Tara and Jarrett’s friends from Comox did Tara and her bridemaids hair – great job James and Jason of ROOTS!

I’m not sure what it is with Dan and grooms and alcohol in the morning, but Dan is often treated to a fine drink when he hangs out with the guys during pre-wedding mornings.  Jarrett had a very fancy single malt scotch that was given to him as a gift, and he generously shared it with his groomsmen and Dan.  Generously shared it, I will reiterate! 

  Oh my…best ever!
Getting ready!
Tara and Jarrett wanted to keep it traditional and not see each other before the ceremony.  But being really fun as they are, they wanted a shot of them “together” holding hands around a corner.  So cute!!  
Tara and her father walking down the aisle!
Love Jarrett’s expression!!  I was shooting him as Tara came down the aisle, and I could see Jarrett mouthing over and over, “Wow….wow….wow…”
Too good!!!  First kiss has gotta be memorable!
After the ceremony and family photos in the cool shade, we did a few creative around the Celebration Pavilion.  Thank you to our super assistant Mark who helped us out for the first time! 
It seemed like the sun was in the perfect spot when we got the SFU.  People always tell us SFU is so depressing, but we don’t get it!  Love the architecture there!
The ladies being sassy!
The gents with attitude..
Just the two of us
This shot was a spur of the moment type.  Dan was shooting primarily with off camera lighting as always, and I with natural light.  But I saw the framing of the over hang, and had a trigger in my bag, grabbed it and Mark was standing in just the right spot…pretty happy with how it turned out!

Another spur of the moment idea!  Light Jarrett and silhouette Tara!  I told Dan my concept, and love how he shot it!

I love the way Dan and I work together.  This isn’t a “Dan” shot or a “Kat” shot, it’s a….”Dat” shot! (Little tidbit…that was our little nickname in school that was given to us by some classmates).  Dan lit, I posed…et voila!  Love it!

Tara and Jarrett had a pretty awesome entrance to their reception.  Bagpipe!  The guests had no idea either, so it was a great surprise for everyone!

Delicious cakes from True Confections!!  Lemon and chocolate….oh that lemon cake is to die for!

The food at the SFU Diamond Alumni Center was fantastic!
The speeches for the night were great.  
The dancing was fabulous and fun, it was great to see almost everyone on the dance floor!

We had such an amazing time hanging out for an entire day with Tara and Jarrett!  We were sad it was all over!

It was a pleasure being part of the day, and meeting their friends and family – especially Tara’s mom Elaine Schick who is our biggest facebook fan ever!  You were great Elaine!

Check out their slide show below!

Have a great ‘second’ wedding in Newfoundland for Jarrett’s side!

Cheers everybody!

K&D

Oh and PS. This is the unveiling of the gift they got us. A Cormorant just like what Jarrett flies!!! Well a mini version….his is 74 feet long. We’ve kinda liked them ALOT since their E-Session in Comox!! Thanks for the gift you guys!!


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Jul 20 2010

Ealeen & Chris: Epic Session @ Stanley Park, Hycroft Manor and Iona Beach… AWESOMENESS!!!

Ealeen and Chris.  Two of the nicest and kindest people we know.  Ealeen and I have known each other since high school.  Though in different grades, we got to know each other through being in student council together, and through a few mutual friends.  We had lost touch after high school, until Ealeen and her mom suddenly appeared in front of our booth at the Urban Wedding Fair at the Roundhouse last November.  What a surprise!  She had no idea we were going to be there, and I was equally surprised to see her at the show!

A few months and a few emails later, we set up a time to get together, to chat about her wedding day, to meet her beau and to just catch up after all these years.  We met up at Planet Veg in Kits (best wraps ever!) and sadly learned that we were booked on their day this coming August.  But that didn’t stop us from taking their photographs!  We planned an Epic Session!  Three dresses and an eight hour day around Vancouver.  WOW.  It was EPIC.

The day started at Stanley Park at the Brockton Point Lighthouse.  It wasn’t quite sunny, but that meant for killer clouds.  Ealeen was in a beautiful dress and Chris looked sharp in his tux.  Ealeen’s childhood friend Linda Nguyen of Lovestrands came along as the hair stylist extraordinaire!  It’s amazing what Linda can do in 15 minutes!

Our super assistant Julian helped us light this day, as well as shoot some background video.  Thanks Julian!

Ealeen had THREE VEILS!  So awesome!  We started off with this gigantic veil, and it was SO windy at this location, it was GREAT!!  Usually we’re begging for the wind to pick up to do veil shots, but this time, we were almost fighting against the wind!
Ealeen is so pretty!  We can’t wait to see her wedding photos!
Since we were at Stanley Park, we knew we had to hit up the Lions Gate Bridge.  We shimmied our way over, and I whipped out a shift lens while Dan shot from across the bride.  Oooooh shift lens….droool…..
It’s truly amazing being on the Lions Gate Bridge.  The view is phenomenal, and the mountains in the background are stunning.  We’re so lucky to be in BC!  Love this shot where they’re just about to kiss!

Ealeen loves the vintage look, and her jewelry, dress change, and even her wedding invitations all reflect that.  After Stanley Park, we drove to Hycroft Manor near Granville and 16th.  We had the entire house to ourselves!  It was overwhelming – this mansion is such an incredible building, we were so worried we weren’t going to get to shoot all of it!  We did the best we could with the time we had, and it rocked!
Ealeen and Chris had their wedding invitations designed by a lady down in the States (with input from Ealeen of course), and she did such a beautiful job!
Gorgeous!!
Handsome!!  We were so excited when we heard they had brought a huge photo frame as a prop! Ealeen explained that she was looking all over town for an antique-like frame, but they’re incredibly expensive!  She nearly gave up until one day her father was digging stuff out of their garage for a garage sale and pulled out this massive painting with a beautiful frame around it.  Ta da! 
Hycroft Manor is a beautiful house! 
Beautiful!
Our last stop:  Iona Beach.  Before shooting, we had a little picnic nearby to satisfy our hungry tummies.  Chris had mentioned he had a few munchies, but according to Chris, a few munchies are sandwiches with gourmet cheeses and meat, the most delicious chips, chocolate, almonds, dried cherries, veggies and dip, juice…wow!  Thank you Chris for a lovely picnic lunch!
Ealeen changed back into the first dress she wore at Stanley Park.  The sun was in the right spot, the clouds were perfect, the dress was stunning, everything was so great!  Until the sneezing started!!  Chris especially has allergies and walking through the fields and tall grasses was no fun for him!  Oh we felt so bad!  Chris was really good about it though, and he hid it well.  Sorry Chris!  But it was all worth the shots…right!!?  Lol
We brought a ladder along knowing we’d shoot this shot.  It worked out quite nicely!

The clouds were just amazing!

Dan and I cannot say in words how much fun and exciting this shoot was, but it was even greater and more rewarding to see Ealeen again and meet Chris, and to see the genuine care and love they have for each other.

Here’s a part of an email they sent to us before we showed them any of the photos, we’re so touched by their kind words!

“Thank you for treating us to a luxurious day of artistry, excitement, and fun! Ealeen and I had a fantastic time; awkward subjects as we were, you totally put us at ease with your clear directions and encouraging affirmation. And what a way to re-discover Vancouver – you shared some hidden gems, and we’re thrilled to think that those same sites may become new memories in the years to come.

Dan, we love the way you see light. We don’t know how you trained your eye to envision such well orchestrated palettes of light and dark, but we were fascinated [and blown away] by your talent! We were especially impressed by the amount of thought you put into the shoot before the day of – that’s right, we saw how many folders you kept on your iPhone, and we LOVED the way you drew from inspiration to transform them into our own.

Kat, what a creative spirit you are! Thank you for taking every idea – reasonable or unreasonable – and finding the form to make them come to life. Your clear instructions, your calm nature, and your attention to every detail not only put us at ease, but also brought the intricacies of fine art into focus. You were extraordinarily flexible with every whim and fancy we had, and your talents shone as you candidly integrated our surroundings to augment each and every shot.”

Check out their slide show below!!!

Thank you Ealeen and Chris for an amazing day!

God Bless,

Kat & Dan

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Jul 14 2010

Lana & Chris: Wicked Times in Harrison!!

Holy toledo. What an awesome wedding.  After shooting two full weddings and getting less than six hours of sleep, Dan and I were on our way to Harrison Hot Springs on July 3rd to be part of Lana and Chris’ wedding at Minter Gardens.  We left Dan’s house at 7am, stopped for Starbucks (our little ritual before weddings…4 shot Americano for Dan and a Chai Latte for me), and we made the two hour drive in an hour and 20 minutes.  Arriving at the Harrison Hot Springs Resort and Spa where Lana and Chris were getting ready, dark, heavy gray clouds lingered over Harrison Lake.  Oh no!! Lana was getting ready on the 8th floor, and the sound of the wind from up there was intense!  Throughout the time the guys and girls were getting ready, Dan and I kept checking the weather….please no rain!

We were spending the entire day with Lana and Chris and their friends and family, and hanging out with the ladies while they got ready was an awesome way to get to know them before wedding took place.  Lana’s sister did make-up, while another bridesmaid did hair, and they did an amazing job!

When I first pulled out Lana’s wedding dress from it’s protective cover, I literally gasped in excitement!  GORGEOUS!!  We still had 3 hours till Lana had to get into her dress and I COULDN’T WAIT!  I was so excited for Chris to see her too!

The weather was a blessing.  Not a single rain drop!  And though it wasn’t sunny (except for a 10 minute window where the sun made an appearance) it wasn’t cold at all.  Weird July weather!

The day went on without a glitch.  A beautiful ceremony, amazing creatives, and a stellar reception!  Dan and I had so much fun with everyone, and even though we were pretty bagged at the end of the night, we wanted to stay and hang out and dance!

Here are more than a few favorites of the day!  We hope everyone enjoys!

Details!  Oh how I love details!  Lana gave me lots to work with!  Her sister had the bracelet on the bottom left made from the pearls of their grandmother’s necklace.  What a great keepsake!

Seriously, is that not a fabulous dress or what!?
Chris had nice attire too…lol!  The boys were ready way before the girls, so they did a bunch of great shots outside on the dock.  Chris’ groomsmen got him a flask!  “We got your back” is what part of the engrave message says.  Awww!
Lana and Chris had gifts for each other; Lana got Chris a Canon Rebel T2i (awesome!) and Chris got Lana a beautiful Tiffany & Co. necklace and Tiffany shades (top left photo) as well as a bottle of champagne and an awesome decorative pot!

Everyone helped Lana get ready; her sister did the buttons up on her dress, her mother helped Lana put on the garter (the garter is her mom’s garter from her parent’s wedding!), and her dad put on the pearl bracelet.

STUNNING!!  Just stunning!
At Minter Garden’s before the ceremony, the minister having a quick chat with the guys…
It was a beautiful and sincere ceremony, with a few tears here and there!
Officially married!!
Lana’s choice in everything was so great – the coral for the bridesmaids….such a great color!!  And the flowers match perfectly!  What a great bunch of ladies here, they were so nice and kind and FUN!
And the gentlemen!  What’s a wedding party without a lil’ tequila, fireball, and vodka! 
Check out those clouds!!  Super sunny days aren’t always ideal…!
There was this awesome waterfall and I was backlighting this as Dan shot a whole bunch of photos here.  
Minter Garden’s is beautiful garden, our first time shooting here!  Just love this shot!
Although we were setting most shots up, we did grab a candid here and there…
We had planned to go back to the beach at Harrison Lake for some creatives, but we were running out of time, especially with a 15-20 minute commute from the garden’s to the beach each way.  Instead of doing that, we drove half way to the beach and stopped at this wickedly awesome barn off the side of the highway. We didn’t really know if we could shoot here or not since it was on private property.  The limo driver pulled over, Dan hopped out, and 2 minutes and $20 later, we were allowed to use the barn for creatives.  SaWEEET!!  Best $20 EVER!  We got some AMAZING shots here and we couldn’t have done it without the awesome people who let us use their barn, and the awesome limo driver (who is actually an event planner from Seasons Event Group) who lit for us so Dan and I could both shoot.  Oh I just love how everyone comes together to help out!
I did shoot some natural light images as well…Dan and I were fighting over our Norman Flash;) 
We ventured into the barn as well…kudos to Lana who crawled in with heels…and there were nails sticking out of some of those boards!!  LOVE LOVE LOVE this shot!
Time for just a few more shots, and we did some in the field next to the barn.  
Harrison is so beautiful!  
Some quick details of the candy bar….drool….candy is my weak spot.
Everyone had a fantastic speech.  It was great to learn more about Lana and Chris, who have been together since high school, and endured a long-distance relationship after high school.  Lana and Chris are so great together!
First dance!  
Ok.  So….best dance ever!  This group of guys had a whole routine set and danced to it without hesitation!  Song:  Blah Blah Blah by Kesha.  It started off as a bit of a dance off between the two guys on the right, and then a little fight to bring in some other guys, and then they broke out into a synchronized routine and it was AWESOME!!  I have never enjoyed a wedding dance like this before!  Everyone was laughing and clapping and whistling, oh it was fantastic. I wished then and there that I had video capabilities!!
Un-choreographed dancing resumed, and everyone got into it!

There are no words,  Dan and I had SO MUCH FUN.  We are incredibly excited for Lana and Chris to begin their marriage, and just speechless about their photos.

We wish Lana and Chris all the best!

Their slide show is HERE!

Their PhotoBooth slide show is HERE!

Cheers,

K&D

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Jul 09 2010

Yvonne & Victor: Sunny Wedding @ The Brock House!

Second wedding of the weekend.  The forecast predicted rain.  But tada!  Typical Vancouver weather:  unpredictable!   We were very blessed with a very sunny day on July 2nd.  We met up with Yvonne and Victor in the afternoon to do some creatives around Coal Harbor before driving to the Brock House for their ceremony and reception.

Yvonne and Victor are such a cute, quiet couple and it was great to get to know them better as the day went on.  What a beautiful ceremony it was at the Brock House, facing the gorgeous BC mountains, with the sun shining bright, and close friends and family around.

Here are some favs of the day! Enjoy!

Key Shifting!  Always a winner. Public Art!  Not always a winner, but definitely yes in this case!!

I love how brides these days do something a little different and funky for their shoes, and I LOVE Yvonne’s shoes!  Her favorite color is blue, we learned.  Shoes, toe nails, maid of honor’s dress, wedding cake…bouquet, all blue!
A Dan shot!
A Kat shot!
The tea ceremony was held right before the wedding ceremony.  Close family gathered before most guests started to arrive, to pass down jewelry and lucky money, and their blessings and wishes upon Yvonne and Victor. 
Here comes the bride!  
First Kiss!
After some family photos and some mingling, we snuck away from the Brock House and ended up in the sand at Jericho Beach.  Cool shot by Dan!
We couldn’t resist using the window space in the lobby area of the Brock House!
That cake looks so beautiful! 
As dinner came to an end, speeches started.  Yvonne’s brother was the MC for the night, and presented Victor with this banner.  Aww!
The best man gave an AWESOME speech! I am giving this speech first prize!  Oh it was so funny, and everyone was laughing big time!  
Cake cutting! Boy it was a delicious cake!
The first dance!

It was great time spending the day with Yvonne and Victor!  We had awesome people at our table to converse with and get to know, and it was super seeing Ramona and Kevin again!

Slide show HERE!

PhotoBooth Slide show HERE!

Cheers,

K&D

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