Jamilee + Michael Wedding

It was a busy July for me with weddings and this was the second one I photographed. Jamilee and MIchael were kind enough to entrust me to capture their special day and I couldn’t have been more happy. My day started with with Jamilee and her bridesmaids at the Marriott Hotel in Thunder Bay and it didn’t go quite as planned. Luckily, I always try to show up earlier than my scheduled arrival just in case something happens. Well, I completely forgot that there is more than one Marriott Hotel in Thunder Bay, and I went to the right one I don’t usually assume with wedding details but I made a rookie mistake this time around. Long story short, I realized quickly I was at the wrong hotel and quickly went to the right one. Luckily, Thunder Bay is a small town, so I still arrived on time, with no speeding tickets.

After photographing the girls, I met everyone else up at Mount McKay where the ceremony took place. It is by far one of the nicest spots in Thunder Bay to get married. It couldn’t have been a more beautiful day for it too. Even though it was pretty hot and humid, I told myself I would never complain about the summer here seeing as how long and cold our winters are. We also did the portraits up on the mountain too, seeing as how it was the perfect backdrop. Although, once we were done the family portaits, I did get everyone to gather under the shaded structure to finish off the rest of the formal portraits.

It was then time to finish the night at the Slovak Legion. Not only is it a nice venue, they always have an amazing buffet. This wedding was no exception. As you would expect, the reception included some first dances, cake cutting, speeches and a host of other memorable moments that I made sure to document.

Jamilee and Michael were such an easy going couple which made for a very relaxed and fun day. I love how the photos from the day turned out and I truly hope they do too!

Jamilee + Michael Engagement - Kam River Park

Over the weekend I got the chance to photograph another fun engaged couple in Jamilee and Michael. We decided on Kam River Park as the location. The weather ended up being perfect once again, so it turned out to be the perfect session. I had actually photographed both Jamilee and Michael, as well as their family in the past. This time around it was just about them though!

Kam Park is one of the 'new' locations I have been suggesting to a few engaged couples booking with me. Even though I have now done a couple session in a row there, that doesn't mean the photos are going to be the same. If anything, it has challenged me to find different angles and perspectives to work with. Of course it helps that each couple is completely different and unique which creates a totally different look and feel. 

We ended up walking around Kam River Park, stopping here and there, and just having both Jamilee and Michael simply interact. I really try to keep these engagement sessions as natural as possible with minimal direction. There is nothing against completely posed photos, I'm just more of a photo journalistic type of guy. 

Before our time was up, we quickly drove to Simpson Street and took advantage of this huge brick wall that I have been wanting to use for the longest time. The photos captured by this wall were my favourite photos of the session.

Jamilee and Michael were so amazing to work with and I'm glad I was able to spend an hour with them capturing some moments along the way.