Scott + Katherine Family Portraits - Thunder Bay Marina

It seems like forever since I last photographed Scott and Katherine so I was super excited to do a mini session with them at the marina a couple weeks ago. I also got to meet their newest addition to the family. Such a great time!

Arthur + Katherine Wedding - Wawa, Ontario

One of the reasons I love photographing weddings is that often times it takes me to a different city. In the case of Arthur and Katherine, their wedding took place in Wawa, Ontario. Now, anyone who has driven from Thunder Bay to Toronto has stopped in at Wawa which I definitely have done in the past. Surprisingly, I never really explored Wawa or gone any further then the standard gift shop. So when my wife and Anne arrived in Wawa for the wedding, I was super excited to actually see a lot more of Wawa.

Once we got settled into our hotel, Nichola, who was the maid of honour and also very good friends with my wife and I, showed us where all the venues of the wedding were and also a little tour of Wawa. I didn’t realize who beautiful of a city it actually was. Being a small city did mean that almost all of the wedding took place on the main strip, which did make my life very easy. I only had to travel a few minutes here and there for the different spots during the day.

The wedding day started at the salon with the girls. I spent almost 2 hours there just hanging out with them and documenting them relaxing and getting their hair done. I then met the boys down the road where they were washing some of the vehicles and also decorating them. Aside from being quite hot out, I had a fun time snapping candid photos of everyone doing their thing. It was a very relaxed atmosphere.

Once I was done there, I went back to the girls who where now at the house getting dressed. Again, it was super chill and, as I always do, I looked for moments to photograph. Before I left, we stepped outside for a few minutes and did some portraits of all the ladies. The last stop before the ceremony was again with the boys getting ready at the cabin. I only had about 20 minutes with them but it was enough time to get some keepers. Although, the firecracker they set off right by Arthur before I left scared the living crap out of me. I was not expecting it. 

The ceremony took place at the church and it was amazing to see how many people showed up. It was your standard ceremony but quite beautiful. I did my best to stay in the background and do my thing. The one thing I like about ceremonies is that I can kind of look around and pick out subjects while they aren’t really paying attention to me.

After the ceremony, we did the wedding party and family portraits at a friends house on the Lake. It was quite sunny out so we found some shade and knocked off al the portraits. It went by fairly quick, but looking back, I was amazed at how many different combinations we actually did. 

The last stop of the day was the reception which I believe took place at the recreation centre. Whatever it was, it was really big and decorated exquisitely. There were drapes hanging everywhere from the walls and the roof and the decorations were perfectly done. It was nice to have my wife there with me. I still worked most of the time but to be able to take breaks once in a while and talk with her was a nice change from the usual wedding where I’m all alone. All the various components of the reception were a joy to photograph, the first dances, speeches, cake cutting and of course bouquet toss. 

I’m so glad I finally had the opportunity to photograph a wedding in Wawa. I couldn’t have asked for a better couple to do with in Arthur and Katherine. 

Katherine + Scott Wedding - Thunder Bay Marina

What can I say about Katherine and Scott? Well, they are one of the nicest and most genuine wedding couples I have ever had the pleasure of photographing. Their wedding took place at the Thunder Bay Marina, and it ended up being the perfect weather. It wasn't too hot and it was overcast which meant the lighting was absolutely ideal for me to document such a special day. 

Upon arriving I immediately started getting some candids of the guys and the few guests that were already there. Shortly after, Katherine and the girls arrived and we did the 'first look' which actually turned out to be some of my favourite photos of the day. You could just feel the pure emotion and love between Katherine and Scott. I had so much fun looking for moments amongst the guest and of course the wedding party and family. It wasn't that hard at all because there were so many people at the wedding and everyone was so happy to be there. 

The ceremony was beautiful and filled with some great moments as well. I managed to walk around and really get some nice close up photos as I always do, but also good wide angle photos showcasing all the people there and the beautiful location. It really is one of my favourite places to capture a wedding. 

After the ceremony and some catching up with guests we did the bride and groom portraits. As you would expect, Scott and Katherine were complete naturals in front of the camera. With one of the nicest backdrops in Thunder Bay, I captured some of my best wedding portraits to date. 

Once we were done the portraits, we made our way to Bight for a well deserved drink. I can't remember the last time I was looking forward to a cold drink. The night ended for me at the reception which took place at the CLE Coliseum. It was actually my first time photographing a reception at that venue. They really did an amazing job in decorating the venue. I was only there for a couple hours but I still got a chance to photograph a lot of the details, guests and of course the first dance. 

I'm so very thankful to have been a part of Katherine and Scott's wedding day. I hope that these photos will help them see all the great moments that I was able to witness throughout the day.

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Katherine + Gerry Wedding

My good friend Gerry who I have known since high school decided to finally tie the knot and asked me to photograph his wedding. Anytime I get the chance to photograph an friends wedding I always look forward to it. Having met Katherine a couple times prior to the wedding I knew instantly that they were perfect for each other. So once the day came, I couldn't wait to get started. 

Before the ceremony, Katherine wanted some getting ready shots which took place at the same location as the ceremony, The Italian Hall. I spent about 20 minutes with girls and then it was off to the ceremony in the main banquet room. Admittedly this was the first time actually photographing the ceremony itself inside but it ended up being very nice and the decor was amazing. The ceremony itself came and went very fast but I managed to capture some good candid photos of the wedding part and of course the guests. Katherine and Gerry had a great little science experiment and there were also a couple other fun moments as well. 

It was then off for some group portraits. The first stop was our old stomping ground, PACI. I really did enjoy going to that high school so it was very cool using it as a backdrop for the portraits. We started with the front entrance for the family photos and then moved on down to the trees for some of the wedding party photos. 

Gerry and Katherine originally met at Madhouse so that was our next stop on the way back to the Italian Hall. We got a couple photos at the bar and then at one of the nice little tables in the back corner. Once I was done there I actually when home for a few hours and then started up again at the reception later in the evening. The reception was a ton of fun with a few great surprises. At one point a Ukrainian Dance Group took to the floor and put on a masterful performance. I actually managed to get a few good action shots as well which I was very impressed with. Then it was time for dancing and good times. 

The band for the night was absolutely amazing and later in the evening Gerry joined them onstage for a few classic songs. I must say he sang pretty damn good. After a bit more dancing, the harder and bouquet toss, then eventually the cutting of the cake my night was over. All in all it was a super fun day and it was a pleasure being a part of a good friends special day. Thank you to Katherine and Gerry for the opportunity to capture there wedding day!