Sheldon + Susan Wedding - The Chanterelle

It’s going to be a busy wedding season this year, and Sheldon and Susan’s wedding was my first, but definitely not last, wedding at The Chanterelle. I’m always excited to photograph a wedding there because it’s just so beautiful. Combine that with a wonderful couple like Sheldon and Susan, and it’s impossible not to come away with lots of great moments. Congratulations to them both and a huge thank you for letting me be a part of their special day!

2021 Wedding Photo Highlights

It wasn’t easy, but here are 100 of my favourite photos from the 2021 wedding season. I still can’t believe 2021 is over and 2022 is here. With that being said, I’m very excited for my upcoming weddings this year. As always, I’ll be sure to share highlights from each and every one of those weddings. For anyone looking to book a wedding with me, don’t hesitate to contact me to see if I have your date available.

For those of you that prefer a nice slideshow, I have included that below. :)

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Brooke + Brandon Wedding

Technically, I did photograph Brooke and Brandon’s wedding. I captured the hour after their wedding, at a friends home. Either way, I was so happy to be a part of their wedding day. Plus, I think I got the best of the day, where all the pressure was off and they could just relax and chill out with their closest family.

I only spent an hour with them, but in that short time, I was able to get lots of good photos. It helped that everyone was super comfortable in front of the camera. I really do love these small backyard gatherings. I hope I get many more of them in the new year.

Zora + Jamie Wedding

With wedding season winding down, one of my last ones of the year was with Zora and Jamie. It did not disappoint, and was filled with so many great moments. My day started at the Urban Abbey. I had shot a few events there in the past, but it was my first wedding. It really is a lovely location for a wedding.

As soon as I entered the church area where the ceremony took place, I noticed just how beautiful and intimate it was. One of the first things I noticed was the aisle and the wedding arch. Both were beautifully decorated. I spent some time photographing guests arriving and also, Zora getting ready with her bridesmaids in one of the side rooms.

The ceremony itself was a nice length, and went by very fast, at least for me. Once it was done, everyone slowly exited and hung around outside on the side walk, which provided many opportunities for lots of candid photos. Soon after everyone exited, we took advantage of the overcast weather and headed across the street for all the family and wedding party portraits.

I’m so glad the weather held up because the cloudy weather provided the perfect lighting for photos. It also meant I could get lots of candid photos on the way to the area.

Once all those photos were done, I headed to the reception which was at the Italian Hall. Everytime I photograph a wedding there, I’m amazed at how beautiful it is every time. The rest of my evening was spent capturing photos of the people and and of course, the dances. Just by looking at the photos, you can tell everyone was having a great time. That made my job super easy, and I’m so thankful Zora and Jamie trusted me to capture their wedding day!

Krysta + Parker Wedding

If I had to sum up Krysta and Parker’s Wedding in one word, it would be ‘stunning’. Everything about their wedding was absolutely beautiful. From the house, to the decorations and of course everyone in attendance. To top it off, everyone there was so happy to be there and enjoying themselves. This obviously made for great, natural photos.

My day started inside the house with Krysta and her wedding party getting ready. This is where I was able to get a lot of candids of their son, all the girls, and the little details. Once the guests started arriving, I headed outside and captured more candid photos of their friends and family. Before long, it was time for the ceremony, which took place in a gorgeous tent in their yard. With flower petals streamed down the whole isle, it was quite breathtaking.

The ceremony itself went by pretty quick, at least for me. It was then time a short while after, for all the family portraits along with just photos of Parker and Krysta. We didn’t have to go far, thanks to their amazing property.

Before everyone entered the reception tent, which was one of the most beautifully decorated ones I have ever seen, I made sure to get all the necessary details. Soon it was time for everyone to make their way inside and the night officially got started. From there everyone ate, mingled, listened to some very sincere speeches and eventually danced. Luckily I stuck around for some of the dancing, which resulted in some of my favourite spontaneous photos of the day. You can see more of the dancing in the highlight film below.

With wedding season almost over, I really will cherish all the couples that trusted me to capture their wedding this year. I look forward to next year, which I know will get here fast.

Erica + Noah Wedding

My wedding with Erica and Noah was an extremely last minute one. Another fantastic local photographer, Laura from Flashback Photo, asked me to help her for part of the wedding day. I was available so I jumped at the chance. I ended up photographing the ceremony, which as a lot of fun.

Once the ceremony was done everyone headed out to Mount Baldy, which is where the reception was going to take place. I was not needed for the reception but luckily I joined Laura and the wedding part at the top of the mountain for some portraits. It was a good opportunity to capture some video, which is exactly what I did. You can view the highlight film below, along with all the photos from the ceremony.

Julie + James Wedding - Best Western Plus Norwester Hotel

With only a few weddings left this year, I’m really trying to take it all in. Luckily Julie and James were an extremely fun couple, so it made getting candid and sincere photos, pretty darn easy. My day started with Julie and the girls getting ready. I spent good hour with them just hanging out, documenting the time leading up to the ceremony.

As people started to arrive, I headed down to where the ceremony was taking place to start capturing people arriving. With the threat of rain quickly approaching, it got started pretty quickly. The ceremony itself was only about 20 minutes which worked out perfectly. It just started to rain as Julie and James said ‘I do’. I personally don’t mind the rain at weddings, because it makes for beautiful photos. Well, that is, until everyone gets soaked.

There was a small break after the ceremony and then it was time for the portraits. We focused on just Julie and James for the first little while. We of course took advantage of the beautiful backdrop of Mount McKay as well as the pond. The family photos were actually a lot of fun too. Everyone had such a good personality and sense of humour.

Soon after it was the reception which was a good finish to the night. The speeches were amazing, the first dances brought out some tears amongst the guests and of course people were able to let loose after all was said and done.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. I feel free lucky to be able to photography weddings, and meet such beautiful and kind couples. I hope these photos last them a lifetime, as cheesy as that sounds.

Rebecca + Jason Wedding - The Chanterelle

I was back at the Chanterelle for another wedding, this time with Rebecca and Jason. This one was a lot bigger than my last one, and took place in the main ballroom. My day started about 30 minutes before the ceremony was planned to start. So that gave me a chance to spend some tie with Jason and the boys, as well as some of the closest family members.

Soon after, Rebecca arrived and the ceremony. Looking on, waiting for her to make her way down the isle, and I just took in the rows of guests anxiously waiting too. It has felt like forever, since I last saw that indoors.

The ceremony was short and sweet with a lot of great little moments that I was able to capture. For the portraits, we hopped on the bus and went to the Law School down the street, which is where I originally went to high school, when it was one. It was fun spending about 45 minutes taking photos of the wedding party and their family. the weather held up, even though it was a bit windy.

There was still some time to kill, so I suggested the guys get some photos done downtown, in front of the nice graffiti walls. Those actually ended up being some of my favourite photos from the day!

We then headed back to The Chanterelle, for the rest of the evening. The appetizers were absolutely amazing, along with the dinner. There were lots of great speeches, some tears and a lot of laughter too. Just before I was done for the night, Rebecca and Jason did their first dance, and the parent dances. It was the perfect end to an extremely fun day for me. I’m super thankful, as always, that they chose me to capture their special day.

Char + Russell Wedding on the Lake

Char and Russell’s wedding day, for me at least, started at the Delta down at the Marina. I met Char and the rest of her bridal party and parents there. After some photos, we made our way down to Pier 2 where the rest of the guests were anxiously waiting, along with Russell. It would be hard to choose a more beautiful backdrop for an outdoor wedding.

The ceremony was very sweet and you could really feel all the love from the family and guests there. I thrive on candid photos of pretty much everything, so when people either have tears of joy or smiles, it makes my job that much easier.

Once the ceremony was done, everyone walked back to the main part of the marina to congratulate the newly married couple. Before we left for Russell’s camp, we made sure to get some family portraits back out at the Pier. Then it was off to the camp on the lake, about 30 minutes outside of town.

As soon as I got there, we headed off to their neighbours property for some photos. It was covered in rock, moss and lichen, and it was absolutely beautiful. There was even some champagne and glasses waiting on the bench at the end of the trail.

Russell’s camp looked like something out of a movie. The decorations were exquisite, and from what I remember, Char actually hand picked all of the amethyst rocks. The reception was in the backyard with the lake in the backdrop. You could see the whitecaps on the water, which was actually quite rare. So it was as if, the wedding brought out the best in everything.

Everything else that evening was just perfect. The speeches, the food, the atmosphere, and of course the bride and groom dance. I’ve said this before, but each and every wedding I photography, I’m extremely thankful for. I know how much more important it is to capture photos of family who haven’t seen each other in quite some time, and how might not do so again, after the wedding.

Jennifer + Jason Wedding - Pass Lake

Even though Jennifer and Jason live in Southern Ontario, they decided to have their wedding here in Thunder Bay with family. The location, their parents’ camp out on Pass Lake. It was definitely one of the most beautiful settings I have had the pleasure of being at for a wedding. Luckily I was there from the afternoon to the late evening, which allowed me to spend some quality time with everyone.

The day started with Jennifer getting ready in the main house. I could feel the anticipation in the air, but otherwise, everyone was pretty laid back. It made for a great atmosphere to take photos in. Both candid, and of course some posed. The only drawback was that there was cooking going on in the kitchen, which was making me hungry.

Next up were the guys. It was a very small wedding, so it was just Jason and his brother. As you can see from the photos, there was no mistaking that they were brothers. From there, I wandered around the property to capture all the nice details and scenery, along with candids of people as they arrived. It was an overcast day which made for the perfect weather for photos.

The ceremony began a little bit later in the afternoon and it was a short but definitely didn’t lack on sweetness, and laughs. With the backdrop of the Lake behind them, it was pretty difficult not to come away with great photos.

We then did some family portraits and eventually the first set of photos with just Jennifer and Jason. The reception took place under a nice big open tent. The great thing was that everyone wandered around and mingled, which allowed me to continue to get nice candids.

The rest of the night was super fun, with the usual speeches, first dance, cake cutting and just general good times. I got to meet a lot of the friends and family which is probably the thing I like most about these short ‘backyard’ weddings.

The highlight of the day for me was meeting their grandmother. I learned quickly that she spoke her mind, and didn’t hold anything back. Long story short, she told me the they shouldn’t even have hired a photographer. She didn’t believe it was worth it. She then went on to ask me how much I was charging! After telling Jennifer and Jason about this, laughing as I did so, word quickly spread and everyone was not surprised. That was just how ‘granny’ was. I took no offence, and to be honest, it’s those fleeting conversations that I embrace as weddings are adapting to become smaller and more intimate. I just hope she likes these photos!

Elena + Jonathan Wedding - Portuguese Association

It’s been quite a while since I last photographed a wedding at the Portuguese Association, so it felt good to be back. Elena and Jonathan decided to do an outdoor wedding which was awesome. The whole setup and decor was just perfect and once again, the weather cooperated as well. As soon as I arrived, I started capturing some of the details and people arriving. I could tell right away it was going to be a chill and fun wedding.

A very pleasant surprise was seeing Thunder Bay’s own, the Lockyer Boys, performing. Actually, they performed the whole day, which was pretty darn cool. As more people arrived, you could feel the excitement growing the air. As Jonathan anxiously awaited Elena to make her way down the isle, you could see tears running down his face. It’s so moving to see such raw emotion like that, especially from guys!

The ceremony was a nice length, which meant I had plenty of time to roam around and get lots and lots of candid photos. It was easy to get good photos because everyone was having such a great time. Once the ceremony was done, there was a short break, then we headed off to the back part of the field to get all the family and bridal party photos done. At one point, a wedding gift was presented, a pair of crocks for each guy. It made for some pretty funny photos and laughs from everyone there.

It was then off to a short little trail in the forest to where Elena and Jon’s side by side was waiting for them. Before they took their dogs home, we made sure to get some nice intimate photos of the newlyweds. Also, their side by side was secretly decorated by the wedding party without them knowing it. So that was a nice little surprise.

I then headed back to the reception to get some of the details of the hall. It looked amazing inside! The rest of the reception went by very quickly for me. The speeches were funny and emotional, the dinner was superb, the first dances were equally emotional and of course the dancing afterwards to the amazing Lockyer Boys had everyone on the dance floor. All in all, it was such a memorable night for me. I’m glad I had the pleasure to spending my day with Elena and Jonathan .. and the rest of their family and friends.

Lisa + Claudio Wedding - The Chanterelle

Lisa and Claudio finally got to celebrate their wedding earlier this week. After a few postponements, I’m so thankful it still happened like they wanted it to. It was a very small and intimate wedding at The Chanterelle, which ended up being perfect. The ceremony itself was short and sweet. Anyone who knows Lisa and Claudio, would not be surprised the attention to detail for everything about the wedding.

From the decor at the Chanterelle, to their wedding attire, to the locations we used afterwards for the portraits. The theme was definitely red, and it made my life very easy to capture stunning photos. Of course, Lisa and Claudio, looked amazing.

I’m just so grateful that I was able to be part of their special day, after what seems to be a long wait for this wedding to happen. it goes to show you though, with a little patience, the payoff can exceed your initial expectations. I think that is exactly what happened here. Congratulations to a wonderful couple!