So long for now, Cuba, this one’s a wrap!

Philip and Megan tied the knot at the end of May at the Royal Hideaway Ensenachos near Santa Clara, Cuba. They laughed, they partied, they got hitched. Their family and friends were a blast, and the wedding will be one to remember!

So many photos… it’s always hard to pick just a few to really sum it all up. This will be a little images heavy, but we couldn’t decide which we liked more!

First things first… touring the resort for the engagement session

The wedding day - the dress. Love this angle!

The Bride Megan looking serene

The ceremony on the beach was breathtaking. Simple, yet so gorgeous. I loved all the white cloth as it blew in the wind

The Bride and Groom

Two favs from the reception

And, of course, in Blue-Olive-Does-Cuba style, the trash the dress! Done early in the morning before everyone boarded a plane to go home, this will be one send off to remember!

CONGRATS, CONGRATS! So, next year, same time, same place you two?!  Talk about the perfect anniversary destination. We can’t wait for you to see the rest of the images, and hope life back in Calgary is treating you well. Props as well to Josh for donning the Blue Olive hat and second shooting in the land of sun and surf.

Cheers!

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Two down one to go… Kat and Mark’s wedding was our second of three in Cuba!

Also at the Iberostar Varadero, Kat and Mark had the same location as Liz & Brad but that’s where the similarities ended. I love being able to highlight the unique personalities of everyone we photograph. These two and their crew were quite the crowd - so much energy! My favourite shots are definitely the group trashing session in the ocean - HOT!

Kat and Mark’s week started with a group tour to Havana with a few engagement shots captured along the way

The Wedding Day - The Aisle

The Newlyweds

The Guys and Gals

Shoes!

Reception

First Dance

And my favourite shots of all - the Trash the Dress session featuring the entire bridal party! Just look at those clouds… WOW

I know you guys are missing Cuba now that you’re back in Toronto, but hopefully this sneak peak takes ya back!

CONGRATS again, we’ll be in touch soon!!

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Liz and Brad got hitched in Cuba!

The Iberostar Veradero was the resort of choice for these two earlier this month. I love destination weddings - whether local destinations or those far away - because there really is something magical about getting away for a vacation to celebrate with your closest family and friends. Everyone is so relaxed and has an amazing time, and it really really shows.

After having talked on the phone and via email with these two many times in the months coming up to the wedding, we were so excited to finally meet them. They are both so sweet and so obviously passionately in love! The photos speak for themselves, and this is only the very tip of so many gorgeous images.

Congrats guys!

Getting Ready

The Aisle!

Newlyweds

Liz

Into the Evening

Trashing the Dress

Again… wow. You guys rocked it. Hope all is well now that you’re back in Calgary, and we’ll be in touch soon!!

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The morning after the wedding, we headed back out to long beach for our trash the dress (and tux!) session. It was freezing, but the photos are gorgeous! The beach filled with spectators wondering who the crazy people in the cold Tofino water were.

Here are a few of our favs -

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Earlier this week we headed onto the beach and into the ocean with Shawn & Eri for their After Session!

As Eri told the reporter who interviewed her for the Province last week, she wanted for her and Shawn to run into the ocean together - and so they did. And, of course, so did we. Who are we to get our clients to do anything that we wouldn’t do?

The pictures are stunning and speak for themselves. Are they typical wedding pictures? Of course not. But they are art, they’ll look fabulous on the wall, and they will have these guys talking for years to come. The dress was sandy and wet but very likely recoverable. And of course, we all had a blast!

Ode to our friend and fellow photographer out of Las Vegas, John Michael Cooper

And my fav shot of the set!

Love you guys! Thanks for playing with us in the ocean

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I was interviewed for an article that ran in the Vancouver Province yesterday on trash the dress sessions. Eri, one of our recent brides, was also able to contribute - as we’ll be doing her session tomorrow!

The full text of the article can be viewed on the Province site here.

Here’s an excerpt:

Tie the knot and trash the dress
It’s a new kind of liberating bridal tradition that’s starting to catch on
Cheryl Chan, The Province Published: Sunday, September 09, 2007

When Eri Wagner dons her beautifully beaded, silk-and-satin wedding gown next week and walks barefoot on Jericho Beach, photographer in tow, she won’t care about hiking up her skirt.

It’ll drag on the sand. It’ll catch on logs and tall grass. And when she reaches the edge of the ocean she loves so much, she won’t stop.

“I want me and [husband] Shawn jumping into the ocean together,” said the 27-year old bride-to-be. “It’s OK if my dress is completely ruined.”

This isn’t your ordinary wedding photograph shoot — the gardens, parks and sunsets.

This is a Trash the Dress session, a gleeful romp of post-wedding destruction, where brides climb trees, sprawl atop hay bales, frolic in fountains, crawl on moss, or ride horses and rollercoasters in their pristine white dresses.

Wagner’s photographer, Miranda Lievers, said the Trash the Dress concept has been around for years. Called “day-afters,” dress trashings are common at destination weddings, where brides don’t want the exotic landscape to go to waste.

She credits John Michael Cooper, a Las Vegas photographer, as being “instrumental” in increasing the profile and branding of this new kind of bridal photo. A popular website, Trashthedress.com by Louisiana photographer Mark Eric hosts photos of dress trashings.

The trend is only just catching on in Vancouver. Only eight Canadian photographers are listed on the site, including one in the city. But “it’s definitely picking up momentum,” said Lievers. Her Gastown company, Blue Olive, did five Trash the Dress sessions this year with four more scheduled between now and May.

The brides who do it say it’s liberating, a catharsis, a fun way to combat the prissiness of the regimented wedding day. Photographers say it’s art. Critics say it’s disturbing, a twisted action worthier of bitter divorcees than blushing brides.

But “Trash the Dress,” with its rebellious, anti-wedding undertone, is a bit of a misnomer. “Trashing the dress is never the purpose. It’s about not being inhibited by it,” said Lievers. In most cases, the dress can be salvaged. “Drycleaners do amazing work nowadays.” …

After sessions (trashing optional!) are a fun way to create images that further reflect the personalities of our clients, and that typically just aren’t possible on the day of. Sessions are fun for our current clients, and also a great way for those of you already married to get some Blue Olive art for the wall if you weren’t able to have us for your wedding.

Contact us for details! Sessions are available weekday evenings and select Sundays by appointment.

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Of course, more than just the 3D movie, we all want to see how it went, right?

It went off without a hitch! Now let’s get to the pics, shall we -

Stef getting ready

One of many details - the sandwich board. I LOVE the sandwich board!

When you get married on Zombiewalk day, you are pretty much obligated to get a photo. Well, you are if you’re into that sort of thing. Having been active Zombiewalk participants in the past, it was only fitting that we plan their session around grabbing a few shots with the zombies.

Reilly and I have been shooting under bridges for years, and we hit up 2 with these guys. The light is amazing and perfect for portraits, and especially for cars. Having shot our ‘69 beetle under this bridge and many others in the past, we knew just where to head with the ‘53 Ford that Kevin just finished! Isn’t it gorgeous?

And one of the bride here too, for good measure

For bridge #2 we ditched the car and climbed a steep hill - for an amazing image that was totally worth it. HOT!

And one more from the same location

And, finally, I’ll finish with my favourite reception detail - the record cupcake towers, handmade by Kevin & Stef.

I haven’t even touched the surface with these guys, so I’ll be sure to share the finished slideshow in a few weeks when all is said and done. I could probably do an entire post of all the guests who’d dressed up as well, not to mention the dancing, but that will all have to wait until the end!

Congrats again, we had a blast. See you both soon!

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Elle & Dom were married last month, and earlier this week we headed out for one of our after sessions to capture even more photos in that gorgeous dress!

My favourite details - the simple yet stunning vintage clutch and gloves

The Bride & Groom

The Bride

And for good measure, one more of the happy couple

Congrats again, guys!

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I just returned from a week in Seattle hanging out with some great photographers for the ANTI-workshop. We talked about business, played with some light, explored what it means to create art, and generally had a great time. And for me, it was just what I needed at this point in our season to get refreshed and recharged for all of the amazing weddings we have to come! I love getting away to see what other photographers who have been pushing the limits are up to, and to take time to shoot just for me.

As for the photo? I like to stretch outside of comfort zones on occasion to push myself to grow as an artist. Part of one assignment in Seattle was to take a shot that was risky, and thanks to a perfect setting and a willing-to-do-anything-for-art bride turned model, I snagged this shot. If it makes you look twice or makes you ask questions or even if it makes you angry, I accomplished what I set out to accomplish.

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I’ve spent the last week in Vegas with hundreds of amazing wedding photographers who travelled from around the world for the convention this year. It’s been a great week! So much inspiration and some great changes to come for us including some new products and some site tweaks. We can’t wait!

Earlier today 2 other photographers and I arranged the ultimate Vegas shoot - a trash the dress session at sunset in the desert. Here are a few of my favourite shots.

And yes, ladies, you too can look this hot!

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