London Ontario Wedding Photographer | Liana and Adam's Engagement Session

This ridiculously adorable couple travelled home to London for a visit from Cold Lake Alberta where they are currently posted with the Canadian Forces. When I told Liana about the sunrise session option, she did what almost no one else does - she went for it! Her exact words were: "As for the early start time, you only live once right? Why not start at 6:30am!" (Liana, I already liked you, but when I read those words, you officially won me over!) I, as most people know by know, am obsessed with that golden light that only comes out to play right before sunset and, yes, right after sunrise! The light, as you will see in the photos, did not disappoint! It was so wonderful to finally meet this gorgeous pair after so many back and forth emails. Watching them together is like one giant "aww" moment that never ends. You can just feel their love for each other in these photos. I had so much fun with these two, we laughed from start to finish, got completely soaked in the wet field and then finished it all off with a little Starbucks coffee date. Perfection! Hope you enjoy a peek at these photos Adam and Liana - and I can't WAIT for your 2014 wedding! -xo \

London Ontario Engagement and Family Photography | The Purdy Family

I just loved meeting up with this lovely family for photos on a sunny Saturday morning. This is a family that likes to have fun and laugh together, and their love of life and of each other is evident in all of their interactions -Whether they're goofing around and cracking jokes or snuggling the littlest Purdy (who is so, so, so adorable!). We started off the session by taking a few engagement shots for Jennifer and Jeremy and finished off by capturing the whole family together. Here's a peek at their session! :)

London Ontario Engagement and Wedding Photographer | Lauren and Ryan

Between the beautiful couple, the gorgeous Blackfriars Bridge location and the adorable vintage blue and pink bikes, this engagement session had all the ingredients to be amazing. We even got a few minutes of glorious sun peeking through the overcast sky, and like all of my clients, Lauren and Ryan quickly learned that I simply can't resist that delicious evening light! I had so much fun with these guys, swapping stories about our pups, laughing at overzealous photo-bombers and just enjoying the beautiful Summer evening. It's so easy to photograph a couple when they emanate love and happiness like these two do. Lauren and Ryan, I can't WAIT for your 2014 wedding! Hope you enjoy these photos! -xo

London Ontario Wedding Photographer | Jess & Phil

When I met Phil and Jess on the evening of their engagement session, I knew without a doubt that their wedding would be stylish and fun. It was that and more - with flawless attention to detail, a ridiculously beautiful couple (who looked pretty fantastic in their wedding attire, might I add!), a hilarious (and gi-gan-tic) wedding party and sweet, fun-loving family members and guests - everything was perfect. Oh, and did I mention the food? The food was delicious. The thunderstorm that threatened to mess with their outdoor plans all day only showed up once everyone was safely seated in the reception tent, and only stuck around for about 15 minutes (happy dance!). The one downer was the heat (35-ish degrees celsius with humidex, oy!), but everyone was in such good spirits that it simply didn't matter. Phil and Jess, you guys were a pleasure to work with, and I wish you nothing but the very best as you embark on this new journey together. Enjoy this sneak peek from your very beautiful wedding day. -xo p.s.: Big shout out to my fabulous, talented and fun second shooter, Laura! xo

Jess had a special request to showcase everyone in her 17-person bridal party - a Brady Bunch inspired headshot collage. How fun!

Port Stanley Ontario Engagement Photographer | Kristi and Grant

After being rained out twice, it was such a relief when this beautiful sunny evening finally presented itself for Kristi and Grant's Port Stanley Beach engagement session. This pair is so fun and adorable, and I just can't wait to photograph their wedding this Summer. Thanks guys for being such good sports and dancing away on the beach for me - I hope you'll love these photos as much as I do! xo

London Ontario Couple Photographer | Melissa, Will and Parker (the dog!)

It was so great to see Will and Melissa again, just over a year after I shot their wedding. They were as sweet and radiant as ever, and they brought along their new addition - Parker the dog - to the session! Anyone who knows me knows I am a HUGE dog lover, so I had a blast photographing him. I truly understand that feeling of unconditional love you can have for an animal. My dog is truly my baby (and my daughter's "big sister", hehe), and we try to include her in all of our photos. Will and Melissa had adorable Christmas accessories for Parker, and he modelled them like a champ. I fell in love with him and sort of wished I could have snuck him home with me! Here are some photos from our session. :)

London Ontario Engagement Photographer | Jessica and Phil

Usually by the time an engagement session rolls around, I've already met with the couple in question. But this time around, I met Jessica and Phil for the very first time on the evening of the shoot. It was an unseasonably warm and sunny October evening sandwiched between a bunch of gloomy, rainy days, and the light was just gorgeous! This is one seriously sweet and good looking couple. They were so much fun and so photogenic, and I loved getting to know them as we explored the natural trails of Gibbons Park before heading downtown for the second half of our split session. I really enjoy using more than one location, it really adds variety and character to a session.  Take a look at my favourites from our session. Jessica and Phil, I am so excited about photographing your wedding this summer! -xo

London Ontario Couple Photography | Natalie and Ron (and Marley!)

Natalie and Ron are the amazing team behind Mint Photography. I first stumbled upon Natalie's work on Facebook, and I immediately fell in love with her  photography style (and I messaged her to tell her so!). Shortly after, she stumbled upon my listing on The Friendly Photographer and messaged me to tell me she loved my work, too. After chatting a bit over the internet, we finally were able to meet in person over coffee (and discovered we had lots in common!) and had a little photoshoot to refresh my personal branding photos. She has been such a huge encouragement to me over the last couple of months, and I am so blessed by our growing friendship. I was so honoured when she asked me to photograph her with her husband Ron and their new adorable puppy Marley. It was my first time photographing another photographer, and while I was a bit nervous, I was mostly over-the-moon-excited to be trusted with such a huge responsibility. Natalie and Ron, you guys are one good looking couple, and I had a blast hanging out with you! Here are a few of my favourites from the session!

London Ontario Engagement Photography | Lemonade For Two (styled shoot)

I am in love with picnics, but life is busy, and they don't happen too often. But when they do, I am filled with such joy, I can't explain it. Something about sitting on a blanket on a beach or in the woods and sharing food and drink with someone you love that makes me want to do a little happy dance. I've been dreaming up this session for awhile now. Nothing fancy, nothing too complex, just an idea, a story in my head.

As a photographer, I'm all about telling stories. Your story. I am passionate about finding out what makes you you, and about letting your real self shine through in your photos. But this shoot was a little bit different. More of a hypothetical story, if you will. A novel of sorts that played out in my head that I was itching to recreate and photograph. A couple in love setting off for a romantic picnic in the woods at sunset. A love note. A ring. Lemonade for two.

This was my first styled shoot, and I was so blessed to work with some amazing local artists. Olivia from Little Ladies Accessories created a gorgeous hairpiece for my volunteer bride-to-be that was beautifully incorporated into her stunning hairstyle, courtesy of the talented Courtney Simpson at Salon Entrenous. Paulina from Paulina M Artistry did a fantastic job with the makeup and finally, our lovely, hilarious and adventurous volunteer couple, Justin and Katelyn, were a blast to work with.

I kept it simple with the props - old crates, my favourite second-hand tattered quilt, and a lovely old fashioned picnic basket and jug from Goodwill. We used Katelyn's unique engagement ring, which is a traditional Irish ring. I loved that we were able to incorporate something that was uniquely them into this shoot.

I am thrilled with the results of this session and am so grateful to the lovely folks who helped make it happen. Here are some photos. :) (click to enlarge, navigate with the arrows)