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Dani

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Dani

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Dani

DVP Kids

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Dani

Janna, Randy and I chatted only days before their intimate wedding, and we all hoped that the snow would not only fall, but it would stick to the trees. I can’t tell you how thrilled for them I was when I awoke Saturday morning to a glorious snowfall. It was perfect.

Janna and Randy often walk at Eugenia Falls. When they told me that they wanted to get married there I wondered if we would be able to get a good shot of the falls this time of year. Randy assured me that he knew a way off the beaten path that would enable me to get a spectacular shot.

I can’t believe how brave these two are! I have to admit I had my heart in my throat.

Other than, of course, Randy, the other person there who is close to Janna was her witness and her best friend. You can tell these two go way back.

I have included my favourite picture of Janna and Randy here, too. Can you see them?

DVP Web Blog: Locations

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Dani

DVP Studio Shoots

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Dani

Tanya and Mark enjoy going to Hoggs Falls in Flesherton, Ontario, and so they wanted to get some photographs done there. It is a beautiful spot, and I thought this was a great idea, but after chatting with the two of them I had another idea, as well. Tanya and Mark’s first date was at Mrs Mitchell’s Restaurant. Mrs Mitchell’s is located in Violet Hill in an old home that is surrounded by a near-perfect garden. Mark proposed to Tanya over dinner here, and because of the location’s special importance, I thought it might be well worth our while to head over to Violet Hill for some pictures. (Special thanks to Mrs Mitchell’s owner, Heidi, for lettings us do this!)

I am so glad that we added this to the engagement shoot. The simple elegance of the garden along with the warmth of the wood inside the restaurant made for stunning photographs.

And as requested, we headed out to Hoggs Falls. I love the falls, and have spent many shoots here lying on my belly on the river bed. Tanya and Mark were troopers and braved the slightly chilly September water. It isn’t an easy shoot, but it is well worth it.

I can’t wait for this wedding next summer.

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Tanya is so great–even her emails are bursting with energy!. I recieved this one right after the shoot.

Hi Danielle,

THAT photo shoot was AWESOME!!! you rock and I’m going to tell everyone about how awesome of a photographer you are!!!!

Can’t wait to see the pics!

Tanya and Mark

After her and Mark received proofs, she wrote me this.

THEY ARE AWESOME!!!! I can’t wait to talk to Mark after work tonight about the pics. I already picked my favourites!!! Can’t wait to share them with family and friends.

Tanya

When I arrived at the cottage I was blown away. The view was breath taking.

Andie and Chris got married on the edge of the water on the rocks. It was pretty magical, but my favourite part of this wedding was how Andie and Chris (along with the maid of honour  and best man) put their hearts and souls into their decorations. A DYI wedding is not only a great way to save money, but it is also a great way to showcase your personalities. Andie and Chris spent hours creating their flowers, signs and decor for their day. It was one of the elements that Andie expressed she wanted to have lots of photos of.

When I spoke with Andie about the day’s photography requirements, she also mentioned that the sunsets were glorious on the lake and they would really like to get a sunset silhouette. Both Andie and Chris were so gracious and humoured me throughout the evening as the lighting conditions changed and I once again called them down to the water’s edge for yet another shoot. Not long after the six o’clock ceremony finished, I asked the couple to stand in the location they got married in. The light was starting to set and was the most beautiful-warm, orange colour. This is one of my favourite shots from the day.

Later once the sun began to get much lower in the sky, the three of us went down to the water’s edge to get some pictures with the sun setting and some silhouettes. Silhouettes are fun to photograph and often put your subject at ease, as they know that it isn’t about every detail. Andie and Chris were a joy to photograph and seemed to have a great time coming up with shapes for me to photograph.

As the sun went down so did my light. Instead of using a flash and ruining the ambiance Andie and Chris had created with all of their candles, I shot using available light (mainly from the candles and porch lights). The pictures are more true to the evening then they would be if the stark-light of a camera flash was thrown on everyone.

Andie and Chris were also kind enough to let me turn my camera to Abbey (their Great Dane). Anybody who knows me knows that I am a dog lover. I adore them, and Abbey was a real gem to photograph. She had a fantastic time frolicking through the water.

Thanks again to Andie and Chris for letting me part of their intimate affair.

Katrina and Steve are high school sweethearts. And they are just that, very sweet. I met Katrina, her mother and Steve (who was one of the few grooms) at the Owen Sound bridal show. Over the next few months, the planning for the big day continued. I shot the couple’s engagement pictures at the Murray’s Tree farm.

Katrina and Steve also decided that like a lot of couple now a days, they would see each other before the ceremony; we would do the formals at this time.

It was on the day of the rehearsal that I heard about what Katrina and Steve had planned for each other. Steve’s family are farmers and they also owned a John Deere dealership in the past. Now, one of the things I have learned about my community in the last year is that their love of the yellow and green grows deep. (The only comparison I can think of is Toronto’s love of the blue and white; if you don’t know what I mean, you must not be Canadian.) I thought it was cute that their surprises for one another all played on the Deere theme. As for her surprise, Katrina had a John Deere garter specially made.

As I mentioned, Steve’s family are, well, country folk. And it’s not (be any means) that Katrina is a princess or even a girly-girl, but she is a her new mother-in-law called her a “townie”. (And, this is really funny if you know how close Steve’s farm is from the busting metropolis of Mt Forest. So, please keep in mind I use the word “townie” with a grain of salt.) In their speeches, many people touched on the fact that Katrina brought rubber boots to the farm on her first visit.  These boots where more fashion than functional.

So we have a country guy who likes tractors marrying an “urban” princess. This might be why when Steve pulled up with his surprise for Katrina, in my head I was singing Jason Aldean’s I can Take you for a Ride on my Big Green Tractor:

And I can take you for a ride on my big green tractor,
We can go slow or make it go faster,
Down through the woods and out to the pasture,
Long as I’m with you it really don’t matter,
Climb up in my lap and drive if you want to,
Girl you know you got me to hold on to,
We can go to town but baby if you’d rather,
I’ll take you for a ride on my big green tractor,

Despite my love for my new found rural life, I know very little about tractors. I know there are green and yellow ones, and I know there are some by other colours. That’s it. Therefore, what I say here I learned later. This is an old tractor that the Corley family owns. It’s a collector item that up until recently looked like it had seen gentler days. The tractor was restored, so that Steve could drive up on it when him and Katrina saw each other for the first time.

I still get a kick out of Katrina’s face when she realizes this is the old tractor and not a new one.

Here’s some pictures of Steve finding out about his surprise.

Thanks Katrina and Steve for letting me part of your day AND for sharing your secrets and surprises with me!

Here are some more pics from the day.

I really loved this wedding, especially Katrina’s awesome, purple flowers. Stay tuned for a post on painted roses!