Being a Kelowna Wedding Photographer is pretty fantastic – especially when I get to photograph a lakeside wedding. Especially when that lake is Kalamalka Lake. It is known for it’s exceptionally tropical blue colour on sunny days.
The day started off at Sparkling Hill Resort before moving to a private residence on Kalamalka Lake for the ceremony and reception.
It was a beautiful day, so I will the images speak for this one!
Finding beauty in the imperfect is what I’ve really been loving lately. Now, you are going to look at Ceone and Patrick and you are going to think… “Ummm, Heather! These two are perfection!”.
I agree. These two are beauties, inside and out.
BUT… they were happy to let the wind blow in their faces, to let Ceone’s hair blow all over the place, to let the cold water splash on them, pretend those rocks were the most comfortable sofa, and be alright with the fact that the sun fell behind the clouds before we were ready for it to. Sometimes, expectations are not met. We have an idea about how we would like things to end up, but it doesn’t always work that way. We wanted that beautiful Okanagan sunlight. We got it, but only briefly.
This engagement session is proof that when you just let the things you don’t have control over, unfold… beautiful things can happen!
Embrace the imperfections. Be affectionate. Let the love happen!
Happy engagement Ceone and Patrick!
Tadeja & Jesse are a beauty of a couple – inside and out.
Being a Kelowna Wedding Photographer means that I get to meet so many lovely couples. From time to time I get to meet with a couple who I instantly connect with. This was the case with Tadeja and Jesse. Their easy-going, sweet, and trusting personalities made me fall in love with them in our first meeting. That the details weren’t of great concern to them, that they were going to be married at the end of the day – that was most important to them and I LOVE that kind of thinking.
https://www.heatherly.ca/kelowna-wedding-photographer-sanctuary-gardens-tadeja-jesse/Everyone knows that I am a crier (I’m not afraid to admit that), and my tears were a-flowing! I’m also a sucker for daddy-daughter moments and I could not keep it together when seeing the way Tadeja’s father looked at her on her wedding day. So sweet!
Sanctuary Gardens in West Kelowna provided a beautiful backdrop for the ceremony. The two wrote their own unique and loving vows, they planted a tree together that they will be able to watch grow as their relationship does.
It was a perfect, fairytale wedding! These two give so much love to all those around them, please share the love with them!
Venue: Sanctuary Gardens
Officiant: Sondra Richardson
Dress: The Bridal Gallery
Attire: Moores
I also need to give a HUGE shout-out to my second photographer, Kaila Wirth who kicked butt at this wedding!
This wedding!
If I have said it once, I will say it again… one of the best things about being an Okanagan wedding photographer is that I get to photograph couples in love, in the most romantic evening light!
Kristi ended up with a relentless cold the week of the wedding. You would never have known that she wasn’t feeling 100% because she was glowing all day! She’s got one of the most beautiful, genuine smiles I’ve ever seen, and it didn’t leave her face all day. Dallas is the most gentlemen of all the gents. So much so, that he should teach all youngsters the right way to treat a woman.
The sunlight in the evening was to die for and there was not a drop of rain all day. Their families were SO MUCH FUN during family portraits (and what great listeners they were!). Possibly, my favourite part of the day was during the reception when every time the bride left the groom (or vice versa) at the head table, guests would go and line up for kisses until the bride or groom returned! Or maybe it was the moment Kristi and her dad walked up the aisle to Dallas. The proud look on his face says everything you need to know about his love for his daughter.
It’s no wonder everyone loves them so much… Kristi and Dallas are just the sweetest of people. At one of our Starbucks meetings – which lasted 3 hours! – I caught Dallas whispering to Kristi while we were on our way out. I asked what the big secret was and Kristi said “Dallas wants to know if we can be friends!”. Of course! I already considered them friends at that point, anyway!
Sorry guys, but you’re stuck with me whether you like it or not!
I could say a million things about this beautiful couple, wedding, and images. But I won’t because they speak for themselves 🙂
Enjoy!
Venue: The Cove Lakeside Resort, Kelowna
Officiant: Doreen Mara-Bate
Florals: Mission Park Flowers
Dress: Ethos Bridal, Calgary
Make-up: Alyssa Chang
Attire: Moores
Cake: Kakes by Kathie
DJ: Airwaves – DJ Lester
Decor: Impressions Weddings and Events
Groom’s Ring: Spirited Gemstones, Calgary
Being a Kelowna wedding photographer has it’s perks! Aside from meeting lovely people all the time and getting to be surrounded by love all the time, I get to spend a fair amount of time at some of the most beautiful locations in Kelowna. Liz & Brandon are getting married next year at Manteo Resort. They really wanted to capture the beauty that the Okanagan has to offer in their engagement images. Bertram Creek is the perfect location to soak up all the beautiful Okanagan views and the evening light is absolutely stunning!
Until next year, here are some beautiful images of this sweet couple!
Make-up by Bri Stein Artistry
Brian and Kelsey’s Kelowna Sunset Ranch wedding was… perfect! It was a day straight from a fairytale. A wedding for a fairy princess in an enchanted garden. And a princess is exactly what Kelsey looked like in her blush Hayley Paige wedding dress!
The day started with wedding day preparations with the ladies at The Delta Grand hotel in downtown Kelowna. The ceremony and reception took place at Sunset Ranch in Kelowna and was beautifully decorated by the incredibly talented Yuriko of Vintage Origami Weddings. When I arrived, we couldn’t talk about Brian without Kelsey tearing up. Although Kelsey was emotional, she was enjoying the feels, knowing that the day would go off without a hitch at the hands of Betheny with Peace of Mind Weddings.
Their sweet ceremony left many guests in tears (thank goodness for the camera covering my face!). After the ceremony and some hilarious family portraits – these families are pure entertainment – we headed to Simple Life Farms for some portraits with the wedding party. After dinner, the reception was chalk-full of entertainment and excitement. Emotional speeches, a photo booth by True North Photo Booth, DJ John Byrne keeping the tunes going, a taco bar, a poutine bar, The Cotton Candy Lady, Cupcakes – it was literally MY dream come true (thanks for that, Brian and Kelsey!).
If you listen to SunFm in Kelowna (and you should!), you might recognize the groom. He’s the immensely talented morning show host, B Mack! He is a handsome fellow and you can see so yourself!
This entire wedding party was fantastic, as were their guests!
Brian and Kelsey – thank you SO much for having me photograph your beautiful selves on the most special day! Your wedding was a complete dream!
Brian and Kelsey’s amazing Vendors:
Decor: Vintage Origami Wedding Rentals
DJ: John Byrne
Venue: Sunset Ranch
Video: Daniel Abraham Films
Officiant: Anthony Hoek
Coordination: Peace of Mind Weddings
Florals: Crocus Floral Design
Cake: Cupcasions
Cotton Candy: The Cotton Candy Lady
Photo Booth: True North Photo Booth Company
Men’s Attire: Black and Lee
Bride’s Dress: Cameo & Cufflinks – Dress by Hayley Paige
Hair: Janessa
Make-up: Brandi Jollimore – Mirror Mirror Salon and Spa
MC: Ian MacKinnon
Second Photographer: Josh Barnett
Fay and Clayton’s wedding took place at the absolutely stunning Burrowing Owl Estate Winery in Osoyoos. Fay and Clayton decided to elope and just their best man, maid of honour, and their spouses were present.
One of the things I love most about elopements is that everything is just so laid back. The focus is on the couple and their commitment to one another. This wedding definitely wasn’t lacking emotion – one of my favourite moments was when Clayton soaked in the gravity of his commitment to Fay, right before he placed her wedding band on her finger. Fay is likely the most adorable person I have ever met in my life. She smiles non-stop and has the cutest scrunchy nose when she’s got so much emotion that she doesn’t know what to do with it – except smile and crunch up her nose.
We took a walk through the vineyards and watched the rain fall over the mountains. Mother Nature was really nice and held off sending the rain over until portraits were complete. High five, Mother Nature!
Enjoy all the love in this post… and the awesome photo bomb!
Venue: Burrowing Owl Estate Winery
Dress: Jenny Yoo
Mae-up: Nicole Pachecho – Make-up Artist
Well…. it’s January.
January is booking season. January is also the time that we all have settled into the “off-season” enough to reminisce about our recent season. January is also “submit to publications season”.
So… I was sifting through wedding portraits from an incredible wedding season. Deciding which portraits to submit is a big process. While going through 2015’s weddings, I couldn’t help but notice all the beautiful florals I was lucky enough to photograph, so here I am, procrastinating on choosing weddings for submission. This procrastination doesn’t come without benefits though. There florals are easy on the eyes! You can almost smell them. They’ll give you inspiration for your own wedding plans. Did I mention that they’re beautiful??
Florals are a tricky thing to figure out. How many do you need? How big should your bouquet be? How will the flowers fit in with your wedding aesthetic? Do you want a wild and loose bouquet or something more classic? Bright or soft florals? Ceremony florals? Floral centrepieces? Floral headpieces? Will the flowers you want be in season? The options are endless, but the decision to include florals in your wedding is an important one!
One of the best things about being a Kelowna Wedding Photographer is that I get to work with SO MANY amazing floral artists. Lucky for all you brides, I’m just going to go ahead and help you skip good old Google, and share some of the best in the Okanagan with you! I have included a couple DIY wedding florals for inspiration, but the rest were all created by the best of the best. All those questions I listed above. Overwhelming, right? It’s ok – the florist you choose will be able to help you with all those questions!
I love florals. All of them. They smell good. They look great. They tie everything together and are the final touch to the bride’s look. They’re the final touch to the reception tables, to the bridesmaid’s and groomsmen’s attire. Christina, of Classic Creations Floral Design put the perfect florals together for Kate and Jeff’s September Sparkling Hill/Private lakeside residence wedding. Pulling colours from Kate’s dress, her accessories, and bridesmaid dresses tied everything together perfectly. Kate and her bridesmaids raved all day about how much they loved their flowers. I loved them too.
This next bouquet made by Christina (Classic Creations Floral Design, again!) was perfect for Amanda. Amanda and Ryan’s Hotel Eldorado wedding was classy, beautiful, and romantic in every aspect. Florals can really set the tone of the wedding. These florals are classy, beautiful, and romantic. In addition to Amanda’s beautiful bouquet, Christina provided the reception florals, which were simple and beautiful.
This next wedding’s florals were DIY. Well, kind of. Amanda and Andrew were married at Big Bar Guest Ranch in Clinton, BC. They rented the entire Ranch for the weekend of their wedding. This wedding is famously known (in my house) as “The Weekend Wedding”. Many members of Amanda’s family contributed to several aspects of the wedding. Luckily, Amanda’a aunt – a former florist, offered to put together her bouquet, boutonnieres, ceremony, and reception florals. She did not disappoint! This end of summer wedding couldn’t have had more perfect florals. They included elements of the ranch’s natural surroundings. I personally think that including natural elements of the location of your wedding takes place is the best idea ever. It keeps the wedding’s aesthetic cohesive and pleasing to the eye. Amanda’s dress had a blush under-layer and the florals complement it perfectly!
Let’s talk reception florals. Have you ever been in a room with no plants? And then, you add a plant, and suddenly the room feels just so alive and comfortable? That’s what I think about reception florals. I think every reception should have loads of florals. It brings life to an indoor venue and it enhances the natural beauty of an outdoor location. Who wouldn’t want to be surrounded by beautifully smelling and looking florals? Ok, maybe it’s just me, but I think the idea of a garden wedding with florals everywhere would be SO beautiful! These beautiful florals are put together by Janice of Crocus Floral Design. Janice definitely isn’t afraid to include florals in every element of the wedding. I love how she can add just one single, pretty little flower on the top of a plate and suddenly, the plate is infinitely more beautiful.
I did mention that I love outdoor weddings, right? Ranch weddings, cabin weddings, lakeside weddings, barn weddings, garden weddings. I want to photograph them all! Carlee and Matt were married at the beautiful Cozy Cabins in Vernon. Carlee wanted a wild, big, beautiful bouquet. They didn’t arrive exactly as she wanted (hey! It happens!), but we were able to make the best of the situation by picking some fern leaves from the grounds and adding them to her bouquet. Voila! Big, beautiful, and wild! Again – the natural elements tying all elements of their outdoor wedding together.
Amy and Mark were a fun couple who had a beautiful outdoor wedding at Linden Gardens. Amy’s fun-loving and adorable personality were reflected in her bright and colourful wedding florals. Amy and her bridesmaids adorned beautiful floral crowns as well. I don’t think Amy could have chosen better florals for her wedding – naturally beautiful, as is she. They were truly a reflection of their personalities. These florals were put together by a friend of Amy.
Society Floral hit the nail on the head with these wedding florals. Christie and Rob wanted their Hotel Eldorado wedding to be classically beautiful and romantic. With romantic blush and gold as their wedding colours of choice, the green accents in the arrangements brought so much life to their decor (which was the amazing work of Vintage Origami Weddings). Roses just scream classic beauty.
Sometimes, picking florals that are completely different than anything you’ve ever seen before, is the best idea ever! Megan’s dress was blush chiffon with a blush sequinned bust. A simple and beautiful dress. The florals add an element of uniqueness to her overall look and the floral crown perfectly compliments her natural make-up. This wild and creative bouquet is compliments of Darquise of Blue Sage Farms.
Colour is your friend. Go for it. Add colour. Get creative! Rustic Wedding, in Sorrento, BC, put these beautiful florals together. And sometimes, all you need is a pinecone on a plate to bring life to the party. Plus… how cute are pinecones?!
Caity’s bouquet choice was definitely a reflection of her personality. Classic, beautiful, bright (have you seen this girl’s smile??), and colourful. Caity definitely makes a statement and isn’t afraid to be the centre of attention with these colourful florals. This beautiful creation came from Tangerine Orchid. AND they included the cutest note and towel for drying off the stems. it’s the little touches, right?
That wraps up this florals post! If you’re getting married in Kelowna, you’re exceptionally lucky to have this much talent to choose from! This is just the tip of the iceberg – there are so many other wonderful florists in the Okanagan.
I hope this post provided you with some valuable information and inspiration! Happy planning!!