I do feel quite sad to have made this decision but I think it was time. Things were just not going in the direction that I was hoping and I had poured a lot of time and resources in trying to make it work. You can only knock on the door for so long before you have to try another one. That being said, I am excited for the new direction that I will be going in. I realize that time is precious and also limited so it’s best to spend it doing what you love.
One of the great things about documenting weddings is the opportunity to get to know friends and family of the bride and groom that I never would have met in other circumstances. In 2018, I documented Alex and Vania's wedding in Yaletown. In 2019, I received a message from someone named "Hae-In" who asked about my wedding availability. At first I was like "who is this?" but I later found out that she was at the wedding of Alex and Vania the year before. After further chatting, I found out she was Alex's sister! Unknowingly to me, in 2018 I was already documenting her.
lex and Vania wanted something different for wedding photography. They wanted something more documentary and more about their family and friends. And while we did take some time to do portrait shots, group shots and wedding party photos, the majority of the day was spent with me doing very little interrupting or posing and instead letting things happen while I worked and ran around the scene to find the best and unique angles to capture some of the big moments as well as some of the little moments.
NOTE: All photographs were taken while on seconding assignment for Ivory + Gold Photography. Thanks, Juliette!!
A little while ago, while it was freezing cold in December, I had the chance to document Vietnamese wedding with my friends Juliette. There was a lot of food and a lot of laughter and a lot of fantastic moments. For me, the best moment was capturing the groom Alex showing off the ring he put on his bride’s finger earlier that day just as they were making their entrance into the reception. Epic.
How do you even begin to encapsulate a year? It’s 365 days of living and being and breathing and it all goes by so fast. As a photographer, the photos I take are not only momentos of the little moments that went by but also memory place holders that let me look back and recall a time in my life: the smells, the sights and even the sounds.
Approaching a wedding in a documentary fashion is actually quite difficult. As I'm not directing people to pose or to do certain things, I have to be able to react and anticipate moments as they happen. There's no "OK, can you look at Mom and laugh now?". I'm there to document it as how it truly unfolded. Why would I approach things this way? To me, there's something absolutely magical about creating beautiful photographs of real and authentic moments. It's telling your story as the way it happened and not how I as a photographer directed it to be. Candid, photojournalistic and unposed moments are where my photography passion lies.
If it isn't already apparent in my blog posts, I truly enjoy photographing at Brix and Mortar in Yaletown. It's a nice and small and intimate space with a unique ceremony space but the people there are also really cool.
As per usual, I'll let the photographs and the little bits of commentary do the narrating of this wedding. Just a quick note: That amazing red British car was an awesome sight to see.
Welid and Savannah's wedding was one of the first backyard weddings I had photographed. While I thoroughly enjoy the atmosphere and the revelry of larger weddings, I also love the intimacy that comes with small weddings as well. It was a bright sunny day and lended itself to a great day followed by a reception in a hall in the evening.
As per before, I won't say much in the ways of an introduction. I do think that the images speak for themselves (yes, including the mirror selfie with the bride's dress...). Michael and Shannon were married at Brockhouse in Vancouver followed by a reception at Victoria Chinese Restaurant. The night capped off with a dance rendition of "I Had The Time Of My Life" and it was kind of awesome. OK enough words. Photographs below :)
Thanks to Jody Wiger for the opportunity to second shoot.
