Choosing Your Wedding Photographer // PART ONE

I’ll give you a little secret… this is all the information I send out when someone inquires about my wedding photography services. So now you’ll have it before you even reach out or if you just need a little extra help in choosing your wedding photographer!

WELCOME TO LIGHT AND LOVE PHOTOGRAPHY!

So, you just got engaged and you're planning a wedding?!

This is so exciting! But I also know how completely overwhelming it can be which is why I'm going to give you everything you need to know about choosing the right wedding photographer!

Fair warning... I use a lot of exclamation marks because I feel like I sound too mean if I use periods. Plus, I'm a pretty emphatic speaker so if I had word bubbles over my head when I talk, they would all end with a big !

I'll give you the best piece of advice first before we get into the other little things. 

Choose the photographer who you get along with the most! 

Basing your decision solely off of price, and even aesthetic, can sometimes turn out to be a huge mistake. Not because the photographer isn't good, you could have the best photographer in the world but if your personalities don't mesh well and if you don't feel comfortable, it will show in the images. Your photographer will have a hard time feeling inspired and you will leave feeling unsatisfied. 

Personality is THE most important part of choosing your photographer! 

So what will you get if you book with me? 

Personal

I'm a half extrovert, half introvert. I love a good party, and I am okay with being in the spotlight. Unlike some of my fellow photographers, I'm also pretty comfortable infront of the camera, almost as much as I am behind it! I also love staying at home for weeks at a time just spending time with my husband and our kids!

I'm a pretty easy going person, I don't get stressed out easily, and I am of the mentailty that "everything will work out." Staying positive is a huge asset in the wedding industry!

I'm going to be silly! Somestimes I might make fun of you but in an endearingly joking way. It's how I show affection, you can blame my family for that! The more comfortable I am with you, the more jabs I might throw! I hope that's okay!

As Your Photographer

My shooting style is a mix between documentary and lifestyle. I love to capture real moments so sometimes I'll stay quiet because I don't want to break the spell, and other times I'll give an action instead of a stiff pose to do, accompanied with a joke or something because laughing pictures are my favourite.

It is my goal of every session to get a huge laughing picture. No pressure. 

When it comes to your wedding day, I am commanding and confident. I can direct a crowd and use my charm to get your family members to listen to me! 

I am not a fly on the wall photographer. I love to interact with people and get to know your family and guests. I'll be the first one on the dance floor and I love chatting with the people at my dinner table. I think this gives me a more personal perspective to your day!

CONCLUSION

Why do I feel like I’m back in high school and I’m following the “hamburger” outline of an essay?

In conclusion, while budget and aesthetic are very important, being comfortable with your wedding photographer is always going to be the most important part of the decision. So if you are going back and forth between two similar photographs, choose the one that made you feel the most confident in their ability and the one you vibe with the most. That doesn’t necessarily mean that they have to have the same personality as you. As much as I’m an extrovert, I’ve booked many introvert couples because they want someone who will be able to bring extra fun and be very vocal about directing them, so keep that in mind!

Your wedding photographer will be with you in your most important and intimate moments of your wedding day so it is so important to feel very comfortable with them!

Follow along with PART TWO and PART THREE!

Emily + Parker | A Burlington Beach Birthday

Emily and Parker have become a couple I look forward to photographing every year! I love the love they have for photoshoots and they are always up for anything. They basically made all of my photo dreams come true with this session!

I was hosting some beach mini sessions and Emily sent me a message saying she wanted to book a slot as a present for Parker’s birthday! First of all, how awesome is it that she wanted to gift him a photoshoot? Second, how awesome is it that he was super pumped about it? They are my dream couple for sure. I was super excited and she booked the sunset session.

After a very crazy time finding a suitable location for my beach minis (that didn’t include lots of geese poop or an expensive permit) I selected Burlington beach and it turned out beautifully. Almost. There was still the weather we had to contend with! We all sat in our cars for about 45 minutes while the rain poured down, and thankfully it cleared up just in time for a beautiful sunset and stormy sky. It definitely all worked out for the best!

Let us all take a moment and appreciate that E+P take the time to document their lives and their relationship. This wasn’t an engagement session or something that “had” to be done, but something fun for them to do together. This session gave them a beautiful memory and as you’ll see, quite the adventure. That’s what photography can do for you. It not only captures your moments and memories but it creates them. Doing this super fun beach session with me created a memory that they will definitely cherish forever. As a photographer, there is nothing I love more than being able to help create lasting memories, not just great pictures.

Meagan + Phil // A Valens Consveration Area Engagement Shoot

Meagan and Phil are a special couple to me. Meagan and I go way back to elementary school. She was one of my idols even though she was only one grade ahead of me. We continued on to the same high school where we road the bus together. You see, I grew up in Cambridge Ontario but lived in a rural area. Meagan also lived out in the country so we had loads of long bus rides together. We have lost tough throughout the years but when I got her wedding inquiry I recognized her name immediately.

Let me tell you, it makes a HUGE difference when you feel like you know your photographer (and in this case, she already did!). It’s one of my biggest business goals to connect with my couples. For the main reason that I want them to feel comfortable being themselves. When a couple can just be themselves their photos become real memories and tell a real story of their relationship. So one of my questions during a potential client interview is, “what are your hobbies? what do you like to do together?” Sorry, that’s two questions! This lets me in to see what kind of engagement session we can have, I love to do something during an engagement shoot that the couple already does together, making them even more comfortable.

When I asked Meagan this she said she would love to do them at Valens because they love to explore the park and they do it quite often. I was super excited! That’s where I grew up, my childhood home is in the conservation area , plus my love of water and voila! the perfect engagement session for them!

They decided on a November session so they could be all cozy and warm and cute and man were they ever. Add that splash of red to a beautifully overcasted evening and I was doing happy dances every time I checked the back of my screen.

We had a lovely walk around the lake, to the iconic Valens Lake bridge, then to some beautiful yellow leaves that stayed just for our session so we could add some fall colours in and have some fun leaf throwing.

These two were perfectly in love and I could see it with every frame. I’m super excited for their wedding day and the magic these two will create with me!