A Year in the Life of a Photograhper

One of the biggest blessings in my life is being able to do what I love for a living. While there are definitely areas of my job that I would rather not do, I LOVE being a photographer. Being able to celebrate life’s major milestones over and over again is indeed a blessing.

Being a photographer in Ontario has it’s own challenges. We have less impressive landscapes than other areas of Ontario but after travelling quite a bit this year, I’ve realized that without the distraction of mountains and canyons, oceans, and the focus of photography can actually be on people. I can focus on capturing those moments, creating those moments that you’ll remember and that you will be the focus of those memories.

Plus we get all the best seasons, especially those glorious fall colours! In spring we can go to the Guelph Arboretum for cherry blossoms in your engagement or family session. In the summer we can head to Burlington beach for some super fun beach sessions, In the fall, everywhere you look has the most beautiful reds and oranges and yellow. Then those winter sessions which are few and far between are so magical! We are so luck to have the array of different seasons here and being able to capture everything from engagements to weddings to maternity sessions, and family sessions, and solo sessions. I have the best job in the world.

And I could not do what I love without the support of all of the local wedding vendors in the areas. This year every wedding was incredible and so special shout outs go to Cellar52, Cambridge Mill, and Langdon Hall, thank you for having such incredible venues in the Kitchener-Waterloo Region!

Thank you to all my couples, families, and entrepreneurs for supporting my business. For trusting me with capturing your life and you as you are, thank you!

Jenny + Will // An Elora Mill Fall Wedding

Jenny and Will got married at the Elora Mill in October! It was a beautiful fall wedding, made even more beautiful by the love this couple shares. The way they support each other in their lives has been so beautiful to watch.

Their wedding was a long time coming, as most weddings in the last two years have had at least one postponement! Jenny and Will pushed through though and we even did a little mini shoot on their original wedding day, I’ll have to do a little post about that too because it was so special.

One of my favourite things about photographing Jenny and Will’s wedding was seeing how they made it their own. They tailored the day around them as a couple. Since they are both a bit shy, they did the standard vows during the ceremony and read their written, personal vows to each other when it was just the two of them (and me!). I loved this because it made it so much more special for them. They wanted to write their own vows to each other but only wanted to share them with each other, so that’s what they did.

This is what I love most about the way the wedding industry is changing, along with wedding photography. There are no rules. I lied, there’s one rule, you have to get married. That’s it. That’s the only rule when it comes to wedding planning, you just have to get married. Everything else is completely up to you. You and your partner should feel like it is a celebration of your special love story. No two relationships are the same, so no two weddings should be the same!

Jenny and Will had a beautiful day that showcased their love for each other in their own way and I couldn’t be more happy and excited for them for the start of their marriage!

Laura + Taj // A Mississauga Backyard Wedding

Have you been to any weddings this year yet? Usually by this time of the year I’ve worked quite a few and am swimming in galleries to edit and love stories to document. I have felt so incredibly sad for my 2020 couples that have had to postpone their weddings and joining my 2021 tribe of brides. A couple of my couples have decided to still get married this year and hold their receptions next year when they can celebrate with all their family and friends.

To be honest, I love this idea. I have always loved smaller weddings and as much fun as big weddings are, there’s something to be said about smaller, more intimate ceremonies and back yard weddings. As a wedding photographer in Ontario I feel so blessed to be a part of so many different styles of weddings! COVID or not, people fall in love and I am here for that!

Laura and Taj made the difficult decision to move their reception but didn’t want to wait to get married. They did a beautiful job bring their families and cultures together for their two wedding ceremonies. I have fallen in love with the Nikah ceremony and culture and being able to be there to capture their wedding was truly an honour.

We started at the MNN Mosque in Mississauga. Okay side note. So usually on a really sunny day I get to the venue and look around for spots I can work with given the full blaring sun. The guests make a comment about how beautiful the day is and inside I just wish for some clouds! The sunshine is so pretty but can be tricky to work with. There was no shade at all surrounding the mosque so I was a little concerned about shadows and squinting. Buuuuuuuut I LOVE how these images turned out. I gave myself a little pat on the back for using that full midday sun to my advantage! Plus it made for a great gallery because all of the outfits for the Nikah ceremony were bright and beautiful and it juxtaposed well with the Christian outfits and backyard ceremony that were later in the day!

I loved seeing these two families and these two cultures coming together to celebrate the love between Laura and Tajwer. I love that L+T made room in their lives for the traditions that are so important to them and their families. I am very excited for the reception next year where we can celebrate these two love birds even more!

I hope you enjoy these images as much as I do!

A Citrus Inspired Barn Wedding // Kitchener-Waterloo Wedding

My very first styled shoot happened because I was new to the Kitchener Waterloo area. When I launched y wedding photography business here I had almost no contacts. I knew that networking was important so I started reaching out to local wedding planners to see if anyone was interested in planning a shoot with me. That’s how I met my now wedding bestie, Stephanie from Sprightly Events. She answered my “cold call” and we met up for drinks and the rest is history! We hit it off and started planning this beautiful fall shoot. She had some people in mind for our vendor team so she reached out to them and I continued to make my own contacts in the area and we pulled together a dream team!

Our main theme for this shoot was citrus, we loved the look of oranges both fresh and dried in the fall and everything stemmed from there! The citrus pops were subtle but they certainly popped in our neutral colour scheme and I have been obsessed with everything citrus since then. I think my favourite thing about this shoot is the dried oranges in the bridal bouquet! Seriously these are probably my favourite wedding flowers ever. And those bridesmaid floral hoops! To die for!

We decided on a neutral pallet and really just let the work of our vendors shine through. It’s so important when planning your wedding to make sure all your vendors are on the same page when it come to your wedding theme. Giving clear instructions while allowing for each vendor’s personal creativity worked perfectly for this shoot. Each business brought their own spin on the inspiration we provided them and it turned out wonderfully!

Photography and Co-planner- Light and Love Photography @lightandlove.photo

Wedding Coordinator and Co-planner- Sprightly Events

Florals- Peony House

Hair & Makeup- Jacqueline Phoenix

Wedding Dress + Bridesmaids Dresses- Ballett’s Bridal

Stationary- ALeite Designs

Cake- Bon ApaTreat

Soap Favours- Barefoot Naturals

Venue- The Farmhouse Cottage

Jonathan + Kimberly // A Whitby Winter Wedding at Jubilee Pavilion

The year is 2020, weddings have been postponed and cancelled, we don’t know yet what our wedding season will bring this fall so THIS wedding might be the only 2020 wedding I actually get to shoot this year. I am grateful that I at least got to do this one (but I am still holding out hope that my fall couples still get to get married!).

***

Jonathan and Kimberly got married on a very cold day in February this year! This wedding was a bit closer to my heart because Jonathan is my youngest brother-in-law! I was so honoured that they wanted me to photograph their beautiful marriage, I loved being able to have that connection with them. I try to develop a good relationship with all of my couples, I find that everyone is much more relaxed and comfortable when we know each other.

J+K got married on Valentine’s day weekend in Whitby, Ontario at Jubilee Pavilion. We were hoping for a good amount of snow but a mild winter day. We got neither of those things! Instead all of our beautiful snow mostly melted, and we were out taking pictures in the coldest and windiest day known to man! At least the sun was shining! Our bride and groom (especially our bride) were troopers though. They knew that the pictures were important and being outside by the beautiful lake was definitely worth it!

They had a beautiful first look with just the two of them. They decided to write letters to each other and read them back to back before turning around and seeing each other for the first time! It was such a sweet moment and I loved the mix of laughter and emotions. I LOVE first looks! I’m a huge cheerleader for the first look but more on that in another post.

We had originally scheduled an hour and a half for photos but given the weather, we buckled down and got them all done in under 45 minutes! That’s the thing about weddings, especially in months where the weather is unpredictable. We plan for the best case scenario but knowing that it might now go as planned. Luckily I can be speedy when I want to be and work well under pressure so even though it would have been nice to have more time outside, we got exactly what we needed in the shorter time frame and then everyone wet inside to warm up and the groomsmen went out and got hot pizza for all of us!

I have to take a minute and praise the wedding party, especially our women, because in case I have’t told you yet, it was COLD. They stuck it out, they took their coats on and off and I was so proud of them! And our bride! In her beautiful stunning wedding dress, she was fantastic!

After we got all cozy inside, the rest of the day went by so smoothly! That’s what happens when you have a wedding planner! Ethan was the secret star of the day. I say secret because the best wedding planners and co-ordinators make sure that you don’t even know if something went wrong!

Jonathan and Kimberly were married in a beautiful ceremony under a gorgeous arch made by her brother. Vows were said, laughs and tears were shed, papers were signed, and the marriage was sealed with a kiss! *HAPPY DANCE* They got married!

Family pictures were taken, food was eaten, speeches were made, people sang, the beloved shoe game was played, the arty was started! You know how much I love dancing! I love being a wedding photographer while people are dancing, the movement in the photos just makes me so happy! Our bride changed into her reception dress (YAY RECEpTION DRESSES) which meant she could bust a move way more comfortably and we danced the night away!

We ended the night with a beautiful sparkler send off and off went the happy couple!

VENDORS

Venue// Jubilee Pavilion jubileepavilion.com

Photographer // Sara Whitsitt Light and Love Photography

Wedding Coordinator // Ethan Gill

Florals // Connie Maglioli

Hair & Make-up // Katie Lynn

Wedding Dress // Antoinette Bridal Boutique

Bridesmaid Dresses // One Love One Dream Bridal

Cake // Ethan Gill

DJ // Dave Stephens