4 tips for better getting ready photos
These tips will help you getting the most out of your getting ready photographs! As you can see, we had some fun doing making these. ;)
1. Location
Whether it's at a hotel room, a house, an apartment or at the venue/church: if you can, choose a room with big windows and lots of incoming light (preferably with curtains/blinds). Photographers love light and the makeup artist will be very happy too, since makeup is best done in natural light. If you don't have the luxury of choosing, no worries we'll bring our own light!
2. Clutter
Often half-open suitcases, shoes, clothes and bottles are scattered across the room. Of course we'll move the items before taking a photograph, but wouldn't you prefer us taking photos instead of wiping away those nacho crumbs. So get the most out of your time with us and clear the room!
3. What to wear
This tip is for brides. Forget about that hoody and go for a silky robe or a simple strapless dress. You'll look fabulous in the photos and you'll protect your hairdo and makeup. Bridesmaids, this is a great gift at a bridal shower. You could even dress up all the girls this way, so everyone looks radiant!
4. Timing
It's important that the bridesmaids/groomsmen/parents are finished dressing up before the bride or groom!
You'll look so much prettier when hugging dad in his best suit, or when mom is pinning up the boutonniere all dressed up. So bride and groom: tell your parents and bridal party to be ready before you are!
These are our 4 tips for getting the most out of your getting ready photographs! Do you have any questions for us? Or do you have interesting tips to add? Feel free to post them in the comments below!
The magical powers of tequila
The first time I met Jelger
I was enjoying my newfound freedom after an emotional break-up, when I was volunteering as a bartender on a tequila themed party in my student dormitory. Party being 30 people, a DJ and cheap booze. And then Jelger walked through the door. After enjoying a brief chat over a shot of tequila (and having him pronounce his exotic name 3 times) I noticed him on the dancefloor and kept my eye on him all evening. When he was suddenly gone, it struck me that we hadn't exchanged contact information and I felt very dissapointed.
Was it the tequila? Or did I grow very fond of this cute looking stranger?
As unexpected as he left, he returned! Relieved, I grabbed the first marker I could find and ripped a piece of paper to give him my number. To be clear, this is something I never did before, and I do mean never. Jelger, the romantic soul, still has the note. Lots of text messages, msn messenger conversations (does that still exist?), a dinner and a lunch date later we became inseparable. So, cheers to the magical powers of tequila!
How did you meet your sweetheart? Tell us below!
Icy road trip in the Canadian Rockies
A big sign with flashing lights read: "Poor winter travel conditions". It didn't exaggerate, a thick blanket of snow hid the road. We looked at each other, doubted for a moment and then said "Let's do this". Looking back, I'm glad we did, because it was totally worth it.
Two weeks ago, we left Vancouver for a road trip through the interior of British Columbia and Alberta. It was our first time visiting these areas since moving to Vancouver. Our trip started at the shores of Shuswap lake in Salmon Arm, surrounded by peaceful mountains.
The next night we felt adventurous and decided to sleep in the car. Unfortunately our romantic idea of looking at the stars through the glass roof got ''snowed under''. Cozy, but good for one night only. Winter caught up with us and dropped temperatures to -25.
In Banff we hiked up Tunnel Mountain, to escape from the swarm of tourists and were rewarded with a view on the monumental Rockies. Afterwards we soaked our sore muscles (and Jelger's bruises, who may have slipped twice) in the steaming water of the Upper Hot Springs.
The next day the Icefields Parkway challenged us, with its warning sign and flashing lights about poor winter condition. We chose to be brave and continue our journey, otherwise we would have felt silly about the insane amounts of food, water and blankets in our trunk. What followed was a winter wonderland straight from a National Geographic documentary.
The wind pulled at our jackets as we watched chunks of ice floating by and clinging to the frozen edges of the river.
Our numb fingers and toes made us hurry back into the comfort of the heated leather seats of our dependable car. Despite the road being covered in snow and ice, it whizzed us through the mountains!
After a good night of sleep in Jasper, we immersed in the silence of Pyramid Lake. I love this photograph Jelger took of me.
Come back soon for the rest of our story.
Special thanks to Lianne, Rob and Nick to have us stay with them in Salmon Arm.
And thank you Traveling Jones, for the couch in Canmore!
How we jumped off a cliff and started to dream
Today 2 years ago we moved from Belgium to Vancouver. It was the toughest day of our lives. We moved to a new country, didn't have a job waiting for us and we didn't know a single person there. I confess, lots of tears where shed that day. I thought we made a terrible mistake.
But now, 2 years later, I know more than ever it was the beginning of a journey. The journey to pursuing our dream and living a happy and fulfilling life.
And then it was my turn to turn 30
For some reason turning 30 seemed so far away that I couldn't imagine the day would ever come. Well, I was wrong, here it is! A couple of months ago Jelger shared his thoughts and today it's my turn.
When I look in the mirror, I see a few tiny wrinkles that don't seem to go away. Then again in the liquor stores, I still get asked for my ID, so I assume I'm doing fine. ;)
As a teenager I was convinced that at 30, you've got it all figured out: children, a career, a house and a clear vision of the future. Oh boy, was I wrong. I don't have any of the above. And I love it!
The most phenomenal discovery I made during the last years is that I and I alone am the creator of my life. So I chose to start following the less obvious path. I moved to the other side of the world and have my own wedding photography business with the man of my dreams. Sure, there's a lot of uncertainty about my future, but you know what, I wouldn't want it any other way, because I've never felt so free.
Marilyn & Thach's wedding at Riverside Grand Ballroom Richmond
Marilyn & Thach got in touch with us to photograph their wedding reception at the beautiful Riverside Grand Ballroom. They had just gotten married in Marilyn's hometown of Calgary, and wanted to celebrate their marriage with Vancouver based family and friends. Since there would be no ceremony, the event was to be a relaxed gathering with great food and good music. And what a reception it was!
The day started out at the Sandman Signature Hotel in Richmond where Marilyn and Thach and their bridesmaids and groomsmen were getting dressed. Next they went to the venue, Richmond's Riverside Grand Ballroom, where they spoiled their guests with an amazing oyster and live sushi bar (freshly seared tuna anyone?). And to top it off, there was a wonderful multi course dinner, with a chocolate fountain and cannoli for dessert. Not to mention Thach's homemade candied bacon! Oh the candied bacon... we still can't forget it.
The night ended with a fabulous dance party thanks to the amazing Famous Players Band!
Marilyn and Thach, thank you so much for making us part of your special day. We had a wonderful time.
Finally, we want to give a shout-out to our assistant/third-shooter Katie Powell, who totally rocked! Go give her some Facebook love right here. Thanks a lot Katie!
Vendors
Hotel: Sandman Signature Hotel Vancouver Airport
Venue: Riverside Grand Ballroom
Catering: Satori Factory
Cake artist: The Cake And The Giraffe
Wedding band: Famous Players Band
Hair stylist: Eliza Warford Hair Design
Make-up artist: Ann Dang
Bride's dress: Heavenly Bridal (Calgary)
Groom's tuxedo: The Tux Shop (Calgary)
Young, Hip & Married officiants
When you think about your wedding officiant, what kind of person comes to mind? We thought: an older person, monotonously reciting a one-way-fits all script. That is until we met Shawn Miller of Young, Hip & Married, an awesome alternative for your wedding ceremony. You can check out the website here or connect on facebook.
We encountered Shawn at a wedding convention where he was one of the guest speakers. He spoke so passionately about his work that we knew we had to meet him for an interview! Thank you Shawn for taking the time!
A lot of people (including ourselves until recently) don't know a lot about officiants. How come they mostly are, eh, older people?
Often you'll see a wedding performed by a JP (Justice of the Peace), who are mostly retired people, regulated by the government.
Where can Young, Hip & Married make a difference for couples?
We want couples to have a unique ceremony that truly represents them and what they find most important.
That’s why we help them, not only to customize their ceremony, but also to find the best matching officiant (so far we have 14 officiants). Our clients always get to sit down and chat with them first, before they pay their deposit.
Next it becomes a process of co-creation.
What made you become an officiant?
My background is in marriage and relationship coaching. It's very important for me to have a conversation about marriage. I don't just want to marry a couple, I want them to stay together and have a happy lifelong marriage. One of the quotes you can read on our site is "I want a marriage more beautiful than my wedding". Not only do we talk about marriage and create a very personal ceremony, we are also a resource for couples that they can rely on throughout their marriage.
J&T: This really struck a cord with us. We truly believe in working at our marriage and love that Young, Hip and Married offers marriage coaching!
Photo courtesy of Young Hip & Married
Vancouver has so many different religions and cultures, how do you deal with that?
We do extensive research when it comes to cultural traditions and of course we talk about this with our couples. We make sure to respect their traditions, but don't forget to add a personal touch.
So far our services come in English, German, French, Spanish and we also work together with Cantonese and Mandarin Translators.
Is there a wedding you'll never forget?
There are so many! One that comes to mind is a Burning Man themed wedding. All the guest were dressed in their Burning Man costumes. The bride and groom danced their vows to each other and then all the guest(s) joined in the dance.
What would be your advice for brides looking for an officiant?
It's crucial that you trust them, so you can relax on your big day. Make sure you have a good rapport with whomever runs your ceremony.
We have worked with Shawn and the team on so many weddings since this interview! We still highly recommend the team. :)
Are you excited to get started? Start your elopement planning here or find more general wedding planning tips here.
Cyndy & Peter's wedding at Shangri-La Vancouver
Cyndy and Peter's wedding was amazing. It was very personal, with a beautiful tea ceremony, moving church ceremony and an amazing dinner party afterwards.
The day started in Richmond, where Cyndy was getting ready with her bridesmaids. We were so happy they chose to have a first look!
Together they went to the house of Peter's parents, where they had their tea ceremony. It was the first time we got to experience a tea ceremony and even though we didn't understand what was said, it was so serene, emotional and beautiful.
After the tea ceremony Cyndy changed into her white gown. She looked absolutely stunning. The church ceremony was so personal and very moving, thanks to the wonderful pastor Kirk.
Finally we took some gorgeous portraits before the evening dinner party. Cyndy and Peter's impressed everybody with their first dance: a tango played by a live string trio!
Cyndy and Peter, thank you very much for making us part of your wonderful day!
Vendors
- Make-up & hair: Yuki Zhao
- Church: Trinity Baptist Church
- Officiant: pastor Kirk
- Venue: Shangri-La Vancouver
- String trio: Tall Tree Strings
The Cake & The Giraffe
We discovered The Cake & The Giraffe while browsing on Instagram. Dalana is super talented and has a great sense of humour, so we knew we had to meet her! The first time we met her at North Van's Friday market, where she seduces visitors with her amazing cupcakes every week. (She had us at bacon covered cupcakes.) One week later we met at her work space, where the big cake magic happens. It was amazing to watch her create a wedding cake. We never realized how many details come into play! Dalana was so gracious to grant us an interview, so enjoy and make sure to check out The Cake & The Giraffes website (we love the wedding cakes section) and facebook page!
How long have you been in business in Vancouver, and what exactly do you do?
I was introduced into the cake community about 7 years ago, but I officially became “The Cake & The Giraffe” 3 years ago. I design and create custom wedding cakes and I also have a booth at the weekly Shipyard’s Night Market (at Lonsdale Quay in North Vancouver) where I sell cupcakes and other delicacies.
What is it about baking that makes you love it so much?
After graduating high school I had to choose between art school and culinary school, so I decided to pick the latter, because it combined both of my interests (art and the culinary world). During my training, I fell deeper in love with the pastry side. After finishing my culinary training, I immediately enrolled in the pastry program. I love baking because it just feels so natural, like I was meant to do it.
What would you say sets you apart from other cake bakers?
Definitely the way I work with customers. Upon receiving an email, the first thing I like to do is reply with a sketch. It really gets the ball rolling and puts a personal touch on the beginning of our experience together. I like to make consultations personal and don’t want them to seem like a business meeting. We sit down with tea and cake and just let the conversation flow like we're old friends.
After settling on a design, it is time to pick the perfect flavours. I have a long list of flavours (about 30). It is always expanding and I love experimenting. So whenever a customers pitches a new idea, I go for it. Customers love it. I’ve even converted a few non-cake-lovers into addicts!
Can you tell us about a wedding cake you'll never forget?
A while ago, I received an inquiry for a vow renewal cake. It had to be something special, because the customer hadn’t had a cake at her wedding 40 years ago, and wanted to make up for it. So I sent her a quote, but didn’t hear back from her.
A couple of months later, another customer inquired about a memorial cake in honour of her mother who had recently passed. I had no idea the two calls were related until about a week later, when in the consultation she said “My mother had contacted you last fall”. As it turned out, the mother was in the middle of planning her 40th wedding anniversary, when she had suddenly passed away. The memorial cake had to be something special! A cake the mother would have been proud of to serve at her wedding.
I was touched that I got to assist in making the memorial an extra special day.
What’s your specialty?
I love challenges! If I can replicate something close to the client’s heart into cake, I consider it a job well done! One of my favourites was creating a 2D 1932 Ford Jerry car. The client’s husband’s favourite car! Another was a couple that wanted a wedding cake of their favourite painting.
Sometimes a bride comes in with a cake they want replicated exactly. I will always encourage uniqueness. We work together to keep the traits they love and create something more personal for their special day.
Your flavours are so original! Where do you find your inspiration?
Through random thoughts and and sometimes even errors. For instance, I wanted to do something special for my boyfriend’s birthday, so I thought about his favourite food: bacon. So I created cupcakes with bacon (J&T: we tried the peanut butter-bacon cupcakes and they are delicious) At other times, friends mention totally weird flavour combinations, so I just try them out and see what happens, which is how the cinnamon cupcake with blueberry butter cream came around.
Do you have some advice for brides who come to you for their cake?
Come with inspiration, but an open mind, and we’ll create something amazing together!
More goodness from Paris
Photographers as we are, we made a truckload of photos in Paris. So many that we have to spread them in a few posts. Tell us if you're getting a Paris overdose! ;)
Previously we featured the Eiffel tower. Today we're sharing some city details with you. The weather wasn't the greatest (hence the first photo), but that didn't stop us from exploring the city and feasting our eyes on all the little details, such as the gorgeous lanterns.
Last, but not least, I'd like to tell you that Paris is not all dafodils and unicorns. The centre has fabulous architecture, so much culture and great food, but like many big cities it will make you or brake you. In the huge suburbs, thousands of people are strugling to survive every single day. The unemployment rates are going through the roof and so is the cost of living. Many young people feel as if they don't have a future. It's a harsh side we don't often think about, but when we do we feel lucky with all the chances we've been given.
Kim & Matt | Lighthouse Park couple shoot
Kim is an awesome fellow photographer. We had an exchange couple shoot with her and her hubby which was loads of fun! Us photographers tend to stay behind the lens way too often. Jelger and I don't have a lot of photographs of the two of us and Kim told me the same thing, so we decided to do something about it.
We went to Lighthouse Park, which has such a gorgeous sights (oh, West Coast beauty!). We shared a few beers some yeasted beverages and enjoyed taking photographs of each other. Kim and Matt are such a cute couple. They made it very easy for us!
The evening went by so fast. We eventually got chased away by some nasty mosquito's. If you go there, be prepared, since I'm convinced the Lighthouse mosquitos have some super biting powers. Way worse than the regular ones at home!
Check out Kim's website here and if you want to see her photographs of us, click here.
Sarah & Dries' wedding in Ghent
For months we were counting down to June 22nd. Sarah and Dries are very dear friends of ours and when they asked us to document their wedding day in Ghent (Belgium), we were over the moon. The day finally arrived and it was truly perfect. Sarah looked breath-taking. Can you believe she made the blue ribon with the flowers on her dress? Dries also looked the part! Together they where... well, I have to admit some tears where shed during the editing.
We hope you enjoy our photographs and if you want to see more, check out the slideshow at the end!
To see more, enjoy the slideshow with the music of their first dance.
Vendorlist
Dress: Le Chapeau, Rembo line (and Sarah's own ribon with flowers)
Hair and make-up: Nelson hair team
Reception and evening party venue: Carlos Quinto
Engagement session Nele & Benjamin
Going through the photographs of Nele and Benjamin's engagement shoot in Bruges, makes me feel very happy. You guys are a match made in heaven. Benjamin, you're for sure the best thing that happened to my sister: you're such a caring guy and the way you look at Nele makes me all teary eyed... Nele, you're an amazing woman, both on the inside and outside.
We're both very happy and proud to have shared this day with the two of you.
Paris: the Eiffel tower (and a bride)
When we visited Paris, we just had to pay a visit to what is probably the world's most photographed tower. Before we moved to Vancouver, we never took the time to actually get on the Eiffel tower. But now we live 5000 miles away instead of 160 miles, so we had to do it!
The amount of people with striped T-shirts (and baguettes) was kind of funny. Yes, I was wearing one too. (I forgot my beret at home) ;)
This amazing garden is the Champ de Mars. I loved seeing the city from high above.
While enjoying the view, at the place du Trocadéro, Jelger spotted this lovely couple. How beautiful getting married in Paris and having your photographs taken under the Eiffel tower. (Hint hint)
Meanwhile I was waiting for the perfect person to walk into my photograph. (Yes, even while travelling we tend to get carried away)
What about you? Did you ever visit Paris? What did you think of it? Did you take the time to go on the Eiffel tower? :)
Sunrise in Flanders' fields
We got off the plane in Amsterdam on June 4th. The next few days we had the pleasure to stay in Loenhout, close to Wuustwezel. It's a small town, with a lot of farms. Thanks to our jetlag, we got up VERY early and captured this beautiful sunrise.
