London Ontario Wedding Photographer | Pine & Pampas: Beautiful Styled Shoot at Cowbell Brewing

What a dream it was to photograph this gorgeous styled shoot last Spring. Kassia from Kassia Tjia Events and Candice from Flora & Forage brought this amazing vision to life, and it was a joy to capture every stunning detail. The florals blew my mind, and the overall design felt so unique and inspiring.

A true dream team came together for this shoot:

WEDDING PLANNER | Kassia Tjia Events

PHOTOGRAPHER | Raw Footage Photography

VENUE | Cowbell Brewing Co.

FLORIST | Flora & Forage

RENTALS | A&B Party and Tent Rental

BAKER | Grandma's Oven Bakery & Cakes Inc.

HAIR STYLIST | Hair by House

MAKEUP ARTIST | Presley Foskett Makeup

BRIDAL GOWN | Lavender Bridal Boutique

MENSWEAR | Stars Men’s Shops

JEWELRY | Gordons Gold Jewellers

BRIDE MODEL | Cass Crowe

BRIDESMAID MODELS | Kasi Zylinski & Tiyler Gagne

GROOM MODEL | Matt Clifford

GROOMSMEN MODELS | Justin Crawford & Emmett Robinson

London Ontario Lifestyle Photographer | 2015 Favourites

2015 was such a special year for me, because we welcomed our second daughter, Naia Rose, into our lives. While I certainly didn't take the year off, I did take a few months of rest and a reduced workload for the rest of the year, which means I really got to savour every wedding and every session in a way that I don't often get to when I'm booking double or triple the amount of work. It's crazy to me that 2015 is already over, and it's been so fun to look back through the archives. Every year it is both delightful and agonizing to put this massive favourites post together. Delightful because I revisit my favourite work from the previous year and reminisce. Agonizing because I actually have to choose. I love all of my clients and walk away from each session and wedding with something positive, so this is by no means a list of favourite clients. Rather, it's a collection of images that, when I took them and when I looked back on them, made my heart skip a beat. Maybe it's perfect, delicious golden light. Or a sweet, candid mother-daughter moment. Maybe it's that moment a child is laughing so hard his eyes are squinting or a couple sharing an intimate look after saying "I do". Sometimes it's something more technical, like the composition of an image or the contrast between shadow and light that I'm really proud of.  Regardless of the exact reason behind each image, these are the images that make me the most proud and excited when I look back on my 2015 portfolio. I hope you enjoy scrolling through them! <3

Project Ten | April (Adventure)

My friend Becky is the creative soul behind Found Decor Company and a wonderful mama of two. One of those lucky (and gorgeous) kiddos is Samuel, who graciously and enthusiastically helped me out with this month's "Adventure" theme. Becky dressed him perfectly and the sun came out to play. I had so much fun with these. : ) Be sure to follow the blog circle to see everyone else's take on the theme, starting with Red Rubber Studio!

Project Ten | September (Comfort)

Much like my maman's hearty soup is my comfort food, Fall is my comfort season. And even though we're not quite there yet, September - to me - is the official start of Fall and all of the beautiful things it brings. I wanted to capture some of my favourite Fall "comfort items" with this shoot - a cozy sweater, moccasins, a cherished book, delicious coffee in a favourite mug, a worn and wonderful quilt. I called on Laura, my beautiful friend and fabulous second shooter, to help me with this month's theme (thanks Laura!). Don't forget to click the link at the end of this post and follow the blog circle to see how the other talented ladies in this project interpreted September's theme! -xo

To see how Jessica Downey Photo captured "comfort", click here!

London Ontario Maternity Photographer | Bun in the Oven - The Big Announcement

I met Allison a few days before she found out she was pregnant with her first child - sweet Alexis - who has appeared before my lens countless times now (lucky me!). When I found out bebe #2 was on the way, I was ECSTATIC. I love this little family so dearly, and couldn't be happier for my beautiful friend. Allison wanted to do something creative for her pregnancy announcement, so we snuck these in before our little lifestyle session a few weeks ago. I just can't wait to meet this little "bun"! xoxo

Project Ten | March (Treasures)

My interpretation of this month's theme came from picturing a cave of precious treasure (Aladdin, anyone?) and trying to imagine what my own cluster of treasure would look like. There are many things in this life that I love and enjoy, but my greatest earthly treasure is, without a doubt, my little family. I gathered items and photographs that represent my family and created my own little treasure trove out in a snowy field. My maman's pearls that I wore on my wedding day symbolize where I come from and my transition into marriage. My bible (given to me by my parents) represents the faith that my marriage and family is built on. My daughter's first outfit reminds me of my first day of motherhood, the day my heart started aching with a love I didn't know was possible. Photographs documenting our family's journey so far, from marriage to puppy love to pregnancy to motherhood. Just a few odds and ends, collected from around our home. My treasures.

Now you can head on over to Jessica Downey Photo to see her beautiful take on treasures, and follow the links around the blog circle until you've visited all five photographers.

-xo

London Ontario Photographer | Winter Wonderland Mini Sessions

I decided to do a little round of Winter Wonderland mini sessions to break up the cold and quiet month of February. Outdoor Winter photography can be a hard sell for many people, so I wanted to put together a something fun, unique and rustic that would make the idea of pictures in the snow more charming and less....cold. Becky from Found Decor Company came through yet again with an amazing setup of vintage sleds and skates, warm plaid blankets and furs, and a bin full of amazing furry hats and other accessories. We served some hot cocoa and enjoyed a beautiful sunny day with some adorable kiddos! (psst... you'll notice two slightly different setups/backgrounds... we moved everything to a different spot for the afternoon time slots so that both the morning and afternoon setups were backlit by the warm, golden sun!

London Ontario Maternity Photographer | Styled Winter Session with Found Decor Company

I'm usually pretty minimalist when it comes to photography. I might bring a crate or a quilt to a session, but I like my subjects to tell their own story. That said, I also love vintage props and antique treasures, so styling the occasional session is a way for me to satisfy my inner prop junkie every now and then. When I first stumbled upon Found Decor Company, I was in awe. Becky, who is the beautiful face behind this charming venture, is pretty much a creative genius, and is a master finder and collector of the most amazing vintage treasures. I knew that I wanted to style a Winter session for fun, and I knew I wanted her on board.

We brainstormed over the phone and through Facebook, and came up with an amazing story we wanted to tell. A couple in love, expecting a little one. An old fashioned horse drawn sleigh ride through the snow. Their destination: a charming pup tent setup with furs, blankets and cocoa to warm up. I took on the daunting task of selecting our wonderful couple, Nicole and Wade, among many wonderful submissions (shout-out to the beautiful and brave Nicole and Wade, and to all the other beautiful couples who volunteered!). Becky took on... everything else! Every prop you see in this session, including the fur coat and hat, is from Found Decor Company. Becky also secured the location and horses (big shout out to D.J. for his generosity and willingness to appear in these photos as our wonderful sleigh...err... conductor? What's the word I'm looking for?). She even made the hot cocoa. Local photographers, stop what you are doing and go bookmark Found Decor Company's website.  Go on, I'll wait here.

Ok - welcome back.

I can't emphasize enough how much fun this was, and how amazing it was to work with Becky, D.J., Nicole and Wade. The weather was a bit challenging, heavy winds complicated our pup-tent set-up and limited our options. But that didn't stop us from carrying out our vision (mostly thanks to Becky's perseverance, Nicole and Wade's patience and D.J.'s willingness to take on more than he signed up for!), and I am so happy with these photos. I hope you enjoy them too!

London Ontario Family Photographer | The Decleir Family

Every year, I have the honour and pleasure of photographing my gorgeous friend Allison's little family. Her daughter Alexis was my very first model back when she was only a few months old, and I always love having them in front of my camera. Allison is ridiculously creative and talented, and the fun little holiday setup at the end of this post is all her (plus a little bit of "pin-spiration" , hehe). We had a sunrise session in a field, and the light was just magical. Here are some favourites from our session!