One of the first weddings I photographed this season is South and Eli's beautiful wedding at Le Belvedere in Wakefield, Quebec. If you have never been to Le Belvedere or to Wakefield for that matter, you should make a plan to visit. Wakefield is one of the prettiest little towns along the Gatineau River. It is a wonderful mixture of nature, art, and good food.
Engagement photo shoots can be a bit daunting for many couples (you should do it!). It is likely the first time you and your fiancé(e) will devote an entire hour in front of the camera together. It is likely the first time you are working with a professional photographer, whose style and personality you have (hopefully) carefully considered. Depending on the location you have chosen for the photo shoot, you might be in a public space, where people will inevitably glance at you and your partner having, what many might consider to be, a private moment.
How do you prepare for this? How do you act in front of the camera? What do you wear? These are some of the most common questions I generally get from my couples and I've come up with several tips I usually send to them in order to prepare them for what should be a fun photo shoot!
Alex and Brian's wedding ceremony was held at the beautiful The Mount Community Centre. The Mount was the former home of the Sisters of St. Joseph, but has since served as a community centre for the city complete with a commercial kitchen, housing, and chapel. When I arrived Friday evening to scout the place, it was hosting an exhibit of Howard Berry's work! And of course, as you will be see, the chapel is just stunning. I honestly could not believe how beautiful it was with its super high ceiling and windows. If I lived in Peterborough, I would honestly get married there.
Ottawa's Dominion Arboretum is probably one of the most popular places for engagement session. It is beautiful no matter the season, and it is vast, and it is easy to find a nice spot away from bystanders. These photos of Malissa and James were taken at the tail-end of fall last year. You can see that the branches are no longer full of leaves, which gave some pretty unique and moody photos, which will be a nice contrast to their summer wedding photos. As with many engaged couples, Malissa and James were a bit nervous for this shoot at first, but with a bit of a warm up in front of the camera, they quickly got comfortable! I am looking forward to photographing these two on their wedding day.
