A couple of weeks back, I was able to spend some time in Wasaga Beach with Katie and Jeff for their engagement session. What I love about these sessions is that it really helps me to get to know my wedding couples and it helps them to get comfortable with me and my style of shooting. I call it a trial run for the wedding day!
I met up with Katie and Jeff at Katie’s parents place so we could get some shots with their new puppy Halle. Halle ended up posing for only a couple of shots, but the main thing is we got a few shots with all of them together! Having fur family members included in engagement shoots is so much fun and I so glad we were able to get a few of them all together.
Katie and Jeff have a long love relationship with the beach. Both Katie and Jeff grew up on the beaches of Wasaga and Katie’s grandparents home backed right onto the beach (and we were able to get a few pics there!). They also purposely bought a house together close to the beach! Naturally, they chose the beach as the spot for their engagement session. I was so excited when they told me, because any session that I can be shooting barefoot is perfection!
When I emailed them asking if they could share their love story with me so I could share here on the blog, I got a response from both of them! I love dreading the story from two different perspectives. Rather than combine them, I’m sharing them both here!
Our Love Story told by Jeff:
I met Katie in our home town of Wasaga Beach at our local Foodland grocery store. Katie was a cashier there and every time I would go in to shop and see her I would get so nervous I wouldn’t know what to say but I knew I wanted to pursue a relationship so I had to get her number. After years of talking I finally was able to convince her to let me take her on a date and our relationship began.
After being with Katie for a short while I realized this amazing person was the girl I wanted to marry and spend my life with. One of our favourite spots to spend time together is at the beach. I decided that I was going to propose to Katie on the beach during our upcoming vacation which we take every winter. We went for a sunset walk on the beach and I was a nervous wreck but was finally able to get down on one knee and ask my best friend to marry me.
I look forward to our wedding day and to celebrate our relationship with our friends and family. The thing I look forward to the most is standing at the alter and seeing her for the first time walk down the aisle. At that moment I’ll be the happiest and most grateful guy in the world watching the love of my life walk down to aisle and to become her husband.
Our Love Story told by Katie:
Jeff and I met around 8 years ago while I was working as a cashier at our local grocery store where Jeff did his shopping. Jeff was (and still is) a pretty shy guy so after a few months of me cashing him out, he finally worked up the courage to talk to me and we exchanged numbers. We spent the next couple years getting to know each as friends while Jeff patiently waited for me to agree to go on a date with him. I finally agreed to go on a date with him in 2011 and our relationship began shortly after.
Jeff and I both grew up on the shores of Wasaga Beach so naturally, the beach is where we spend most of our free time as a couple. In December of 2015, we escaped the snow for a holiday in sunny Cuba. While walking along the shore of a beach at sunset, Jeff suddenly stopped, got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife. I couldn’t think of a more perfect way to propose, and I couldn’t dream of a more perfect man to spend the rest of my life with.
I am looking forward to so many things on our wedding day, but what I am most excited for is the moment that Jeff and I get to see each other for the first time as I walk down the aisle. Being able to vow our love to one another in front of God, our family and friends is going to be the best day of my life and I cannot wait to marry my best friend!
Katie and Jeff are looking forward to committing their lives to one another in front of their loved ones on September 2 at Drysdale’s Tree Farm. I’m really looking forward to sharing in their day and capturing lasting memories for them for generations to come! Congratulations again to you both and many blessings to you as you continue to plan for your wedding day!
Here is a selection of photos from their final gallery. I had so many images from this session– a beautiful couple combined with a beautiful location equals lots of images!!
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Some of my favourite moments in a wedding day are the moments that are unplanned, happen as it happens moments. While Genessa & Charlie’s wedding reception was in full swing, with the buzz of conversation and congratulations, this guy found the perfect opportunity to pick up his latest read, and I love it! He was so focused and enthralled that he was able to tune everything out! It was the sweetest!😍
Also, I was chatting the other day with another photographer @breanneweston about just sharing one photo as a post. I’m here for it! Sometimes one photo is enough to tell an entire story!💗
I don’t think I’ll ever tire of visits to the mountains! This past weekend I was able to spend time with the ever lovely and sweet couple, Rebecca and Thomas. 💗 It was such a joy to get to know them and to have them in front of my camera!
Waterton was certainly showing off with its abundance of wild flowers and greenery everywhere! It also had its notorious wind but we certainly made it work for us!🤩
Here’s some beautiful images from their session- which they rocked! They’ll be saying their I Do’s in just under a year’s time and I’m so excited to be able to capture their wedding day!😍
Congratulations to the newly married couple, Kaycee & Kris!🎉♥️🤩 At the beautiful @countrysidebarnvenue these two committed their lives to one another in the presence of all their closest loved ones.
It was such a wonderful day and these two are simply the sweetest couple. After their first look, Kris would not stop looking at his beautiful bride!😍
Here’s a few of my favourites from their day! The cloud cover came in and they kept threatening rain, but we only were sprinkled with a few ceremonial luck raindrops!
Congrats again you two! I wish both so many blessings as you now journey into married life!💗
Under a true blue sky with perfect puffy clouds and in the presence of a handful of their loved ones, Natalie and Brock said their I Do’s on a beautiful Friday afternoon! 💗
They chose to craft their wedding day truly how they wanted and it was simply beautiful. I’m continually awed by how truly unique and perfect each wedding day is. They chose to get married on their family’s acreage- having both the ceremony, pictures and later the party under a big white tent.
We explored the property, found lots of great photo spots and a bunch of mosquitoes as well! We even managed to squeeze some photos in with their fur baby, Sugar!😍
Congratulations again Natalie & Brock!! I wish you many blessing of joy and happiness in your new adventure of married life!♥️♥️♥️
As always, here’s a select few favourite images from their day! Lots more images will be coming their way!
Every now and then I encounter firsts in my photography journey and this evening was one of them. This was my first time ever photographing my own kid’s highschool grad photos. And what made it even more amazing is that we shared this experience with her close friends!! It was such a wonderful evening spent with the girls and with Marisa, Keira’s mom.
These four girlies are an incredible joy to be around. I am ever so grateful that Leah has been able to form such wonderful friendships these past few years!
Leah, Holly, Keira and Hami, you are such beautiful young women full of laughter, joy and silliness- I love it! 💗
And let me tell you, after taking over 2,000 images, it is SO hard to choose only twenty to share here!!😂
One thing I love most about photography is being able to meet so many wonderful people! Not only do I get to work with Monica, but I’ve been able to call her my friend over the last few years!
It was such a joy to spend time with all the people that mean most to her- her husband, kiddos and those sweet grand babies!💗
I’ve decided that two-three year olds are the best aged kids to work with because they literally are so darn cute. It’s a lot like herding kittens- you can’t help but just smiling all the time because they are just adorable!😊
Here’s a few of my favourites from our beautiful session on a beautiful Saturday morning in July! So many more images to come!🤩♥️
Congratulations to the newlyweds, Genessa and Charlie!💗🥂 Yesterday was the most beautiful day spent in one of the most gorgeous locations in Southern Alberta.
What stood out the most throughout the day is how deep the love that Charlie and Genessa have for one another but also how deep the love that they have for their closest loved ones. It was that love, that deep rooted love, that was woven throughout their wedding day.
Not only did these two craft a beautiful wedding day, they put together a beautiful wedding weekend full of activities and connection with their guests. Every part of their wedding was thought with care and with intention and it was so beautiful to witness!🤩
There are so many beautiful images to share but I wanted to curate a few that stood out to me- not only for beauty but for the joy that radiated through Genessa & Charlie. 💗
Congrats again you two! I wish you so many blessings of love and joy as you now journey on the next adventure- married life!♥️
