Yousif and Patrizia are getting married next summer in a beautiful historic orthodox church in Lebanon.  Why in Lebanon?  Their relationship has already crossed hemispheres starting with them meeting at a wedding in Sudan.  Since then they’ve travelled together, shared an affinity for Thai restaurants, indie music and bird-watching.  Yousif is my cousin so I already knew him quite well but I first met Patty at another wedding where she told me more than two years before their wedding that she wanted me to photograph their own wedding.  I can’t wait to do that and meet her side of the family.

Dobry & Gillian’s wedding was in beautiful Jasper National Park at the Pyramid Lake Resort.  Their families showed what was one of the most emotional speeches I’ve seen yet.  I adore emotional weddings.  It’s so exciting seeing the facial expressions build while I’m looking through my camera.

The girls hair & make up by Wild Orchid Salon.  The Bridal Boutique was Novelle Bridal.

The fearless photographers is a group of artists that dare to push boundaries and expectations.  The group’s name itself sounds like a team of superheroes and I’m very proud to be listed with all the other talented members.  There are many different organizations that provide photographers with an opportunity to compete with other photographers and challenge their skills but what sets the fearless apart is the selection process.  Each photo is vetted by top industry leaders, these are all people that I very much look up to in wedding photography and people who have themselves inspired and encouraged other photographers to push their creativity to the limit and beyond.  They’re each a specialist in wedding photography and know from experience what it takes to get a fearless shot.  Very few make the cut.  You can view more of the winning photos on their facebook page.  And when you’re there please leave comments, photographers love to hear comments on their work.

This photo is from a moment at Ashley and Greg’s wedding in Edmonton.  It was a truly touching instant when Ashley’s father came to see her that made each person in the room cry, including the photographer.

I’m really excited to share this news with everyone.  Every 3 months the wedding photojournalist association holds an international competition looking for some of the best photography.  In their Q4 competition for 2010 I placed 5th and 13th for engagement portraits.  At the risk of sounding corny, it really is an honour just to be considered among the other incredible photographers.  To see more winning photos from the competition check out http://www.wpja.com

I love clients that get as excited as I do about photography.  Ashley is just like that.  A budding photographer herself, I initially met with her and Greg over a year prior to the wedding.  Ashley and I both are suckers for photos with lots of emotions, and this wedding had ample amounts of that.  From a very tearful getting ready when Ashley’s father saw her in her dress, to a very fun-filled reception, this wedding was an incredible celebration.