sheila & tom's wedding

I had a great time during Sheila and Tom's engagement session earlier this year. They laugh a lot and are quick to do so, which made photographing them a breeze. Here are some of my favourite shots from their day ~


Sheila's dad was one of the speakers during the ceremony and he'd written a lovely reading which was heartfelt and funny and full of practical advice, encouraging them to be mindful of the planets from which they hail.

I'm always impressed by the colours and textures that go into the bouquets from Bloomtastic.
Sheila looking amazing in her dress ~


Tom was all smiles all day.Usually, I'm up front concentrating on the bride and groom, their parents' reactions...the detail stuff. Until they perfect cloning, I cannot be in more than once place at a time, and I'm so lucky to have a great team of photographers who can be where I cannot. Here's a shot of Christa's that I feel sums up the atmosphere of the ceremony.

I never get tired of the grounds at Darby House. The simple open landscapes are like these ever changing canvases depending on the season and weather.





Cute moment caught by Christa as Sheila danced with her dad.This cake from Corbo's Bakery in Cleveland = pretty and really yummy.It started with one little pair of discarded black dress shoes....


Earlier in the day, when we were stashing our gear, I spied a couple of boxes...suspicious boxes...one had something fuzzy sticking out of it. I'm sorry, but one cannot see something yellow and fuzzy sticking out of a box and not peek. Hoping desperately that it was a Big Bird costume abandoned from some kid's birthday bash, I lifted the box flap to see a variety of fiesta and luau paraphernalia. Must've been fun, I thought to myself. So came the end of the night, and Christa and I said our goodbyes and started packing up. I ran back out to the main room to get something...and I see this ~Obviously, the cameras came back out of the bags! Seriously, what fun! Sheila's dad was killing us. :)
The whole day was really a testament to the love Sheila and Tom share, not only between themselves, but with their family and friends. I'm so happy to have been there to see it all!

venue ~ Darby House / flowers ~ Bloomtastic / cake ~ Corbo's Bakery

christa & lane's wedding

Ok. This might be a good time to grab a glass of wine...and maybe a snack. 'Coz this is our very own beautiful Christa's wedding...and I simply cannot narrow these down. (The original blog images tally was 79, so count yourselves lucky!)

Christa hand makes her own papers and it really kind of broke my heart to unwrap this gorgeously presented gift she gave me upon arrival. I don't know how she knew it, but I love petite pieces of art and I really love barren landscapes, and I was so thrilled with this mini-illustration she made for me. It now sits proudly on the shelf above my desk.
Their whole day was full of small details. Christa's dress was tastefully encrusted with jewels and various "sparklies"...you know by now how much we love the sparklies....
Christa and Lane hand made this little birds to go on top of their cake.

Details from the ceremony floral arrangements ~

Kate was with the guys as they prepared. They received aqua cuff links so they'd have a bit of the wedding colour...
...so did Lane's socks!


There was a knock at the door and a wrapped box awaiting Christa... Any man who takes note and remembers the shoes a woman covets is a smart man. Lane is a smart man.
Christa & Lane were to meet up at the North Bank Park Pavilion for Christa's reveal. I called Kate: "Have you guys left yet?" Kate: "...um...nooooo...." Apparently there was much debate going on over how to properly fold a pocket square. High five for the internet!

Each table was adorned with a unique birdcage, some simple candles, and little nests of chocolate robin's eggs. The back of the Pavilion reminded me of a Moroccan market with all the cages, wine bottles, and other decorations waiting to be assembled.
The weather held out until the ceremony was over, but in the meantime, it presented some really dramatic skies for our photos.
...and some pretty funny moments.
This next one is by Kate.
I love this little patch of wilderness in the middle of downtown.
Christa & Lane kiss a LOT, as you may remember from their engagement photos! It was hard to find shots of them looking at anything but each other. There's no denying how much they adore each other.






By the way, when Lane first arrived, my first thought was "wow...GREAT suit!" That great suit came to a grand total of $57. They found the perfect jacket for $7 at a thrift store and then he bought the pants at Express for $50. His mom then tailored them to create the look of a British '60s slim fit suit. I was totally impressed.


Pretty shoes + cobblestones =

Lane upon seeing Christa coming up the aisle.


This next shot was the beginning of a bubble war between a few of the guests.

The birds decided to make their appearance before the sky opened up on us.
No one seemed to mind...
...until the wind nearly took the tent down! Pulled the south-western poles clear out of the ground. As a bunch of men worked diligently on securing the corner pole, this girl clung to the side pole, braving wind and rain, and kept that thing anchored.
The storm blew through, the skies cleared, and left us with a rainbow.

The cake was one of my favorite details.


One of my favorites ~


Kate and I had such a great time watching our friend get married and we took about a zillion photos. The slideshow will be up shortly, so there's more (...a LOT more...) to see of their beautiful wedding!