「 feature 」BETTY & STEVEN

We don't usually share our features, but here's one that I dreamt about for quite a while before finally putting it together. Some weddings have pretty much all the elements of a feature film, things that happen during the day, that we collect in the knowledge of how they can be combined. Some of the ingredients are: open and vulnerable displays of emotion, tear-jerking speeches (that are also hilarious), and just something special and magical to set it all off. For this wedding that something was actually the wet and misty weather. Weather can be metaphoric (as any Kurosawa fan can attest to) and speak to something in the story itself. Watch the feature and see if you catch what it is.

「 highlights 」ROSA & ANDREW

What a picture perfect wedding!

「 highlights 」REGAN & CHARLIE

There are a few theories out there about why certain people end up together. Laws of Attraction, I guess they can be called. We end up with the person we always needed but least expected, and suddenly all those romantic movies and love songs make a lot more sense. This person who was so recently a perfect stranger had become our favourite human and top priority. Our path to the future seems to rewrite itself, not with a jolt but with elegance and a feeling of inevitability. And everyone around us knows that our lives have changed forever, and for better.

That happened to Regan and Charlie. I can't think of a more warm and welcoming pair of families. Just great people, who are actually all trying to be even better. Who actually care and who are not afraid to show it. I hope that love and realness comes through in this video, captured and edited with love.

「 sde 」SAMANTHA & JARED

Sam and Jared seem like opposites, with Jared being reserved and stoic, and Samantha being extroverted and expressive 24/7. It's a match made in heaven.

Sam's mom also had to work hard to keep her emotions in check. It must be quite a thing to watch your baby get married. The entire household was filled with so much happiness and love as the bride got ready; I did what I could to capture it all.

Three shout outs: Stephanie, Sam's planner who double-tasked as a bridesmaid! The priest at Our Lady of the Assumption, such a great human being and an Irish accent too. And finally Matt Kennedy, who I finally had a chance to work with. He will do anything for the shot, including climbing a tree with everyone nervously looking on. Go Matt! (Don't fall.)

Congrats to Sam and Jared! It was a day filled with laughter and surprises.

「 sde 」CECILIA & DANIEL

The best part of life is the unexpected. I think everyone likes to act like she or he knows what to expect and how to handle any situation. But we live for curveballs.

Having filmed quite a few Chinese weddings I thought I had seen it all. The groomsmen busted down the door, just like all the other groomsmen. But then a twist, not shown in the video: they turned around and locked the bridesmaids out of the bride's room, winning back some of their red pockets in the process! Hilarious. Definitely a good moment when every person in the room is smiling.

Cutting this SDE was pretty exciting and threw me quite a curveball itself. I met Cecilia and Daniel once before the wedding and they seemed very loving but also quiet. And so I chose two songs for their video to reflect what I thought the wedding would be like. I was totally wrong and had to scramble to find a better song. I stumbled across Soar by Gyom and immediately licensed it from the Music Bed. It's a huge rush that evolves into something deeper and more gentle. Perfect!

From that point on the video just came together. Such a great feeling to show an SDE for the first time, it never gets old.

「 highlights 」TINA & MIKE

This is the second time I’ve captured a wedding where it seemed like the tent would get picked up and tossed by the powerful winds. The extreme weather was on everyone’s minds and in the background of many of my shots. It gave me a great excuse to shoot some slo-mo as well as a slew of time-lapses. In the end, Vancouver just put on a show for us, as the rain stopped just in time for the photo shoot and the day closed with a gorgeous sunset.

Tina and Mike have been together for a long, long time, and they’d known for much of that time that they would get married. So at first they just wanted a simple wedding. In the end Tina’s vision and attention to detail came together in Science World’s Patio overlooking False Creek.

Their families are filled with love and now so is theirs!

「 sde 」RHODA & CHRISTEPHEN

Rhoda and Chris shared their amazing story with me when we first met. It was truly cosmic how they came together, and Coastal Church played a big part in that. Naturally, they wanted to hold their wedding there as well. It’s a unique space with a lot of angles you don’t normally find in a church.

I love details, annd I tend to overuse close-ups, and sometimes wish I captured more wide shots. On this occasion, I saved the big wide for their kiss, the only shot that shows the impressive view from the back of the church.

The family traditions on display in the morning were a joy to capture. Rhoda was happy to let her mom be in charge of each step of the process, and I think enjoyed being able to be a part of it as I did.

The day ended back at the Four Seasons, with an amazing choreographed dance that I scampered around to properly capture. Chris is a pretty calm and quiet presence, and I didn’t see those moves coming!