Katelyn & Patrick - September wedding in Brudenell

Wedding date - September 10th, 2016

Katelyn & Patrick originally met at Montague High and quickly became friends. They attended classes together, were each other's date to Christmas Dance, held hands at the movies, and danced to James Blunt through their awkward teenage years. After high school they kept in touch as they went their separate ways, and later crossed paths again one Summer night, dancing the night away. They kept running into one another again and again that Summer so they decided to give things a go. 

Over the years they lived in different provinces, travelled, graduated university, bought a home as well as a dog and a cat. Wedding talk was never a matter of if, but only a matter of when. They were engaged in December 2015 while walking their pup William on the snowy beach by their future home. This home later became the setting for their wedding ceremony on a gorgeous blue sky day this past September overlooking the Brudenell river. 

I'm lucky to say Kate & Patrick are friends of mine and they are the type of people everyone loves to have around. They have many friends and there were a lot of fun personalities in attendance which made for a great day, and a great night. It was an honor to document their wedding day! Congratulations to The Drakes!

guests - 162

Hair - Natlaie McCarthy & Julie Vandenbroek

Makeup - Megan Wilson at Lambretta's

Wedding dress - watters wtoo from chester & felicity's

Groom's suit - tip top tailors

Florals - house of flowers

band - The wannabeez

cake - candi's cakes

caterer - montague lion's club

reception venue - montague curling club

stationary - minted

hair piece - oh dina!

photography - brady mccloskey photography

Megan & Mitch - St. Dunstan's Basilica Wedding in Charlottetown

Wedding date - September 2nd, 2016

11 years ago back in 2005, Megan borrowed a friend's spare school ID to sneak into Colonel Gray's high school dance. It was here that she first met Mitch. After sharing a few dances, they kept in touch and have been together ever since! Real life high school sweethearts. Wedding planning began 10 years later in 2015 when they got engaged during a Summer trip to Cape Breton. Mitch later surprised Megan by engraving her wedding ring with "it all started with a dance". 

Megan & Mitch wanted their wedding day to be about how everything felt, not how everything looked. This is certainly evident by their expressions, laughter, and happy tears all throughout the day. The amount of emotion was so special to see, and really brought their wedding photos to life. They have the biggest hearts and are loved by so many. Their advice to other couples getting married is to keep things focused on the marriage and not the wedding, as guests are there to celebrate you and your marriage and the rest of the material things will fall into place after that. Very true words.

Congratulations Megan & Mitch!

Number of guests - 170

Ceremony - St Dunstan's Basilica

Hair - mary coloris

makeup - Larissa Faith

Dress - Allure Romance, The Wedding Place

Groom's suit - Dow's

Florals - Island Meadow Farms

Decor - Jenn Maxwell

DJ - Aaron Doucette

Reception venue - Delta Prince Edward

Caroline & TJ - Cliffside Wedding in Cascumpec, PEI

Wedding date - August.28th, 2015

Every time I travel "West" for a wedding, it always ends up being such a fun day filled with the most friendly and fun loving people. TJ & Caroline's day was no exception - including a party bus, oyster bar, and a cliffside ceremony. TJ and his groomsmen even arrived at the ceremony in a pontoon boat, how fun is that?

Caroline & TJ have been together for years and their friendship and love for each other was obvious on their wedding day. I love to see couples who are best friends, and that was the case for these two. Congratulations to the new Mrs & Mr Campbell! 

Reception venue - The Loyalist Country Inn

Transportation - Ultimate Limo Bus 

Photography - Brady McCloskey Photography

50 Golden Years

I was recently invited to be a part of a very special day, Ethel & Gordon Vessey's 50th wedding anniversary celebration. Being a wedding photographer, I'm so fortunate to be able to share in the wedding day of so many incredible people every year. I often love to think about where these couples will be together in 5 years, 10 years, or even like Ethel & Gordon - 50 years. I mostly see the beginning of a couple's marriage life so it was a fun experience to photograph a couple 50 years in, still as happy and loving as the day they were married! 

Along with their family and friends, Ethel & Gordon packed the York Community Centre on a Sunday afternoon, mingling, sharing stories, and celebrating their golden anniversary. I was amazed at just how many things they had saved from their wedding after all these years - including their wedding day outfits, cake topper, and engagement photos.

It's funny to notice back then their engagement photos were taken separately, not together!

A receiving line allowed the couple to chat with and greet all their guests as they arrived. 

A steady stream of friends and family poured through the doors throughout the afternoon, often times lined up outside the door as they waited to greet Ethel & Gordon. 

Congratulations to Ethel & Gordon and to all of those who have reached this milestone. Here's to many more years together! 

tips for a Rainy wedding day

If you're like some couples, you've been checking and refreshing the long range weather forecast ever since your date popped up. You may be disappointed to see rain on the horizon, but with a little pre planning and a good attitude, the rain certainly won't spoil the fun. 

As a Prince Edward Island wedding photographer it is inevitable that I will experience a rainy wedding day at some point. I've photographed many before, and will likely photograph many in the future. However, there's a few things to think about that will make your day go much smoother if rain is on the way.

Of course, umbrellas! Umbrellas are an absolute must if the weather is looking wet. I've photographed many couples under the shelter of umbrellas and they help to keep hair and makeup in tact, and outfits clean and dry. You may want to consider purchasing enough for you and your wedding party so that in the event of light rain, everyone is still able to venture outside for photos. Make sure to keep your receipt so that you return them if you didn't end up using them. 

In many instances I'll photograph the bride and groom under the cover of their umbrella, and then have them drop it quickly for a few photos. This gives a mix of both views, and is quick enough to make sure no one gets too wet. Besides the wet ground, you may never know it was raining. 

Have a back up plan in place for your photos and an alternate location if your ceremony is outdoors. Being prepared for weather can help ease a lot of stress on your wedding day. By having a back up plan in case of rain, you don't have to scramble on the day of and take up time. I've photographed under the cover of verandas, in public buildings, and under heavy foliage. I've even rode along for a long, limo dance party. A professional photographer is trained to handle unexpected circumstances and work in difficult situations, so hiring one will be a big help when it comes to a rainy wedding day. 

Beforehand, consult with your hairstylist and makeup artist for tips on keeping yourself looking picture perfect despite rain and humidity. A professional will know different techniques to make sure your hair & makeup don't change throughout the day. I asked the talented Holly Ryder from Priti Makeup Artistry to give some tips for keeping your makeup in line on a rainy day. Holly says:

• Primer! It will help everything stay in place

• Waterproof eyeliner and mascara

• Choosing creamy products vs powders, ex. a cream blush & liquid foundation or tinted moisturizer instead of powder alternatives

• Good quality lipstick, it has better staying power than a gloss!

Thanks, Holly! 

Be flexible with your timing. If it is raining, chances are there will be a window of time at some point in the day where it stops completely, or it is only spitting/misting. Being able to do some photos before or after you originally planned can be a way to avoid the rainy parts of your day. If the weather is looking sour, consider options like a first look before your ceremony, or some photos after dinner. This gives you more than one opportunity for photos, and makes sure you don't just rely on one specific time. 

However, even on the worst of days you never know when the clouds may break and the sun starts to peak through! 

The most important thing - keep up a positive attitude. Your wedding day is what you make it. You can't control the weather, but you can control how you handle it. Above all, it's important to not let the rain spoil your day. Your shoes may get a little wet, you may not be able to get to locations you planned for, and you may need to adjust your timeline, but after all it's important to remember to have fun. So, take a breather and keep on smiling!

And if all else fails.....have a drink. 

Been caught on a rainy wedding day? What did you do to keep dry and have fun? Leave me a comment!