Nadia & Dave - July Wedding in Tignish, PEI

wedding date - july 6th, 2019

Nadia and Dave knew each other since they were kids through Nadia's brother and Dave's buddy Dexter. It wasn't until adulthood when Nadia pressed Dexter on what Dave's story was and what he was like. After hearing she was interested, Dave sprang into action and contacted Nad. The romance grew quickly as they saw exactly what they both wanted - and needed - in the other person. Sixteen months and six days after their first date, Dave proposed to Nadia along the beautiful cliffs of North Cape!

I met Nadia & Dave a few years ago when they starting playing on our multisport league and we’ve since become great friends. It was so fun to be invited to photograph their wedding and I loved getting to know them even more throughout the whole process. They are kind and welcoming people who alway make sure everyone is having a great time in their company. From their wedding they really wanted to have an epic, all night long party with friends, family & community there to celebrate and support them and I think they achieved just that! With over 250 people in attendance, the atmosphere was fun and lively despite all the unpredictable downpours throughout the day. They were married in Tignish and had their cocktail hour and reception in a huge Caseley’s tent on family property. I hope you enjoy these photos as much as I do!

Thank you so much Nadia & Dave for having me capture your wedding day, and congrats to the Brothers!

wedding advice from the couple: 

“Make sure you are both bought into it. It is a lot of work so you may as well have fun together planning it.”

Number of guests - 260

Ceremony - St. Simon & St. Jude, Tignish

Reception - tent provided by Caseley’s, private property

Hair - Phyllis Bernard
Makeup - Rebecca Powers
Wedding Dress - Maggie Sottero, With Love Bridal Boutique, Ottawa
Florals - Alberton Florists

Decor - Miss K's Kreations
Cake - Butter
Catering - MJ's Bakery - Tignish
Transportation - Eclipse Entertainment Company
DJ - DJ Dekz
Late Night Food - Up West Fire Fries

Lauren & Stephen - Fall Wedding at Wintermoor Apple Orchard

wedding date - september 20th, 2019

Stephen & Lauren’s story started in 2014 at UPEI where they were both students. She was a vet student and walking a training dog (Pearl) across campus one day. As Stephen approached on the path, Pearl stopped, rolled over, and waited for a belly rub from Stephen. He kneeled down to pet the dog and chatted up Lauren too, while getting a look at her name tag. A Facebook friend request led to chatting more, and their dating began. Three years later, they got engaged one evening after dinner at the top of the CN Tower.

When planning their wedding Lauren & Stephen wanted a relaxed, happy atmosphere where family and friends could enjoy themselves. Their day was definitely the fun and easy celebration they had hoped for.

I always love photographing weddings at unique locations across the Island and this was a new one for me, Wintermoor Orchard in York, PEI. I’ve photographed there several times before but never a wedding ceremony so this was fun. The nice thing about Fall weddings is the timing of photographs usually syncs up perfectly with the best looking light of the day. That was the case for Lauren & Stephen’s photos. They had the most perfect golden hour sunshine coming through the apple trees, and a great sunset at Covehead Lighthouse.

Congratulations Lauren & Stephen - it was a pleasure!

one piece of advice from the couple:

Stephen - Don’t sweat the little things/details. It will still be the best day of your life. Lauren – Have fun! Find ways to make it personal and representative of you individually and as a couple.

number of wedding guests: 100

Ceremony space - wintermoor apple orchard, york, pe

reception space - pei brewing company

coordination - elysian weddings and events

hair - grand senses salon and spa

makeup - kate ellis, rebecca powers

officiant - brenda bulger

Wedding dress - Morilee, The Wedding Chapel Bridal Boutique

florals - bernadette’s flowers

cake - Ellie Bakes Cakes

Transportation - coach atlantic

DJ - robbie doherty

stationary - shutterfly

2019 Favorites

This end of year post is so rewarding to create each time as I get to look back on every photo taken during the year. Photography takes me to so many new places to meet people and I get to capture some really big moments in their lives. My clients welcome me with open arms and that’s the reason we are able to capture these personal moments. Thank you to every person who was behind the camera this year, it’s been a true pleasure sharing these days with you. Happiness and love really radiate from these photos and that is so great to see.

Please enjoy this collection of some of my personal favorite photos from my wedding and portrait work in 2019.

Hilary & Mike - Married in Bedeque, PEI

wedding date - july 14th, 2017

On her first day of university at UPEI, Hilary arrived late to discover class was full and there was only one seat left in the room. She hurried in and sat down right beside Mike, not knowing that one day this stranger would become her husband! The weeks and months went by and Hilary & Mike became good friends through class, but later parted ways when they both switched schools. Almost two years later they ran into each other in Halifax and spent the rest of the night chatting and catching up. Little did they know, their conversation that evening would never end! 

Years later Hilary & Mike had travelled to see their favorite hockey teams play in Montreal. A few hours after arriving they hiked up to enjoy the views of the city from Mount Royal. Mike handed his phone to a stranger to take a photo of them and surprised Hilary by bringing out an engagement ring! 

Having photographed the wedding of Hilary's sister Bethany and Brother in law Brad, it was special to be invited back into their family again and see it combined with Mike's side as well. Mike & Hilary's wedding day was a hot blue sky day in mid July. They were married close to Hilary's home in Bedeque and celebrated at The Shipyard later that evening. They wanted their wedding day to feel romantic, dreamy, & modern and it did just that. We photographed the majority of formals at McCallum's Point, a special place to the Waugh family where Hilary spent a lot of time swimming and playing as a kid. Standing on the cliffs laughing and enjoying ourselves with the ocean all around us was the best kind of PEI Summer day! To everyone involved in this wedding day, thank you so much for keeping the good vibes going all day long! 

Congratulations Hilary & Mike!

advice from the couple

"Stay organized throughout the planning process. Understand that there will be a light at the end of the tunnel and you will eventually miss planning for your "best day ever". So enjoy it and don't stress!"

Number of guests - 125

Venue - Bedeque United Church, The shipyard

Officiant - Rev. Catherine Stuart

Hair - AMP Hair & Makeup Artistry

makeup - makeup by sabrina sierra

Wedding dress - Maggie Sottero from Kleinfeld 

Groom's suit - Moore's

Florals - Prestige Floral Studio

Decor - Once Upon a Wedding

DJ - Tyler's DJ Services

Cake - Family friend

Stationary - LaBohemmePaperCo - Etsy

Transportation - Eclipse Entertainment

Videography - Fresh Films

Photography - Brady mccloskey photography

Jossie & Liam - September Wedding at The Rivershed

Wedding date - September 10th, 2017

Jossie & Liam are big animal lovers and came up with special touches to include them into their wedding day. Jossie is a long time staff member of The PEI Humane Society, and the couple has fostered countless animals in their home over the years. When Liam proposed to Jossie, he brought her along as he pretended to be looking for a family friend's lost dog in Victoria Park, but when they found Divot he had an engagement ring on his collar! On their wedding day the same dog was their ring bearer and carried rings on his collar once again. 

Adorable foster kittens from the PEI Humane Society helped the girls get ready the morning of the wedding, and these cute photos went viral - being featured on The Dodo, Yahoo, Yahoo News, and CBC! All kittens were quickly adopted afterwards. 

Jossie & Liam were married at his family's Summer home on the water in Cymbria, and hosted their reception at the newly opened Rivershed events venue in Oyster Bed Bridge. Guests enjoyed a long cocktail hour with delicious food and an intimate dinner with great speeches, all followed by the best private fireworks show I've ever seen. This day was so nice to capture, and these are two of the kindest people you could meet. Thank you Jossie & Liam for allowing me to capture your special day <3

Wedding advice from the couple

Just relax! Don't stress about the small stuff, it's not worth it :)

Number of guests - ~80

Officiant - George Clark Dunning

Hair - Crissy Crane
Makeup - Chantelle Brown

Wedding Dress - Perfect Pear Bridal

Florals - Hearts and Flowers

Groom's Suit - Moores Clothing for Men

Decorator - Debby Penny

Venue - The Rivershed

photographer - brady mccloskey

Gloria & Nick - Sparkling NYE Wedding in Charlottetown

Wedding date - December 31st, 2016

Since photographing the wedding of Katie & Greg on NYE 2015, I love the idea of a December 31st wedding. What better way to celebrate and dress up then attending the wedding of two people you love? Or as Gloria put it, what better way to start a new year than to marry your best friend!

Gloria & Nick met in 2008 while both attending UPEI and started dating 3 years later. Shortly after this Nick moved off Island for work as an engineer, but began driving back to PEI every single weekend to visit Gloria. On a cold and rainy day in the Summer of 2015 during their annual hike around Howe Point, Nick used the help of their golden doodle Ollie to propose to Gloria. From there started the wedding planning for NYE!

It is safe to say everyone had such a fun time at this wedding. Gloria & Nick are the type of people you want to be around, and feeding off their energy and enthusiasm was so great. They took every moment as it came, didn't stress about small details, and took the time to enjoy a few limo sociables. It was like hanging out with friends and I love that I was able to capture this day for them. Thank you for the laughs, the hugs, and the espresso shots. 

To Gloria & Nick, here's to many more happy days like this! 

Karen & Lloyd - Elopement in Avonlea

Karen & Lloyd met and started dating in their home province of Newfoundland 11 years ago. After five years together they decided to pack up and move to Prince Edward Island, to a property they never even saw in person. They now call the Island home, living in between two potato patches just as you would. Inspired by their ongoing happiness and love, they decided to elope this June with a little 5 minute ceremony on the North shore of PEI. With just the two of them, Marsha Weeks, a friend to sign as a witness, and me to sign as the second witness, they had a simple and special ceremony overlooking the water. Being a long time Anne of Green Gables fan, Karen picked the picturesque Avonlea Village for photos of the two of them afterwards. We then spent an hour and a half together, laughing and enjoying their new titles as husband and wife.   

Whether your wedding has so many guests that I can't possibly make my way through them all, or so little that I must sign as a witness, everyone's love is just as special in the end. They said they didn't have one good photo of the two of them, but now there are so many. Thank you to Karen & Lloyd for sharing your happiness with me!

Josie & Nick - November wedding at PEI Brewing Company

Wedding date - November 26th, 2016

Josie & Nick have already been together a whole 12 years, since they were little high school kids in grade 10 and 11! After high school they both completed their university degrees and began 4 years of long distance, which ultimately made their relationship stronger. Being a doctor and a nurse, their careers have taken them from Charlottetown, to Halifax and now to their new home in Kelowna, BC. However, when it came to planning their wedding they returned to PEI for the big day. We started their photos at Josie's parent's home and then headed to the Prince Edward Island Brewery for their wedding ceremony and reception. 

I often get asked if I enjoy photographing my friends, and the answer is always YES! There were so many members of the wedding party, family, and guests that I knew and it made the experience even better. Starting with one of the most real and emotional first looks I've ever captured, Josie & Nick's entire event was a joy to be a part of. Their love is so strong and evident to everyone around them, it really was a beautiful thing to see. Plus, don't they look so great together?!

Congratulations to The Mooneys! 

Makeup - AMP Hair and Makeup Artistry

Hair - Divine Hair Design

Bride's dress - Karma Bridal, Zachary Alexander

Groom's suit - Tip Top Tailors

Florals - Branches & Blooms

Officiant - Brenda Bulger

Band - Vintage

Venue - PEI Brewing Company 

Lindsey & Derek - Married in their own backyard

wedding date - September 27th, 2016

In the winter of 2013, Lindsey & Derek connected in Canmore, Alberta and went skiing for their first date. What was supposed to be a couple hour long date turned into the entire day as they laughed and chatted the whole time, feeling as though they had met each other ages ago. Since then they have been back and forth between Derek's home on PEI, and Lindsey's home in Alberta. When it was time to plan the wedding day, their cottage in Rollo Bay, PEI became the perfect setting. It was a rainy ceremony but with their positive and fun attitudes, it was hardly noticed.

Lindsey & Derek are incredibly laid back and easy to be around. Their wedding day reflected this from the start and the main priority was for guests to be as relaxed as possible. As Lindsey put it - "We broke every rule we could...no assigned seating, ditched the cake and formalities, sat on hay bails and just had a ton of laughs and love." 

One of their favorite moments of the day was when Derek surprising Lindsey with professional highland dancers and bagpipers at the reception! Lindsey used to teach highland dance and it has been a tradition in the family to dance at each other's weddings. They had the entire barn moving so Lindsey and her sister even joined in on the fun. 

I hope you will enjoy all the laughs and moments from this day as much as I did. Thank you another amazing couple, and congratulations to The Hennesseys!

Ceremony venue - private home

Reception venue - Rollo Bay Fiddle Festival

Officiant - brenda bulger

Hair - Kerri Dawn

makeup - amp hair and makeup artistry

flowers - stephanie compton

Band - Larque

Stationary - vistaprint

Transportation - COach atlantic 

Entertainment - The College of Piping

photography - brady mccloskey

Laurence & Peter - Outdoor Wedding at Shaw's Hotel

wedding date - September 4th, 2016

Laurence & Peter wanted the focus of their wedding day to be about celebrating with friends and family in a relaxed and casual atmosphere on beautiful Prince Edward Island. Although Laurence is from Montreal and Peter from Halifax, many of Peter's family is from the Island and it is where they spend a lot of their vacation time during the year. When it came time to plan their wedding, PEI seemed like the natural fit! Many guests travelled from away so the Island became the home base for a week of activities to thank everyone for coming from afar. 

The picturesque Shaw's Hotel provided the wedding venue on a sunny and warm September afternoon. After the backyard ceremony, we escaped to the beach for photos while guests enjoyed lots of time to mingle, drink, and eat some Island seafood chowder. We all gathered again on the back patio for some stories and laughs before heading inside for their incredible meal and more speeches. Laurence & Peter's friends even surprised them after dinner with a hilarious puppet show depicting how they met and fell in love! Then, it was on to the 'Lobster Trap' barn to dance the night away. 

Thank you Laurence & Peter for choosing Prince Edward Island for your beautiful wedding day! 

Venessa & Fabian - Waterfront Wedding in Shediac, NB

Wedding date - September 17th, 2016

Venessa & Fabian met 6 years ago through mutual friends at a NYE party in Halifax, Nova Scotia. After only dating for a short time, they spontaneously booked a trip to the Caribbean which turns out would be the start of many more travel adventures together. The pair were engaged a few years later when Fabian popped the question right before their big European vacation. They spent those next three weeks basking in their engagement bliss!

Their September wedding day was a relaxed and casual affair with the ceremony taking place in Venessa's parent's backyard in the community of Grande-Digue, outside Shediac, New Brunswick. The blue sky, warm breeze, and water views made for an incredible set up. Two friendly and welcoming families came together that day, making for a wonderful time. Fabian and I are first cousins, so their day was even more special for me! Ven & Fabian are just the type of people you want to be around. Their caring and genuine personalities made every guest proud to be a part of their wedding day, one we will always remember. 

Congratulations Venessa & Fabian! 

Reception venue - Notre Centre

Makeup - Irresistible Hair Fashion

Dress - Vera Wang, David's Bridal

Groom's suit - Moore's

Florals - Costco

Decor - Imagination Decor

DJ - DJ Funk

Dessert - Cow's Ice Cream

Photography - brady mccloskey photography