TRASH THE DRESS

"What's this ?"

You ask.

Our first Trash the Dress.

On our recent trip to Jamaica we had had our bride playing with the idea of trashing her dress.

They had us at the Riu Ochos Rios for a week anyway so what the hell.

We threw in a session on the beach the morning after, of rolling about with some fun and games in the warm Caribbean waters fully dressed as bride and groom.

Traditionally, brides have only been able to wear their expensive dresses on their wedding day......and that was that.

Some have been saving their dresses for their children , sold the dress or possibly turned it into an evening gown and then along came trash the dress.

Now the bride can get even more milage out of that $1000.00+ piece of expensive fabric and show her further commitment to her husband.

We started out with a beach full of people and though not sunny, a pleasant day.

Then it came.....

Rain, rain and more rain.

Hey, no more people on the beach anyway.

We had it ALL to ourselves.

I was soaked, my camera was soaked and what the hey...they were going to get wet anyway, and so we shot...through the downpour.

First the dunking and some great expressions on Lisa's face as she literally took the plunge and then time for some romantic moments as her man held her tight to him and they pressed their lips against each other oblivious of the rain and running makeup.

DESTINATION WEDDINGS...Jamaica me crazy

We recently came back from Ochos Rios Jamaica photographing Lisa and Norman's wedding.
What an awesome place to get married and few places could have been more romantic.
Beautiful beaches and warm temps.
A small and intimate ceremony on the beach with a handful of family and friends.
All the food and drink one could ever want and for Pam and I, the opportunity to shoot something out of the ordinary in an exotic locale.
Lisa and Norman were a great couple and friendships were made.
The entire shoot was a casual and relaxed affair with the couple opting to have their formals photographed prior to the ceremony creating the "Reveal" where the groom waits with his groomsmen with baited breath for his bride to reveal herself to him.

The formals were a romantic affair with warm sand underfoot a pleasant breeze and tepid blue water lapping up the Caribbean beach.

Urban Wedding Show

Pam and myself want to thank everyone who stopped by our booth at the Urban Wedding show in Vancouver recently.
The boutique allowed us valuable one on one time with some of Vancouver's beautiful brides who came looking for quality wedding services.
It also gave us the chance to catch up with other wedding professionals and exchange different ideas and views.
We wanted to offer our future clients a beautiful 16" x 20" mounted enlargement and we look forward to meeting you in the not too distant future.

Mike & Connie

_MG_9014.5, originally uploaded by roooboyca.

Mike & Connie

_MG_9126, originally uploaded by roooboyca.

Mike and Connie's Engagement

Mike and Connie from Edmonton had commissioned me to shoot their wedding next year but had actually met in Lake Louise and wanted me to shoot them in Lake Louise.
The couple had come down from Edmonton specifically for the shoot and I had flown in from Vancouver Island, so despite the unsettled weather, we were both committed and determined to make it happen.
The other big problem we faced was tourists.
Inclement weather or not, the sheer beauty of one of the Rockies greatest crown jewels couldn't keep the hordes of tourists away.
As a well seasoned photographer, I had always tried to plan my shoots, but, as they say, the best plans of mice and men had taught me to hope for the best and be prepared for the worst.
And so we arrived on the tourist swollen shores of Lake Louise under a threatening sky of grey cloud.
Nevertheless we set up and shot.
I'm a great believer in keeping things simple and in order to keep things flowing I shoot with on -camera flash and minimal direction for my couples.
The idea is to just let them be themselves, enjoy the moment and have some fun.
The couple were great.
Both sharply dressed AND for the conditions, it wasn't long before we got over the initial awkward stage of the shoot and things flowed like butter off a hot knife.
Both young and in love the resulting images revealed a couple who are simply meant for each other.
The light though initially somewhat dull actually brightened up during the shoot providing a lovely enveloping quality of light that complimented Connie's beautiful features.
They were awesome to work with.
We moved about the grounds shooting on the fly and throwing about ideas.
Pointing the camera in a particular direction and using a long lens for selective focus minimized the tourist problem.
The gods had smiled upon us and by the end of the shoot the fog rolled in and the lake had all but disappeared.

Connie & mike

apb, originally uploaded by roooboyca.

Lake Louise Alberta - Magic!