Janice Yi Photography
A couple of days before Alaina & Denis’ gorgeous wedding in Negril, we met in the morning and took some engagement/pre-wedding photos for them in and around Negril. We drove around in the early morning and checked out a few cliff-side locations for the session. It was a hot, but gorgeous, morning with a lovely couple!
Near the end of November, I had the opportunity to photograph Alaina & Denis’ destination wedding in Negril, Jamaica. It’s always exciting to shoot in new places. But I’ve come to the realization that no matter how beautiful the setting, it’s the people that make it special. While a wedding is a manifestation of love and commitment between two people, it’s also a coming together of family and friends. So in truth, it’s a celebration of all kinds of love. And I think it’s so fitting because in life, there’s love, there’s also friendship, and family. Alaina and Denis met in university, so besides their closest family, their good friends were also there to celebrate their big day. Witnessing all this love, I couldn’t help but think that as a photographer, I couldn’t ask for more.
Here’s the story of Alaina and Denis’ wedding day: a celebration of love in all its forms, by the ocean with the sound of waves, in beautiful Negril.
Door games are such fun Chinese heritage wedding traditions. Often with random and crazy challenges for the boys.
Like drinking a cup of mixed sauces (consisting of something sweet, sour, bitter, and spicy).
Or doing push ups at the same time.
Or singing along to Bruno Mars’ Marry Me.
Or doing the Single Ladies routine.
You get the idea ;)
This is what happens when boys put on boutonnieres – they go on backwards :D
Remember this relaxed and sunny engagement session on the Toronto islands? Sarah & Dave tied the knot in September at the beautiful Mike Weir Estate Winery. Their Mike Weir Winery wedding combined their fantasy of having a destination wedding in an Italian vineyard with the wish to have all their friends and family be a part of their important day. This was the first wedding ever held at the winery, and combined with decor & florals by Fresh Collaborative Events, Sarah and Dave’s vision was brought to life wonderfully.
As photographers, we don’t often get mentioned in speeches. I think mainly because the fruits of our labour aren’t seen until after the wedding. But at Sarah & Dave’s wedding, Dave mentioned a little moment that happened during their engagement/Document Love session that really stayed with me. I had asked them to express their love for each only by looking each other in the eye and gave them a minute or two to absorb that. Dave said at first it was a bit funny, but then as the moments wore on, he realized that they don’t do this enough: to slow down and just look each other in the eye or just really be in the moment.
So, thank you Sarah & Dave for inviting me into these moments on your wedding day. Here’s their story as seen through my lens.
The Wedding team:
Venue: Mike Weir Winery
Catering: Feastivities
Decor & Floral: Fresh Collaborative Events
DJ: Dave at The Sound Solution
Remember this boho cottage engagement/Document Love session? Brittany and James had a rustic farm wedding at James’ family farm on a warm September afternoon.
The day started beautifully, but by mid-day, the rain clouds moved in. Then it rained on and off for the rest of the afternoon. Finally the rain broke off long enough for the outdoor ceremony to proceed. The sun even came out for a bit. It was a beautiful ceremony, relaxed and intimate with their sweet Labrador Abby leading the procession down the aisle. Brittany even went barefoot. The rest of the day was just as beautiful and intimate, finishing with a crazy dance party and sparklers.
Here’s Brittany and James’ wedding story!
If you’ve been to my site before, you know about my love of Iceland. So when Gita contacted me about photographing  an anniversary portrait session in Iceland for her and Matt, I almost fell off my chair.  When we met, we just chatted away about travel. I learned that we share the same love for travelling, new experiences and the open road. I also learned that they’d be celebrating 14 years of marriage at the beginning of September. So the trip to Iceland was pretty special. September couldn’t come soon enough for all of us.
I often get asked what I think is the most important thing to consider when working with a photographer. And at meetings, I always get asked questions like what kind of camera I use, whether I use Nikon or Canon, etc etc. While those questions are legitimate questions, I think the most important thing is whether you feel a connection to your photographer and their work. Working with a photographer is like making friends, if you have a connection with them, it’ll be a much more rewarding working relationship. Because photography isn’t just a product, and what your photographer tries to capture isn’t just what the eyes can see.
Thank you Gita & Matt, for bringing me to Iceland to document this milestone in your life and for trusting me to do it.
Ever wanted to be in two places at once? You can at the Bridge Between Two Continents. :)
Laura and Francis had a beautiful wedding at Holland Marsh Winery on a gorgeous day at the end of June. I’ve been to a quite a few wineries in Ontario by now and it was my first time at Holland Marsh. It is quite a little gem in the country just outside of Newmarket.
Surrounded by family and close friends, it was a relaxed and heartfelt celebration. There is such a sense of family and community at their wedding – I love how a wedding brings people together. One of my favourite moments was when Francis danced with his mom to Barry Manilow’s Can’t Smile Without You, everyone started waving their arms along with the music.
Here’s the story of Laura and Francis’ wedding day!
