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this past weekend, i had the great privilege of documenting another fabulous wedding here in Windsor.
i do have to preface this blog post by saying that the weather here in Windsor has been way too hot for weddings this past July, and i think from now on i'm going to suggest to all July brides, that they plan for a hawaiin themed wedding. shorts, t-shirts, and maybe a slip & slide or a sprinkler (for the guests to enjoy).
it's been CRAZY HOT!!!!
ok, i'm back to the wedding post now.
Catherine & Joe's wedding was not just a hot wedding, but it was a lovely wedding.
i met these two lovebirds last Christmas, for the very first time, even though Catherine had hired me to document her wedding during a phone call last summer. these two make Boston their home, and i was so blessed that i was able to be involved in their big day.
when i first spoke to Catherine, she had mentioned that originally they had dreamed of a small and intimate affair, but quickly realized that their dream wedding was going to be something very different.
Catherine is Croatian, and Joe is French. small and intimate weddings are not in either of these group's vocabulary.
i am part french canadian, and i know that not only is family a HUGE deal, but the party WITH the family is super important!!!
i found out that Croatian's are no different.
it's all about the family, the love, the friends, the family (i had to mention that again since it's so important), and the gathering together to surround a newly married couple with blessings and hugs!
oh, and there needs to be a lot of food and desserts.
don't even get me started on the sweet tables!!! oh my !!
i always wish i not only had time to eat dessert when i'm at a wedding, but that i actually had room to eat some of the sweets. i'm always too full after dinner!
a big thank you goes out to Joe & Catherine, for not only being a terribly sweet and loving couple, but for having fun with me on your wedding day! it is always so wonderful to be a witness to the wedding of two people that absolutely adore each other, and you two were no different.
i wish you all the love and happiness in the world, and i am so very blessed to have met you both.
Catherine, your wedding dress is my most favourite dress EVER!! thanks for buying it so that i could photograph it!
now, onto photographs!!
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catherine & joe ~ a windsor ontario wedding
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another windsor ontario wedding~
Mary & Rick got married here in Windsor, in a lovely Polish/Catholic ceremony here in town, with the reception held at St.Francis of Assisi Church Hall. i don't think i have ever been served so much food at a wedding before. it was impressive!!!
Mary contacted me last december, about the possibility of documenting her summer wedding, and i'm so thankful that she did! Mary is the good friend of one of my brides, Laurie, and the two of them talked about all things wedding when they climbed Mt.Everest last November.
yep, you read that correctly.
two of my clients are cool enough (and maybe a little bit insane enough) to have climbed not only Mount Everest, but they also climbed Mount Kilimanjaro a few years ago!! these adventurous pharmacists do these crazy things to raise money for charity, and i think it's fabulous!!
ok, sorry...... too many exclamation points in that last little bit. i'll try harder in the next paragraph.
Mary & Rick are not only adorable together, but they are goofy as well, and have the greatest sense of humour. even in the insane and unbearable heat of last Saturday, they both just had fun & joked around, laughed at each other, and i wouldn't have been surprised one little bit if they'd put one another in a headlock or something.
it was HOT HOT HOT, and i'm sure they were thankful for the air-conditioned limo.
if there had been a pool at Branteaney's B&B (where we took some photos), i wouldn't have put it past them to just jump in fully clothed. the bridal party was ready to run through the sprinklers (but they decided that an air-conditioned limo filled with cold drinks and brownies was a good alternative)!
i don't normally get quite as much time to just take fun photos of the bride & groom, as i did on this day, so there are quite a few more styled photos than i normally take. it was fun to just try some new ideas and make some quirky portraits.
i am so blessed to work with clients that are not only interesting and adventurous, but that are genuine and real. i just love people who can just be themselves and have fun, show me their love for each other and those around them. it's just such a treat.
when writing about each wedding, i try to think of something out of the ordinary that i got to experience, and there was one thing that happened at this wedding that made me smile.
for the reception, they hired a DJ AND a polish one-man band for the music. i have to say, that i have never heard polish disco before, and now i can say that i have. that guy was great!
Mary & Rick, thank you for just being you. thank you for allowing me to document some of the special moments of your wedding day, and to have a small glimpse into your lives. i know that you will have a marriage filled with love and laughter (goat chin moves & head-butts), and i'm sure that your new home will be fabulous. i wish you all the very best, and thank you for the heartfelt hugs when i left your reception. i love hugs.
church~ Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Windsor
reception ~ St. Francis of Assisi Parish Hall, WIndsor
decorator~ Soiree Event Extraordinaire
flowers ~ Flowers by Phil Sadi, WIndsor
cake ~ The Pastry Table, Windsor
DJ ~ Donovan Mariani, Open Air Events
gown ~ Bridal Couture, Windsor
make-up~ Nayeli Castellanos, Karitas for You
hair~ Megan, Unity Salon
Michael Toe:
Wow! Beautiful Pictures!
(07.21.10)
Lesley:
I love the bride's dress and bracelet! Gorgeous! Michele, some of my favourite pics you're doing these days are the compositions of all the wedding details (food, place settings, etc.). They compile all in one the vision the couple was trying to achieve, and you make it look so beautiful!
(07.21.10)
Photographick Studio:
Love the detail pictures, they are so unique and different, the angles are great and the colors pop off the page. Love the unique set-ups of the formals and bridal party pictures. Great set of images!
(07.27.10)
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mary & rick's windsor ontario wedding
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a wedding here in Windsor Ontario~
it's that time again.....
BLOG TIME!!!!!
yes, it's a couple of days later than i hoped it would be, but i'm in the midst of wedding insanity around here, and i'm pretty much editing around the clock, so i'm hoping that no one will mind a blog post on Friday instead of Wednesday.
thanks a bunch.
last year, i got a phone call from a bride, we'll call her Stephanie, and we just hit it off immediately! i got a sense from this lovely bride, that she had some SERIOUS plans for her big day, and i couldn't get enough of her excitement!! you see, not only did Stephanie have some BLING BLING ideas for her wedding, but she was totally and madly in love with her fiance, and you could hear that in her voice.
when she asked me to be a part of her day, i knew that i was in for a treat!
i wasn't disappointed.
Stephanie & Kevin's wedding was last Saturday here in Windsor, and i think that the day lived up to Steph's expectations, in more ways than one. family & friends came from all around, to surround this couple with love and attention (and marshmallows), and i don't think i've ever seen so many tears of joy at any wedding thus far.
one thing that stood out to me, was the fact that Steph's grandmother flew in from Florida to not only be at the gown shop when Stephanie picked out her dress, but again when she had her dress fittings! that's the kind of love that encircled this couple last weekend, and didn't disappoint.
it was a HOT day yet again (imagine that.... a hot day in July) , but we tried to keep out of the blazing sun and spent some time finding a couple of shady locations for photos! let me just say, that an air conditioned limo-bus filled with cold champagne and beer always helps to keep people cool. just sayin'.
The ceremony was held at Assumption Church at the University of Windsor, and even though it was NOT air-conditioned, it was a beautiful service with lots of tears of joy.
Stephanie & Kevin picked the St.Clair Centre of the Arts for their reception , and i don't think they could have picked a nicer place. decked out in some BLING decor, with a cake that kept on going, the dinner and party was fantastic! i'm sure the party continued into the night, with dancing, hugging, and pelting with marshmallows (don't ask).
i want to take a moment to thank Stephanie & Kevin for letting me be a part of their wedding day. You guys obviously adore each other to pieces, and the commitment that you have for each other is wonderful to observe. you have had some crazy ups and downs with jobs and moving around lately, but all those things have made you guys come together and really commit to each other in such a great way. with the help if your 'lucky penny' , i'm sure that you will not only have the most awesome life together, but a life filled with adventure and love, boating adventures and the most wonderful family around.
big hugs to you both!!
scroll to the bottom of this post to see some of the awesome vendors that helped make this day special!
now.... the PHOTOS!!!
florist~ Girard & Co. http://www.girardflowers.com/
decor~ Designs by Diane http://www.designsdiane.com
cake ~Renee's Fine Cakes http://www.reneesfinecakes.com/
DJ & photobooth ~ Flashpoint Productions http://www.flashpointpro.com
wedding gown ~ David's Bridal http://www.davidsbridal.com
shoes ~ Deborah Thomson http://www.figgiephotography.com
reception ~ St.Clair Centre of the Arts http://www.stclaircentre.ca/
hair ~ Nicole White from Parlour, Windsor
invitations ~ You're Invited, Chatham http://www.youre-invited.ca
Emilie Bowman:
Looks like I get to be the first to comment :)
Beautiful photos as always momma, and even though I've told you a million times it doesnt hurt to say it again...You are so extremely talented!
Ps- I love the shoes! And the green and purple colours:)
(07.16.10)
Judi Beswick:
As the mother of the bride suffering post wedding blues, these remarkable pics of the wedding brought tears of joy and laughter. Mich, no question you have spectacular talent!
Judi
Stephanie BELL:
As the Bride - All I can say is ThAnK You!!! Thank you for capturing our day and making the memroies last on forever. Thank you for keeping the spirit light and fun even though we thought we might melt away. Thank you for making sure all the small details keivn and i were to busy to truly admire. Thank you for being so taleneted!!!
I couldnt imagin anyone else photographing us on our wedding day!!! I love the pics and cant wait to see the rest of them!!!
Your amazingly taleneted and so much fun to work with!!!
Cheers
Stephanie
amy:
looks like a fun couple!! love the colors they went with!!! i can see why the bride adores them!! they are really gorgeous images!!
(07.17.10)
paige ramsay:
i was lucky enough to be stephs "maid" on that special day and special it was...you captured it all...you have an amazing talent...thank you for helping in making stephs day so special!!!
(07.21.10)
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stephanie & kevin's windsor ontario wedding
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a wedding in a backyard near Dresden Ontario~
i don't know how to begin this blog post, because there are just so many things that keep popping into my head about this wedding and how i feel about this couple! i'm finding it difficult to put it all into words.
please bear with me as i try to muddle my way through all of this.
today, eric & lesley are dear to my heart, but i didn't know them until they contacted me about documenting their wedding.
i have a confession to make......
you see, i grow attached to my clients, and when they get married, it just makes me smile from the inside out! i put every ounce of my being into my work, i try to make it personal and truly capture the essence and emotions of the bride and groom, and i grow attached.
when total strangers let me into their lives , like Lesley has, and allow me to get to know them even just a little bit, then i can't help but get all mushy about their FABULOUS wedding and all the lovey-dovey stuff of marriage.
not only has Lesley been sooooooooooo much fun to work with, but she took me purse and shoe shopping when i met her for lunch in Ottawa in June, and well........ that put me over the edge. i kinda (in a wee, small little way) like shoes and purses.
Eric & Lesley met on the train, Eric pursued Lesley with everything he had in him, Lesley was eventually won over BIGTIME, and they have been together ever since.
seriously? meeting on the train? awesome.
these two live in the Ottawa area, but they celebrated their wedding at Eric's family farm near Chatham.
it was the most charming wedding i've been to yet, mostly because of all the little touches of home and the effort of the community to make this an event to remember. jars of flowers grown in the neighbour's yard adorned the tables, homemade tarts for dessert, friends who fixed up their farms so that we could have beautiful locations to shoot photos, a tractor ride to the reception ,a local band to help this crowd party through the night, Eric's dad and his 'SURPRISE' wheel barrel of fireworks at 10:30pm, pulled pork sandwiches and potato salad for dinner, and the love and laughter of family and friends.
oh, and when you have a father that will dance AND do 'air guitar' at the same time, you know that you're having a great wedding. just sayin' !
the only downside to the day, was that i fell off the road when i was walking back to the reception after shooting bridal party photos. yep, i fell OFF the road!
i was walking along the road, carrying all my camera gear, minding my own business, when all of a sudden i twisted my ankle on the side of the road (which is at least 2 inches higher than the gravel shoulder) , and i found myself flat on the ground in a big cloud of dust, camera gear and all. first i looked to make sure that no one saw me (check), and then i limped back the to the tent. oh, did i hurt my knee!!! it's still purple and scraped, but oh well, i'm a clutz sometimes.
Eric & Lesley......
words cannot describe how thankful i am that you chose me to not only document your wedding, but to be a part of your lives. your joy, laughter, super-fun nature, and love for each other is contagious, and i am so grateful to have been a part of it all. i know that the next year will be a challenge with Eric being deployed, but you have such a great network of friends and family that will support you and hold you up until you can be together again.
my sincerest wish is that you have a lifetime of joy and happiness together!
thank you so much for everything.
here are a few photos from the big day!
Megan:
I absolutely LOVE her bouquets These pictures are so precious and it looks like the wedding was sooo much fun!!
(07.08.10)
Amy Malott:
I LOVE the Massy Ferguson Emblem with the rings, as a farm girl....love, love, love it. Great job.
(07.08.10)
CL Steele Studio | Portland Wedding Photographer:
Great images of a fun day! The man "playing the guitar" cracked me up! Great shots!
(07.08.10)
Emilie Bowman :
Wow, she is seriously beautiful. And you are so very talented momma :) Great job and awesome looking wedding :)
(07.08.10)
Olivia Weaver:
Fantastic job Michele! You did such justice to capturing the essence of the day and everyone's personalities. Thank you for the chance to relive last weekend! You are truly talented and Lesley is so lucky to have found you! (And of course we are so lucky my brother found her on the train)
(07.09.10)
Lesley:
Y'all are killing me with the lovely comments! I cannot stop looking at these pics. Michele's talent is so incredibly special. She just knows how to capture and make even more beautiful those moments that just draw you in. Thank you from the bottom of my heart! Eric's too!
(07.10.10)
Tracy Walden:
What a great day! What great memories are captured here! I'm so bummed Brent and I were not there to share in the experience. Especially to see Eric's dad playing air guitar! These pics are the bomb.
(07.12.10)
Lindsay:
Wow, guys... Beautiful, beautiful. The photos are amazing, so touching. For a brief second, I felt I was there sharing it with you. I so wish I could have been. Lesley, you're a knock out. Eric, handsome as ever. You look so happy! Congratulations.
(07.14.10)
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lesley & eric's Chatham Ontario backyard wedding
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this blog post is being written a few days later than i had hoped it would be, so i apologize to Rita and Bryan for taking soooooooooo long to post some of their engagement photos! being in the throngs of my busiest time of the year, i just needed a couple of extra days to get things done.
thanks for your patience!
Rita & Bryan are getting married this fall, and i can't wait!! these two are terribly sweet, fun to hang around, and they are just perfect for each other.
one of the things that i appreciated the most about doing this engagement session, was that even though these two were a bit camera shy at first, they still trusted me, let me do my thing, and ended up having some fun along the way.
oh, and they are super brave mosquito fighters as well. i would position them for a shot, take my shot, and then we would all start swatting at the mosquitoes that were attacking us! poor Rita seemed to take the brunt of it. i need to start bringing Deep Woods Off to every session i do.
these two met at the University of Windsor, namely Essex Hall, where they both studied (and then became) engineers. they wanted to incorporate the university into their photos, so that's we did. when i asked them what they adore about each other, and what they do for fun, they both answered that they love each other's sense of humour. i also found out that they like to speak in funny accents to each other as well, so i begged to them to do that, since (for some reason) i find that entertaining. it was a version of an irish/scottish accent, which was pretty impressive.
i am not good at fake accents at all, so i always appreciate people who give it there all and do their best.
These two have a nice fall wedding planned in Windsor, and i can't wait to photograph the big day!!
well, now is the moment where i post some photos!!
(disclaimer~ a great many mosquitoes were either harmed, squished or killed during the taking of these photographs)
Chris:
You guys look great! BA, I think you might need some dancing lessons. I can't wait for the wedding!
(07.08.10)
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rita & bryan {windsor ontario engagement photography}
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