Whistler Wedding Photographer | Nita Lake Lodge | Camille & Greg

February 17, 2012 by Pascale | Leave a comment

I love winter weddings in Whistler. The love and warmth flowing from the couple and guests is always so overwhelming that they somehow make you feel warm.

Camille and Greg, married at Nita Lake Lodge were just that couple. A very intimate gathering with a gorgeous sit down dinner. It was a fun-filled, relaxed evening with many shared memories and stories. Some of which can not be repeated here! After dinner, the guests were invited into the Library to test their hand at some gambling. As of the close of the evening with some poker chips skittering across the table, it was yet to be seen who had the true grit to come out on top. But I guess in the end, we all know who got the winning hand.

Looking for some advice straight from someone who’s been through it all from your shoes? Check out Camille’s story below.

How did he propose and what made you say yes? 
We were seadooing and he pretended the machine was broken so he had to go in the water to fix. Came up with a ring!! Very romantic. I was so afraid I would drop the ring I couldn’t get it on my finger fast enough. In fact I put it on the wrong hand! Why yes? – we fit together. He’s a wonderful person and we gel.
 
How did Whistler become your number one choice of where to tie the knot? 
That’s a bit of a long story. First we were going to Colorado – too expensive. Then somewhere warm like Florida, however with my niece due at the beginning of February we had to eliminate travel options for my sister in law. Thus Whistler as they have a place there and my brother was married there a few years before. Very beautiful. 
 
What was your criteria when looking for your dress and how did you know once you found it? 
It was my moms. Didn’t even need any alterations!
 
Describe your design elements and the inspiration behind them. 
I wanted winter white to fit the locale. The red roses were because my dad, who passed away a few years ago, loved red roses. We also added a feather into each of the families flowers to bring my dad into the celebration. 
 
What was the number one piece of advice given to you while planning your wedding?
Keep an open mind… and plan ahead. In hindsight I would recommend a wedding planner on the wedding day. Too many things to remember and enjoy!
 
Venue: Nita Lake Lodge
Photography: Gadbois Photography
Floral: Eleni Floral

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Whistler Wedding Photographer | How to Look Hot in Your Photos

February 16, 2012 by Pascale | Leave a comment

1. Hire a hot photographer.

It’s true. A hot photographer will deliver hot photographs to you. When you find the one that you click with, book them fast. Top photographers book up to a year in advance and you don’t want to miss out.

 

2. To pose or not to pose…

This is the question. Photojournalistic? Or Formal? Love can be caught in both and both are needed. But character and raw emotion are found in photojournalistic work. Consider giving your photographer creative leeway to explore this area.

 

3. Practice makes perfect.

A little warm up during an engagement session let’s you get use to the photographer and them get used to you. Let’s face it, we aren’t usually accustomed to having a rather large lens in our proximity and it can be a little daunting for some.

 

4. Ignore the photographer.

Unless of course they are offering a suggestion. Then listen, please. Otherwise a great photographer will make themselves blend into the crowd and be subtle in movement and presence. The more you can pretend they aren’t there, the better photos you will receive. Even if you feel the camera is on you, don’t stop what you’re doing to look up and smile.

 

5. Hire a good make up artist.

There isn’t much more that needs to be said on this one. Natural, natural, natural. Oh yes, and flawless.

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Whistler Wedding Photographer | Whistler Blackcomb | Joanna & Phillip

February 15, 2012 by Pascale | Leave a comment

This was one of those days when you wake up and realize how lucky you are. A private wedding on the slopes on a beautiful snowy day. The commissioner, a guide and myself serving as photographer and witness.

A couple of turns, a few photos, a couple more turns, a few more photos, a few more turns and … oh hang on, Phillip, hang on to Joanna … she’s slipping into the trees!

What can I say other than pure heaven!

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Whistler Wedding Photographer | Edgewater Lodge | Breanne, David & Jackson

February 10, 2012 by Pascale | Leave a comment

How did he propose and what made you say yes?

I was in New York City and planned to return to Seattle to take a road trip with Dave to Yosemite.  Unbeknownst to me, he had planned a perfect mountain proposal.  I called him the day before I was to fly home to meet him and said, “I am having so much fun out here!  You should fly out to New York City and we’ll enjoy our first ‘city’ vacation!”  Dave is a laid back guy, so he immediately agreed, which left his planning at square one.  He flew to NYC the next day.  We strolled through Central Park near the Bow Bridge, where I requested we rent a row boat.  Little did I know, that was his plan all along.  We rowed under the bridge and he was so patient to take several pictures with me; meanwhile he snuck the ring out of his pocket and was so nervous he could barely get the words out, “Marry me!”  As I tried to get my bearings, he let me know that there was a photographer in the trees capturing the whole event.  It took several days before I could really grasp all that happened in the crazy moment under the bridge.  I’d known for several years that this was not only the man I was going to marry, but he was, as I regularly refer to him,  “the greatest man ever invented!”  There was no question in my mind that I was going to say yes, but in the flurry of emotions, I couldn’t get the words out until he said, “you haven’t said yes yet.”  To which I replied, “Of course!”

How did Whistler become your number one choice of where to tie the knot?

I grew up in Colorado and always envisioned getting married in the Colorado Rockies.  Dave grew up in Seattle and visited Whistler regularly with his family.  As is Whistler’s nature, the mountain town took a piece of Dave’s heart.  We visited Whistler for my first time in February of 2006.  I spent a week with our closest friends and Dave’s mom and dad and fell for Whistler as Dave had so many years ago.  Dave’s father passed away unexpectedly 3 years later.  We visited Whistler regularly and always felt the spirit of Dave’s father.  In fact there is a piece of him on 7th Heaven (his favorite place to ski in Whistler).  When we got engaged and started to think about where we were going to exchange our vows, we drove up to Whistler to see if it might be the place for us.  The moment we arrived we felt Dave’s dad’s presence all around us and we knew immediately that this was where we would celebrate our union.

What was the number one piece of advice given to you while planning your wedding and what would you pass on to newly engaged brides to help them in the coming months?

My number one piece of advice is to wake up the morning of your wedding and take a deep breath and smile!  This is the day you get to marry your best friend!  I am sure you will go through some tough times when planning, but this day, this day is yours!  If things don’t go as planned, who cares?! You are still marrying your best friend! 

Venue: Edgewater Lodge

Photography: Gadbois Photography

Floral: Eleni Floral

Hair: Jamie O’Neill

Photobooth: Fat Yeti

Accommodation: Pan Pacific

Rehearsal Dinner: Whistler Golf Club

Entertainment: The Hairfarmers

 

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Whistler Wedding Photographer | Edgewater Lodge | Darienne & Joe

February 6, 2012 by Pascale | Leave a comment

I loved this wedding and you’ll see why as you take a moment to go through the photography. Everyone was so relaxed and the day was gorgeous. They had two ‘must have’s’ and one ‘maybe’. Darienne wanted to arrive in a canoe with her dad and depart in the canoe with Joe. They wanted to have their 8 month old pup be a part of the photography and if all went well, to have their little niece and nephew help walk them down the aisle. Well, sometimes things just have a way of working out and they got all three wishes.

Proudly Featured on 30-Something Bride. Read below for a little about the ceremony and reception straight from Darienne.

A little about their ceremony:

Our wedding was held at the Edgewater Lodge in Whistler, British Columbia.  The morning was a beautiful summer day, it was warm and sunny.  We spent the morning getting ready at the lodge, Joe and some of his boys went for a run and then started getting ready.  Pascale arrived to start the photos just as I was attempting to get my dress on… luckily she was there, because we needed some help figuring out how to tie it properly, I seem to remember a hand up my dress!  We also got great photos of the flower girl hiding under my dress.  My dad and I then headed out in a warrior style canoe to make our entrance.  As our guide paddled us around the corner we saw everyone seated on the lawn waiting for the bride, as they saw us they started waving.  Before we got to shore, the bridal party walked down the aisle.  The ring bearer and flower girl (Leo and Sienna, both around 3 years old) did a great job; however, the ring pillow was a bit big, and at the end of the aisle Leo gave it a drop kick!  Sienna was so meticulous in her petal laying that only about 5 petals made it onto the aisle!  My dad walked me down the aisle to a friend of ours playing the theme from the Princess Bride (my favourite movie) on guitar and I finally saw Joe waiting for me in his full tux with the beautiful mountain scenery and blue sky behind him.  The Reverend gave a wonderful speech incorporating personal notes about us, our families and our wedding party.  In the background Leo decided that there were really too many petals on the aisle and started picking them back up!  Joe’s aunts sung a stunning version of “Make you feel my love” while we signed the registry.  We had a few comments on our kiss… apparently it was a bit long!  Finally, we came down the aisle in a shower of bubbles, we took fun group photos with all of the guests and made our get away in the canoe!

A little about their reception:

Just as we were finishing up our photos, the sky started to darken and as soon as we were all inside the rains came, so we feel extremely lucky!  We made our entrance to the Rocky Theme song (Joe’s favourite movie) and got a couple good jabs in on each other.  Everyone was finally seated and through out the evening we had wonderful, funny and moving speeches from all our closest family and friends.  What really kept the night going was a trivia game put together by our close friends; it was a mountain that our game piece (Joe and I on a bike with our dog in the basket) climbed with each right answer.  Also with each right answer we had to kiss with increasing “x-rated-ness” (starting with butterfly kisses up to a full dip and make out!)

After a quick slideshow, the dancing started and with such an intimate space in the lodge everyone was up and taking part!  It felt like a short night, but it was so much fun.

Venue: Edgewater Lodge

Photography: Gadbois Photography

Wedding Planner: Sea to Sky Celebrations

Floral: Eleni Floral

DJ: Whistler DJ’s

 

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Whistler Wedding Photographer | Four Seasons | Lindsay & Joey

February 3, 2012 by Pascale | Leave a comment

There were crazy amounts of love on this wedding day at Four Seasons in Whistler. Lindsay and Joey were the sweetest couple and completely enamoured with one another. Their laid back nature made this one of the most relaxing and fun days. Plus she’s gorgeous and well….so is he and my camera lens liked that.

It was a small intimate gathering of family and close friends. And to make sure they could make the most of every moment, Lindsay and Joey chose to get first look photos done.

It was such a pleasure, thank you for letting us be a part of your special day. Congratulations to both of you.

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Whistler Wedding Photographer | Nicklaus North | Brook & Daryl

February 1, 2012 by Pascale | Leave a comment

Meet Brook and Daryl. They just got married! They tied the knot this past past December at Nicklaus North Golf Course and it was intimate; it was lovely; it was relaxing. If that isn’t already enough to make for a perfect day, they’re beautiful too. And amazing to work with….a photographers dream really!

They’ve been sweet enough to share their story and advice to other brides.

How did he propose and what made you say yes?

Daryl & I went on a date one evening to Grouse Mountain to go on the Sleigh Ride and to go skating, as this is something I have always wanted to do.  When our sleigh ride was over, Daryl went to go get us skates and while he was lacing me up he said, “I didn’t just bring you up here to go on a sleigh ride and skating, I wanted to know it you would marry me and spend the rest of your life with me?”  It was an absolutely perfect night.

How did Whistler become your number one choice of where to tie the knot?

Daryl, I and another couple I went on a mini trip to Whistler in October 2006. This is the weekend we became a couple and I was no longer his “lady friend” ha ha!  So we thought Whistler would be the perfect place to become husband and wife as well.

What was your criteria when looking for your dress and how did you know once you found it?

When looking for my dress I wanted to be very open minded. I had an idea of something that I wanted but at the same time had absolutely no idea.  When I went into the bridal boutique all I mentioned is that I wanted something simple,  strapless, and I didn’t want to look like a puffy cupcake. I had only tried on about four dresses, but I knew my dress  was the one because once I came out of the change room, all of my favourite ladies that came with me, their eyes and smiles said it all. This dress fit me perfect at the boutique, and I felt amazing in it. When my stylist added a couple of accessories, we all fell in love.

Describe your design elements and the inspiration behind them.

Our wedding was very small and intimate of about 17 close family and friends, and this is the way we wanted our guest to feel. We went with an egg plant, white and black colour scheme. The club house where we were married was stunning enough, therefore we didn’t need a lot of decoration.  Our colours were incorporated in our flowers and linen, also adding lots of tea light candles to create that intimate feeling. We were blessed with perfect weather on our wedding day allowing us to take in a BEAUTIFUL backdrop of sunshine and snow, which made our day perfect.

What was the number one piece of advice given to you while planning your wedding and what would you pass on to newly engaged brides to help them in the coming months?

Take in everyone’s ideas, but make sure you make it the way you envisioned it.  Advice I would pass along would be exactly that.  Make sure to take in all ideas and suggestions, some may work and some may not. This is your wedding day, plan it that way you have always dreamed.  But also remember it is good to talk out all of your ideas as sometimes less is more.  

Venue:  Nicklaus North Golf Course
Photography: Gadbois Photography
Floral: Smile & Shine Flowers
Marriage Commissioner: Sharon Doiron
Hair & Make-up: The Travelling Stylist
Wedding Favours www.mymms.com
Gown: The Bridal Gallery
 

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Whistler Boudoir Photographer | The Boudoir Trend | We’re Bringing Sexy Back

January 31, 2012 by Pascale | Leave a comment

Is a boudoir shoot for you? Generally, the husband-to-be will offer a lot of encouragement on this one. An even better idea is to do this on your own and save the photos or album as a surprise.

Whistler Wedding and Boudoir Photographer

Here’s a few things to take into consideration when making your decision:

1. You’re spending a lot of time getting in shape and looking your best. Personally, I would want to document that.

2. Set aside a few hours so that there’s time to do your makeup and hair.

3. Bring at least 2-3 outfits. White and black are a must and a color could be a consideration.

4. Find a comfortable location that works for you. Your home, a friends home or a hotel. If the weather is agreeable, outdoor locations can be amazing.

5. Might be fun to have a friend there to help ease the moment.

6. Make sure you really, really like your photographer because let’s face it, you’ll be sharing a fair amount!

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Whistler Wedding Photography | Whistler Blackcomb | Melanie & Jean Francois

January 27, 2012 by Pascale | Leave a comment

This wedding day was so much fun because it was just so Whistler. An intimate gathering of family only, a ceremony in the P2P Gondola, followed by a good play in the snow. Read their story below and what their advice is to other bride’s:

How did he propose?

In a car in front of Piggy’s Mart. I think I said yes, but in my head was thinking OMG I’m being proposed to in front of a giant flashing pig. 

How did Whistler become your number one choice of where to tie the knot?

We both love Whistler for mountain biking. Jean Francois had never experienced winter in Whistler, I had been for the Olympics in 2010. We wanted a ski destination and our families with us and couldn’t think of a more magical place to be for the holidays and our big day!

What was your criteria when looking for your dress and how did you know once you found it?

It had to be warm and stylish and ideally white to go with my flashy green pants. I had seen this coat at the Copenhagen airport and loved it!  That’s when we discovered the Peak Performance brand. We were thrilled to find one of their stores in Whistler and the jacket I had seen overseas. It was meant to be. 

Describe your design elements and the inspiration behind them.

Mother nature – we simply couldn’t have dreamed up a better designer. 

What was the number one piece of advice given to you while planning your wedding and what would you pass on to newly engaged brides to help them in the coming months?

Keep it real.

 

Venue: Whistler Blackcomb

Photography: Gadbois Photography

Wedding Planner:  Whistler Wedding Planners

Marriage Commissioner: Sandy Pyatt

Her attire: Jacket & Hat (Peak Performance); Pants (Volcom); Board (Ride); Boots (Burton)

His attire: Jacket  & pants (Four Square); Hat (Peak Performance); Tele skis (Icelantic Boards); boots (Scarpa); poles (Panda Poles).

Her Jewelry: Création Lucas

His Jewelry:  Stonebrook Jewelry – Etsy.com

Restaurant: Christine’s (brunch), Araxi (Dinner)

 

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Whistler Wedding Photographer | Sugar Momma Pastries Commercial Shoot

January 26, 2012 by Pascale | 3 Comments

“Can you add a little funk to my cupcakes?” Not a question one gets asked everyday but most certainly an answer I would give any day is “Yes!” Together with the ever so talented stylist, Marcie from Bliss Event + Design and the scrumptiously yummy creations by Sabrina of Sugar Momma Pastries we set out to do something just a little bit out of the ordinary.

 

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