It’s always a fine day when I can grab my camera and create what I love! Christine and Vaughn’s engagement session allowed me to do just that, and for my part, I had a blast. But enough about me – other than to thank you C & V for allowing me to be a part of your engagement memories and your wedding celebration!
While every bride is typically excited about her wedding day, some brides show it a bit more than others! Tara was one of those brides. With every detail she could possibly afford and carry, she and Stewart headed to Niagara-on-the-lake with a van load (literally to the ceiling) of wedding stuff – much of it for photography. We had a blast with the rubber boots, the “C” sign, absolutely funky frills on the shoes, umbrellas, “LOVE” cutout and more! As a photographer, I LOVE it when brides bring their own little details that help take the photos to another level. I have things I can bring, but it’s never as cool and uniquely special to the couple as something they bring. I also felt inspired to use a few more varied techniques in treating some of the images. I try not to use too many but in this case I couldn’t help myself!
We had some very professional and sought after service providers at this wedding including Karen and Desiree from Allure Hair and Makeup, Simply Beautiful Decor for chair covers, Sheldon Kofsky for officiant, Frank Krahn for ceremony music, Ted’s Tunes at the DJ table, Cathy Martin Flowers, and Eda at Vineyard Sweets created the cake! Of course the legendary Pillar and Post Hotel served as our reception venue and ceremony location.
We thoroughly enjoyed this wedding and we’re thrilled to say that the photos in this posting are NOT the best ones…. believe it or not! I thought I’d leave more for the bride to see on her own and not just give it all away online – as much as I’m tempted!! Blessings to you two as you venture on your honeymoon and I can’t wait to give you the rest of your portfolio soon!
A few times per year we’re privileged to take part in a classic garden wedding with big tents and gorgeous gardens, etc. and here’s a great example for the tiny little hamlet of Vanessa, Ontario near Brantford. I hardly remember the pouring rain in the morning and the blistering heat in the afternoon since the details and location are what captured my attention and fill my own memories! Wedding Bells even liked this one so much they published it to their blog just today. Enjoy!
Some of you have been following a few of my teasers on Facebook telling you that something big was about to happen! Well….here it is!
Debbie has been working furiously to expand a division of Stec Photographers which is officially open! It’s called “Oh Baby – by Stec“. We’ve always offered baby and child photography here at our studio, but we thought it might be fun to open a whole new division with a whole new approach. You can check Deb’s latest blog entries on the website. It’s a “blog site” which means that it’s a website and blog in one – nicely integrated. She’ll have a Facebook page pretty soon and we’ll be launching anew at our first baby and toddler trade show on May 5 & 6. Let us know your thoughts and comments on our new site (www.ohbabybystec.com)!
Here’s a recent shoot I’m allowed to show you now on this site of gorgeous baby Vanessa! 
If you stop in to check out some of our posts now and then you’ll know that I often refer to the weather during our shoots since it plays a fairly big part in how the day unfolds. Unfortunately, bad weather can really affect a bride’s memory of the day (especially if the day before and the day after are perfectly gorgeous days!). Cara and Jaison’s wedding is one for my memory books since it was bordering on one of the warmest days on which I’ve ever had to shoot. Cara took refuge inside of a tourist kiosk on the Welland Canal in St. Catharines while all her attendants fanned whatever they had at her to keep her comfortable. The guys even took a “tour” with the official tour guide inside where the A/C was making it tolerable. Even so, we all did quite a decent job at masking that whole environmental scenario for some great looking (I hope) shots for a lifetime of memories!
You can check out more of Cara and Jaison’s wedding online at WEDDING BELLS
Here are some of the excellent service providers for the day; Chateau Des Charmes Winery, Allure Hair and makeup, Pillar and Post for the catering, The Dress and the beautiful church.
Do you ever wonder if modeling is as fun and glamorous as it looks? I for one, can tell you it is definitely NOT! It was about 16 degrees below zero on a super cold February day when Debbie and I met this model at an old barn in Ridgeville, Ontario for a furniture ad photo shoot. Jenica was a super trooper for looking calm and collected while wearing next to nothing. I do have to mention that she is an actual professional model who makes her living by being photographed in all sorts of insanely inhospitable conditions! She did get some help warming up by some wonderful baby Rhodesian Ridgeback puppies provided by Wade at Ridgeville Rhodesian Ridgebacks (www.ridgevillerr.ca). The shoot itself was for a really unique shop called “Chic by Jansen” which carries thousands of one-of-a-kind furniture/art pieces and historical furniture replicas. Fun times!
On the morning of this fun shoot, 1 inch of snow cast some doubt in my mind about the level of comfort we might expect! It was cold and rainy and snowy and all around miserable. I waited for word from Shelly about a possible re-schedule, but no such word came. Thankfully it warmed up just enough to allow us to accomplish our grand plans for this shoot! Tony was the “man”! I couldn’t have looked as warm as he did in the wind and temps we dealt with, and in the end these shots were worth every single second of the cold! I think you guys set your own bar pretty high for the wedding photos now! I’m psyched!
We don’t post things like this often enough, but here’s a really cool example of a do it yourself thank you card and sticker/seal created by one of our recent brides. This is of course, an option if you choose to have all your high resolution photo files included in your package. I thought I’d post this as potential inspiration to any of our couples looking to do something similar. Email me and I’ll let you know more specifics like the printing company, etc.
I just couldn’t bring myself to post only 1 photo which is what a sneak peek is supposed to be! This is going to be a fun wedding to do a full post on in a few days! See you then!
Sarah and Ken’s wedding was one of my more memorable celebrations from 2011! The Grand Victorian in Niagara-on-the-Lake was an unforgettable setting and the outdoor setting was magazine worthy! However, it started pouring rain just before the ceremony so everyone crowded onto the porch which was a wraparound so it fit everyone though the view of the vows wasn’t perfect for each guest way in the back and around the corner. Sarah didn’t show one bit of regret and she was happy and cheerful throughout! Marsha Howe provided the great florals, while Bridal Beauty added their artistic touch to hair and makeup. The meal was a big hit and all the goods there were provided by Robin Howe Catering. Thanks to all the excellent vendors that made this a picture perfect affair – and to the gracious couple who made my job enjoyable in spite of the twists and turns with weather and lighting!
You can see all the details for this wedding as it is featured on the home page of Wedding Bells HERE or at these links;
love this! Debbie will do an amazing job with the little people