Amy & Graham get Married at the Family Farm  These are the highlights from Amy & Graham's wedding at Braeside - the family farm. I arrived early and had the pleasure of taking a quick tour around the farm with Amy's dad. He filled me in on the history of the place, which was great. It was nice to know some of the story. Throughout the day, as people spoke of the farm and all the memories centered there, the picture I had formed of Braeside grew - I had a sense of the laughs and tears the walls had seen, the generations that had walked the earth there and swum in the cool, spring fed pond by the willow. I knew by the end of the day that Amy and Graham's wedding was the next chapter in the history of Braeside. Here's how it went down.  before the guests arrived, Graham and Amy met for a first look under the big old willow by the pond...      'liquid courage' :-)              want to check out the weddings gallery?
Amanda & Brennan's Wedding in Kitchener Brennan & Amanda got married at Steckle Heritage Farm in Kitchener (I love this place!). I started off my day with the ladies and then headed over to the farm.        You wouldn't know it from the photos, but it poured rain right before the ceremony. This was not a little sprinkle of rain... it was a torrent dropped from a big angry thundercloud. The good folks at Steckle got the ceremony quickly moved from the orchard to inside the barn and everything went off without a hitch :)      By the time the ceremony was over, the day was hot and sunny... the remnants of the earlier weather made for some dramatic skies.         The food was created by Little Mushroom Catering, who knocked it right out of the park - the supper was outstanding.     After the meal Brennan had a song for Amanda...     want to see the weddings gallery?Chris & Pam's Wedding in Avening Pam and Chris got married in a tiny little town on the route up to Collingwood, a place called Avening. It's not much more than a few houses and this old hall - The Avening Hall. The hall has a quite a history, dating back over a hundred years when it served as a gathering place for the local farmers. Walking through the doors feels a little like stepping back in time a generation or two. The Avening Hall is still a hub for locals, regularly hosting quality bands (Neko Case, The Sadies, Hayden, Sarah Harmer and lots more) alongside community BBQ's. It's a pretty neat place - stop in if you find yourself passing by.  Tucked away, across the road and just a few driveways down, is this amazing little park. Pam and Chris got married beside the river. It was a hot sunny summer day... a perfect day for a wedding in the park.                            want to see the weddings gallery?Wedding Photos in Victoria Park with Ainslie & Logan Some of my favourite moments from Logan & Ainslie's wedding in Kitchener-Waterloo... enjoy!       The first look photos, in the pavilion at Victoria Park in Kitchener... what a great spot to say hello on your wedding day :)             The ceremony, at St. John's Lutheran Church in Waterloo     want to see the weddings gallery?Jess & Jason's Rustic Wedding in KitchenerJessica and Jason got married on July 4, at Steckle Heritage Farm in Kitchener. Here's a look at the day...     Jason & Jess nailed the wedding décor at Steckle. They had some great ideas and talented friends and the result was a really nice space.    Jessica chose to add a tag from the family dog's collar to her bouquet. Deuce had been in the family home for thirteen years but sadly he passed away not too long before the wedding. You can see him in Jess & Jason's engagement photos.  The ceremony was in the apple orchard at Steckle on a brilliant sunny day...           The barns and sheds and old outbuildings make Steckle an amazing spot for wedding party portraits...     We stopped to play some lawn games, including giant Jenga, which sometimes goes well and sometimes... well, not so much.   This next one is probably my favourite photo from the wedding...    The reception was in the old barn, a warm place, well used and well loved...         want to see the weddings gallery?Vintage Wedding Photos with 'The Autos' Early on in their relationship, Michelle Beemer and Nathan Karr were dubbed 'the autos' by their friends. Here's some of the photos from their big day...              want to see more wedding photos?Winter Wedding Photos in Cambridge with Allison & Ross Allison & Ross have something special going on... it's not hard to pick up once you spend a little time with them. There is a joy about these two that is completely contagious. Honestly... my smiling muscles were exhausted by the end of the day. They got married at Whistle Bear Golf Club in Cambridge - a recently renovated venue that is set to host some fairly prestigious events this coming year. The design of the place accentuated the emotions of the guests, wedding party and family in just the right way. It's special to be part of something special... I felt great just being around these guys on wedding day. I hope the energy comes through clearly in the photos. Here are my favourites...                                                                 
   A Winter Wedding in Niagara-On-The-LakeDale and Sarah got married at The Pillar and Post, in Niagara-On-The-Lake, just after Christmas. The hotel was all decked out for the holidays, which blended beautifully with the red and white themed wedding that Sarah and Dale had planned. It started snowing big chunky snowflakes at the perfect moment for a few of the photos. The venue was spot on, the décor perfectly fitting and everyone was glowing in the christmas lights. Sarah wore her mother's pearls. I spent most of the day behind the camera, covering the goings-on from makeup until reception. These are my favourite photos from Dale and Sarah's winter wedding...            
                    want to see the weddings gallery?Summer Wedding Photos Featured on Today's Bride Steph and Chad's wedding this summer in Muskoka was the best. A great group of friends and family attended a beautiful ceremony on a summer day that was exactly the kind of day you hope for. The wedding party was stunning... Chad and the lads were dashing and Steph and her ladies could not have been more radiant. I was pleasantly surprised to hear that some of the wedding photos were to be featured on Today's Bride. You can find them here. It's not a done deal yet, but it looks like some of the photos may be featured in the print magazine next summer as well! You can find more of photos from Steph and Chad's wedding on my blog.  Ty & Ali's Cottage Wedding in Midland, Ontario These two picked a grand day for a wedding and at a great spot. It was a perfect August day, the heat of the day fading into a great late summer evening. The wedding (and all the photos) happened at a family property near Midland, Ontario. The property has three cottages, each with it's own charm and character. The beautiful venue only served to accentuate the warmth you could see in Ali and Ty and all their guests and family. Here's some of the day... enjoy! 
 The guys, before the ceremony... 
The ceremony was out in front of Ty's parent's cottage...      After the ceremony...   One of the other cottages on the property, an old, transported schoolhouse...  The end of a spectacular Georgian Bay sunset...  This day was wonderfully memorable in so many ways. Photos can't really do justice to all the love, laughs, cheer and company, but I hope these capture a bit of the awesomeness that happened on August 23rd, 2014. Thanks so much for having me out Ali & Ty! You two have all sorts of amazing adventures ahead... enjoy! want to see more weddings?
Steph & Chad's Muskoka Wedding at Deerhurst and Grandview Resorts Steph and Chad got married in beautiful Hunstville, Ontario. Photos were taken at Grandview Resort and Deerhurst Resort, both just outside town. The ceremony was in a screened porch that was bright but covered, breezy but not windy - a lovely space for a wedding. The weather was perfect, the timing impeccable (Steph is a master planner) and the wedding party was stunning. These are some of my favourite photos from the day.       It looks good both ways...2014 will be a banner year here at ZJP. With nine wedding assignments already booked and lots of little ones set to arrive, there will be lots to do, lots to see. Stopping time with an image is a remarkable thing... throw in some momentous occasions, thrilling emotions and maybe some leaves or snow and there's going to be a lot of good fun coming up. But last year was awesome too! So without further ado... here are some memorable photos from this past year. Enjoy!                       This last one is a shot from a wedding I photographed at Langdon Hall in the late summer. They had lights on one of the apple trees in the orchard and we snuck out for a few quick photos after supper. This was the first frame I shot.
I felt the magic of it right away, as soon as I saw it. Hope you feel it too. Happy 2014! Zac Kevin and Rebekah's Big Day
This day - August 17 - was sunny and gorgeously warm after a stretch of unseasonably cool weather for August. I started off my day at a cottage near Rosseau where Rebekah and her bridesmaids were getting ready. Hair and make-up and breakfast were all in full swing. Texts were being sent and received as flowers and family members fluttered around. The place was buzzing with the drone of hair dryers as I got going. Rebekah's dress and jewellery, plus a few quick photos outside the cottage. The last shot is with Rebekah's niece, the flower girl. 
Kevin and Rebekah decided to meet up at Rosseau Lake College, a private school in the area that Rebekah's grandpa taught at a number of years ago. The property had endless opportunities for photo spots. Here are my favourites, including R&K's first look on the dock. We stopped in downtown Rosseau, which is comprised of the General Store plus a few others. There was a barn just down the street that made for another unique set of photos. The ceremony took place in an old church in small town a few minutes outside Rosseau proper. Afterwards, everyone headed back to Rosseau to a classy old hall that has stood for nearly 100 years in the town. The basement doubles as the town library. The food was excellent (compliments to the chef on the gravy and roast beef in particular) and the evening was full of laughs and tears, with the odd jab thrown in good fun. I feel pretty great on days like this one. Being there to see a groom face his bride for the first time is an experience that sticks with you. The same goes for seeing 'the kiss' or even something less obviously like noticing newlyweds play with their ring finger, checking the feel of the band unconsciously. I did my best to bring the vibe of the day to the photos. I hope that in looking at them you can feel the story of the day.
Thanks for having me out Kev n' Bek. All the best. Wedding Photography in Kitchener, at Steckle Heritage Farm You could feel the happiness and anticipation...... it was electric in the humid summer air. The historic farm provided a beautiful backdrop for the day - a ceremony in the apple orchard followed by supper and a party in the barn. I had an absolute blast photographing the day for Jess and Terry. There were laughs and tears, giggles and cheers. Here's some of the best of the day. Jess & Terry's Wedding Story:
    
     the barn at Steckle is an amazing reception venue....     |
