Pam & Craig have been together for as long as I've known Pam (and probably way longer, I'm sure!), but my very first time officially meeting Craig was on their wedding day!! I just loved watching how happy they are together. They really are a perfect match.
Posted in this blog are LOTS of my favourites from their wedding day in August (oh but there were so many favourites, so make sure you have lots of time to peruse!!).
Some accessory details...
Pam & her bridesmaids getting ready. I think most of her bridal party was sick that morning (including her!), hence the photos with medicine & tissues!! The girls were all so fun, though - always had smiles on their faces, despite maybe not feeling the greatest!
Craig opted for just one guy in his party - his twin brother!! Don't they look so much alike?!? Had it not been for the glasses, I might have confused them a time or two! ;)
I made the bride & groom pose for some portraits... because when there's such amazing natural light coming in through the windows, how can you NOT take advantage of that?!?
And then some in black & white, because I love black & white!! <3
So, females typically take a bit longer to get ready, which means the bride & her bridesmaids have more getting ready photos of them than the groom and best man. Some brides can be super nervous/uptight during the whole "getting ready" process, but Pam was definitely a super chill bride on her wedding day!! Here are some more photos of the getting ready process...
Also, a just for fun shot because... LOOK, I'm in a photo!! Haha, I was helping with the bride's buttons, and someone grabbed my camera to capture the moment (can't remember which bridesmaid it was, but thanks!!). Anyway, the buttons were super tricky and probably about 6 different ladies took a shot at doing them up! But alas, the buttons really added to the beauty of the dress, so it was all worth it in the end!!
The ceremony location was decorated quite beautifully, and I was obsessed with all of the natural light coming in (a photographer's DREAM!), as well as the really pretty ceiling! And I just loved their guest book idea, as well as the DONUTS!
Craig & Pam's wedding ceremony was short & sweet. And I mean LITERALLY sweet!! Like, look how they laugh, smile, and look at each other!
After the ceremony, we actually went to the JP's beautiful home on the lake for family & bridal party photos. Haha, enjoy some of my favs of Craig & Pam with their parents, siblings, & closest friends!!
Pam's bridesmaids were all so lovely in their different shades & styles of purple dresses. Here are the photos of her with her girls. As usual, there's a normal smiling one, and then a silly one, because... well, I like silly!! :D
Did the same sort of thing with the guys, but they had a hard time thinking of something funny, soooooo??? The last photo is them without either one of them wearing glasses - would you still be able to tell them apart?!?
I was really excited about this small area in the backyard and had fun creeping through the bushes/vines/flowers to get a little creative! Also, Pam was seriously just radiating beauty the entire day!!!
Umm, okay, so everybody STOP RIGHT HERE AND READ THIS!!!
So, Pam's mom not only designed her bouquet and her bridesmaids', as well (!!!), but she also GREW THE FLOWERS HERSELF!!! Can we just stop for a moment and appreciate the amazingness of that?!? Like, I think as a bride, I'd be terrified because - what if the flowers don't grow right or are the wrong colour or something?!? And as the mom, I feel like that'd be so much work when it's already likely going to be super stressful right before your first daughter's wedding!
Anyway, needless to say, I was incredibly impressed, and the florals were simply beautiful!
Now you may continue to drool over Pam's bouquet and some of her bridal portraits...
I made Craig do a little modelling session (with the help of his brother - SHOUT OUT!!!) for his groom portraits...
LOOK HOW HAPPY THEY ARE TOGETHER!!!
Okay, so I should do a bit of a shoutout to the nice guy who didn't really seem to care when he went to pull into his driveway and found he couldn't because of 2 vehicles blocking the path, as well as people taking bridal portraits!! Eeek!! ;)
In my defense, it didn't really look like a driveway (more like a long road to a camp or something) and THE LIGHTING WAS JUST PERFECT!! Soooooo, we took photos there and then moved out when he came. And when I chatted with him, all he cared about was that we got some good photos! People can be so nice!!
Anyway, props to the guy with the driveway with amazing light around 3:30pm... we thank you (at least partially!) for the prettiness of the next few sets of photos!! <3
Isn't it just SO BEAUTIFUL?!? And Craig & Pam were pretty stunning themselves!!
All the heart eyes for these two...
I always try to get some photos of the food process, because wedding food is seriously yummy!! Also, look how sweet Craig is to be holding off on getting his food so he can carry the train of Pam's dress while she gets her food?!? Thanks also to my plate of food model, Ted.
The toasts, speeches (one was Pam's uncle talking about how he got "eclipse glasses" from NASA just for Pam's wedding), and generally just the MCs (Pam's sisters, both of whom are HILARIOUS!) created some of these reactions...
Here are some wedding guests enjoying themselves...
So, I tried something. I decided I'd try shooting some of the first dance photos in the dimly lit room WITHOUT a flash. And guess what, guys?? I'm in love with them!! So happy that I have been able to purchase two really good full-frame cameras and awesome lenses that rock at low-light photos (thanks to all of my previous photography clients who have made that happen, and especially those repeat customers... it means so much!).
Also, I just LOVE the last one in this series... Pam & her dad...
Some weddings don't really have many people who care to dance, but this wedding was FILLED with dancers and people who just loved to have a good time!! Check out some of these snazzy dance moves...
CAKE!! I didn't actually have any, but I definitely DID indulge from the multiple different varieties of dessert cakes available...
Usually right around sunset, I try to grab the couple and make them humour me for a few more pictures of them together. If nothing else, it's a chance for them to love on each other, away from the crowds, noise, and all the guests who are begging for their attention. I love how their sunset portraits turned out. You'd never guess this was a random field behind a truck stop! ;)
And finally, for some really dark outside photos...
Craig & Pam, thank you so much for inviting me to capture your wedding day!! I'm honoured to have had the chance to photograph you and your loved ones on this day!
All the best as you continue your lives together, now as husband & wife!! <3
Athena Marie
P.S. I'm now booking 2018 weddings. And I travel for a reasonable price (hey, I'm frugal, so you get to take advantage of that, too!). Head to the "About" tab to contact me if you're looking for a wedding photographer!!