Jess and Phil decided to travel out of the city and into the mountains for their stunning Whistler Mountain couples’ Session. Although the couple had no idea what to expect; they went in with open minds, shared countless laughs together, and have memories they will forever hold very close to their hearts.

“Throughout our relationship, Whistler has always been our go-to, quick getaway place when we need a break from the city! A Whistler mountain couples’ session was an excellent choice for our location. We had done a few other shoots in different countries and near the water, however, we had never done a shoot with the “West Coast” feel with the mountains in the background.

For the most part, both of us are pretty easy-going, so we went into the shoot open to any ideas Steve had for us. Our main goal was to have fun and enjoy the experience, and we definitely did! There were a ton of bloopers, periods of uncontrollable laughter, but overall it was a really relaxed and enjoyable shoot.”

When asked what their favourite photo was from the day of shooting, Jess shared:

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Ellie and Max live just outside of London, and hopped on a train to meet me for their Paris engagement photos.

I first met Ellie when Steve and I travelled to Australia in 2010. We went on a sailing trip through the Whitsunday Islands and spent three days together enjoying the ocean, the rain, and one beautiful day of sunshine when we got to Whitehaven Beach! Having stayed in touch through Facebook and Instagram over the years, I was really excited to connect with Ellie about having us be a part of her wedding this coming April in England. On a recent trip to France, Ellie and Max took the train from London to meet me in Paris for their engagement session.

Ellie and Max have been together for over 4 years, after meeting at a local pub and bonding over fundraising for a marathon that Max was running. After buying and renovating a house together, they took a quick weekend trip to Vienna to see the Christmas Markets where Max proposed.

“We love a European city break so when we saw a great deal on flights to Vienna we decided a trip to the Christmas markets would be amazing. The night of the proposal we’d been to dinner, the opera and decided to go back to one of the markets only to find it was closed (I later found out he wanted to do it there). We then went for a walk instead and ended up in a little secluded park. We were standing there looking at the Christmas lights on the other side of the river when he completely surprised me by getting down on one knee! Needless to say I cried before saying yes!” – Ellie

The trip from London to Paris was only about two hours for Ellie and Max and we had a relaxing day doing something a little different. We just wandered the city, hung out along the banks of the Seine, ate cheese, drank wine and enjoyed an afternoon in Paris.

I can’t wait to see these two in Buckinghamshire, in just a few months, for their big day!

-T

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Here are some of my favourite images from their urban engagement session in Toronto.

-Tara

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We met on the Sea-to-Sky Highway south of Whistler on a beautiful blue sky day just as the sun was beginning to set. It was a perfect day for Megan and Scott’s Whistler engagement photos.

Megan and I first ‘met’ when she was looking for a second shooter for a few wedding dates this summer and we were able to connect on Facebook! Megan is the super talented photographer behind Of Earth and Soul Photography and I shot with her for two weddings in the Lower Mainland. It was great getting to know her through those two weddings and then fast forward two months, I got to shoot her Whistler engagement photos near Porteau Cove on the Sea-to-Sky Highway.

Megan and Scott met at work on Grouse Mountain. As professional lumberjacks. Well, Scott is a professional lumberjack who performs in the world-famous Grouse Mountain Lumberjack Show and Megan was performing as ‘Chip’ the Lumberjack mascot. They have now been together for more than 3 years and live in an apartment in Surrey with Scott’s 8 year old daughter Emma, and their adopted cat Spooky. Scott has performed lumberjack shows and competed internationally and has the beard to suit the part. They even took a trip to Australia so that Scott could compete. When I asked Megan about the trip, she said she met a baby wombat and it was wonderful.

The day we got together for their photos, they met me on Highway 99 in an area with a beautiful view overlooking Howe Sound. We wandered around in the woods for a while before finding a gorgeous vantage point. As the sun was going down, the reflection off the water made some amazing light and I was able to capture some great images of the Megan and Scott as they enjoyed the view.

Check out their images below!

-Steve

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Dani + Jason adventured over 30 kilometers down a logging road to reach Christie Falls for their Kelowna engagement photos!

I first met Dani while we were attending the University of Toronto. After we graduated we lost touch for a few years but were able to reconnect almost ten years later for their Kelowna engagement photos. It’s always great catching up with old friends, especially when I get to be a part of a new chapter of their lives.

Jason and Dani met online using Match.com but waited a few weeks after they were matched to go on their first date. They used this time to get to know each other by playing a question game. Every day they would ask each other three questions that needed to be answered fully and honestly. These questions ranged from “what’s your favourite colour” to “what are your life ambitions” and really helped them take care of the ‘get to know you’ moments that first dates are normally full of.

Their first date went well, and was mirrored almost perfectly exactly one year later when Jason proposed to Dani. Same restaurant, same table, same dessert. The biggest difference, is this time the night ended with a sparkly diamond on Dani’s left hand.

We met up in West Kelowna before beginning the drive to Christie Falls, following some amazing directions by Carlee Kish that were posted on KelownaNow.com. While very detailed it felt like we were driving forever until we crested a hill and saw the sign for the parking area. From the parking area, Dani and Jason lead the way through a ‘ghost forest’ of trees that were burned in the 2009 Terrace Mountain forest fire. Once we reached the waterfall, the light was gorgeous and we explored for a while before just settling down to enjoy a bottle of wine while overlooking the mountains!

Check out their images below!

-Steve

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We camped, ate cheddar smoked sausages off the barbecue, drank a few beers, listened to some amazing bands and took a few photos. The WayHome music festival was the perfect location for Lisa and Martin’s engagement session.

Music has always played a huge part in Lisa and Martin’s relationship; from when they first met, to where they go on vacation. When I was chatting with them about ideas for their engagement session, and the WayHome Music and Arts Festival in Orillia came up, it sounded like a great idea. Best of all, it suited their personalities and their love of music!

Lisa and Martin first met while they worked at Bench together. They only had three shifts together before Martin moved back to Montreal for the summer, but they spent them quoting their favourite movies, singing and dancing to their favourite songs. As Lisa described it, “there was just an instant connection!”

The next five years were filled with music and festivals; from travelling to Bonnaroo in Tennessee four years in a row, to attending the inaugural WayHome festival in 2015. To each and every festival, they would listen to the playlists that Martin would create. A mix of old tunes from their favourite artists, to songs from bands they have just discovered. Music played such a huge part of their lives, that when Martin proposed to Lisa on Christmas morning last year, he wrapped her engagement ring up with an Arcade Fire record (even though they didn’t own a record player.)

The fact that Arcade Fire was headlining the Saturday night of WayHome this year was a huge plus! Since it’s one of Lisa’s favourite bands, we went into the VIP section to watch their show. The show was incredible. Super high energy and playing all of their best songs, they finished the show with a confetti canon and a fireworks show!

Check out all of the images below!

-Steve

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Hiking to waterfalls, fly fishing and drinking Corona’s while watching the sunset made Rebecca & Jon’s Penticton engagement session a highlight of the season.

Rebecca & Jon travelled a long road before they met me for their Penticton engagement session. They met at a house party when they were 21 and had an intense summer romance, and then dated on and off for a while. Four years ago, a mutual friend set them up again, and they both realized the spark was still there. Their second ‘first’ date was at a nice restaurant, but after terrible service and an underwhelming appetizer, they decided a six-pack and pizza was a better idea for an entree.

The next four years of their relationship was dedicated to spending as much time outdoors as possible. Rebecca and Jon both own Jeep wranglers and enjoy 4x4ing. (Jon did mention that his is better). They love fishing, hunting, hiking and camping with their beautiful border collie named Storm. Vancouver island is one of their favourite places. They have camped and travelled all over from the south to the very remote corners in the north of the island. Their love of the island also made the perfect setting for Jon to propose.

Jon planned a special weekend for the two of them last July, but kept the destination a surprise. He told Rebecca to pack a bag but wouldn’t tell her where they were going. After arriving in Vancouver, they boarded a 6-seater airplane and flew to Tofino, where they had a hotel room over looking the ocean. They spent the next two days exploring Tofino, hanging out on the beach and adding a few specimens to Rebecca’s ‘heart-shaped rock’ collection. On the final evening after dinner, they grabbed a bottle of the favourite sparkling rosé and two plastic wine glasses and headed down to the rocks to watch the sunset. When the sun was about to go down, Jon started talking, and when Rebecca looked over at him he was down on one knee with a ring box open.

The rest is history and they have planned a 4×4, top of the mountain, Thanksgiving potluck, perfect wedding day!

When we met for their Penticton engagement session, we hiked up to the waterfalls on the Naramata creek (while dodging poison ivy.) We then went down to the shores of Lake Okanagan and went fly fishing, where Jon caught a 5lb carp and finished the day drinking Coronas overlooking the lake as the sun went down behind the mountain they will be getting married on!

Enjoy!

-Steve

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We met Danika, Chris and their adorable dog Brier for their Squamish engagement session on a foggy Sunday morning in April.

Their Squamish engagement session where I got to know this amazing couple. I learned that Danika & Chris have come along way to make Vancouver, BC their home. A little over 6200 kms to be exact. Having met in Halifax in 2010 after their undergrad, a push from a friend brought Danika and Chris together. Once they were together, they didn’t waste any time and had purchased their first home and acquired their fur-baby Brier within the first year.

While they both pursued graduate education, their love of the outdoors grew as they spent summers on Brier Island (Brier’s namesake) where they volunteered their time banding migratory birds. This time spent on the island allowed them to learn how to mimic the call of several breeds of owl, and have successfully called them into their campsites all across Canada.

The outdoors has always been a huge part of their lives, so when their careers offered both of them a chance to move to Vancouver, and be close to the mountains and the ocean, they jumped at it. Chris is a commercial diver, while Danika is a clinical pharmacist. Living and working in Vancouver had led them to pursue new outdoor pursuits, and a passion for downhill mountain biking (being chased by Brier the whole time.)

Steve first met Danika when she was the maid of honour for her best friend Dorothy at her Muskoka wedding in May of 2015. This September the roles will be reversed when Danika and Chris tie the knot at the Halifax train station, just a few blocks from where their love story began. While Steve is photographing their wedding, I was lucky enough to spend this wonderful spring morning with them for their Squamish engagement photos. We hung out on the docks in Squamish before sneaking onto a secluded beach for a few more photos!

-Tara

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Cheers to another solid chunk of family time!
-T

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