Manitoba Legislative Building Grad Photos

If ever I had to pick only one location in Winnipeg to do grad photos for the rest of my life, it might be the Manitoba Legislative Building. It’s just the perfect glamorous backdrop for a beautiful grad gown on a beautiful lady. The light bounces off the limestone for perfect light no matter the weather, and there’s just an elegance to the building that is perfect for graduation photos. Gracie’s sparkly green dress was stunning on her and she rocked every single pose I threw at her. Her boyfriend came along as well so we did a few photos of the two of them throughout the session. We had so much fun and the photos turned out phenomenal. Enjoy!

Downtown Winnipeg Grad Photos

The Exchange District, with its cobblestone streets and historic buildings, is always a fun and edgy backdrop for any photoshoot but I especially love it for Grad Photos. And especially for guy’s grad photos. It feels grown up and sophisticated and kind of signifies that jump from high school to adulthood in a way. Plus it just looks great and there’s always fun pockets of light and shadows to play with and make your photos stand out. Brandon was the star of the shoot however. For me beautiful buildings and cool locations are made a million times better when you put people in front of them. Brandon nailed every pose I threw at him and we had an absolute blast. He brought his girlfriend along for some photos which I always love. So we had some fun with a few couples poses as well and ended off the night on a rooftop in the middle of Winnipeg as the sun set and light bounced off buildings and windows giving those last photos a little extra magic.

Fort Garry Hotel Wedding

Lance & Bri got married on a beautiful September day. We met at the St. Boniface Cathedral for their first look but of course the girls were running late, so we started off with some photos of Lance and his groomsmen. Once the ladies showed up, we did their first look. Bri looked absolutely stunning in her sleek, long sleeve gown. She was giving some serious Kate Middleton vibes. So beautiful. The bridal party was a blast and they really were the hype team for Lance & Bri. I love seeing the support a couple has going into their marriage and these two are surrounded by the best. We headed over to the Legislative Building for some more photos and the locations just suited them so well. The ceremony was held at St. Luke’s Anglican Church and after some family photos outside the church, we headed to the Fort Garry Hotel for the reception! They had their reception in the Crystal Ball Room and it might just be the most beautiful reception space in Winnipeg. Everything was stunning, from the room itself, to the gorgeous decor. Amanda Douglas and her team did a fantastic job of coordinating the day and seeing to every detail. One of Bri’s bridesmaids made the cake and the flowers were done by Academy Florist. Everything came together so perfectly. Lance and Bri introduced their own wedding party and set the mood for the evening with both their humour and obvious love for each of their friends and family. The food was catered by The Fort Garry Hotel and it was delicious. My favourite part of the speeches was the video montage of Bri’s dancing that her mom had put together. All the speeches were both hilarious and heartfelt. The whole day was filled with an atmosphere of fun, happiness and love. Enjoy!

Vendors

Photographer: Gina Brandt Photography

Ceremony Venue: St. Luke’s Anglican Church

Reception Venue: Fort Garry Hotel

Wedding Coordinator: Amanda Douglas

Cake/Sweets: Créme Cream Puffs

Caterer: Fort Garry Hotel

Hair Stylist: Prep Hair

Makeup Artist: Ashley Tiopo Artistry

Florist: Academy Florist

Bride's Dress: The Bridal Gallery - New Westminster, BC

Bridesmaid's Dresses: Park and Fifth co.

Groom's Suit: Harry Rosen Inc.

Groomsmen's Suits: RW & CO.

Linens & Decor: Fort Garry

DJ/Band: Summer Bounce

Marriage Commissioner: Leon Fontaine

Videographer: 111 Films

Invitations: Shine Wedding

Manitoba Boho Backyard Wedding

Myles & Amber planned the most beautiful boho backyard wedding. It started with a lovely ceremony among the oak trees and the moved to a stand up reception. There were scrumptious hors d’oeuvres, cute little seating areas everywhere and GELATO! Plus the hottest MC ever. ;) (It was my husband.) After their reception, they and their wedding party and immediate families headed over to Oakridge Greenhouse for a small dinner party and it was magical. Lit up with string lights and surrounded by plants, they enjoyed quiet conversation and a delicious meal. Until of course we snuck out for some stunning sunset photos and little drive in their wedding car. It was a gorgeous day and I couldn’t be happier for these two lovebirds. Enjoy!

That MC tho amirite? ;)

Vendors:

Caterer: Gil’s Catering

Hair Stylist: Keesha Simard/ Kara Plett

Makeup Artist: Linda Giesbrecht - Mary Kay

Florist: Crate & Bloem

Bride's Engagement Ring/Wedding Band: Appelts

Bride’s Dress: Christie’s Bridal

Bridesmaid's Dresses: David’s Bridal/ LA Collection

Groom's Suit: Eph Apparel

Groom's Shoes: Spring

Groom's Wedding Band: Appelts

Groomsmen's Suits: Eph Apparel

Banff Anniversary Session

Nolan & Kendra celebrated their 5 year anniversary in August. Kendra (my sister) has been hinting at a mountain photo shoot for their 5 year anniversary since about the 6 month mark. So once we saw that hotel prices were super low because of Covid (plus we were itching to get out of the province), we planned a little trip. You can see photos from our holiday here. Kendra was determined not to let her disability stop them from getting epic mountain photos and my knowledge of the area led us to a couple of locations that weren’t far from the parking lot. She is one bad-ass crippled chick and climbing over those rocks had to have hurt but don’t tell her what she can’t do! Enjoy!

Banff Family Holiday

This past October, we packed our kids into the van, along with my sister Kendra and her husband Nolan, and drove out to Banff National Park. We had seen that prices on AirBnb were really low and Kendra and Nolan had been talking about doing a 5 year anniversary shoot in the mountains for a couple years already so we figured why not!? We made the drive out over two days, stopping in Regina for the night, and the kids did really well! I’ve always insisted that our lives can’t stop just because we have kids and I love to travel so it was time to try something a little bigger than a hike or a weekend away. Plus our kids are super chill and easy-going so that made it less scary.

We spent our first full day doing some exploring around the town of Banff and then we got all dressed up and did our family photos at Two Jack Lake and Kendra & Nolan’s 5 year anniversary photos. You can see that blog post here. In the evening, Kendra and Nolan stayed in the with kids so Joel & I could go on a little date to our favourite restaurant in Canmore, Georgetown Pub. They have such great Irish pub food and the atmosphere to match. On Wednesday we hiked up the rock pile at Moraine Lake and took a stroll around Lake Louise. Thursday was our last full day in Banff and we went up the Gondola for some epic views of the mountains, enjoyed some delicious soup at Evelyn’s Coffee Bar and strolled along the Bow River just taking in the views. Friday morning we walked along the river in Canmore and the boys did some fishing before heading back east to Manitoba.

It was a wonderful, beautiful week and we are so thankful that we snuck in a little trip before the lockdown. It all felt very safe and the park wasn’t crowded at all. We wore our masks in the town of Banff and all around it was an awesome trip!

Road Trip!!

When you travel with kids, you have to budget time for throwing rocks in the various bodies of water.

Bow Falls

Town of Banff

Spotted some Elk on the golf course just chillin'.

Two Jack Lake

Lake Minnewanka

Moraine Lake

Walking around Lake Louise.

Banff Gondola

More rock throwing.

Vermillion Lakes

Bringing along Kendra and Nolan was brilliant. The adult to kid ratio was ideal.

Probably looking at birds.

Emmett brought his fishing rod along everywhere we went.

Car naps, Georgetown Pub and Trout (I think).

Falcon Lake Engagement Session

Brian & Caitlyn came out from Toronto to Kenora to check out their lakeside venue can visit some family this summer. While they were out, we met up at Falcon Lake for their engagement session! YAY! We started down by the lake, on the docks and the beach and after getting our toes wet, we headed out to Falcon Trails Resort for a little hike up to this killer look-out that I keep coming back to. It’s just beautiful and has one of the best views of the sunset in all of Manitoba. I dare you to show me a better spot. The hike was WAY worth it and we enjoyed a stunning sunset. Enjoy!!

Cozy At Home Couples Session

So here’s a little backstory…Kendra is my sister. My very own built-in best friend. She and Nolan got married 5 years ago and since then have been busy travelling the world, renovating their little camper (before it was the thing to do), living in their camper for months at a time before they bought their first house!! And BTW this house did NOT look like this when they moved in! But a little over a year ago, Kendra had a fluke accident on her bike that changed her life. To say she broke her foot would not describe what happened. Crushed, pulverized, and demolished are words that would more accurately describe what happened to her foot. However you say it, it was beyond repair. They did their best with what was left and now, just over a year later, she walks with a cane for short distances, crutches for medium distances and uses a wheelchair for really long distances. She’s still in a lot of pain all the time but the fact that she isn’t in a wheelchair full-time is only a testament to her insane determination and bad-assery (for lack of a better word). If you haven’t already figured it out, I’m a BIG FAN of this girl. She has had her share of hardships without all this foot stuff added in but her amazing attitude through it all is admirable. And let’s not forget about Nolan. We already knew he was an incredible husband for my little sis but DANG! I can’t imagine watching my spouse go through something like that but he is so supportive and loving. He took on his extra responsibilities with a smile and went above and beyond. The guy is a true gem and I’m so proud to call him my brother. Through it all, Kendra has continued to trust her heavenly father and His plan in all this. She’s often talked about the blessings that God has given her in the midst of all the pain and struggle and that’s an incredible take-away. Even in the hardships, God is good.

NOW! On to these adorable photos because WHAT!? Kendra wanted to document their life the way it is now, after all the changes that they (and their house) have gone through in the last year or so. In this house, they sit on counters, they laugh, they cry, and they go for wheelchair walks, and they sit on their freaking cute deck because they have worked dang hard and they have a lot to be thankful for.

Spruce Woods Engagement Session

When Amberley & Myles mentioned that they thought Spruce Woods Provincial Park would be cool for their engagement session, they followed immediately with “but then we realized how far away it is and we figured it’s out of the question”. To which I replied, “Let’s DO IT!!” Anyone who knows me, knows i’m willing to drive a bit to explore a new beautiful place, especially if I’ve got my camera and some beautiful people to photograph there. Not many better ways to spend a beautiful summer evening. Enjoy!

Emma | Grad Class of 2019