November 1, 2011

Before & After: A Wedding Transformation!

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We have recently had the pleasure of working with one of our favorite photographers at a wedding we produced for Trisha and Josh. Kirstie Tweed from “Orange Girl Photographs” has taken some incredible photos of the venue space, both before and after.

The photos are from the Cocktail & Bar Area, set in the Conservatory at the Banff Springs Hotel. A use of many panels of chiffon drapery, beaded curtains and dramatic lighting helps to transform this breathtaking space! To top it off, a one of a kind, custom built ice bar with Ice Martini Luges and Flair Bartenders completes the look!

Please feel free to view the rest of the photos on the Orange Girl Photographs Blog shown below. We feel this gives the viewers a special inside look of the makings of a spectacular transformation!

http://http://www.orangegirlphotographs.com/blog.cfm?postID=369&lynn-fletcher-weddings

A photo of the Conservatory before the transformation

Orange Girl Photographs

the conservatory after the transformation

Orange Girl Photographs

A photo of the ice bar

Orange Girl Photographs

All the above photos were taking by Orange Girl Photographs.

http://www.orangegirlphotographs.com/

July 14, 2011

LFW’s Guide to Bridal Shoes!

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As a Bride-to-be, you hunt for that perfect pair of shoes that you will wear as you march down the aisle.  This special accessory may not be as important as the wedding dress, but comes in at a close second. With every different type of colour, texture and style out there to choose from, this task may seem slightly overwhelming.

Start by deciding whether you want to wear a dramatic spiked pair of heels, or reasonable and sweet wedding flats. Other than the visual look of the shoes, there are important factors to consider, such as wedding venue, height of the groom, temperature outside, the length of the ceremony and how far you have to walk down the aisle. If you are on the beach or walking through tall grass, you may want flats, while if you indoors, with a shorter style dress, you may want an amazing pair of heels that will make your overall wedding ensemble one no guest will ever forget! Some brides have a Winter Wonderland Wedding, amidst a snowy background and partake in a fun and festive “snow-boot” that makes for a super memorable look and wedding photo memories for all. No matter what you choose as a bride, remember to coordinate your special look with your bridesmaids as well. Perhaps by using a different complimenting colour scheme in a similar style, or a different look to reflect each bridesmaid individually.

A few tips for the comfort savvy Brides as well as the flashy style focused ones. Although some platform stilettos look stunning in photos, your feet may not think so! Save those stunners for the main photos, have a second pair (or boots perhaps) for outside photos, and then have comfy ones saved to rip up the dancefloor later. Whichever pair (s) you choose, make sure that they are all approximately the same height. You do not want to trip all over your dress while dancing in flats if the skirt has been hemmed to fall perfectly for your 7 inch platforms. You can also arrange to have the bustle on the dress come up higher for later in the day. This way you can wear whatever height of heel you want after the photographer stops shooting.

Below are some inspiration photos taken at a few of our own LFW weddings, we hope will give you some new fresh ideas for you to find your perfect pair of Wedding-Day Heels!

blue bridal heels with diamonds

Orange Girl Photographs

blue and red wedding party shoes

As I See It Photography

silver wedding shoes with straps

Alan Maudie Photography

blue wedding heels with bride

Andras Schram Photography

blue wedding heels

Andras Schram Photography

Sparkly wedding heels

Orange Girl Photographs

wedding heels with I Do in diamonds

Orange Girl Photographs

Winter wedding snow shoes and boots

Orange Girl Photographs

wedding snow boots with groom

Orange Girl Photographs

wedding snow boots

Orange Girl Photographs

red wedding shoes hanging from a birdhouse

Orange Girl Photographs

2 different wedding shoes, pink and cream

Orange Girl Photographs

pink shoes of the bridal party

Alan Maudie Photography

silver wedding shoes

Andras Schram Photography

wedding shoes with diamonds

Julie Williams Photography

cowboy boots and groom's shoes

Orange Girl Photographs

June 30, 2011

A Few of Our Favourite Things: Chairs

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We’ll be featuring some of our favourite items and details from our clients’ events in a series called A Few of Our Favourite Things. First up is one of the more practical elements of a wedding: chairs.

After completing a design scheme, choosing linens, selecting napkins, centrepieces and other décor elements, everything feels perfect to bring your dream wedding to life.

But there’s another thing to remember – chairs!

Chairs at a wedding

Andras Schram Photography

Chairs might seem like a frivolous design element, but they serve many purposes. First, they’ll be photographed along with your reception décor and part of your memories for years to come.

Your chair selection can help coordinate other design and décor elements – Jennifer and Cam’s wedding at the Fairmont Palliser incorporated touches of gold, including table numbers, chargers, centrepieces – and chairs.

You’ll also spend hours sitting in said chairs, enjoying dinner and speeches – so you want to ensure your chairs are beautiful and comfortable!

One of our favourite chairs is the classic Chiavari. Originating from the town of Chiavari along the Mediterranean coast of Italy, these chairs are constructed of wood, and come in a milieu of colours and chair cushion options.

Chairs at a Wedding

Andras Schram Photography

For Janet and Jeff’s Lake Louise wedding, we adorned each Chiavari with an organza tie and hung florals on each chair at the head table.

Chairs at a Wedding

Alan Maudie Photography

We’re always looking for ways to add more colour, texture and florals to an event – so we’ll often tuck a bloom into a chair wrap for an extra special touch.

Chairs at a Wedding

Alan Maudie Photography

One of the quickest ways to transform a banquet chair found at all venues is to use wraps – which come in a range of fabrics and colours – so you can use the existing chairs in your venue and incorporate to your décor design. We used chocolate brown and cream wraps for Shawnette and Will’s Silvertip Resort Wedding to tie in with their scheme of chocolate, blush and celadon.

Chairs at a Wedding

Orange Girl Photographs

Chiavari chairs continue to be a popular choice with the influx of new colors all the time. This chocolate color is popular with many of our mountain weddings because of its rustic charm. We embellished this aisle chairs by tying a simple nosegay of orchids here.

orchids decorate a chair

Orange Girl Photographs

The below photo is of a ruffled chair scarf on a Chameleon Chair. Only the chairs at the head table of this fantastic fairy tale wedding had the exclusive ruffle décor, to show a different style than the rest of the overall reception tables. Chameleon chairs are very versatile because they can be dressed in so many different ways hundreds of options exist in the marketplace… which is just how we like it!

Chameleon Chairs at a Wedding

Orange Girl Photographs

Finally, one of the hottest products on the market has to be the Louis Ghost chair – featured in some of the most trendy hotels and homes, this chair has been seen at weddings and social events for the last couple of years and continues to be a sting choice of clients. We used the iconic chair and incorporated a monogrammed decal for a client’s 25th birthday party.

Clear chairs at a wedding

Alan Maudie Photography

Clear chair at a wedding

Alan Maudie Photography

Whatever your preference or scheme, chairs make a lasting impact on your wedding memories for years to come.

June 25, 2011

Vendor Love: Alan Maudie Photography

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Our Vendor Love series features some of our favourite wedding vendors – and today we’re profiling Alan Maudie of Alan Maudie Photography, who has been part of some of the most incredible LFW weddings. Check out his site for his stunning weddings, couples and landscape photography.

Couple walking in field on wedding day

Alan Maudie Photography

What’s your top tip for couples looking for a wedding photographer?

Shop with your heart. When initially viewing a photographers work if you aren’t moved emotionally by their images move on to another photographer. Hire the photographer who’s work you see as the best visual description of what you want to see in your own wedding photos. Don’t fall into the trap of hiring the photographer who’s offering you the most stuff (albums, prints, etc…) at the lowest price. What’s the point of having an album full of images you don’t like, or a disk with thousands of photos on them that don’t reflect the things about your relationship and wedding that are most important to you.

Wedding Rings

Alan Maudie Photography

Do you ever have any “wow” moments in your job?

Quite a bit actually. I was the photographer for the events that LFW has recently won big awards for, so I definitely said wow a lot while shooting on those days. Those are the obvious “wows” though. The ones I like best are the surprises, like the father of the bride who doesn’t seem like the type that will cry but ends up cracking during the father daughter dance. I guess the emotional “wows” are my favourite.

Floral Arrangement

Alan Maudie Photography

What style do you like to shoot in – formal, posed, spontaneous, journalistic? -

My approach is to be as discreet and subtle as possible so that I can create and capture images that look like the couple or subject weren’t aware they were being photographed. I really, really wish I could be invisible. Most of my favourite photos are taken when the subject is either unaware of the camera, or they are so comfortable or caught up in the moment they have forgotten about being photographed. Obviously it isn’t possible to be completely invisible, but my personal experience with using a second photographer or even sometimes an assistant is that its much harder to go unnoticed and everyone at the wedding is much more aware of the camera. For the portrait session, even though I am technically “posing” couples, my goal is to get them into a starting position and then let them relax into an expression that is true to them. Sometimes I just say something to get them to laugh or I’ll just leave them alone for a while and they find their true expression. If you need a label for that I guess you can call it the “Alan Maudie Style.”

dramatic photography of the bride and groom in a meadow

ALAN MAUDIE PHOTOGRAPHY

What trends are you seeing in the photography industry that apply to weddings?

My personal opinion is that wedding photography is a bit too influenced by trends. A couple years ago “texturing” images in post production became really popular. If I got married in 2008 and my album was full of photos that look like someone smeared mud all over them (texture), I’m not sure how thrilled I would be about that look now in 2011. I’m all for developing new finishes and experimenting with post production, but I think when you are working on a real wedding photographers should be thinking in terms of longevity. Sorry for the rant, I haven’t really addressed your question yet. The one thing  (not really a trend I hope) I see in photography and film that is refreshing is more and more reality. Major ad campaigns being shot with natural lighting (or expensive lighting set ups that strive to look like natural light). This is a sign to me that consumers are connecting more with imagery that looks real. Maybe as viewers we have matured and the digital post production gimmicks aren’t as appealing any more.

bride and groom portrait near lake louise

ALAN MAUDIE PHOTOGRAPHY

How did you know you wanted to be a wedding photographer? Do you do any other styles of shooting – family, maternity, fashion, stock, commercial? If so, how does this influence how you shoot a wedding?

I was never struck by lightning, so to speak. I love all types of photography and capturing people is one aspect of photography that is particularly appealing to me. My approach to photographing weddings from the start was to record them the exact same way I would want my own wedding photographed (if I could do it again). People really connected with that and when I would sit down with them they would go out of their way to try and describe to me why they liked my wedding photography. It was probably this feedback that encouraged me to dedicate a greater percentage of my time to photographing weddings.

I don’t consider myself a “wedding photographer”, I’m a photographer who photographs weddings and lots of other things.  Basically, I’ll photograph anything that interests and challenges me. When weddings are no longer interesting to a photographer, that photographer really owes it to couples to stop photographing weddings. To photograph weddings properly your heart has to be leading you.

When doing a commercial shoot you have to identify who the audience is. What are you trying to sell with the photographs?  Once you have these two things identified you can create a much stronger more valuable set of images for the client. When photographing a wedding I always keep in mind that the couple that hired me is the audience and that I’m trying to create images that will impress them and that they will love forever. Sometimes that means focusing less on all the tools and techniques at my disposal, and more on the couples relationship. Less tech, more love.

blue wedding decor at the reception

ALAN MAUDIE PHOTOGRAPHY

Many couples are uncomfortable with being in front of a camera – how do you work to create the ease and beauty that shows through in your photos?

Honestly, I have no real idea. I never thought about it or came up with a strategy to make people comfortable. I’m a slow runner, have a pretty bad memory for things like phone numbers, I can only draw stick men, I can’t dance,… etc., but apparently people feel comfortable when I photograph them. Play on your strengths I guess.

Thank you Alan, for sharing your insight and thoughts on the LFW Blog!

bride and groom have a portrait in the woods

ALAN MAUDIE PHOTOGRAPHY

bride and groom on their wedding day

ALAN MAUDIE PHOTOGRAPHY

wedding cake photo

ALAN MAUDIE PHOTOGRAPHY

wedding venue at night

ALAN MAUDIE PHOTOGRAPHY

the bride's beautiful wedding dress

ALAN MAUDIE PHOTOGRAPHY

the groom's pocket watch

ALAN MAUDIE PHOTOGRAPHY

January 18, 2011

Matt & Julia: New Year’s Magic in the Mountains – Part II

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We’re back with the stunning finale of Matt and Julia’s New Years Eve wedding! Special thanks again to Kirstie Tweed of Orange Girl Photographs for her amazing photos of Matt and Julia’s special day.

Following their emotional ceremony, our newlyweds took advantage of the incredible scenery at the Chateau Lake Louise for some amazing – albeit freezing! – wedding photos.

Couple on Wedding Day

Orange Girl Photographs

Julia added a fur stole, mitts and adorable boots for their after-wedding shoot.

Winter boots and wedding shoes

Orange Girl Photographs

Bride at Lake Louise

Orange Girl Photographs

Loved the coordinating socks of Matt and his groomsmen!

Groom and his groomsmen

Orange Girl Photographs

Back inside the Chateau Lake Louise, the party was just getting started. One of our favourite décor elements was the 16-foot ice bar – complete with not one, but two martini luges!

Ice bar at wedding

Orange Girl Photographs

A princess slipper for Julia:

Martini Luge

Orange Girl Photographs

And a slipper for one of Matt’s favourite pastimes – hockey!

Hockey martini luge

Orange Girl Photographs

Matt and Julia wanted a winter bling look and feel to their wedding – and lighting was a big part of the décor. The room was awash in pinks, blushes and lavenders throughout the evening.

Wedding reception at Chateau Lake Louise

Orange Girl Photographs

Watching guests enter the ballroom was an amazing moment. The space had been transformed into a winter wonderland – with more than one guest gasping when they entered the space.

Wedding at Lake Louise

Orange Girl Photographs

Amidst the round tables, we incorporated a rectangular head table. This allowed Matt and Julia to sit at the head of the table as the guests of honour and still easily converse with their wedding party throughout dinner.

Head Wedding Table

Orange Girl Photographs

We dressed each of the head table chameleon chairs with ruffled slipcovers – the perfect touch for the special table.

Chair wraps

Orange Girl Photographs

Each place setting featured a gold charger, napkin and one delicious favours from Bedazzle My BonBons.

Chocolate wedding favours

Orange Girl Photographs

To complete the winter bling look, the centerpiece trees featured gorgeous phalaenopsis orchids, gold glittered branches, hanging votives and feathers, dripping with strands of crystals.

Wedding Centrepieces

Orange Girl Photographs

Wedding Decor

Orange Girl Photographs

There is nothing like flickering candlelight to add a sense of romance and warmth to a room. Candles were an integral part to the lighting story for Matt and Julia’s wedding – votives on the tables, hanging from the centrepiees, and floating candles in front of the ballroom’s fireplace.

Candles at a wedding

Orange Girl Photographs

Matt and Julia’s wedding cake stood prominently beneath the canopy which they were married under. The four-layer confection was delicious and  topped with more orchids and Bedazzle My Bon Bons!

Wedding Cake

Orange Girl Photographs

Guests were treated to an unbelievable meal – complete with sorbet as palette cleansers between courses.

Sorbet at wedding

Orange Girl Photographs

After dinner and speeches, guests took to the dance floor. The floor was kept packed all night thanks to Alan Smithson of Smithson Martin Inc/Star Productions, who flew in from Toronto for the event. We told you last week about his revolutionary Emulator DJ system – Matt and Julia’s celebration was the world wedding premiere of the Emulator!

DJ at wedding

Orange Girl Photographs

The couple exchanges a kiss during their first dance with soft snow falling all around them.

Couple kissing at wedding

Orange Girl Photographs

After her first dance with Matt, Julia shared a special spin on the dance floor with her father. The look of pride on his face brought us to tears – it meant so much to him to give his little girl the wedding of her dreams.

Father Daughter Dance

Orange Girl Photographs

Family at wedding

Orange Girl Photographs

Matt and Julia, thank you so much for trusting us to bring your wedding dreams to life. We had such an amazing time planning, executing and celebrating with you and your guests. Congratulations again!

Couple at wedding

Orange Girl Photographs

January 14, 2011

Matt & Julia: New Year’s Magic in the Mountains – Part I

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Today we are thrilled to share our latest Real Wedding with you – Part I of Matt and Julia’s stunning New Year’s Eve wedding at the Chateau Lake Louise. Special thanks to Kirstie Tweed of Orange Girl Photographs who was on hand throughout the weekend to capture the celebration.

The night before their wedding, Matt and Julia’s families hosted an outdoor ice bar – complete with scotch, cigars, candelight in the snow walls and temperatures hovering near -30 degrees!

Liquor and candles

Orange Girl Photographs

Many of the guests traveled from Winnipeg for their wedding, so were very prepared for the chilly weather – it was a great way to kick off their festivities and the ski suit attire was an event in itself!

Ice bar at Chateau Lake Louise

Orange Girl Photographs

Ice bar at Chateau Lake Louise

Orange Girl Photographs

Lake Louise is a very dear place for Julia’s family and was the perfect place for her wedding. Every winter, on their family ski trip to Lake Louise, Julia would tell her father that someday she would be married at the Chateau on New Year’s Eve!

Bride on her wedding day

Orange Girl Photographs

Julia’s dog Dallas was the star of the show decked out in many designer outfits and was a constant presence throughout the whole weekend!

Dog at a wedding

Orange Girl Photographs

Julia is the ultimate girly girl and her bridal fashion didn’t disappoint. We loved her Oscar de la Renta shoes and her bouquet was the perfect combination of traditional meets glitz.

Shoes and Bouquet

Orange Girl Photographs

Bridal bouquet

Orange Girl Photographs

The stunning bride dressed and ready to be married.

bride on her wedding day

Orange Girl Photographs

Julia is very close to her parents and especially her father. When she was about 10 years old, she stood in the Victoria Ballroom with her Dad and said to him, “Daddy, when I get married someday, I want it to be on New Years Eve in this very room.” Twenty or so years later, the phone rang and Julia told her father, “I’m engaged and guess where I’m getting married!” After that, he knew exactly who to call to make it happen: Chad Mendleman at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise!

Nothing made her father more proud than to give his eldest daughter the wedding of her dreams just as she had predicted it years before.

Bride and her father

Orange Girl Photographs

The Lynn Fletcher Wedding team helped create the wedding ceremony of Matt and Julia’s dreams – simple white décor, flickering candlelight, and stunning lighting to accentuate the Chateau’s famous architecture.

Wedding ceremony

Orange Girl Photographs

Julia’s father escorted his little girl down the aisle to meet her husband to be. The date they chose for their wedding was especially important to Matt and Julia – three years prior, Matt asked Julia out on their first official date. New Years holds many memories for them, so it was a perfect date for their wedding.

Walking down the aisle

Orange Girl Photographs

Matt later told us his favourite moment of the wedding was watching Julia walk down the aisle towards him – he was struck with the magnitude and emotion of the moment.

Groom and mother

Orange Girl Photographs

The couple exchanging vows during their emotional ceremony.

Groom at wedding

Orange Girl Photographs

Bride at wedding

Orange Girl Photographs

Sealed with a kiss – the happy couple are married!

Couple kiss at wedding

Orange Girl Photographs

Congratulations as the newlyweds proceed back down the aisle!

Couple after wedding

Orange Girl Photographs

Stay tuned for Matt and Julia’s stunning reception coverage and some of the photos they braved in -25 weather for!

January 7, 2011

World Exclusive: Emulator DJ premiere at LFW wedding!

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We’re back with another sneak peek from Matt and Julia’s New Year Eve wedding at Lake Louise. DJ Alan Smithson from Smithson Martin was on hand to keep the dance floor packed – with the world wedding premiere of the Emulator system!

DJ at a wedding

Lynn Fletcher Weddings

The Emulator is a brand new, revolutionary product for DJs – the world’s first and only transparent multi-touch system for professional DJ use. It allows the crowd to see exactly how a DJ is spinning the music and be part of the experience.

DJ at a wedding

Lynn Fletcher Weddings

Guests can also doodle a message or include a monogram on the Emulator – so you can be part of the DJ’ing fun!

DJ at a wedding

Lynn Fletcher Weddings

Even the bride Julia got in on the action!

DJ at a wedding

Lynn Fletcher Weddings

Congrats again to Julia and Matt – and thanks to Alan from Smithson Martin for spinning the music on New Years Eve!

January 3, 2011

Teaser: Matt and Julia’s New Year’s Eve Wedding!

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There are moments when it’s clear we’re so lucky to bring to life the dreams, inspiration and visions our clients have had of their wedding. When we’re surrounded by incredible clients, vendors and guests at magical events.

We had an amazing time producing Matt and Julia’s New Year’s Eve wedding at the Chateau Lake Louise – the incredible Kirstie Tweed from Orange Girl Photographs was on hand to capture the photos. Below is a teaser pic from their wedding – congrats again Julia and Matt!

Couple dancing at their wedding

Orange Girl Photographs

December 31, 2010

Happy New Year from Lynn Fletcher Weddings!

By admin | No Comments
Fireworks at a birthday party

Alan Maudie Photography

Whether you’re celebrating at a big bash, enjoying dinner out with friends or snuggling with your sweetie at home, we at Lynn Fletcher Weddings wish you a Happy New Year. The LFW crew is in Lake Louise producing the wedding of our clients tying the knot tonight!

Stay safe and enjoy yourselves – we’ll be back in the new year with more real weddings, tips and advice!

Love,

Lynn Fletcher Weddings

December 30, 2010

Brenda and Tom’s Wintery Wedding

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Hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas! We are thrilled to be back to share today’s Real Wedding with you: Tom and Brenda’s winter wedding at the Delta Kananaskis. 

Couple on their wedding day

Andras Schram Photography

Being a wedding planner is more than just coordinating flowers, reception details and décor  elements. We share some of life’s most intimate moments when a couple and their family dedicates themselves to each other amongst their friends and loved ones. It’s an incredible responsibility that we’re so fortunate to be part of.The incredibly talented Andras Schram was on hand to capture the couple’s day – check out his stunning shots below. 

Couple on their wedding day

Andras Schram Photography

Tom and Brenda wanted a warm, close-knit celebration of their relationship and family – a wedding truly focused on the love they share. They chose Kananaskis – an area nestled between Calgary and Banff National Park – to bring together family and friends for an unforgettable celebration. We loved the potted plants brought in for their ceremony décor – simple and sweet! 

Potted plants on a wedding day

Andras Schram Photography

Tom and Brenda both have children from previous marriages, so their wedding was truly a family affair. Their children played as big of a part of their wedding day as the bride and groom. Each of their children exchanged vows, to symbolize the true joining of both families – a gesture that brought guests (and us!) to tears. 

Family wedding vows

Andras Schram Photography

Tom and Brenda also included their guests in the ceremony with a unique twist on the popular sand ceremony. Each guest was given a vial of sand to hold during the ceremony and were asked to come forward and pour the sand over river rocks inscribed with the family’s names. An impromptu receiving line occurred as Tom and Brenda were able to personally greet each of the friends and family members who had travelled to celebrate with them.   

Wedding ceremony wishing rocks

Andras Schram Photography

Following their ceremony, Tom and Brenda celebrated with their guests while Christmas trees twinkled around a campfire outside.  

Christmas trees and wedding menu

Andras Schram Photography

We used chocolate brown linens and river rocks to continue the theme from Tom and Brenda’s ceremony. And there’s nothing like flickering candlelight to make a space glow. 

Wedding table centrepieces

Andras Schram Photography

One of our favourite touches was the cake – each of the figures on the confection was painstakingly hand-carved by Tom, and represented their family: a little wild, fun-loving, and of course, tight knit.

Wedding cake

Andras Schram Photography

Tom sent us the sweetest email after their wedding: 

 “You know how you asked what was the most memorable part or experience about the wedding … well, today it came to me in bright lights. The most memorable part of the wedding is that I remembered everything. I enjoyed it and I wasn’t stressed about what I had or wanted to do. The day after my first wedding, I couldn’t remember the wedding day. The difference from my wedding with Brenda was that I had the opportunity to remember and to cherish all the moments. And I would do it again – of course, to the same person.” 

Tom and Brenda, congrats again on your incredible wedding and allowing us to be a part of your special day!   

Couple on their wedding day

Andras Schram Photography