Archive for the ‘Destination Wedding Photography’ Category

Zulaika & Mark | Maui, Hawaii | Calgary Destination Wedding Photographers

June 9th, 2011

Zee and Mark have finally seen their photos and we are ready to share it with the world, literally.  I met Zee and Mark about a year ago at a mutual friend’s BBQ.  That mutual friend was also a client who’s wedding I photographed in the Dominican Republic.  Our mutual friend had told me that [...]

 

Zee and Mark have finally seen their photos and we are ready to share it with the world, literally.  I met Zee and Mark about a year ago at a mutual friend’s BBQ.  That mutual friend was also a client who’s wedding I photographed in the Dominican Republic.  Our mutual friend had told me that Zee and Mark were planning on getting married in Hawaii.  Most people who know me, know that Hawaii is my most favorite place on the planet.  I have always wanted to shoot a wedding in Hawaii, so naturally I had to throw my stick in the pile, hoping they’d want to consider me.  Consider me they did!  Before we even went to Hawaii, I got to know Z&M a little better and they soon felt like a couple friends that I have always known.  Both of them came to Calgary from the UK when Zee got transferred at work, so most of their guest were from the UK.  They even had friends and family from the UAE and Spain.  This was a true destination wedding!

Ryan and I started the day with the boys in the condos at Ka’anapali and soon met up with the ladies at the Westin Maui, where they were getting married.  Once all the prep photos were done, we headed off to the Sheraton Maui for the ceremony.  The ceremony was held outdoors on the lawn in front of the beach on a picture perfect Hawaiian day.  As the nuptial were read, you could hear the waves crash on the shores.  The ceremony was short and very sweet and soon the sun was about to set.   The reception was also held at the Sheraton Maui.  The wedding party came in triumphantly to music but it was Mark’s entrance that stole the show.  He come in swinging like Manny Pacquiao.  It was quite the sight and something I won’t soon forget.  It was a fantastic entrance!  The rest of the night was a party with some tear jerking speeches, crazy dancing and some photo booth fun.

The next day was our creative shoot day.  Ryan and I had already scouted the north shore of Maui the day before the wedding so we knew exactly where we were going to shoot.  Our first location was a grassy area and there we found a spectacular tree.  After that we headed up to the cliffs of the north shore.  It was absolutely SPECTACULAR.  Our timing with the light was great as well and with our luck, some clouds came rolling in for some dramatic scenery.  Zee also mentioned she was to do a trash the dress session as well, so we found a perfect little secluded cove with a tiny beach that was perfect for our shoot.  We were about to make it hot!

Thanks Zee and Mark for inviting Ryan and I to come all the way from Calgary to Hawaii to create your wedding photos for you.  Your destination wedding was something many couples dream about, and in my opinion, it was perfect.  We couldn’t have had a better 2 days shooting you, your friends and family.   Now that everyone is back home in their respective cities around the world, we will always remember and dream of Maui again.

 

 

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Zulaika & Mark | Maui, Hawaii | Sneak Peek

May 24th, 2011

Zulaika and Mark got married in paradise just a little over last week. They brought us to Maui Hawaii for their wedding and we got some seriously amazing images of them. Here’s a sneak peek to make you want to come back for more later.  

 

Zulaika and Mark got married in paradise just a little over last week. They brought us to Maui Hawaii for their wedding and we got some seriously amazing images of them. Here’s a sneak peek to make you want to come back for more later.

 

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Courtney & Geoff | Ocho Rios Jamaica | Calgary Destination Wedding Photographers

March 11th, 2011

Courtney & Geoff have finally seen their wedding photos from their spectacular destination wedding at the Riu in Ocho Rios, Jamaica.  39 of us left Calgary on February 5th headed for sand, sun, fun and of course to witness C&G tropical wedding.  I really liked the fact the ceremony wasn’t until day 5 of the [...]

 

Courtney & Geoff have finally seen their wedding photos from their spectacular destination wedding at the Riu in Ocho Rios, Jamaica.  39 of us left Calgary on February 5th headed for sand, sun, fun and of course to witness C&G tropical wedding.  I really liked the fact the ceremony wasn’t until day 5 of the trip.  It really allowed me time to get to know C&G and their friends better.  During those days I really felt a strong connection with C&G.  I knew once we connected, they would trust me and we would create some fabulous images together.

The day started with the girls in the salon getting their hair done.  Once that was complete, I headed up to where the boys were getting ready and got some photos of Geoff and his boys.  When I finished there, I headed over to Courtney’s bridesmaid’s room where the girls were getting ready.  The room was a spectacular suite with a view of the gorgeous, blue and green Caribbean Sea.  The balcony made a for a wicked shooting spot with the sea as my backdrop.

The ceremony was held in typical tropical fashion… on the beach!  Wouldn’t we all love to get married on a beach?  The ceremony was short and very sweet.  It was so fun to shoot with such an amazing backdrop.  It makes my job that much easier.  After shooting some of C&G photos on the beach, we hired a driver to drive us around near the resort.  We stopped at random places as we drove with no particular plan in mind.  I always love doing as it really pushes you to see things quickly.  We got lucky and found a a couple cool spots, including a broken down, deserted building that used to be a bar by the ocean.

Man do I love destinations weddings.  However, it’s really tough to be away from the family for so long, because I always wished they were there with me.   The only 2 people I knew in the whole group was C&G. Even with them, I have maybe spent a total of 4 hours with them, so this trip was kind of nerve racking to me.  Not really knowing anyone, you never know what can happen.  I am so happy to say that I made 38 new friends.  Everyone was really nice and easy to get along with as I expected, because of the way C&G are.  It made missing the family a lot easier.  I was a heck of a week and I am so thankful to have met all the people I did on this trip.

Thanks for trusting me and bringing me a long to Jamaica for your wedding.  It was awesome to spend a week with you guys and get to know you so intimately.  I hope you love your wedding photos as much as I do!

 

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Courtney & Geoff | Jamaica Destination Wedding | Sneak Peek

February 24th, 2011

It was hard, but I was finally able to choose 2 for a sneak peek from Courtney & Geoff’s destination wedding in Jamaica.  There are so many good ones, so  hope you like these two for a teaser.  Don’t forget to check back soon to see the rest of this fabulous tropical wedding.

 

It was hard, but I was finally able to choose 2 for a sneak peek from Courtney & Geoff’s destination wedding in Jamaica.  There are so many good ones, so  hope you like these two for a teaser.  Don’t forget to check back soon to see the rest of this fabulous tropical wedding.

calgary destination wedding photographer caribbean

calgary destination wedding photographer Jamaica

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Introducing Courtney & Geoff – Ocho Rios Jamaica – Engagement Session

February 16th, 2011

I recently returned from Ocho Rios Jamaica after spending an amazing week with Courtney, Geoff and their family and friends who were mostly from Calgary and Winnipeg. I photographed the engagement session 2 days before the big wedding day.  For the engagement session we headed into Ocho Rios and also used the beautiful, lush Dunn [...]

 

I recently returned from Ocho Rios Jamaica after spending an amazing week with Courtney, Geoff and their family and friends who were mostly from Calgary and Winnipeg. I photographed the engagement session 2 days before the big wedding day.  For the engagement session we headed into Ocho Rios and also used the beautiful, lush Dunn River Falls area.   Here are some photos from that session.  Check back soon to see photos of their big day on the beach!

 

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Doreen & Gilbert | Playa Del Carmen, Mexico | Calgary Destination Wedding Photographer

October 1st, 2010

The long awaited and frequently asked for set is finally ready to be shown to the world.  D&G finally saw their photos last night after a long anticipated wait from their destination wedding.  D&G had their wedding at the fabulous 5 star resort, The Royal, back in the middle of August.  I met everyone at [...]

 

The long awaited and frequently asked for set is finally ready to be shown to the world.  D&G finally saw their photos last night after a long anticipated wait from their destination wedding.  D&G had their wedding at the fabulous 5 star resort, The Royal, back in the middle of August.  I met everyone at the Calgary International Airport, and I flew down with all of D&G’s wedding party, friends and family.  From the moment we all met at the airport, I knew it was going to be an exciting week.

The weather in Calgary had not been very summery all year so when we arrived in Mexico, it was nice to feel some 30 degree heat.  When we arrived at the Royal, I could see why they chose to have their wedding here.  The resort was gorgeous and as we the week went on, we were treated to true 5 star service and dining.  We had a few days before the big event, so it gave everyone time to settle down.  I headed off the resort to go scouting for the engagement session and wedding shoot.

On the day of the wedding, D&G had a short traditional Chinese tea ceremony in the main courtyard of the resort.  From there you could feel the buzz and excitement from everyone, as the wedding ceremony neared.  I started off the prep photos with the boys, like I usually do and then headed off to see Doreen and her girls.

The ceremony, in true Mexican Destination Wedding tradition, was held on the beach.  Because all beaches in Mexico are considered public, many onlookers gathered around to watch the ceremony.  This does not make photographers like me happy, but what can you do?  The ceremony was so nice.  The vows they both read to each other were very heart warming.  You could only say “awww” when you heard it and feel nothing but jubilation for them both.

I had a little bit of time to shoot off some photos of the bridal party and some of D&G before the sun went down.

The reception was held right on the beach as a storm over Cozumel started to head our way.  When it did arrive, it came in hard and fast, but by then the Royal staff had already moved all of us inside.

A couple days later, I had to finish off the photo shoot of D&G.  I had scouted all over the area surrounding the resort, but it was packed with tourist everywhere.  I decided to rent a car and we drove  around until we found something that I liked.  We did drive around for a bit but eventually we found an area where mansions were being built.  I thought to myself how great would it be if I could shoot inside one being constructed.  So we went searching for prospects.  Low and behold we found the perfect one!  Using my slick Spanish skills I was able to get us permission to shoot in the house.  It was the perfect place for us to finish off our photos.

Congratulations Doreen & Gilbert.  I am so grateful that our paths have crossed, otherwise I never would have met the both of you.  You both are truly amazing and inspiring people.  All your friends were amazing and I really felt like part of the crew when we were down there.  I definitely can say I made many new friends in one week, but best of all, I became friends with you guys.  Congrats and thanks again for having me be such a huge part of your wedding week!

This post is a big post, there are a lot of images, so if you are looking at this on a mobile device, I apologize in advanced.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Doreen & Gilbert | Sneak Peek | Playa Del Carmen Mexico

September 2nd, 2010

Here’s the long awaited sneak peek of Doreen and Gilbert’s wedding in Playa Del Carmen Mexico.  Check back in a few weeks to see the rest of this amazing wedding in the tropics.

 

Here’s the long awaited sneak peek of Doreen and Gilbert’s wedding in Playa Del Carmen Mexico.  Check back in a few weeks to see the rest of this amazing wedding in the tropics.

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Introducing Doreen & Gilbert | Playa Del Carmen, Mexico Engagement Session

August 25th, 2010

I am very happy to introduce to everyone, Doreen & Gilbert, whose wedding I just got back from in Playa Del Carmen Mexico.  They had a destination wedding in Mexico and brought 30 of their family members and close friends from Calgary.  They already had their wedding last Wednesday, but will be having one more [...]

 

I am very happy to introduce to everyone, Doreen & Gilbert, whose wedding I just got back from in Playa Del Carmen Mexico.  They had a destination wedding in Mexico and brought 30 of their family members and close friends from Calgary.  They already had their wedding last Wednesday, but will be having one more reception at the Hotel Art in downtown Calgary this weekend.  These engagement photos were photographed on the Monday before the wedding.  We had a blast walking around the resort area near Quintina Avenida and later in the evening we went to the beach to finish up some hot shots of these two.  What a privilege it is to able to be a wedding photographer, but when a client trusts you to take you on a destination wedding to spend a week with their family and friends, it makes me feel all warm and tingly inside.  Here are Doreen and Gilbert.  Check back soon to see the rest of their Mexican Destination Wedding.

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Tuyet & Richard 01.29.10. | Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic | Destination Wedding Photographer

February 19th, 2010

Tuyet & Rick booked me for what seemed like a long time ago.  Their original plans were to get married here in Calgary last June.  But they both decided maybe a destination wedding was going to be more fun, so plans were made to have the wedding in Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic.  When [...]

 

Tuyet & Rick booked me for what seemed like a long time ago.  Their original plans were to get married here in Calgary last June.  But they both decided maybe a destination wedding was going to be more fun, so plans were made to have the wedding in Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic.  When they alerted me of the changes, they said “don’t worry, Johnny, you’re our photographer, so we’re bringing you with us!”  My first destination wedding!!  I was stoked obviously.  I was so excited it was Tuyet and Rick, that I was doing destination wedding photography for.  We get along like we were old friends so I knew I would really enjoy my week with them, their friends/family and their 2 kids Jada and Anthony.

There were 26 of us and we stayed at the beautiful and relaxing Grand Oasis Marien.  The resort was clean and well kept.  The staff were super friendly and locals were very welcoming.  Of course drinks were included and as always, the first night was the binge night!  Tuyet & Rick and their friends can drink and drink lots! The whole week I spent with them was a blast and I really got to know everyone on the trip very well.  I am sure we will all stay in touch and hopefully have some sort of reunion, because I already miss them all!

Thank you so much T&R for bringing me to the Dominican Republic to capture your incredible wedding.  I had an amazing experience that I will never forget and I am so honored to call you guys friends and not just clients.

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Tuyet & Richard’s Dominican Republic Destination Wedding – Sneak Peek

February 7th, 2010

It sure was nice to get away from Calgary for a week to photograph a wedding in the tropics!  Tuyet and Richard brought me to the Dominican Republic with 25 of their closest friends for an amazing week.  I love my job.  More on the craziness that was Puerto Plata later this month.  For now, [...]

 

It sure was nice to get away from Calgary for a week to photograph a wedding in the tropics!  Tuyet and Richard brought me to the Dominican Republic with 25 of their closest friends for an amazing week.  I love my job.  More on the craziness that was Puerto Plata later this month.  For now, enjoy these 3 awesome sneak peek photos.  I have a ton of stuff amazing photographs for Tuyet and Richard!  I can’t wait to share them.