i am a huge fan of destination weddings; including mini-destination weddings! who says “destination” require a flight? often it’s only a long road trip or a ferry that you need. vanessa and craig had one at spirit ridge in osoyoos, alison and ryan had one on the sunshine coast, erika and malcolm had one on vancouver island & joanna and alex had one in tofino at middle beach lodge. i love the “feel” of a destination wedding — as a guest, you have to head out of town, leaving behind work and other responsibilities and because of that, you get to celebrate a marriage AND have a mini-vacation. even when i’m there to work [not exactly a vacation] i still love enjoy them a ton when they are in between local weddings.

crazy excited to share my most feature in destination weddings & honeymoons magazine with you! joanna + alex’s middle beach lodge wedding in tofino was chosen for their real weddings “i do” section.

as a teenager, i was involved with an awesome youth group that was full of incredible leaders. one of these leaders was a girl named amanda — and after i graduated and became a leader myself, we co-lead a small group for girls every week together. i remember those times so well. honestly, with a group of fifteen-year-old girls the biggest topic of discussion seemed to be boys [oh how confusing they were!] and dreaming up our future weddings. bahaha. a guy’s worst nightmare. but, of course, the girls and i especially loved to dream about what amanda’s wedding would be like someday — this girl has always had an eye for style and details.

amanda moved to california a few years ago to attend bethel school of ministry; where she met this great guy named james. they didn’t talk much for the first year of school… really not until last summer, when they started hanging out as friends. good friends, best friends, and before they knew it, whoops! they fell in love with each other like nothing they’ve ever experienced before. james proposed over the christmas break when he and amanda were back in BC visiting family. here’s the real kicker, i shot their wedding four days later — and amanda had no idea she was getting married that day.

i got a call from amanda’s mother the day before: was i up for the challenge of shooting a surprise wedding of one of my old friends? mmm, yep! sure was. here’s how it all went down. james and amanda had talked in the past about eloping — so marriage quite quickly after engagement wasn’t something that intimidated them. james had this brilliant idea of getting married on christmas eve afternoon, with only amanda’s immediate family present — and keeping it a surprise from his bride the whole time. amanda and james were told by amanda’s mom that she had booked an engagement session with me on christmas eve day for a gift. amanda was thrilled & we talked on the phone on december 23rd to plan where to meet.

i suggested milner chapel as a great meeting point; easy to find and a few spots around there i wanted to walk to. amanda and james were thinking a formal-ish theme; amanda had bought a great new dress and heels for the season and wanted to wear them. perfect. we set up a time and the next day, i pulled into the parking lot. amanda’s mom was with her to help carry things for the shoot, etc. also, amanda’s mom had told the couple that amanda’s family would be coming for a few quick family photos [while everyone was dressed up] before their church christmas eve service following the session. so when amanda’s brother and sister-in-law and grandma arrived, she didn’t suspect anything. we spent a half hour taking photos, then we set up “family photos” on the church steps.

it was cold and windy outside, so the family went inside to warm up until i “needed” them for some more poses. next thing, amanda’s brother said he’d love one of just the two of them. james decides to go “check on the family” inside the chapel. amanda and her brother and i are the only ones standing outside of the chapel. we take a few photos and i say, we should go join the family and bring ‘em back out. we three walk into the church, and james is standing at the end of the aisle, with an officiant standing right beside him. amanda’s family is seated and her brother hands amanda a bouquet, and the music starts, and down the aisle they walk.

amanda was blown away; immediately tearing up and when james met her at the end of the aisle he asked, will you marry me? today? and she said, yes, of course i will. james had written out wedding vows for himself and then a copy for amanda [in case she was too flustered to speak!] — but the cutest part of the day, amanda started reading the pre-written vows and stopped. james, i don’t need these, and she grabbed both his hands and winged it. beautifully.

ah, it was such a fun day.

bowral is a small town in the southern highlands area of new south wales; full of gorgeous wineries and open space. the perfect escape from the crowded city of sydney, but still only an hour and a half away. after two nights staying in the area, it was obvious why roxy & diego chose the spot for their mini-destination wedding. stunning.

these two had a guest list that stretched all across the world. roxy’s grandmother flew from south africa to attend and diego’s family flew in from colombia. so amazing that the week before their wedding was the first time roxy’s parents & diego’s mom had a chance to meet. both roxy & diego’s families rented two houses for the weekend; gorgeous estates that made photographing getting-ready images such a treat.

the afternoon ceremony at the centennial vineyards incorporated a flower ceremony, which included the respective national flower of each south africa & colombia — of course, representing the two cultures being merged in roxy & diego’s marriage. during the cocktail hour, guests enjoyed spanish guitar and refreshing lemonade, which we definitely needed in the wine-country heat. i love roxy & diego’s attention to detail, their quirky touches throughout the day. from roxy’s red nail polish and vintage drop earrings, to her and her bridesmaid’s retro hair styles, to their adorable headbands, to diego & his groomsmen’s funky suspenders: this wedding was a fun time.

the reception was a massive party: all about great food, good wine and the dance was set to a great band playing spanish music. the dance floor was my favourite part. friends and family who love roxy & diego openly welcomed the opposite side of their “new” family into their hearts: who even cared if some didn’t speak the same language! loved all the laughter and love and fun.

oh and p.s. diego & his mom dancing together? colombians don’t fool around, those two are amazing. wowzers. wish pictures did it justice. ;) roxy and diego, thank you two for your incredible hospitality both on thursday evening at your engagement session and on your wedding day this past saturday. could not have asked for a sweeter couple to photograph half-way across the world.