Weddings

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Courtney & Mike

Now Sapphire Beach Destination Wedding – Riviera Maya, Cancun

THE STORY

Engagement:

Courtney & Mike – what can I say about these two?! These two are not only crazy about each other, but they are passionate, motivated, caring individuals with a mutual fondness for exploring the world. After adventures in Mexico, Thailand, Peru, Italy and more, it’s safe to say these two have a serious case of the travel bug. They were destined for their Now Sapphire beach destination wedding. A chance meeting back in summer 2013 thanks to Mike’s roommate eventually brought these two together. They made things official in spring of 2014. From there, nothing could stop them. 2015 was Italy, 2016 took them on their own solo adventures and ended with them finding their way to each other – meeting in Thailand to continue their exploring together, but what 2017 would bring them was their future. And so, 2017 was here and their next upcoming trip was already in the works… A romantic meet up in England ended in Mike asking Courtney to be his wife after a day of playing tourist together on the streets of London. What followed was a Europe trip that would make all your bucket list wishes come true. Spain, Portugal, France & beyond. I think it’s safe to say these two have a lot more stamps in their passports in the coming years. Knowing them, I’m positive they’re already planning their next adventure.

Now Sapphire Beach Destination Wedding:

If it wasn’t already evident by now, the passion for exploring the world & it’s cultures is held dear by these two. It was an obvious immediate decision for these two to take their love, once again, international. This time surrounded by their friends & family. They eventually decided on a Now Sapphire Beach destination wedding in Riviera Maya, just outside of Cancun. I couldn’t speak more highly of the resort. It’s no secret that Now Sapphire is an in-demand venue for beach destination weddings in Mexico. The Saturday I arrived at the resort there were 4 weddings that day – one of which was photographed by a fellow photog-friend of mine (also from Langley). It’s such a small world!

These two have an amazing group of people around them and YES I’m aware I say that every time but it’s SO true! Much of their bridal party was made up of family for these two as well as friends that have become family over the years. We had a BLAST with these guys! They kept us smiling through the humidity, sand, tears, laughs, First Dances and Best Man speeches! Their dance party at their reception was one for the ages and finished with an epic splash in the pool.

Wedding Gallery:

I feel so fortunate to have people as amazing as Courtney & Mike as clients! Courtney and I went to the same high school and grad trip in Costa Rica back in the day. The next year both Courtney and myself found our way back to Costa Rica both on our own adventures. The Pura Vida mentality left a lasting impression on us both, I think. Since being bus buddies on that trip to CR in Gr 12 to following each other’s adventures over the years – it means the world that I got to witness & capture these two start the next stage in their own journey in this wild crazy adventure called life.

We had a great time and I just wish we’d had twice as many days there together to explore & capture every inch of the resort… And okay, maybe sneak in a few more margaritas with these two and their friends!

Here’s a curated selection at my highlights from their Now Sapphire Beach Destination Wedding Gallery…

Getting Ready:

First Look:

Bride & Groom Portraits:

Bridal Party:

Ceremony:

Reception:

vancouver wedding blog meg kristina

 

 

 

 

 

 

photographer for the authentic & adventurous

www.megkristina.com

All Photos here by Meg Kristina Photography.

 

Loved this Now Sapphire Beach Destination Wedding Celebration Story & Gallery? Click the link to check out this Dominican Republic destination wedding!

 

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Booking Now for 2019 & 2020 Weddings – limited dates remaining.

**BOOKED for 2019 Destinations – Now Booking for 2020 Travel

Now Sapphire Beach Destination Wedding – Riviera Maya Cancun | Courtney & Mike

Weddings

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Fall Morgan Creek Golf Course Wedding

THE STORY

Engagement:

They met playing Dungeons and Dragons over 3 years ago, fell in love over their love of all things comic books & movies, and got engaged at Stanley Park last year. These two are so genuine, authentic and real with their love for each other. When asked what is one dream that they have for their future together, they both said they dream of lots of love – and that’s exactly what you see when you look at these two together.

You can check out their glowy golden hour Fort Langley Fall Engagement Session from last spring up on the blog by clicking the link. We met down by the old CN Station in the Fort – the sun filters into this spot SO beautifully and it’s one of my favourites in the area to shoot at! After that, we decided to finish up our session down by the water and among the beautiful spring blossoms. I loved exploring all over Fort Langley with them!

Fall Morgan Creek Golf Course Wedding:

In all honesty, I’m a sucker for any excuse to sneak off to this venue. What could be more perfect than a Fall Morgan Creek Golf Course wedding? I always love incredible gardens & greenery at Morgan Creek and it really shows off it’s true colours in the autumn months. I was so excited to learn this was the venue these two had chosen for their special day. What made it that much better was knowing I got to help capture but also celebrate these two tying the knot. Colleen is honestly one of the sweetest people I’ve met and Dominic has this way of making you feel welcome & comfortable all while putting you at ease with his humour. It’s not hard to see why these two are drawn to each other.

The forecast was calling for rain and the clouds were threatening all day, as it often is in the Lower Mainland – even in the summer we can’t always escape the rain. As guests pulled out their umbrellas and took shelter under them, hiding under makeshift jacket-forts, they made a call to go ahead with the outdoor ceremony. It was risky but around here a little rain doesn’t scare us. The officiant (who is from Young Hip & Married and gave what may have been the most personal, memorable and giving ceremonies I’ve seen this season – I loved watching her honour their love and help focus their loved ones on supporting them) gathered everyone in despite the rain. Dominic and his groomsmen braved the downpour and made their trek down the aisle however as the bridesmaids began their walks the rain almost seemed to lighten for a second.

The exact moment Colleen & her father left their shelter to walk down the aisle, the clouds parted, the sun peaked through and the rain lifted. It was meant to be and a perfect well-wish from the world on this day for these two for their Fall Morgan Creek Golf Course Wedding.

Wedding Gallery:

I had such a blast getting to know these two and capturing their day. They sat me with the bride’s parents at reception and I have never felt more welcome at a wedding! These two are so kind-hearted and I loved being a part of their wedding day.

Here’s a curated look at a few of my favourites from their Fall Morgan Creek Golf Course Wedding Gallery…

Ceremony:

vancouver wedding blog meg kristina

 

 

 

 

 

photographer for the authentic & adventurous

www.megkristina.com

All Photos here by Meg Kristina Photography.

 

Loved this Fall Morgan Creek Golf Course Wedding Celebration Story & Gallery? Click here to discover more Love on The Blog!

Click here to Learn More about Wedding & Engagement Pricing.

Check out the newest on the Instagram Page here.

 

Booking Now for 2019 & 2020 Weddings

 

Vendors:

Venue & Catering: Morgan Creek Golf Course

Dress: David’s Bridal

Flowers: Flowers & Company

Cake: Happy Cakes

Hair/Make-Up: Shermin’s Hair & Make Up

Officiant: Young Hip & Married

DJ: The Wedding Lot

Decorator: Making Memories

Caricatures: Sarah Draws a Crowd

Fall Morgan Creek Golf Course Wedding | Colleen & Dominic

glow langley proposal photographer engagement vancouver wedding photography

Personal/Other

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Grief & Joy During the Holidays

Fighting the Stigma | Mental Health Awareness

Grief & joy during the holidays are two polarizing emotions you wouldn’t necessarily expect to see in a sentence together. The Holiday season is a time of joy and love. Giving and receiving, family time, eggnog spiked with rum & Christmas baked goodies abound. For many people though, the Holidays (& winter months in general) bring about not just a stressful time but a reminder of grief and loss in their lives. 

It’s no surprise that at a time of year when we are supposed to be focused on our loved ones, people fall deeper into depression, feel lonely, sad, and can experience feelings of grief for those no longer in our lives. It’s a time where you’re meant to feel surrounded by family but it can make you feel more alone in the world than ever.

The circle of life is all around us. New life is constantly being born, we are always meeting new people, new relationships are being formed, and connections create bonds that leave a mark on us forever. At the same time, we wouldn’t have life without death and the holiday season is a stark reminder of all that we have lost sometimes. Whether you have experienced the physical death of a loved one or, like many of us including myself, the emotional loss of many people, it can be easy to be hit with waves of grief unexpectedly especially during this difficult time of year. Both types of death, physical and emotional, are gut-wrenching and can stay with you forever, though time can help the frequency of these painful moments.

Part of living life is learning to accept the losses of relationships and people around you, no matter how much it hurts, stings or stays. Always believe there’s a purpose to it and focus on how you can take that pain to better yourself and make yourself stronger at the end of the day. It doesn’t mean you won’t always hold love for them, and it sure as hell doesn’t mean it won’t hurt. But soldiering through the pain, I’ve learnt, is all part of the daily battle of life. 

To feel pain, to feel loss, to feel joy, to feel love. It’s all a part of our journey. 

 

 

Did you know that if you send a text to 686868 when you are feeling depressed or suicidal (any type of crisis), a crisis worker will text you back immediately and will continue to text with you? 

Many people don’t like talking over the phone and would feel more comfortable texting. This is a free service for anyone in Canada.

Grief & Joy During the Holidays

Engaged

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Campbell Valley Engagement

Natasha & Ben

The Couple

This sun-drenched joyful Campbell Valley engagement session is truly one of my favourites of the year. Natasha & Ben are such a fun couple but there’s so much more to them than that. These two are both Chiropractors and met in school preparing for their careers. They share a zest for life, passion for helping others, competitive but caring spirits, and a crazy awesome love & admiration for each other.

The Engagement

These two have a passion for a healthy & fit lifestyle. It’s one of the many things they bonded over and both admire in the other and as a result from the start of their relationship they often found themselves visiting the gym together to work out. It couldn’t have been a more perfect fit for these two that on one of these outings to the gym the normal expected outing would become the unexpected. They had talked of their dreams of the future before. With Ben from the US and Natasha from Canada, they knew they’d have logistics to work out, but a little commute never scared anyone. With them settling into their careers, the next step forward was just one gym visit away. And so one day on the way to their old university gym where they first met, Ben dropped to one knee and asked his other half to marry him. Spoiler: she said yes!

The Session

I met these two for their Campbell Valley Engagement Session late on a Saturday afternoon in October. We have been so fortunate this fall with a beautiful warm mild & NOT rainy season. This session was no exception and we took full advantage. We had so much fun running around Campbell Valley Park, dancing in one field, and practicing the lift scene from dirty dancing in the next haha.

Gallery

I can’t wait for their wedding next July and will be spamming my Instagram & Facebook with ALL the Sneak Peeks.

Here’s a curated look at some of my favourites from their Campbell Valley engagement session.

Engagement

 

vancouver wedding blog meg kristina

 

 

 

 

 

 

photographer for the authentic & adventurous

www.megkristina.com

All Photos here by Meg Kristina Photography.

 

Loved this Joyful Campbell Valley Engagement Session & Images? Check out Jason & Ashley’s Romantic E-Session here.

Click here to Learn More about Wedding & Engagement Pricing.

 

 

Booking Now for 2019 & 2020 Weddings

Campbell Valley Engagement | Natasha & Ben