Hey, I'm Meg, welcome to my little corner of the cybersphere!
I'm a Fraser Valley wedding & lifestyle photographer (est. 2014) based in Langley, just west of Vancouver BC.
Take a look around & I'd love to connect with you soon!
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When you’re prepping for your engagement session, there are a few things to keep in mind. This is going to be FUN! This shoot is entirely no pressure. On the wedding day it can be crunched for time, your dress won’t be able to get dirty (within reason ;)) and there won’t be time to chat & get to know one another.  That’s why all of my wedding packages include a Complimentary Engagement Session. It is your chance to get to know me, get comfortable with how I work and have FUN in front of the camera.
Now don’t get me wrong, your wedding day will be a day to remember! But it’s so helpful to have a great engagement session before the big day so that you know what to expect! My couples that have an engagement session are PROS by the wedding day!
After you book your photographer, whether it’s me or someone else, you’ll need to start thinking about when you want your engagement session to be done. Lots of my couples choose to have their portraits done in the season opposite of their wedding. So if you’re having a spring wedding, it may be nice to have a fall e-session, or a winter one for a summer wedding. Now, you also have to take your photographer’s availability into consideration. I tend to book sessions 1-2 months in advance and typically only shoot engagements on weekday evenings. This will vary with every photographer and every season.
Here are some steps to make sure that you feel confident & prepared for your engagement session!
1. What to Wear
Some couples have one outfit they love & others have two outfits, one casual and one that is dressier. The BEST advice I can give about outfit selection would be to try to COORDINATE instead of matching. Try to stay away from really tiny patterns, they won’t show up in your images and leave out any major logos.  Also, bold jewelry, scarves, and coloured shoes photograph really well! Make sure you look like YOU and feel comfortable! One last thing is to TAKE ADVANTAGE of this opportunity to dress up! Don’t be afraid! Ladies, put on some heels, red lipstick & pearls. Men, get out your favourite suit!
2. Relax, Enjoy & Trust Your Photographer
As you’re preparing for your engagement session, remember that your photographer doesn’t expect you to be a pro at this. I work with normal, everyday couples ALL the time. I can’t speak for all photographers but I tell my couples that it takes a good 20 minutes to warm up at the beginning of their shoot. So relax and don’t be nervous! You’re going to be great at this! Trust your photographer, allow them to be creative & you’ll have an amazing shoot! And remember, the cuddlier the better 😉
3. When & Where
The best time to shoot any portraits is around 2 hours after sunrise or 2 hours before sunset. This rule of thumb can be applied to any time of the year. When it comes to picking the location for your portraits, I love shooting engagements in locations that mean something to my clients! I understand that this isn’t always possible but I like to throw it out there just in case! I always have back up locations ready to refer to you in a variety of locations around Vancouver (Maple Ridge, North Van, downtown Van, White Rock, Langley, Chilliwack, etc) in a variety of settings (water, mountains, cityscape, etc). The other thing to keep in mind is that it’s often nice to have engagement photos done during a different season than your wedding is taking place in. So if you’re getting married in summer, an autumn or winter engagement session might be a good fit and can be a great contrast for setting in images!
4. Be Punctual
Be on time, your photographer will love you. This is really important. What most couples don’t realize is that natural light photographers are dependent on the sun and if couples show up late, you can lose that amount of time during their session due to the lack of light. Now let’s realize, things happen beyond our control like massive amounts of traffic & more.  If at all possible, try to be on time so that you don’t lose any of your shooting time and pretty sunlight!
5. Hair, Makeup & Ring
Some brides opt to have their makeup trial done right before their engagement session so that they can see what their makeup will look like in pictures before the wedding day! I highly recommend this! It’s always fun when a bride gets her hair and makeup done for her shoot. If you want to do your own makeup, make sure you apply your eye makeup a little heavier than normal for your pictures. Guys, make sure those suit jackets are lint rolled and everything is ironed & clean. Last but not least, I love taking a ring shot! So if your diamond could use a little cleaning, that would make it really SHINE! Any jewelry store will typically do this for free for you.
6. Take Advantage… DATE NIGHT!
Now that you are all dolled up with your make up and hair done, what a great opportunity to go on a hot date! **GROOMS – if you want bonus points, make reservations for dinner afterwards, trust me.
I’d love to connect with you – let’s grab a drink, whether it be coffee or wine!
www.megkristina.com
Photography for the Authentic & Adventurous
Now Booking for 2018 & 2019 Weddings
As much as I love summer, and trust me do I EVER love summer – it’s my favourite season hands down, there’s something so unique & refreshing about the arrival of fall. The crisp freshness in the air, the leaves changing colour to a golden hue, and yes, I’ll admit, those pumpkin spice lattes get me every time!
To celebrate the arrival of September, I’m throwing it back (& it’s not even Thursday!) to Misty & Cole’s engagement session at Deer Lake Park a couple of years back. I always love revisiting old sessions & weddings of mine, and this year my editing has taken a giant leap forward. Having made such progress in editing, my photos have a different look to them & so I decided to give some of my fav’s from Misty & Cole’s engagement a revamp & little update.
Check out their original blog post by clicking here.
Amelia & Lawrence were married two weeks ago on Saturday on a beautiful August day. I’ve been excited for these two to celebrate their marriage since our first coffee consult last Spring and got even more anxious for it at their engagement session at the start of summer. After hearing all about their plans for their reception to treat their guests with, I was left on pins & needles waiting for their wedding. These two are so special together. They have such a tender, gentle, & kind-hearted love and relationship with each other. There is a mutual respect that they share for each other and their faith and I love watching their relationship blossom in front of the camera.
Their day started in Abbotsford and New West respectively. Hannah was documenting Lawrence and the guys getting ready and I was in Abbotsford with Amelia & her lovely ladies. Fun fact – did you know Hannah & I shoot almost all of our weddings with each other? We love getting to work together and it’s so amazing knowing you are working with someone who has your back, cares about you and your business and is there for you. Back to the wedding though, after getting ready we all headed out to the ceremony location at Living Waters Church in Fort Langley, BC. What a beautiful church and the interior is so beautifully lit – while photographers go nuts over natural light, I couldn’t have asked for a better indoor ceremony location! After a touching service (which was a little more eventful than we all thought ;)) and family photos wrapped up, we all headed out for bridal portraits in and around Fort Langley & Derby Reach (that barn never gets old, and man did these guys make it look good!).
Afterwards, we all headed over to Fort Langley Golf Course for their reception. I cannot say enough about the amazing event staff at this venue. I was at the golf course for another wedding the week before and both times they blew us away with their kindness and hospitality. Now I’ve been telling you guys about the plans these two had for their reception and it did NOT disappoint. From sitar & tabla players, a caricaturist, traditional Russian singers & dancers, belly dancer, and a bharatanatyam dancer which had to be my favourite performance of the whole night. Through the simplistic but precise careful movements along with the emotion the dancer expressed both through facial expressions and her motions left me feeling moved and completely caught up in the story she was telling through her dance. It was a night filled with dance and activity, and naturally it ended (for us, though the party carried on after we left) with Amelia & Lawrence’s first dance as well. I loved watching them steal away a few quiet moments during the dance and it was the perfect way to end the day.
A big congratulations again to you two, Lawrence & Amelia, you make a lovely couple and Hannah & I both wish you nothing but the best. Thank you for having Meg Kristina Photography be a part of capturing your day.
Booking Now for ALL 2018 & 2019 Weddings
photographer for the authentic & adventurous
Second Photographer: Hannah Cummins Photography
Vendors:
Make Up: Lauren Mackie of Naturally Chic Makeup
Ceremony: Living Waters Church
Reception: Fort Langley Golf Course
Florist: Bucket’s Flowers
Bride’s Dress: Champagne & Lace
Officiant: Barry McGaffin
Caterer: Fort Langley Golf Course
DJ: Sue Jones
Bakery/Cake: Mozart Bakery
Decorator: Tracey from Cinderella Slip On’sÂ
Videography: Levin Shum
Caricaturist: Sarah Draws a Crowd
Sitar & Tabla Player: Mohamed Assani
Russian Singer & Dancer: Slava & Anya
Bharatanatyam Dancer: Arno Kamolika
You guys, I’ve been SO excited to share this session with you!!
Michelle & Karim were married on the beaches of Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, overlooking the ocean. Their ceremony was touching, romantic & intimate, and their entire day was filled with an overwhelming sense of joy that reached out to each and every person there – you can check them out on the blog by clicking here.
Being in this absolutely beautiful location (seriously the ocean in Punta Cana is one of the best I’ve ever experienced and even the sand on the beach was beyond words!) we just couldn’t resist making the most of our time by sneaking in a “day after” session (or maybe I should call it a “honeymoon” session haha ;)). The love these two have for each other is passionate, caring and understanding and I loved every minute of watching them interact. There’s something to be said for their love and being able to capture it for them in this intimate setting was a privilege.
This session was everything I could’ve hoped for and more. I’ve wanted to do a session involving water for a long time, whether an ocean or a lake, it didn’t matter. There is something about being in the water that brings about a different level of intimacy and passion that can be hard to capture on camera and I love the depth it adds to the entire experience. Check out their ocean session below:
All Photos by Meg Kristina Photography
Booking Now for All 2018 & 2019 Weddings
photographer for the authentic & adventurous
