Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.: Blog https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog en-us (C) Zekar Photography Inc. 2022 (Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) Wed, 25 Nov 2020 16:30:00 GMT Wed, 25 Nov 2020 16:30:00 GMT https://www.zekarphotography.com/img/s/v-12/u873508866-o160101251-50.jpg Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.: Blog https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog 120 120 Nadine & Josh - Intimate Wedding at Earth To Table: The Farm, Hamilton, Ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2020/11/nadine-josh---covid-wedding-at-earth-to-table-the-farm-hamilton-ontario Nadine & Josh have a love story that reminds me of a great movie back in the 80's. (Yep, I just TOTALLY dated myself there, I was only 10 in the 80's though!) These two have been in love for a long time,  Josh is Nadine's big brothers best friend and she was totally crushing on them while they were growing up. And then they got married. And that's the just cutest thing, don't you think? 

So like so many of our weddings this year, this was the celebration part of their wedding and they'd had the official ceremony back in the spring when the restrictions were extra tight. This day was filled with all of the very most important people in their lives, except Nadine's brother who was unable to get a flight. But they had the most hilarious stunt double for him, you guys will see what I mean below. Everything went off beautifully and I have to say that Nadine is probably wearing my dream dress, she looks absolutely perfect in it. You can tell that Josh does too - even though they are already technically married, just his reaction of seeing her walk down the aisle is so beautiful. 

As always, Earth To Table Farm did a fantastic job here and we always highly recommend them if you want an upscale farm wedding. You really can't beat their gorgeous ceremony location next to a field of wildflowers and because it's done be Pearle Weddings, you know the food is going to be amazing. 

Take a look at some of my favourite images from Nadine & Josh's intimate wedding! If you're interested in having our team come out for your wedding, contact me (Kate) today and lets set up a chat! 

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Contact us today to discuss how we can help you capture your beautiful day! 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) farm wedding hamilton ontario wedding hamilton ontario wedding venue intimate wedding relaxed wedding small wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2020/11/nadine-josh---covid-wedding-at-earth-to-table-the-farm-hamilton-ontario Wed, 25 Nov 2020 16:31:24 GMT
Chelsey & Patrick's Intimate Micro Backyard Wedding, Burlington, Ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2020/10/chelsey-patricks-intimate-micro-backyard-wedding-burlington-ontario I heard the term "minimony" the other day. There are all sorts of different terms popping up for the way a wedding day has been looking lately. Micro-wedding, elopements, get'rdone's. Whatever the case may be, people are finding unique and fun ways to celebrate their love and we've been honoured to be a part of some really special moments this year. 

Chelsey & Patrick and their cutie little boy celebrated their marriage in their parents backyard. Not their first choice, but looking back, everything that mattered was there. And it was seriously beautiful. All of the laughter and happy tears and funny moments and stories, everything was there and everyone that truly, truly mattered to them was there too. You can see it in their faces and in the gentle way their family touches and supports each other. In the way that they just dote on the very cutest little ring bearer. 

If you're considering an intimate wedding, honestly - and this is coming from someone who has run and operated a wedding photography company for almost 10 years - the intimate weddings are always the most special. So don't worry about not having that huge wedding you dreamed of. Or even, lets be honest, maybe it's the huge wedding your parents dreamed of. It's up to you, but these little ones? They are just as special. If you're interested in having Mike or Jessica capture your special day - no matter how big or small, connect with me today and lets chat. 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) backyard wedding burlington ontario wedding covid wedding intimate wedding micro wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2020/10/chelsey-patricks-intimate-micro-backyard-wedding-burlington-ontario Mon, 26 Oct 2020 18:12:39 GMT
Jessica & Dane's Carmen's Banquet Hall & Cotton Factory Wedding, Hamilton, Ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2020/7/jessica-danes-carmen-s-banquet-hall-cotton-factory-wedding-hamilton-ontario Want to hear something really cute? Jessie and Dane are highschool sweethearts. They drifted apart for a bit (as so many highschool loves do) but Jessica's mom knew in her heart that these two were meant to be together, so she saved some special momentos of them when they were dating and when the two got back together and engaged, she brought them out.

Isn't that actually the cutest thing?

Needless to say their wedding was super emotional, honestly I just can't help but squeal a little when I see emotional grooms like Dane. Mike was teary eyed on our wedding day and it's just the best thing ever to make a grown man cry because he's so happy.

Jessica and Dane not only share a long history together, they are both professional rock climbers. Mike got a chance to do a really cool rock climbing engagement shoot with them and it was such a fun experience. 

These two opted to have a first reveal at The Cotton Factory and it'll just melt your heart. Later on they headed over to a Hamilton, Ontario classic wedding venue, Carmen's Banquet Hall. It was such a pleasure shooting this wedding with so many elements to it that made us fall in love with our job all over again. 

Take a look at some of my faves! If you're interested in having our team be a part of your day, let me know, we'd love to chat

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All photographs in this blog were take by Mike Tigchelaar, Lead Photographer & Owner of Zekar Photography Inc. 

 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) candid wedding photography hamilton ontario wedding hamilton wedding photographer November wedding real wedding rock climbing wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2020/7/jessica-danes-carmen-s-banquet-hall-cotton-factory-wedding-hamilton-ontario Sat, 25 Jul 2020 01:10:55 GMT
Why we LOVE doing small, intimate weddings! https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2020/6/why-we-love-doing-small-intimate-weddings If there is one thing that is trending in 2020, it's definitely small, intimate weddings. Many of our clients this year have had to scale down their celebrations in lieu of the whole pandemic thing that's going on. But that doesn't mean that they are any less special than the big celebrations, and truth be told, the smaller ones always turn out to be some of our favourites of the year.  Here are some of the reasons why we love small, intimate weddings and if you're considering scaling down your celebration, you'll definitely want to check this post out. 

 

1. Interesting Venues

Some of our favourite small wedding venues in the Hamilton area include some cool restaurants in Hamilton's booming restaurant scene. Kendall & Greg had a fun, relaxed wedding at The Diplomat. You can't beat the cool vibe of this restaurant and all of the interesting urban and nooks and crannies to take photos in. 

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There's also The Art Gallery of Hamilton. They have a pretty  little ceremony spot on the rooftop and their indoor ceremony space has the most beautiful natural light. Even though the hall can accommodate some larger weddings, it's also perfect for a sophisticated cocktail party style wedding.

Hamilton Art Gallery Wedding by Zekar Photography Hamilton Art Gallery Wedding by Zekar Photography  

Hamilton Art Gallery Wedding by Zekar Photography Hamilton Art Gallery Wedding by Zekar Photography

 

You'll also want to check out The Spice Factory, especially if you're into the rustic, factory-chic vibe. You can get ready in their bridal suite, plus they have a cool fire table outside for late night drinks. 

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Don't forget Aberdeen Tavern, Radius Dining & Lounge and Shawn & Ed's Brewery in Dundas. If you've got a smaller guest list, you can really get creative with your venue spots, plus the food is going to be more than just your standard chicken or beef. 

 

2. Smaller Guest List means only your VIP's

Have you ever been to a wedding where you can really tell that the couple doesn't even know 1/3 of their own guest list? These weddings are fun, don't get us wrong, but it's so much more of a meaningful celebration when you only have your very most important people around you. Weddings should be less about the show and performance of an event and more about a celebration of love and intimacy and forever promises to eachother. When Mike is working a wedding where everyone knows eachother, there are so many hugs and kisses and special moments between the guests that it makes his candid style of photography an absolute dream. Since you get all of your photos digitally, you can share your online album with your dad's bosses housekeeper (if you wish) and keep the real life stuff to the ones that love you the most. 

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3. Relaxed vibe 

It is scientifically proven that time goes by way quicker on your wedding day than any other day of your life. :) Especially because its so busy, with all the prep and the hustle and bustle. They are always a ton of fun, but they can be socially exhausting, especially for us introverts. Rather than having a big long receiving line and a ton of speeches, small weddings tend to be a lot more relaxed. There are more barefeet on the dance floor, more outside hangouts on the venue steps, more fun drunken conversations with your best friends. And while you're having fun, Mike's out there capturing the whole thing for you to relive in your wedding album again and again.

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Hopefully these three reasons are enough to encourage all of you who are seeking to have a small wedding and aren't sure how it's going to turn out. It's going to be awesome, I promise. Especially if you get Mike and the team at Zekar Photography to capture it - but I'm a little biased. 

Here are some more examples of intimate weddings we have photographed, these are definitely worth checking out:

Amanda & Steve's wedding at Stratus Vineyards in Niagara-On-The-Lake. 

Gillian & Alan's wedding at Jonathan's Restaurant in Oakville, Ontario. 

Davina & Jonathan's unique wedding at Orange Art Gallery in Ottawa, Ontario. 

If you're interested in chatting more about how we can make your day special, give me (Kate) a shout. We are currently offering special discounted rates for clients who book between August 2020 and October 2020, and we always have special rates for small and off season events. 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) elopement hamilton wedding photographer intimated wedding small wedding zekar photography https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2020/6/why-we-love-doing-small-intimate-weddings Mon, 22 Jun 2020 20:02:50 GMT
Nicole & Terry - Whistlebear Golf Club Wedding, Cambridge, Ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2020/6/nicole-terry---whistlebear-golf-club-wedding-cambridge-ontario Nicole and Terry had one of the most beautifully emotional weddings we've been to in a while. There was not a moment during their amazing wedding day where someone wasn't actively crying happy tears, or dabbing their eyes after just finishing. It was just so beautiful. And its one of the reasons we love to be so focused on the candid moments in our work.

When Nicole and Terry are paging through their wedding album in the future, they'll remember exactly how they felt - and how everyone else felt too. When you're caught up in one of the busiest and best days of your life, you don't really notice a whole lot of details because you're just so busy taking it all in and luckily Mike was there to make sure not a moment went by that wasn't perfectly preserved. 

Nicole & Terry's wedding day took place at the beautiful Whistlebear Golf Club in Cambridge, Ontario. With soaring ceilings, enormous picture windows that let the most perfect natural light and a magical forest just near by, its no wonder this is one of our clients'  favourite venues. 

Here are my favourite photos from Nicole & Terry's magical day. I usually only include one or two from a certain series within a wedding day, but there was so much story to tell here I had to share them all. Enjoy these, and if you're interested in having all of the beautiful moments captured on your wedding day, we'd love to get in touch! 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) cambridge wedding photographer candid wedding photography ontario wedding photography whistlebear golf club wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2020/6/nicole-terry---whistlebear-golf-club-wedding-cambridge-ontario Sun, 14 Jun 2020 19:18:48 GMT
Shawnette & Tony's Candid Family Shoot, Hamilton, Ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2020/4/shawnette-tonys-candid-family-shoot-hamilton-ontario One of Mike's favourite things to do is family shoots. A solid, loving family is the start of everything beautiful in this world and it is an honour when we get a chance to capture our clients in their homes, just hanging out and loving eachother. You don't need to get dressed up or worry about matching outfits or worry about the weather. You just need to relax and have fun together and believe me, Mike will get the most amazing and precious moments that you don't even know are happening.

Shawnette & Tony and baby Hendrix had a blast together, doing simple things like reading a book, snuggling and tickling eachother. It was the best and these shots will definitely make you smile. If you are interested in having Mike come to your home for a Day In The Life documentary family shoot, give us a shout and we'd love to connect with you! 

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All of the photographs in this blog were taken by Mike Tigchelaar, Owner and Lead Photographer of Zekar Photography Studio Inc. We're based out of Hamilton, Ontario and we absolutely love to tell the story of your beautiful family. Connect with us to find out more information! 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) day in the life family photography documentary family shoot hamilton family photographer real life family photography https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2020/4/shawnette-tonys-candid-family-shoot-hamilton-ontario Tue, 28 Apr 2020 20:15:00 GMT
Valerie & Seth's Glen Drummond Farm Wedding, Dundas, Ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2020/4/valerie-seths-glen-drummond-farm-wedding-dundas-ontario We have all sorts of different kinds of brides, all of them awesome (of course!) but there are generally two kinds of brides. We've got the super chill, "I threw my wedding together in a few months and I can't wait for the party" kind. Or the thoughtful, has everything planned a year and a half (or two) in advance and has dreamt of this day her whole life.

Valerie is definitely the latter, with wedding day countdowns and Chicken Soup for the Brides Soul books and all the fun, girly romantic plans and dreams her wedding day scattered throughout. From her wedding dress that is straight out of a fairytale, to the fun bubbles that were blown by their guests as they walked down the aisle, Valerie and Seth had their most perfect wedding day. Glen Drummond Farms is one of our favourite venues around the Hamilton, Ontario area. We absolutely love working with other vendors who are also family run, and these guys have been in the biz for quite some time. It's a private venue with two beautiful ceremony locations, although nobody comes close to having the epic view of Dundas Valley that these guys do. It's probably the most unique outdoor ceremony location I can think of! 

Take a look at some of my favourite photos from Valerie & Seth's wedding. If you're interested in having the team at Zekar Photography be a part of your special day (no matter how short or long you've planned it!) give us a shout, we'd love to chat

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We love focusing on fun, candid moments between you and the people who are the most special in your life. Connect with us to see how we can capture your amazing memories! 

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All photographs were taken by Mike Tigchelaar, Owner and Lead Photographer of Zekar Photography Inc, based out of Hamilton, Ontario. We have been a professional photography company for over 8 years and our passion for our clients and love of storytelling has never changed. Contact us today to find out more about how we work and what we can do for you. 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) candid wedding documentary wedding farm wedding glen drummond farm hamilton ontario wedding rustic wedding wedding photography ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2020/4/valerie-seths-glen-drummond-farm-wedding-dundas-ontario Sun, 12 Apr 2020 19:48:21 GMT
Davina & Jonathan's Unique, Intimate Art Gallery Wedding in Ottawa, Ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2020/3/davina-jonathans-unique-intimate-art-gallery-wedding-in-ottawa-ontario There were so many things that I loved about Davina and Jonathan's beautiful wedding day that I can't wait to share with you. A lot of our wedding clients love the traditional formula of a typical Canadian wedding day. Get ready separately at a hotel, head to a church (usually), take pictures somewhere interesting and party the night away at a banquet hall. But these two had their own way of doing things and it made it that much more special.

First of all, they rented an Air B & B which I always recommend. The biggest reason is the privacy of it, you can have all your besties and family around you while you're getting ready and you don't have to worry about everyone being in different rooms. But the biggest benefit is that a house makes much more of an interesting backdrop and atmosphere to photograph in than a hotel, no matter how cool the hotel is. 

The second really cool thing they did - they got ready together. They didn't have a bridal party crowding around, instead they opted for a quiet morning, helping each other look their very best for each other. There were so many sweet moments, from Davina helping Jonathan snip a few stray threads, to Jonathan zipping up Davina's absolutely stunning dress. This way of doing things may not be for everyone, but it was absolutely perfect for Davina and Jonathan and that's what every couple should do on their wedding day. Things that are important to them. 

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After they were finished getting ready, Mike headed over to The Central Experimental Farm. The blossoms were out in all of their glory and with all the rain we'd had that day, they were absolutely stunning. (When I talk about rain here, I'm talking about the Ottawa River rising so high they closed the bridges, it was kinda cool but kinda scary at the same time) 

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The wedding itself took place a really cool independent art gallery called Orange Gallery. It was intimate, funky and stylish all at once. All of the couples most treasured friends and family got to witness these two profess their forever love to each other and it was a beautiful ceremony in so many different ways. 

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As is Mike's style here at Zekar Photography Studio, as soon as the sun went down Davina and Jonathan headed outside to get some amazing nighttime shots. The rain didn't let us down this time either by creating beautiful reflections and naturally curated bokeh. 

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At last it was time to finish off the night with dancing and celebration. I'm loving how many more couples we see who have a choreographed dance that they have learned to make their first dance even more special. It adds a lot more importance to this tradition and its fun to work together on something for your wedding. Plus you look pretty amazing in front of all your guests! Or at least you look like you tried your best :) 

If you are interested in having our team out to capture your day, give us a shout! 

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This was honestly one of my favourite weddings that Mike did in 2019, there's so much in each photo and I just really love how candid the whole event turned out. If you love our style and would like us to be a part of your wedding day, we'd love to hear from you! 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) art gallery wedding candid wedding photos hamilton wedding photographer offbeat wedding ontario wedding photographer spring wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2020/3/davina-jonathans-unique-intimate-art-gallery-wedding-in-ottawa-ontario Tue, 24 Mar 2020 00:00:00 GMT
One King West Toronto Engagement Shoot - Joyann & Matt https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2020/3/one-king-west-toronto-engagement-shoot---joyann-matt Joyann and Matt have an incredible sense of style and love of fashion and they wanted their engagement shoot to reflect this beautiful part of who they are. The Vault and hotel rooms at One King West in Toronto, Ontario, provided the perfect mix of unique luxury that fit these two to a tee. This shoot ended up being more editorial than we normally do, but we couldn't have been more pleased with how it turned out. Honestly, I think these two could end up in a magazine! I love how some of the finer details are askew (for example, the rumpled bed is very *winkwink nudgenudge*). Take a look at my very favourites from this luxurious engagement shoot. 

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All photographs were taken by Mike Tigchelaar for Zekar Photography Inc. Still searching for the perfect wedding photographer? Check out our post 11 Things To Ask Your Wedding Photographer, it'll help cut through all the fluff and get right down to what you should be looking for when hiring the right professional for your big day. Contact us if you'd like to chat more! 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) engagement photographer fashion photography hamilton wedding photographer toronto engagement zekar photography https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2020/3/one-king-west-toronto-engagement-shoot---joyann-matt Thu, 12 Mar 2020 00:45:00 GMT
Spencer's At The Waterfront Wedding: Joyann & Mathew https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2020/3/spencers-at-the-waterfront-wedding-joyann-mathew Joyann & Mathew put so much effort into planning the perfect day and you can really tell. Everything was so elegant and well-thought out, it was just one of those beautifully intimate events that Mike just loves to shoot.

Joyann and Matt got ready at The Waterfront Hotel and then headed over to Spencer's At The Waterfront, one of Burlington's most elegant restaraunts. I love how Joyann's Dad was their officiant. Not every girl gets to be married by their Daddy and it made the whole day that much more special. After their beautiful wedding ceremony, complete with gorgeous rays of sunshine just pouring in, the two of them walked down to the beachfront with Mike and got some wedding portraits. Joyann looks so stunning in her dress, its easy to see how Matt was just absolutely smitten when he saw her for the first time.


Take a look at some of my favourite images from this gorgeous day! 
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If you're interested in having one of our team come and document your special day, give us a shout - we'd love to connect with you! Feeling overwhelmed by the task of choosing a wedding photographer? Check out our blog called 11 Essential Questions To Ask Your Photographer. It'll help break everything down and hopefully ease the stress of this important decision! 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) african american bride black bride burlington ontario wedding elegant wedding hamilton wedding photography spencers at the waterfront zekar photography wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2020/3/spencers-at-the-waterfront-wedding-joyann-mathew Tue, 03 Mar 2020 23:30:00 GMT
Jessie & Dane's Incredible Rock Climbing Engagement Shoot - Rattlesnake Point https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2020/2/jessie-danes-incredible-rock-climbing-engagement-shoot---rattlesnake-point Our favourite thing to do is to capture our couples doing what they love to do best. Some of our couples are coffee drinkers, foodies, gamers or water balloon fight enthusiasts. But Jessie and Dane are expert boulderers (I'm not kidding, these two got engaged while bouldering together in Spain!) and we were super excited to do their shoot at Rattlesnake Point in Milton, Ontario. Mike used to boulder back in the day and this sport is one that is close to his heart. 

Take a look at my favourite shots from this incredible engagement shoot. These two highschool sweethearts have a deep connection and strength with each other in so many ways. These two look like they are models for a rock climbing ad or something, I just love it! 

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couples engagement shoot If you're interested in having us capture you doing what you love best, connect with us - we'd love to chat! 

 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) boulderers bouldering engagement shoot milton engagement shoot ontario engagement photographer rock climbing ontario unique engagement shoot https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2020/2/jessie-danes-incredible-rock-climbing-engagement-shoot---rattlesnake-point Fri, 21 Feb 2020 18:31:07 GMT
Jessie & Dimitri's Ruthven Park NHS Wedding, Cayuga, Ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2020/1/jessie-dimitris-ruthven-park-nhs-wedding-cayuga-ontario Before Dimitri met Jessie, he was in search of an 'impossible to find' woman. Or so said his mom. She needed to like old cars, like to hunt and like to cook but was also feminine and beautiful. Dimitri was pretty much looking for a modern day Xena, Warrior Princess. But when he met Jessie, all of his high expectations were blown out of the water. He had found his perfect match and she had found her knight in shining armour (not that she needed one!).

These two lovebirds were married at the gorgeous Ruthven Park National Historic Site in Cayuga, Ontario. What a gem this little venue is you guys - it definitely should be on everyone's radar. It's private, its rustic, it has a lot of space for all of your guests and the food is top notch. Did I mention it was private? One of the drawbacks of the bigger venues around here is they often have multiple weddings running at the same time and Ruthven is one venue where the only guests at your location will be your own. Plus it has incredible history, for all of you history buffs out there!

Here are some of my favourites from Jessie and Dimitri's beautiful fall day here in Ontario - the kind of day where you're still aware it was summer a few weeks ago but you are surrounded by the gorgeous fall leaves that we are so lucky to have. 

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Interested in having the team at Zekar Photography capture your special event? Contact us today! 

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Wasn't that beautiful? Plus, what a cool idea to hire an artist to do character sketches of each of your guests! Way more meaningful than a jar of jam :)

Did you love this wedding as much as we did? Contact us to discuss how we can be a part of your special day! 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) country wedding documentary wedding photography hamilton wedding photographer ontario wedding photographer rustic wedding wedding photography zekar photography https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2020/1/jessie-dimitris-ruthven-park-nhs-wedding-cayuga-ontario Wed, 22 Jan 2020 17:53:22 GMT
Gillian & Alan's Small Wedding at Jonathan's Fine Dining, Oakville, Ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2019/12/gillian-alans-small-wedding-at-jonathan-s-fine-dining-oakville-ontario I've been on a bit of a small wedding kick lately, but I can't help but share some of these gems that Mike has captured over the last year. We're finding that more and more of our clients are coming to us with very low key, very intimate weddings and we absolutely love it. It's such an honour for Mike to be asked to be a part of such a small guest list. In Gillian and Alan's case, they knew they wanted a very low stress and quietly fun evening. Alan is a reserved kinda guy and they knew they needed the kind of photographer that would blend in easily with their guests. As passionate as Mike is (he can get kinda excited when he talks about wedding photography), he's super good at blending in at small events and people often forget he is even there - even when there are only 15 family members plus a stranger with a camera. It's part of the gift of a candid photographer and its something we really value about how we conduct ourselves on your big day. 

Gillian & Alan's wedding took place on a cold December evening in the very romantic Jonathan's Fine Dining in Oakville, Ontario. This venue is a cozy haven in the wintertime with wonderful rich dark wooden beams and low candlelight. In other words, its a cozy haven with a wonderful vibe but it's also a delightful challenge from a photography standpoint, which Mike was totally up for. 

Check out some of my favourite shots from this beautiful evening, Gillian & Alan were just beaming the whole night and it was so special. Enjoy!

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nighttime wedding photography zekar photography hamilton ontario nighttime wedding photography zekar photography hamilton ontario nighttime wedding photography zekar photography hamilton ontario nighttime wedding photography zekar photography hamilton ontario nighttime wedding photography zekar photography hamilton ontario nighttime wedding photography zekar photography hamilton ontario nighttime wedding photography zekar photography hamilton ontario nighttime wedding photography zekar photography hamilton ontario nighttime wedding photography zekar photography hamilton ontario nighttime wedding photography zekar photography hamilton ontario All photos were taken by Mike Tigchelaar, Zekar Photography Studio based out of Hamilton, Ontario. For event inquiries please contact us, we'd love to chat! This blog was written by Kate Tigchelaar, Studio Manager for Zekar Photography Inc. 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) candid photographer hamilton wedding photographer oakville wedding photographer restaurant wedding small wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2019/12/gillian-alans-small-wedding-at-jonathan-s-fine-dining-oakville-ontario Fri, 06 Dec 2019 19:18:10 GMT
Sophia & Vince's Carmen's Banquet Hall Wedding, Hamilton, Ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2019/11/sophia-vinces-carmen-s-banquet-hall-wedding-hamilton-ontario Winter has come early here in Southern Ontario along with our first snowfall of the season. Our girls and the puppy are pretty excited (the girls are wondering why we can't put the Christmas tree up now) and I'm ready to snuggle in for a couple of months. I wanted to blog about Sophia & Vince's beautiful winter wedding to kick of the season, we just love winter weddings here at Zekar Photography. I think a lot of couples don't realize how cozy and intimate they can be, not to mention many vendors (including us!) offer off-season discounts, so you can still have your dream wedding at some significant savings. 

Sophia and Vince got ready at the C Hotel by Carmen's here in Hamilton. I love the themed room that Vince got ready in, it really suited his style and even matched his cool cufflinks. And can we talk about the absolute perfection that are Sophia's red lips? I am a super pale blonde person so a deep red lip doesn't always work on me, which is too bad because I think it's super beautiful. I'm pretty sure Vince was a big fan of how amazing Sophia looked too - just look at his expression as she walks down the aisle! This wedding was the perfect mix of Italian and Greek traditions, complete with the traditional greek dance with the koluk at the end of the night. 

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The wedding ceremony was held at the Old Ancaster Town Hall. This is a really good alternative if you aren't into having a wedding at a church, it can fit just as many people and you can call your own shots. Plus from a photography standpoint, the natural light streaming through those windows is a dream. I love how Sophia and Vince did the traditional confetti toss as they walked out of the building, these two had a lot of fun with traditions throughout their day.  flower girl flower girl candy emotional wedding ceremony emotional wedding ceremony emotional wedding ceremony emotional wedding ceremony emotional wedding ceremony emotional wedding ceremony emotional wedding ceremony emotional wedding ceremony emotional wedding ceremony emotional wedding ceremony emotional wedding ceremony winter wedding ceremony winter wedding ceremony winter wedding ceremony winter wedding ceremony winter wedding ceremony winter wedding ceremony winter wedding ceremony winter wedding ceremony winter wedding ceremony winter wedding ceremony winter wedding ceremony winter wedding ceremony winter wedding ceremony winter wedding ceremony winter wedding ceremony wedding ceremony old ancaster town hall wedding ceremony old ancaster town hall Before heading off to the reception hall, we made a quick stopover at The Cotton Factory. Our studio is located there and we love doing wedding party shots there, its so diverse and when its cold outside it's a great place to warm up.  wedding photography cotton factory zekar photography wedding photography cotton factory zekar photography wedding photography cotton factory zekar photography wedding photography cotton factory zekar photography wedding photography cotton factory zekar photography wedding photography cotton factory zekar photography wedding photography cotton factory zekar photography wedding photography cotton factory zekar photography wedding photography cotton factory zekar photography wedding photography cotton factory zekar photography

The reception was held at Carmen's Banquet Hall in Hamilton, Ontario. Carmen's does an excellent job at their weddings, they are super professional and they've been doing it forever so you know you're getting a venue that has a ton of experience. Kinda like our team here at Zekar Photography :) 

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What did you think of this Hamilton winter wedding? If you'd like a member of our team to capture your special day, connect with me and I'd love to help you out! 

This blog post was written by Kate Tigchelaar, Studio Manager of for Zekar Photography Inc. All photos were taken by Mike Tigchelaar and Kamila Kuzmicka for Zekar Photography Inc. 

 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) february wedding greek wedding hamilton ontario wedding wedding photographer hamilton winter wedding ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2019/11/sophia-vinces-carmen-s-banquet-hall-wedding-hamilton-ontario Tue, 12 Nov 2019 19:50:40 GMT
Stratus Vineyard Wedding - Amanda & Steve Cocktail Party Wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2019/9/stratus-vineyard-wedding---amanda-steve-cocktail-party-wedding Even though most of our weddings are big, full day celebrations, it's always a treat when we get the chance to take part in really intimate weddings like Amanda and Steve had. (And p.s, we have a special rate for small events like this so give us a shout if you're interested!) 

Their wedding took place on a gorgeous spring day in Niagara-On-The-Lake, one of the prettiest areas here in Southern Ontario. These two live across the border but chose to have their small cocktail style wedding at Stratus Vineyards, a very cool and stylish winery in Niagara-On-The-Lake. One of the things Mike likes best about weddings with a smaller guest list is the fact that only the closest family and most VIP friends are invited to celebrate with the couple, so the emotional connections are always really beautiful.

Amanda and Steve  shucked tradition and decided to get dressed together, which is really beautiful - dressing eachother up so they look their best for eachother. They got ready at the fabulous Pillar and Post Spa, and then headed out for a walk around town to snap some photos before the ceremony. They kept remarking on how friendly everyone was, and it's true - we Canadians sure love a beautiful celebration of love! But the tourists and other passersby all made sure that Amanda and Steve felt loved and celebrated and it made for such a great candid aspect to their pre-wedding photos. 

Later on at their post-ceremony celebration, they had the talented Candice Sand serenading their guests as they enjoyed their romantically relaxed day. 

Take a look at some of my very favourite images from Amanda and Steve's beautifully intimate, cocktail style wedding day! 

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Did you love this wedding as much as I did? If you are interested in having us out to capture your event, give us a shout, we'd love to chat! 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) cocktail style wedding party hamilton wedding photography intimate wedding niagara wedding niagara wedding photographer https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2019/9/stratus-vineyard-wedding---amanda-steve-cocktail-party-wedding Wed, 18 Sep 2019 18:07:29 GMT
Liuna Gardens Wedding - Pia & Mat Get Married at Liuna Gardens, Hamilton https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2019/7/liuna-gardens-wedding---pia-mat-get-married-at-liuna-gardens-hamilton So, Pia and Mat. Where do I start? These two had one of those weddings that had so much emotion and backstory to it that I'm so glad we get to tell their story in pictures because sometimes you just can't say it all. 

These two met online (coincidentally on the same dating site Mike and I met) and even though Mat lived in another province at the time, it didn't take long for this long-distance relationship to become something they both knew they couldn't live without. Mat moved back to Ontario and the two of them fell deeply in love, bonding over everything from their similar life-goals to their love of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers. I'll tell you more about their connection with Tom Petty in a second, you guys will definitely want to keep reading to find out about how these two ended up in a music video of their favourite band. 

On their wedding day, we started at Mat's house. He's a pretty cool cucumber, no nerves at all, just fueled himself up on Timmies and waited to meet his bride. His mom is one of the cutest mothers of the groom ever, she had the biggest, happiest smile the whole day. Like actually, the WHOLE day :) 
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There are so many ways to honour a loved one who is watching from Heaven. The way that Pia had her Dad with her as she walked down the aisle was so special because it was kind of like they were holding hands as she held her bouquet. It kind of takes my breath away to think about the range of emotions that must have been going through Pia's heart that day as she was taking steps towards her husband, without her beloved Dad giving her away like she had dreamed of. 

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"Imma gunna smoosh-a ya face." Kids are weird :)   kids at weddings kids at weddings

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Before we go down the aisle, lets take a break so I can tell some more of that Tom Petty backstory. One of his last big concerts happened in Hyde Park, England. Pia and Mat just happened to be in Europe at the time and Mat surprised her with tickets to this huge, incredible concert. They had the very best time and Pia picked up a Tom Petty t-shirt to remember that incredible day.

Fast forward to the day Mat proposed.

He had driven 5 hours away to pick up her wedding ring and when he got back, he couldn't wait to surprise his girl again. He got down on one knee and proposed, and Pia, wearing the t-shirt she'd picked up from that fabulous concert, said YES! 

The day after her wedding, Pia noticed that The Heartbreakers were looking for videos and pictures from fans who had had a connection to Tom Petty. She sent in a clip of their first dance, which was set to "Here Comes My Girl", and it actually made it into the video! Check it out at 1:23 here :)  bride coming to reception bride coming to reception wedding ceremony wedding ceremony wedding ceremony wedding ceremony wedding ceremony wedding ceremony

Pia's gorgeous lipstick made a few extra appearances a couple of times that day :)

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Pia's dress is one of my favourites from the year. It fits her completely perfectly and the delicate beading adds just enough glamour without being over the top.  bridal portrait bridal portrait liuna gardens wedding liuna gardens wedding liuna gardens wedding liuna gardens wedding wedding reception photos wedding reception photos

So Mat has held it together pretty well so far. But even Mike had tears in his eyes when Mat stood up and professed not only his love for Pia, but his deep desire to have met her father, the man who shaped who Pia is today. It was very emotional and truly beautiful. A girl who marries a guy who loves and respects her dad, even when he hasn't met him, is a very lucky girl.   wedding reception photos wedding reception photos

I love how this shot looks like it's something straight out of the Little Mermaid. One thing we love about Liuna Garden's is how dynamic the shoreline can be - we've shot weddings here where there has been everything from the most stunning sunset to an epic lightning storm.  night time wedding photo Liuna Gardens

 

"We gonna last forever,’ And man, you know I can't begin to doubt it. No, because this feels so good and so free and so right, I know we ain't never goin' change our minds about it"
-Here Comes My Girl, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

wedding reception dancing wedding reception dancing wedding reception dancing wedding reception dancing happy wedding dancing happy wedding dancing happy wedding dancing happy wedding dancing happy wedding dancing Wasn't that a beautiful wedding? So much fun and so many tears - happy and bittersweet and just perfect. Here's a list of vendors that helped make this such a special day: 

Hair: Anthony Diletti from Diletti Salon and Spa

Dress: Saratina Bridal

Suits: Moore’s

Makeup: Makeup by Chantal (and oh my goodness, were Pia's lips not THE perfect shade of red!) 

Flowers: Rose’s Craft's & Things

Did you love that wedding as much as I did? Give us a shout to find out how we can be a part of your wedding day, we'd love to chat

All pictures were taken by Mike Tigchelaar, Lead Photographer and Owner of Zekar Photography. This blog was written by Kate Tigchelaar, Studio Manager for Zekar Photography. 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) hamilton hamilton wedding photographer liuna gardens wedding tom petty fans https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2019/7/liuna-gardens-wedding---pia-mat-get-married-at-liuna-gardens-hamilton Mon, 15 Jul 2019 05:15:23 GMT
Winter Weddings in Ontario - 5 Amazing Reasons To Have A Winter Wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2019/6/winter-weddings-in-ontario---5-amazing-reasons-to-have-a-winter-wedding So, I'm a winter gal. I'll admit it. Give me warm heavy blankets, fresh crisp air and sparkling snow on the ground any day. Most people in Ontario are like, what-the-what, who likes winter? In Ontario? But I do and I also think it's one of the best months to get married in. Sure, summer weddings have their perks. The flowers are abundant, the sun is usually shining and late-night cocktail parties or campfire weddings are always so much fun. But winter weddings have some major bonuses, and if you're here, you probably either already agree or you are wondering what the heck I'm talking about. So without further ado, here are my Top 5 Reasons why you should consider having a Winter Wedding.

We are Award Winning Winter Wedding Experts! Contact us today to find out more about our
off-season wedding discount!

award winning PWPC photographer hamilton We placed 12th in the Professional Wedding Photographers of Canada Competition - Spring EditionWe placed 12th in the Professional Wedding Photographers of Canada Competition - Spring Edition
 

1. The Weather

It hardly ever pours rain in winter. Pouring snow (is that such a thing?) is so much prettier. And Mike, the owner and Lead Photographer here at Zekar Photography, gets really super excited when it snows on our couples wedding days. He's gotten some of the coolest (pun intended) shots he's ever taken in the middle of a snowstorm. See these two chickadees? They were totally into our surprisingly snowy shoot that day. 

chickadees in winter wedding

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It's also not so insanely hot that everyone and everything is melting. Your makeup will stay in place, your groom will not get woozy due to being in a suit in 35 degree weather and you can totally wear long johns under your dress. Actually, wouldn't that be hilarious to surprise your groom when he goes in for that garter at the end of the night? 

If you're worried about snowstorms and such, we recently did a wedding this past February and the day of the wedding was actually being called Snowmageddon. It snowed all the snow for the whole winter, on one day. All at once.

 

winter is coming memehttps://knowyourmeme.com

So everything ran quite a bit behind schedule (we're talking hours) and it was absolutely nobody's fault. So Mike offered to take this couple out on a separate day to get their wedding portraits done at no cost. We will always try and offer that if the wedding day gets sidetracked by things that are way out of anyone's control like that. The bride was so, so grateful for Mike's calm and optimistic demeanor that day, because man, that weather was a nail biter. It just goes to show how our 8 years of experience in the industry can make a big difference on your big day. And in all of our years of doing weddings, that was the only time we've ever actually had to do that. Weather things just seem to work out for the better somehow!
 

2. It's So Romantic

It really is! When you're hot, you kind of want to stick to high fives and dropping ice cubes down the backs of eachothers clothing. But when you're cold, there's not much else to do but snuggle right up and keep eachother warm. I'm thinking faux fir stoles, beautiful evergreen and cranberry bouquet creations and twinkly lights and candlelight as far as the eye can see. You could give hot chocolate kits as favours or even mistletoe Christmas ornaments, if you're into that kinda thing. 

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3. Budget Friendly

This is a big one. No matter what the size of your wedding is, most wedding vendors offer off-season discounts. At Zekar Photography, we give a special discount to our couples who are getting married between November and May. Since the heart of wedding seasons is in the fall and summer months, we have lots of flexibility in the wintertime. Contact us for more information on our off-season wedding discounts. Plus, I know for a fact that many of the venues in the area like Carmen's and Ancaster Mill offer off-season discounts. You can have the wedding of your dreams at discounted rates and who can say no to that? 

 

Contact us today to find out more about our off-season wedding discounts! 

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4. Great lighting and night time shot opportunities

From a professional photographers perspective, the lighting in the winter time is primo. It's not usually glaringly sunny, but the light is more muted, making natural lighting a dream. And because the sun goes down a lot sooner, we get to do some really amazing snowy nighttime shots and don't have to wait till way into the night to do so. If you're looking for a photographer for your winter wedding, make sure you ask them if they know off-camera lighting because they'll definitely need to bust out those flashes for anything after sundown. Speaking of questions to ask your photographer, check out this blog I wrote called 11 Essential Questions To Ask Your Photographer. It can help make sense of some of the really important questions you need to ask in your search. 

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5. Vendor Availability

Some of you might be reading this because you really really wanted to get married at a specific venue or you had your heart set on a specific vendor, but they were booked solid. As I mentioned before, wedding season in Ontario hits its peak from June-October. Since there are less couples getting married in the off-season, there's a much better chance that your favourite florist, makeup artist and live band will be available on your date. And of course, your favourite photographer too! 

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Bonus Reason:

Because our photography studio is located at The Cotton Factory here in Hamilton, Ontario,  we often have access to really cool inndoor photography locations. So if you love the idea of winter but you don't actually want to be in winter, we can help you out! 

happy winter wedding couple

Did I miss anything? Let me know in the comments below, there's probably some I hadn't even thought about! If you're interested in having our team shoot your winter wedding and would like some more information, give me a shout, we'd love to chat!

If you'd like to see a real winter wedding done by the team here at Zekar Photography, click on either of the links below.

Michelle & Justin 

Natalie & Nathan

This blog was written by Kate Tigchelaar, Studio Manager for Zekar Photography. All pictures were taken by Mike Tigchelaar or Kamila Kuzmicka for Zekar Photography. 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) hamilton wedding photographer ontario winter wedding winter wedding winter wedding in hamilton https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2019/6/winter-weddings-in-ontario---5-amazing-reasons-to-have-a-winter-wedding Wed, 19 Jun 2019 00:14:26 GMT
Ancaster Mill Wedding: Elizabeth & Blake https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2019/6/ancaster-mill-wedding-elizabeth-blake After being wedding photographers for 8 years now, we've learned one thing - we absolutely love Love. And the epitome of Love, to us, is marriage. When you commit yourself to loving and cherishing and devoting yourself to another person for the rest of your life, that's really something.  It's something to hold sacred and it's something to protect. So the fact that we get to photograph couples at the very beginning of this lifelong vow to eachother is really, truly an honour.

Now that Mike and I have two little girls of our own, our wedding photos are even more precious to us because we get to pass them on to our kids and it's like passing on proof of where it all started. Elizabeth & Blake's parents have left them a beautiful legacy, each set of parents are high school sweethearts, together since forever. I hope there is more and more new generations of couples recognize how beautiful it is to have that one-and-only, that one special person who is your everything and you are fully committed to them. And Elizabeth & Blake themselves are high school sweethearts, stepping out into the rest of their lives together.

We shot this wedding at the Ancaster Mill, one of our favourite venues around the Hamilton area. I wrote a blog on how lovely this wedding venue is, if you want to check it out. 

This wedding was fully of the cutest little gaggle of flower girls I ever did see. I just adore how the oldest literally herds the little ones around. And the moments between Elizabeth and her dad? And her mom? Get your tissues out! I also love the way Elizabeth & Blake ate the same first slice of cake together, it's pretty freakin' cute.

Take a look at some of my favourite photos from their wedding day, enjoy! 

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I love this new trend of the bride seeing her father for the first time and having it be something separate and special. No matter what modern culture says, it's still deeply emotional for a Dad to see his daughter 'given away' to another dude. 

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The mother of the bride knew her daughter and husband were about to walk down the aisle and she just could not look she was so overwhelmed with happy emotions. It's the sweetest thing!  happy tears at wedding happy tears at wedding

Father of the groom, also losing it. :)  happy tears at wedding

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Like what you see so far? Let's chat about how we can help capture your special day!  guest book idea cute flower girls crowd enjoying speeches crowd enjoying speeches crowd enjoying speeches vegetarian food wedding speech kids dancing eating wedding cake flower girls playing with veil flower girls playing with veil bride and groom first dance bride and groom first dance bride and groom first dance father daughter first dance wedding reception nighttime photography ancaster mill zekar photography studio nighttime photography ancaster mill zekar photography studio

Wasn't that beautiful? If you are interested in having a member of our team come out and capture your day, give us a shout! We'd love to chat :) For our Top 5 Reasons why you should get married at Ancaster Mill, click here. 

All wedding photos in this blog were taken by Mike Tigchelaar of Zekar Photography Studio Inc. This blog was written by Kate Tigchelaar, Studio Manager for Zekar Photography Studio Inc.

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) ancaster mill wedding candid wedding hamilton ontario wedding hamilton wedding photography https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2019/6/ancaster-mill-wedding-elizabeth-blake Tue, 04 Jun 2019 18:19:38 GMT
5 Helpful Reasons To Get Married At Earth To Table: The Farm https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2019/5/5-reasons-to-get-married-at-earth-to-table-the-farm Looking for a rustic but elegant local wedding venue? Look no further than Earth To Table: The Farm, owned and operated by the fine folks at Pearle Weddings and Events. Our team is typically at Earth To Table: The Farm a couple of times a year and we simply love it there.

Here's a few practical reasons why you should consider hosting your wedding at this beautiful venue.

 

1.  Rustic AND Close By

If you are looking for that timeless, rustic look, but don't want to drive forever to get there, this venue is definitely one that you should consider. We've been in the wedding business for about 8 years now and we know that whenever you can cut down on travel time it's always a good thing. For example, you don't want to add an extra hour of travel from your hotel room to your venue, its way better to get there quickly and start the celebration. Since The Farm is located only 20 minutes outside of Hamilton, Ontario, its just a hop skip from one place to the next.

 

 

puppies

2. Fully Air Conditioned

Hey all you mid-July / end of August brides: This barn. Is. Air-conditioned! No worries about your makeup sliding off or getting crazy sweaty as you rip up the dance floor, you're going to stay nice and cool and your guests are too. As far as I know, its one of the only air-conditioned barns around!

 

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3. Amazing Photo Locations Right On Site - Think Sunset Photos!

There’s the beautiful path leading out towards the fields and the barn itself is over the top beautiful inside. So much natural light pours in and this venue is just perfect for long tablescapes, overflowing with flowers and glowy lights. Plus its situated perfectly to get some gorgeous sunset photos as well. You don't have to worry about going anywhere else and can simply enjoy your day all in one location. 

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4. Big Enough for Lots of Guests

Many of our couples have a ton of family and friends they want to invite, and that usually means you are stuck to only a few options, most of them banquet halls. The Farm can accommodate up to 240 of your besties and it still feels spacious. Plus you get the whole venue to yourselves which is a big bonus.

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5. The Food

As with all of the wedding venues that Pearle Weddings runs, the food here is simply amazing. But the most unique part is that you will be dining on food that is grown fresh, right on the farm itself. Talk about eating local! You will have very happy, well fed, well watered guests at this venue.

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Here are some more examples of real weddings we've shot at Earth To Table: The Farm. If you'd like to find out more information on how our team can capture your day, give us a shout! Not sure of what you're looking for when searching for a wedding photographer? Check out our blog 11 Essential Questions to Ask when searching for the perfect team for your wedding day. dancing

dad daughter wedding dance

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farm wedding in the rain

 

This blog was written by Kate Tigchelaar, Studio Manager for Zekar Photography Inc. All pictures were taken by Mike Tigchelaar, Lead Photographer at Zekar Photography Inc. 

 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) country wedding farm wedding rustic wedding wedding photographer hamilton wedding photography https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2019/5/5-reasons-to-get-married-at-earth-to-table-the-farm Tue, 21 May 2019 23:14:20 GMT
Krista & Samir's Carmen's Banquet Hall Wedding, Hamilton, Ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2019/5/krista-samirs-carmen-s-banquet-hall-wedding-hamilton-ontario This is part two to Krista and Samir's amazing two-day wedding. To see their gorgeous Nikah ceremony that was held the day before, click here.  

First, some vendor shoutouts to all of the people who helped make this day so amazing for Krista & Samir. 

Venue: Carmen's Banquet Hall  

Decorator (Saturday night): Carmen's

Florist (Saturday night/bridal bouquets): Jodi Leigh Designs 

Hair and Makeup (Friday and Saturday): Eryn Shannon Makeup

Officiant: Robin Woollard

Saturday Ceremony -- McMaster University Club

Saturday Reception -- Carmen's Banquet Hall

Caterer: Carmen's and Farida's Catering 

This wedding was shot by Mike Tigchelaar, Lead Photographer here at Zekar Photography. 

After the beautiful celebration yesterday, Krista and Samir were so excited to spend another day in celebration of their love. Honestly, these two did not stop smiling the entire day, and you can see why. They are just head over heels for eachother and it was such a pleasure to photograph this day.

I always like to ask about extra little details to get a feel for how our couples love stories unfold. So many of our clients meet during school - either highschool or in post-secondary, and these two met while training together at University. Their mutual love of learning brought the two of them together, both of them are highly intelligent experts in their field. It's always nice when you've got another smarty-pants to bounce ideas off of and before they knew it, they loved more than each others study notes. 

When Krista told me how Samir proposed, I knew that these two were for keeps. It was a simple enough idea, a sweet proposal at home one day after Krista had been away with work for a couple of weeks. Because he proposed bright and early one morning, but wanted to create a moody candlelit ambiance, he had to figure out how to block out all that light - and what a better way to do it than to cover every single window in christmas wrapping paper. Ladies, any man who goes to that length to create the absolute perfect proposal for you, is a man who is going to go to great lengths for you for your whole marriage. 

Take a look at some of my favourites from their beautiful day. Pay special attention to the absolutely adorable father / daughter reveal - I am so glad these are a 'thing' these days and I hope they never stop, it's so, so special. 

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I adore Krista's lace wedding gown, it's so timeless and fits her absolutely perfectly. 

 

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So this was REALLY cool. The fire is to symbolize the forging of two rings into one eternal, everlasting ring. This is the first time I've seen this type of thing and its incredibly meaningful, don't you think? 

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When the evening pulls the sun down,
And the day is almost through,
Oh, the whole world it is sleeping,
But my world is you

-Bloom by The Paper Kites 
 
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Wasn't that gorgeous? If you are interested in seeing how we can capture your day, give us a shout - we'd love to chat! 

This blog was written by Kate Tigchelaar, Studio Manager for Zekar Photography Studio Inc in Hamilton, Ontario. 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) banquet hall wedding carmens banquet hall hamilton ontario wedding hamilton wedding photographer https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2019/5/krista-samirs-carmen-s-banquet-hall-wedding-hamilton-ontario Sun, 19 May 2019 02:27:06 GMT
Krista & Samir's Nikah & Mehndi Ceremony, Hamilton, Ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2018/11/krista-samirs-nikah-mehndi-ceremony-hamilton-ontario new JotformFeedback({ formId: "80776105808259", buttonText: "Get Our Information Guide", base: "https://form.jotform.com/", background: "rgba(155,155,155,0.45)", fontColor: "#000000", buttonSide: "bottom", buttonAlign: "left", type: 1, width: 700, height: 500, isCardForm: false });

This post is part one of Krista and Samir's beautiful wedding ceremony that took place at the Dundas Valley Golf & Country Club in Dundas, Ontario.  To see the full wedding, check out my next post with all the traditional wedding details. 

I adore all of the rich, beautiful tradition that is incorporated into the Nikah ceremony, it just speaks to generations of love and life and happiness. I think us human beings become more rooted and grounded when traditions are passed on like this, and what could be a better way to start your new life together than having your friends and family lavish flowers and gifts and honour upon you. 

A few vendor references that I'd like to mention:

Makeup / Hair: Eryn Shannon Makeup

Decorator: Naphisha Vohra 

Venue: Dundas Valley Golf & Country Club

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Did you enjoy this wedding as much as I did? So much happiness, it's hard for me not to smile looking back at the photos myself :) If you'd like a member of our team to photograph your special event, give me a shout and lets get the conversation started! 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) candid wedding hamilton wedding photographer mehndi ceremony multi-cultural wedding nikah ceremony real wedding ontario zekar photography https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2018/11/krista-samirs-nikah-mehndi-ceremony-hamilton-ontario Tue, 27 Nov 2018 17:34:09 GMT
Keith & Seana Married at Knollwood Golf Club, Ancaster https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2018/10/keith-seana-married-at-knollwood-golf-club-ancaster Seana & Keith's wedding was one of those weddings where I'm just sitting here, smiling at my computer screen as I'm looking through their photos. It's so full of love - like open, genuine, big smiles, big tears kinda love. The way that Keith looks at his beautiful bride during their first look, the hilarious little kid guests and just the pure emotion that everyone has made this wedding such a pleasure for Mike to shoot. 

Knollwood Golf Club is such an excellent venue to get married at. I'm always partial to venues where you've got the whole place to yourselves. It's got the rustic, cozy charm that sets the perfect tone for a big family gathering, but it also has a lot of really interesting locations for photos right on site. Which saves a ton of time and hassle when it comes to planning your day. There's so much green space that you could set up lawn games to keep your guests entertained, like Seana and Keith did.
The staff is super professional, they really know what they are doing and our team is always really impressed every time we go. Speaking of being impressed, the food is also amazing, especially the pumpkin soup. Definitely a must have! 

Take a look at some of my favourite images from Seana & Keith's wedding, enjoy! 

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Pretty amazing wedding, right? If you'd like our team to capture your special day, contact me to get the conversation started! 

This post was written by Kate Tigchelaar, Studio Manager for Zekar Photography. All photos taken by Mike Tigchelaar, Owner & Lead Photographer at Zekar Photography. 
 
 

 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) ancaster wedding venue candid wedding photography hamilton wedding photographer Knollwood Golf Club rustic wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2018/10/keith-seana-married-at-knollwood-golf-club-ancaster Thu, 18 Oct 2018 17:58:48 GMT
Michelle & Justin Winter Wedding at Inn on The Twenty, Niagara Winery https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2018/10/michelle-justin-winter-wedding-at-inn-on-the-twenty new JotformFeedback({ formId: "80776105808259", buttonText: "Get Our Information Guide", base: "https://form.jotform.com/", background: "rgba(155,155,155,0.45)", fontColor: "#000000", buttonSide: "bottom", buttonAlign: "left", type: 1, width: 700, height: 500, isCardForm: false });

I am a big fan of winter in general - the coziness, the sweaters, the warm fireplaces, the hot chocolate. It's all good in my books. So a winter wedding is my idea of perfection, and Michelle and Justin's early December wedding was exactly that. Here in Southern Ontario, you never do know what your going to get weather-wise, but luckily it was one of those cool, crisp, clear days that reminded me of something from a Robert Frost poem. 

Before we get into more details about the wedding day, I wanted to share with you the sweet love story behind these photos. The reason we love doing what we do is because we actually get to bring a love story to life through art, and Michelle & Justin have such a sweet story. Back in highschool, Michelle and Justin were on each others peripheral - they knew each other through friends, but didn't fully connect until Michelle's 25th birthday. After her recent breakup, the last thing Michelle was looking for was a new relationship, but her best friend (also a good friend of Justin's) had other ideas when she and her partner, Matt, dragged Justin to the bar to hit up Michelle's birthday party. That night was the start of something amazing, and just after midnight on the day after Valentines Day 2018, Justin spoke the words that would forever be in Michelle's heart - will you marry me? And 4 years later, almost to the day they met, these two tied the knot. 

"And now here we are, how could we ever know I knew I loved you then and I've watched you grow

So it came to be, that I raised you and you raised me We're lucky that way, 'cause our love can never fade"

- Michelle & Justin's First Dance to Never Fade by Jack Johnson
 

The wedding took place at the quaintly beautiful Inn on The Twenty. We love this venue because there are so many interesting locations for photography, all on one location. That's always a bonus when planning your day as it saves time and hassle and your photos will all have the same look and feel to them. Plus, when the accent colour of venue literally matches your wedding colours, like they did for Michelle, you know it was meant to be! 

Take a look at some of my favourites from the day.  suits on bed

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We have had a lot of brides lately who have planned a special reveal for their Dad's. I think its one of my favourite parts of the day now, because the fathers are just SO cute. Michelle's dad is no exception - kinda shy but with super a emotional, hopeful, adorable expressions as he sees his beautiful girl all dressed up on the biggest day of her life.  dad reveal bride dad reveal bride dad reveal bride dad reveal bride

Next up is Michelle & Justin's first-look reveal. This is proof that it really doesn't matter where you are, Mike can find a cool spot to do photos just about anywhere. For example, this parking lot was the perfect backdrop for these two to see eachother for the first time. 

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See what I mean about Michelle's bridal party totally matching the venue? It's like this old house called Michelle up and was like, "hey, you wanna be twinsies?"  

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The starkness of the Niagara Escarpment, just the bare bones of Mother Nature here, really keeps the focus on how beautiful Michelle & Justin are. They aren't competing with crazy sun or huge flowers, its just so simple and pretty. Whenever I notice a picture that is really, really good - the first thing I notice is how sweet the couple is, but the second thing is, there are usually only a few colours in it. Here, you've basically gray, cranberry, brown and white and everything just flows together. 
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Adorable keepsake detail? Check. 

Cozy firelight and cranberries for a simple, timeless and classic atmosphere? Check.

SUPER DELICIOUS STEAK DINNER? CHECK. 

I'd say these two did a pretty good job creating the perfect winter atmosphere!  details dinner details dinner details

steak dinner details

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These two are dancing to Bad To The Bone. Which is the best. :)   cheers and dancing cheers and dancing

This next picture makes my heart so happy, simply because no matter how old you get, it's always fun to spin around in a twirly princess dress. It's just something that is ingrained in us girls from a young age, we are all genetically predisposed to finding joy in the twirl. 

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cheers and dancing

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Aren't these photos just beautiful? Winter romance at it's best! 

Vendor shout-outs include: 

Hair and Makeup: Pamela and Kathryn with La Belle Fille Hair and Make-up

Dress: Angie's Bridal Boutique

Flowers: Freckled Florist

If you would like our team to come capture your special day, contact me today and let's chat! 

This post was written by Kate Tigchelaar, Studio Manager for Zekar Photography. All photos taken by Mike Tigchelaar, Owner & Lead Photographer at Zekar Photography. 
 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) niagara wedding niagara wedding photographer ontario wedding venue wedding photographer winery wedding winter wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2018/10/michelle-justin-winter-wedding-at-inn-on-the-twenty Thu, 18 Oct 2018 15:15:47 GMT
Elora Mill Weddings: 5 Helpful Reasons to Get Married at Elora Mill https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2018/9/elora-mill-weddings-5-helpful-reasons-to-get-married-at-elora-mill Elora Mill is definitely one of our favourite wedding venues in Ontario. Even though it only opened as an official wedding venue a couple of years ago, you would never know it. Owned and operated by the professionals at Pearle Weddings and Events, this venue has everything you need, all in one place. Here are 5 helpful reasons to get married at Elora Mill from our perspective as professional wedding photographers

 

1. Incredible Photo Locations

This had to be the top of our list, because we're (obviously) pretty invested in what the photos are going to look like. While we always take a fairly candid approach to our weddings, its always nice when the backdrop to the day is as gorgeous as it is at Elora Mill. The town of Elora is so quaint and so pretty it looks like its right out of a fairy tale. Cobblestone and old-world charm abound!

bride and groom downtown Elora elora ontario wedding elora gorge wedding

There is a gorgeous park just nearby called Elora Gorge Lookout. It makes you feel like you're somewhere up North with all the gorgeous Evergreen trees.  

couple in woods

And then of course you've got the Elora Gorge itself. Mike, the Lead Photographer and Owner here at Zekar Photography Studios, gets very excited when he gets to explore a new angle or new photo ideas. So it wasn't surprising to anyone that he scrambled down with one of our adventurous couples and got this intimate moment right in the middle of the gorge. 

elora gorge wedding couple

 

2. Rustic Luxury At It's Finest

I don't actually know if "rustic luxury" is an actual term, but its the perfect way to describe the beauty that is Elora Mill. They have three different decor themes throughout the hotel which means they cater to every style of bride. They've got modern, rustic and french styles - all of the rooms are done to the absolute finest. Plus there is a spa on site, imagine going there with your bridal party the night before? Or heck, the day after. This is definitely a venue that puts pampering their guests to a whole other level. 

bride getting ready

3. The Food Is Top Notch

Very important! One of the main things a guest will remember from your wedding (apart from how much they love you guys and how much fun they had) is whether or not the food was good. If you want your guests to feel spoiled, this venue is perfect for you. After doing hundreds of weddings in the GTA, the team here at Zekar Photography votes the food at Elora Mill as one of the best. 

elora mill food flowerscape
 

4. Elora Mill Caters To you

You can tell that they really care about you as a guest because they do everything they can to make you comfortable. There is even a shuttle that will take you and your guests from photo location to photo location so you can just enjoy your day.  They've also got three different rooms so you can find the perfect fit for your style and your guest list. 

happy wedding couple elora mill wedding ceremony

 

5. Rooftop Balcony For Cocktails

The gorgeous views from this cocktail patio are absolutely perfect, including stellar sunsets and, if you're really lucky? Rainbows. It's the perfect outdoor space for you and your guests to have fun, with the opportunity for even more beautiful photographs. 

rainbow wedding sunset wedding

Stay tuned for some upcoming blogs about the weddings we have shot at Elora Mill in Elora, Ontario. We can't wait to go back! If you are interested in having a member of our studio team come out and capture the story of your day, give us a shout, we'd love to chat! 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) elora mill elora mill weddings ontario wedding photography wedding photography https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2018/9/elora-mill-weddings-5-helpful-reasons-to-get-married-at-elora-mill Sat, 08 Sep 2018 01:30:00 GMT
How To Choose Your Wedding Photographer: 11 Essential Questions To Ask https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2018/7/how-to-choose-your-wedding-photographer-11-essential-questions-to-ask

Written By: Michael Tigchelaar. Lead Photographic Ninja and founder of Zekar Photography Inc. 

Choosing a Wedding Photographer is one of the biggest decisions you’re going to make in your wedding planning.  You’ve worked hard to have everything to come together perfectly, so hiring the right photographer to capture it all is probably on one of your top three most important elements of your day.

In this blog we will cover some important factors you should look for when hiring your wedding photographer. You’ve probably never hired a professional photographer before and the task can seem really overwhelming. We’re here to help break it down for you.  Fair warning: There is a ton of information here. We love our craft and could probably talk about it for days. So if you’re interested in just one specific topic, click on any of the question links below to find out more information. But if you’re up for an in-depth crash course on the exact questions you need to ask your potential wedding photographer, grab a cup of coffee or a glass of wine (no judgements on what time of the day it is!) and let’s get started.

11 Questions To Ask Your Potential Wedding Photographer

Pre-Wedding Essentials

1. Style: What style of photography suits me best?

2. Budget: How do I get the most out of my investment?

3. Pre-Wedding Planning: How do I know my photographer will be prepared?

4. Contract: How do I protect my investment?

5. Engagement Session: Do I really need one?

Wedding Day Essentials 

6. Camera Gear: How is a professional photographer equipped to handle my wedding?

7. Lighting: Why is advanced lighting important to my wedding?

8. Experience: Why does it actually matter?

9. Assistants and Second shooters: Are they necessary?

 

Post-Wedding Essentials

10. Editing: What happens after the wedding to make my images awesome?

11. Printing: Can’t I just go to Costco?


1. Style: What style of photography suits me best?

In our opinion, there are really there just two fundamental styles in wedding photography.

The first is traditional. It leans more to the posed and staged shots, controlled images, advanced lighting setups, shots you might see in a magazine. They can take on a modern feel, or old school but at the end of the day they have one thing in common- they are situations controlled by the photographer.  

Second is candid or story-telling. Often called ‘photojournalism’ or ‘documentary photography’. This is where the photographer steps back and allows the moment to happen and uses their experience to tell that story without interference.  A good photographer should provide a mix of both, but most tend to excel more in one area than another.

When you start your search, keep the question of style in mind for how you will feel in the long run and less on how you feel when you see a single picture you like on a given site. Lean into the style you feel suits your personality best and something that you feel has longevity.  Years down the road you’ll want to look at a photo that really captures the relationship between you and your new spouse and all the memories you had that day. You won’t necessarily appreciate something that is trendy in 2018 and very dated in 2043 when your kids throw you a 25 year anniversary party and there is a room full of snickering young people.

In the end however, don't settle - it doesn’t have to be an either-or decision. Here at Zekar Photography, we pride ourselves on our ability to not only get traditional stunning wedding-scapes, as we like to call them, but we also focus on our passion of capturing all of the beautiful little moments that happen throughout the day. Here is a blog covering more aspects of our photojournalistic wedding style.

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2. Budget:  How do I get the most out of my investment?

"Don’t let your hope for an awesome deal blind your natural instinct to find out if its too good to be true."

Your budget is generally one of the biggest deciding factors in how you choose as your photographer and it’s important to know what goes on behind-the-scenes in your photographers studio.

Like most things in life, the money you pay often reflects the quality of the product. At Zekar Photography, every hour we spend taking pictures on a wedding day will have 5 extra hours of work put into it, from pre-wedding planning to post-production. A regular 10 hour wedding day represents a total of 60 hours of labour from a team of professionals, and that's how we deliver the overall product you see on our site.

Look around in your area and see what the average price is for wedding photography. That  price in your area will be a good indicator of what you should expect to pay. From city to city it can change, and even demand alone can change a price point on a product so we’ll leave it up to you to do basic price comparisons and figure out the average.  

If someone comes in under that average, there are questions you need to ask and that’s something we’re going to cover in the following paragraphs.

Generally speaking though, don't expect to get the same quality from something significantly less than the norm. That’s not to say you won't find it, but be prepared to find out why by asking pointed questions. Don’t let your hope for an awesome deal blind your natural instinct to find out if its too good to be true.  Often a lower price can represent a lack of something in an area you are not able to see, something that might affect the final product.

For example. A wedding website has only a small collection of images. The average photographer, over time, can get a few good pictures. They can spend an hour editing a single shot to make it look like an award winner for their site. The question is, can they provide high quality over the whole wedding day in every lighting situation?  If it is dark and cloudy on your wedding day, if your wedding venue does not have a lot of natural light, or if the sun is beating down hard, will they be able to take professional photos in any weather and atmosphere? Even if you are on a tighter budget than what the average photographer asks in your area, and you must find a inexpensive option, you're still spending hard earned money. Education before you spend is always a bonus, no matter the budget range.

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3. Pre-Wedding Planning: How do I know my photographer will be prepared?

Your photographer should offer a thorough initial consultation and, if needed, continuous correspondence via phone or email when it comes to the planning of your day.

Knowing you have an hour vs thirty minutes to accomplish a given task can alter exactly what you do. One brides getting ready pictures can be 30 minutes because she has a simple dress and only her mom there as she prepares. While another will need an hour because she has a group of friends, a more complicated dress to get into and has some cultural aspects to her pre-wedding preparations. Or she might want to do a father reveal and hand out gifts to bridesmaids. If your photographer does not have a system to figure this out, you could over pay and have them out for too long, or worse be under prepared and not have enough time and miss memories you would want to have later.

At Zekar Photography, we like to say we ‘prepare to be laid back’. A good photographer does not just show up and do an awesome job, just because they are a good photographer. It’s really important for a professional to take the time to get to know you and your partner and what you have envisioned for your day. Whether you are having a simple backyard party at your Aunt’s farm or you are going all out and having an elegant soiree at Casa Loma, it’s important for your photographer to get to know your personal style and expectations.

One of the ways we do this at Zekar Photography is through our Wedding Day Details sheet that Kate, our Studio Manager, sends out to each and every couple. It’ll have all of the times and addresses on it, as well as the names and contact information for the important people on the day-of. We also want our clients to share all their details with us as they plan so we can get to know every detail of the day.

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4. Contract: How do I protect my investment?

Another very important pre-wedding aspect is a proper contract. If your photographer does not have one, RUN! Any professional photographer will have a contract and you should never take anyone at their word alone. Not because people will lie, but because what one person's expectations are might not be what another person's standard is, so a misunderstanding can lead to problems. Contracts resolve this on the big issues. It should outline exactly what the photographer will deliver, what your responsibilities are versus the photographers responsibilities and what the total cost will be. A contract shows they take what they do seriously, and a good contract will be clear on the important details. It will be built to protect you as much as your photographer. Read it over and always ask if you’re not sure of something.

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5. Engagement Session: Do I really need one?

Although it is not a ‘must’ like the other areas of pre-wedding planning, it can help in many ways. First, it gives you a glimpse into what it will be like to work with the photographer you have chosen. It allows both you and your photographer to get to know eachother better so that on the wedding day it’s more of a professional friendship than a stranger hanging around you on your big day.

Photo Credit: Mike Tigchelaar, Zekar Photography

Almost everybody is nervous around the camera, especially the big cameras that a photographer carries, so it really helps to take the edge off by having a low-key engagement session to get used to having your photo taken. Plus, you will have quality images to use for announcements, maybe to use for decorations to display at your wedding tables or a guest book.   

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6. Camera Gear: How is a professional photographer equipped to handle my wedding?

Your photographer needs to be prepared! They need to carry at least two professional cameras, multiple lenses and lighting equipment. If anything breaks they need to have backups. Don’t be afraid to ask what kind of gear your photographer carries. Even if you aren’t familiar with all the makes and models of cameras (not everyone is a camera geek like we are!) you can always do a Google search when you get home.

Long before Mike (the Lead Photographer here at Zekar Photography)  was in the photography industry, Mike’s brother had a friend do his wedding photography. Mike was his best man, so there was no way he could do both. The photographer dropped one of his lenses and it broke. He had to send one of our family members to go get him a new one and was left with a somewhat less versatile lens to finish the rest of the coverage.

Now it was not so bad that it was his only lens, but it was enough to put a dent in the plans. Later that same person lost the hard drive he had stored the pictures on. To this day it burns Mike’s brother to think of that experience and how he did not go the professional route.

Part of the operating cost that a wedding photographer has is to have twice as much gear as they need, that way the never really have to worry about stopping. And enough file storage redundancies that all of your files are not stored in one place.

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7. Lighting: Why is advanced lighting important to my wedding?

This is a bigger issue than most understand, even trained professional photographers can underestimate the importance on controlling light. Cameras are just machines and they need help to see in both bright and dark situations. If your photographer says they are a “natural light photographer” you need to ask what they will do in a dark venue, or if it’s really sunny and there are shadows in your eyes. How will they remove those shadows so everyone doesn’t look like a squinting racoon?

A purely “natural light photographer” simply wont get high end pictures in a dark reception hall, or fill in shadows in your eyes on a sunny day. In fact, if someone says “I’m a natural light photographer” in the industry, professionals taken it to mean “I dont know how to use a flash”. Now thats not always the case, even we prefer natural light when we can use it, but to limit options to just that one on a wedding day would be, well, crazy!

A Moment For A Flash Photography Explanation:

A good photographer will be able to use both natural light as well as flashes when needed. There are two types of flash photography that can be used at your wedding. Bounce flash and off-camera flash.

Bounce means the flash is on the camera and the photographer will point it at a ceiling or wall and bounce the light to brighten things up. Off-camera is the most advanced. A really experienced photographer will be able to use multiple lights at once, combining natural light and multiple flashes.

Imagine a wedding outside, candle-lit, at night. There is only one photographer that can work a venue like that proficiently. One who uses off camera flash and uses it well! There is nothing to bounce flash off but the moon, so off camera is the only option worth using.

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night time photography


8. Experience: Why does it actually matter?

Before we get into this part, we want to say, there are plenty of great inexperienced photographers. Part of the way we run our studio is to always have a couple of inexperienced photographers working underneath our experienced ones to be trained up. Everyone has to start somewhere, we started out very inexpensive to compensate for our lack of experience. 

So this is not say you should never consider someone who hasn’t done very many weddings, just know that inexperience should be compensated by lower price. If you are willing to pay less to exchange for higher risk, take the leap. However as a rule, they won't be able to perform as fast or as creatively as one who has experience. This is true in all things in life and certainly the more complex a situation, the more it holds true. Wedding photography is very complex, just because you have a good camera doesn’t mean you can shoot a wedding.

There are two ways to find out how much experience a photographer has. Ask how many weddings they have done. And secondly, ask to see a few full weddings. Their blog should show their breadth of experience. Are all the pictures posed outside on a sunny day? Not a single one of a first dance in a dark venue? No really good church shots? A well documented and professionally shot wedding does not add up to a good picture in a park where there is perfect light available. It is a total accumulation of many great images in many different conditions. A professional photographer will have the vision to take any situation and make art out of each image. Some of our favourite shots have been on fire escapes right downtown or in the corner of a stairwell that nobody ever notices. We love the challenge! Judge their work by the worst possible spots not just the nice ones. Look at all possible wedding picture scenarios before making any decision, keeping in mind the atmosphere of your own venue.

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9. Assistants and Second shooters: Are they necessary?

Every photographer has different opinions on having a second shooter come out with them on the wedding day. Second shooters come in handy if you and your partner are getting ready at different locations and you can’t stagger the timing. They will also get different angles than your main photographer will. Be sure that the second shooter who comes with your photographer has comparable level of expertise and is proficient with a camera. You don’t want your final wedding photos to have 90% professional photos but the ones of the groom getting ready look like they were taken on a cell phone.

As for a photographers assistant, this is not a “must-have” but they do help. If you have a low key wedding in one location it might be overkill to have a gaggle of paparazzi running around. However, during a regular sized wedding, they blend in more and become more unobtrusive. In fact, they can calm things down by being able to bear part of the workload. Our assistants are responsible for 10-20% of the final images. But more importantly, they can be where your lead photographer can't be during your event. Multiple angles at a ceremony or in a different room. They will ease the responsibility of the lead photographer if things get rushed, help carry gear, get water, and help to make sure your photographer does not have to stop taking pictures for any minor things like switching out batteries etc.

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10. Editing: What happens after the wedding to make my images awesome?

As we mentioned earlier, for every hour we shoot there are 5 hours behind the scenes in planning and post production. Most of those hours are in post production. If we do a 10 hour wedding, we will invest 25-30 hours in editing for that wedding. Some people have asked us, “Oh you are a wedding photographer? What do you do during the week?” Well, we edit. A lot!

Your photographer is not finished when they hit the shutter release button. They are done when they edit the image. This has not changed even from film days. In fact, the amount of time a photographer spends on their images has increased since the film days, if they do the editing work themselves.

An important question to ask is if the photographer runs “actions”, automated computer generated edits, or if they edit each image by hand. A good honest answer should be a little bit of both.

Every image can receive an automated “starter edit”. Maybe a bit of contrast and color adjustment. Then after that each image has the editor look at it and determine a specific retouch that it will need. Maybe lighten a portion and darken another portion  (known as dodge burn). Or maybe make the ambient light more colorful so it looks like it did on the day. We like to refer to this as “painting”. These are small details that set an automated edit apart from one manually done. This is such a massive part of creating a good image it can't be understated. So make sure to ask your potential photographer what they will do to your wedding in post-production.

Remember, simply saying they will spend time is not a replacement for experience. A photographer who has never been through editing hundreds of weddings with different lighting conditions at different venues can’t simply come up with the experience that this very important aspect needs.

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11. Printing: Can’t I just go to Costco?

Your photographer might offer albums and prints within their package. It might look like a really great deal - coverage, album, prints, all in one spot. But make sure you ask for examples of what their prints look like and if you can see some albums. There are lots of album companies out there that make low quality, quick production albums. If the spine of the album is glued, chances are, it’s going to fall apart sooner than later. A good quality album has a very thick, bound spine and high quality paper that’s going to last through generations. So if your package comes with prints and albums, make sure you’re getting quality through and through. You don’t want to end up with supposed heirlooms that fall apart or fade.

One way to think of it is this:  Would you buy a Lamborghini only drive it on a pothole filled dirt road? Well, that’s the same as hiring a professional photographer and printing their work at Walmart or Costco. Commercial labs will never be as good as a high-end, boutique lab. You will lose sharpness color and impact. We have clients who have chosen to print at Walmart and they always come back. Your photographer should have the ability to provide high end printing options that will last for years and display your wedding images in a manner worthy of the effort put into them and worthy of their emotional value. When we deliver our high-end prints to our clients, we often hear that it looks even better than it did on the computer.  Your .jpg’s won’t matter to your children, but a tangible piece of yours (and theirs) history will.

 

We hope that after reading this blog you feel a lot more empowered and educated to make a good decision. When you meet with your photographer, every question you ask should be met with enthusiasm and excitement. The passion that your photographer has for their business will only translate into gorgeous photographs.

If you would like to talk more about anything you've read so far or you have other questions you are curious about, contact us today!

 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) choosing a wedding photographer finding the best wedding photographer questions for your wedding photographer wedding photographer budget wedding photographer hamilton wedding photographer ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2018/7/how-to-choose-your-wedding-photographer-11-essential-questions-to-ask Mon, 09 Jul 2018 01:08:35 GMT
Ancaster Mill Weddings: Top 5 Reasons to Get Married at Ancaster Mill https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2018/6/ancaster-mill-weddings-top-5-reasons-to-get-married-at-ancaster-mill Ancaster Mill is one of the most popular wedding venue's in the Hamilton area and for good reason. From the minute you pull up to the front doors, it's immediately apparent that this is some place special. With cobblestone buildings, twinkle lights in the trees and of course, the beautiful waterfall, this is a venue that's full of charm and romance. As professional wedding photographers in Hamilton, Ontario, we are at the Mill a number of times each year so we decided to write a blog to help prospective brides and grooms get the inside scoop.

Here are our top 5 reasons why you should consider Ancaster Mill for your wedding. 

 

1. Their Brand New Wedding Chapel Is Stunning

A couple of years ago, the only place to have your ceremony on site at The Mill was a sweet little garden area just over the bridge. But with the recent addition of the Miller Chapel, Ancaster Mill has completely stepped up their game as far as beautiful ceremony locations goes. The natural light from the surrounding forest just fills the whole hall up with warmth and beauty. Soaring ceilings and elegant chandeliers add a touch of elegance, while the wooden beams retain the warm rustic ambiance that is the theme through the whole venue. This ceremony site is also completely magical for off-season weddings and rumour has it, you can inquire about their special off-season wedding discounts. (Rumour also has it, we here at Zekar Photography are happy to chat about your off-season wedding as well!) 

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miller chapel wedding ceremony

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2. Waterfalls

If Hamilton is the City of Waterfalls, then the Ancaster Mill is the venue of waterfalls. The on-site waterfall which runs under the building makes a beautiful backdrop for wedding party photos. You can expect to have about a half an hour with your bridal party at these falls, but if you are wanting more natural waterfall-y goodness, Sherman Falls is just down the street and also makes a great place for some photos. Just a tip, most waterfall areas in Hamilton do need a permit so be sure to check into that before you go ahead and book your shoot. 

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3. Accommodates Any Size of Wedding

From 50 guests to well over a hundred, Ancaster Mill has different rooms for almost any size of guest list. But no matter what size your wedding is, each room offers the same cozy atmosphere, the same incredible food and all of the other amenities that this venue offers. 

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4. The Food Is Amazing

As with all Pearle Weddings, you will never be disappointed with their food. They have top notch chefs who cook with farm fresh ingredients (literally, its from one of their own local farms!) and your guests will be super satisfied. 

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5. They Run A Tight Ship

When you book your wedding at Ancaster Mill, you can't help but notice it - they are incredibly organized. This is a huge relief for all you non-planning types, they really do all the work for you. No guessing or stressing, its all right there. And for all of you who love to plan? This team speaks your language! It's also really nice on the photography end of things too. Even though we do take a very candid, relaxed approach to your wedding, its nice to have a solid framework on the day to help keep everything on schedule as much as possible. 

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nighttime wedding photography ancaster mill hamilton ontario nighttime wedding photography ancaster mill hamilton ontario

Want to find out more about how we can make your Ancaster Mill wedding dreams come true? Contact us today, we'd love to chat! 
 

ancaster mill wedding

Not sure of what you're looking for when searching for a wedding photographer? Check out our blog 11 Essential Questions to Ask when searching for the perfect team for your wedding day.

This blog was written by Kate Tigchelaar, Studio Manager for Zekar Photography Inc. All pictures were taken by Mike Tigchelaar, Lead Photographer at Zekar Photography Inc. 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) ancaster mill hamilton ontario wedding hamilton wedding photography nighttime wedding photography https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2018/6/ancaster-mill-weddings-top-5-reasons-to-get-married-at-ancaster-mill Mon, 04 Jun 2018 19:30:00 GMT
Natalie & Nathan's Magical Winter Wedding at The Spice Factory, Hamilton, Ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2018/4/natalie-nathans-magical-winter-wedding-at-the-spice-factory-hamilton-ontario new JotformFeedback({ formId: "80776105808259", buttonText: "Get Our Information Guide", base: "https://form.jotform.com/", background: "rgba(65,117,5,0.53)", fontColor: "#ffffff", buttonSide: "bottom", buttonAlign: "left", type: 1, width: 700, height: 500, isCardForm: false });

Natalie & Nathan were married on a magical December day in Hamilton, Ontario. These two best friends have been together for 7 years and you can really see their solid and deep connection to eachother in every thing they do - the small looks across the room, the way they subconsciously turn their bodies towards each other and the genuine belly laughs that filled their whole beautiful day. Even though these two are quite the globe trotters, they decided to get married at The Spice Factory, one of our favourite venues here in Hamilton. 

Usually the calmest, most reserved part of our day is the very beginning when we get the groom getting ready. But not Nathan and his hilarious group of close friends. These dudes took their duties as groomsmen to heart and made sure they fawned and primped and preened their friend as much as possible, and it was all laughs the whole time. I can't think of a better way to send your buddy off into official married life than rib the heck out of him as he gets ready to meet his bride.

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funny groom

 

Natalie and her girls got ready in the bridal suite at The Spice Factory. Her hair and makeup was done by the talented ladies at Beyoutiful Brides from Niagara Falls. The soft curls and laid-back side braid that Natalie chose is the perfect compliment to her gorgeous dress which you'll see in a minute. 

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I adore the beautiful shade of blue of the bridesmaid dresses, nothing suits a winter wedding more than jewel tones and they were the perfect choice from Azazie.

This picture makes me laugh, I mean, that's what friends are for right? These girls always have Natalie's back. And her teeth :)  blue bridesmaid dresses

Natalie's seriously gorgeous wedding dress was by a British designer, Needle & Thread. I honestly can't think of a much more perfect gown to wear to a cocktail style wedding - sexy open back, easy flowing skirt but still completely elegant with all that stunning beadwork on the sleeves and bodice. 

beautiful dress

Natalie's unique style really shines with these amazing velveteen shoes from Lord and Taylor. Don't they just look like they are begging to be danced in? Such a cool mix of femininity and edgy style, I just love them.  velvet shoes velvet bow shoes

We've been seeing these really cool bouquets popping up lately and I think they are such a great idea. Especially for off-season weddings when local flower selections aren't always the best, earth-friendly options like the ones that EcoFlower does are a great option. If you're the bouquet-keeping type, these beauties keep forever or if you're a crafty sort, you can deconstruct and make a new memory from your bridal bouquet. 

flowers

One last sweet little detail before we get on to the rest of the day: this stunning aquamarine beauty. Natalie's mom had been given a set of aquamarine earrings from her Aunt, but since she didn't wear them too much because they were so heavy, she had the brilliant idea to have them made into two rings. One for Natalie and one for her sister, to be given on their wedding day. Isn't that the sweetest? And the perfect 'something old, something blue' accessory as well! 

aquamarine

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bridesmaids

Interested in more information? Let's chat! 

As I mentioned earlier, Natalie and Nathan are quite the globe trotting couple. There are people who say they love to travel but spend most of their time travelling on Pinterest, and then there are people who actually do it in real life. Natalie and Nathan have travelled to nearly 50 countries together and have even lived in South Korea and England for a couple years to make it easier to get to all the cool little countries near by. One of their favourite things to do is explore new cultures and foods together.

I think its amazing when people choose to live a life that makes them live their dreams - not everyone has to be stuck in a 9-5 the minute they graduate. After being with Mike  for nearly 13 years now, I've learned a couple things about marriage and one of them is, if you can travel together, you're definitely going to stay together. And I'd say these two love birds have had lots of practice! 

But even though they've travelled so much, their super sweet proposal story surprised me a bit and made my little homebody heart so happy. The two of them had been staying in a whole bunch of low-key places while they were backpacking around Indonesia. They decided to splurge on a bungalow for a couple nights and chose a place in Gili Meno. And oh my goodness if you have a chance, Google that place - it's what dreams are literally made of!

The fact that their prosal happened as they were travelling was no surprise, but I love that Nathan chose to ask Natalie to marry him first thing one morning as they had been laying in bed together, enjoying the tropical sun pouring into their room. Is that not the coziest, sweetest thing ever? And then he had breakfast delivered (definitely a good move!) and they spent the day just enjoying being together and planning and dreaming by the sounds of the ocean. Paradise! 

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The perfect pine boughs around the trellis was provided by Natalie's Aunt's tree farm, Benjamin Tree Farm in Waterloo.

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One of the best things about The Spice Factory is its proximity to all sorts of cool urban spots to take pictures in. Hamilton is full of them, but this awesome graffiti wall is within walking distance and we loved the bright colours - perfect for this fun loving couple!  fun bridal party fun bridal party

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I always smile at super fun, super happy Daddy-daughter dances :) You know the tears are there, but the laughter and fun of the day pours out and it's just really fun to be dancing with your Daddy on your wedding day! 

As much as the Dad's can usually hold it together for most of the day, it's another thing for the Moms. I'm kind of glad that my daughters won't be doing a mommy-daughter dance at their weddings because I would need a truckload of tissues. Nathan's mom could not hold all her beautiful tears in and they had one of the most emotional mother son dances we've seen. 

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As their friends and family watched on, faces filled with loving smiles and laughter, Natalie & Nathan danced their way into married life to the beautiful and haunting tones of Bon Iver.

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Before I show you guys the incredible night-time shots that Kamila captured for these two, I have to share this epic dance face that Natalie's super cute mom has - Natalie's parents are seriously great dancers and they mean business! 

mom dance

During all of her weddings, Kamila and her assistant keep a close eye on whats happening with the weather outside. During rain or epic sunsets, some of our best pictures come from just being aware of every surrounding. We couldn't have asked for a more magical thing to happen during this December wedding then this delicate dusting of the first snow of the season. 

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night time photography hamilton ontario

As the world rushes around them, Natalie and Nathan stand still and quiet and peaceful together. With the memories of the first time they were introduced back at Brock U, to their worldy adventures, to their beautiful vows and the incredible future towards them, they sealed their night with a tender kiss.  night time photography hamilton ontario

 

Interested in more information? Let's chat! 

 

Did you love this wedding as much as I did? Tell us about it and be sure to contact us today to see how we can be a part of your special day! 

And p.s If you're looking for an amazing caterer, Natalie highly recommends City Farm Catering!

All pictures taken by Kamila Kuzmicka for Zekar Photography.

This post was written by Kate Tigchelaar, Studio Manager for Zekar Photography.

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) fun wedding hamilton wedding laid-back wedding night time wedding photography spice factory wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2018/4/natalie-nathans-magical-winter-wedding-at-the-spice-factory-hamilton-ontario Sat, 07 Apr 2018 00:43:32 GMT
Nicole & Joey's Intimately Elegant Wedding at Casa Loma, Toronto, Ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2018/3/nicole-joeys-intimately-elegant-wedding-at-casa-loma-toronto-ontario new JotformFeedback({ formId: "80776105808259", buttonText: "Get Our Information Guide", base: "https://form.jotform.com/", background: "rgba(155,155,155,0.45)", fontColor: "#000000", buttonSide: "bottom", buttonAlign: "left", type: 1, width: 700, height: 500, isCardForm: false });

 

Written by Kate Tigchelaar, studio manager for Zekar Photography

All pictures featured in this blog were taken by Mike Tigchelaar and Kamila Kuzmicka from Zekar Photography Studio Inc. 

Before I get into the gorgeous details of Nicole & Joey's wedding this past November, let's start off with a few snapshots from their engagement shoot we did earlier in the year. 

Mike started off their shoot with a walk around the beautiful country property that we were lucky enough to shoot on, but at the end of the session they (or rather Joey) decided that it would be a good idea to jump off the dock.

The top of the dock.

Like 10 ft up in the air.

It took some convincing, but Nicole was up for it, and these two besties jumped right in and made the best engagement pictures we got all year. 

 

go jump in a lake go jump in a lake go jump in a lake

Isn't that the best?! 

Okay, fast forward to the wedding day. It was a lot colder, and a lot windier, but 1000% absolutely perfect. Starting off with the guys getting ready - Joey's mom is so cute, she looks like a mom from a sitcom or something, bustling around tying the ties, pinning the pins, loving on everyone. 

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You know what, I'm pretty sure Nicole was supposed to get the first kiss of the day...:) 

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Before we get into part one of Nicole's getting ready, I'll give a shout out to her incredible makeup artist, Rhonda from the incredible team at Makeupworx. Every time we do a wedding that has had a Makeupworx professional do the makeup, the girls always look flawless. I love Nicole's old-hollywood shout out with her perfectly set waves, done by the talented Sasha, also from Makeupworx. The gold and blush accents in her eyeshadow make her blue eyes even more stunning, absolute perfection! 

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After Nicole's makeup was done, we headed on out to Casa Loma. It's a pretty amazing place, full of everything you would expect from an early 1900's mansion. Gorgeous deep walnut panelled walls, luxurious silk covered chairs, epic chandeliers and soaring ceilings which make the ambience of the place perfectly regal. The bridal suite that Nicole and her girls got ready in is to die for - the way the late autumn light was pouring in just bathed everything in the most painterly way. And honestly, Nicole is so gorgeous, it really kind of made our job easy :) 

ring van gogh mother of bride

Could these bridesmaid dresses be anymore perfect? Gold brocade with a modern twist, it fits so perfectly with the elegance of the day.  This is Nicole's stunning sister, putting the finishing touches on. Literally all of Nicole's bridesmaids legitimately look like she cut them straight out of a bridal magazine or something. So beautiful!   beautiful bridesmaid

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Nicole's beautiful wedding dress is by Casablanca Bridal and her shoes are Manolo Blahnik.

bride getting ready shoes bridal veil beautiful bride

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bridesmaids first reveal bridesmaids first reveal bridesmaids first reveal

 

 
 

Interested in more information? Let's chat! 

 

Before I show you guys the adorable first reveal, let me tell you a bit about Nicole & Joey. They first met at a Blue Jays game and bonded over beer and sticky stadium seats and the satisfying crack of that ball on the bat. 

They'd been together 6 years before Joey popped the question and the way he did it is so simple and romantic and perfect. Each year the two of them hold a big Christmas party with all of their friends and loved ones, so naturally the most perfect place to pop the question would be when everyone was in one room. So many guys plan (or stress out about planning) epic proposal adventures, but honestly, the only thing a girl really wants is to be able to shriek and hug everyone all at once. It saves her thumbs a lot of pain from not having to text a million people. So their Christmas party turned into a beautiful engagement party and it was the perfect start to a new chapter in their lives. 

 

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Joey has the best laugh and such an infectious smile, I can't help but smile as I'm typing this out! 

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We popped outside for a few photos but um...it was a little windy. :D 

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Interested in more information? Let's chat! 

 

I adore this ceremony set up. Not only does it come pre-decorated, the intricate gothic windows are absolutely the most perfect backdrop.

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Big smiles from these two as they are finally, finally married! High-fives all around as everyone cheered and clapped and the joy rose up to surround the newest Mr & Mrs! 

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I love this tablescape  - it's so elegant and fresh. All of the gorgeous flowers at Nicole & Joey's wedding were done by the talented Sue Bober at Blossoms in Burlington.  The masculine feel of the library juxtaposed with the feminine delicacy of the flowers makes my artists heart so happy. 

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Nicole is not only super gorgeous, she's also a super smart and succesful #bossbabe. She owns the iconic Brown Dog Cafe , located on Hamilton's own Locke Street South. I can just imagine little baby Nicoles and little baby Joey's running around the cafe, the smell of Nicoles uber famous hot apple fritters wafting through the air, Joey's laughter ringing through the air...ahh.  wedding reception

These two picked their favourite love song,  Stay With You by John Legend. 

"And in the end I know that we'll find Love so beautiful and divine

We'll be lovers for a lifetime, yeah

And I'll stay with you "

Couldn't be more perfect for this sweet couple!  first dance first dance first dance first dance

At the end of the night, Mike and Kamila popped outside to do some night time shots by the castle and the Toronto Skyline. It was starting to snow a bit, but it just gave another reason for these two lovebirds to snuggle. 

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Interested in more information? Let's chat! 

If you guys loved Nicole and Joey's wedding as much as I do, contact us to see how our team can tell your personal lovestory. Or pop on over to our Instagram @zekar_photography_studio to see what we've been up to lately! 

 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) candid wedding photography casa loma wedding castle wedding nighttime wedding photography toronto photojournalism toronto wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2018/3/nicole-joeys-intimately-elegant-wedding-at-casa-loma-toronto-ontario Thu, 15 Mar 2018 18:49:45 GMT
Candid In-Home Family Photoshoot, Dundas, Ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2018/3/candid-in-home-family-photoshoot-dundas-ontario There are so many reasons why we absolutely love doing family photoshoots at our clients homes.

Your home is your nest. It's where you are most comfortable, where the best memories are born and where your kids learn and grow. Everyone is truly themselves at home, and thats what we love to capture most. Your authentic, beautiful love story. 

Teresa and Trung invited us into their gorgeous home to help document the precious early moments of their beautiful baby girls life. I don't think I need to point out how head-over-heels these two are for their incredibly adorable little baby. You can see it all over their faces, it's like they just can't keep their eyes off her.

And who could blame them? This little girl has the most fabulous chubby little legs, I actually squealed a little when I saw the finished proofs. I know Kamila probably had a hard time not picking this little squish up and just giving her the biggest hug ever. But we leave all that to her parents and instead, stepped back and enjoyed capturing this new little family in love. 

documentary family photography Dundas Ontario baby hands adorable baby happy little baby baby playing piano baby playing piano baby playing piano sweet family photos sweet family photos sweet family photos sweet family photos peek a boo sweet family photography dundas ontario sweet family photography dundas ontario sweet family photography dundas ontario sweet family photography dundas ontario baby family photography hamilton ontario baby family photography hamilton ontario baby family photography hamilton ontario baby family photography hamilton ontario baby family photography hamilton ontario at home family photoshoot hamilton ontario at home family photoshoot hamilton ontario at home family photoshoot hamilton ontario at home family photoshoot hamilton ontario at home family photoshoot hamilton ontario Super sweet, right?! Ah, I just love it. It's shoots like these that just fill us with so much gratitude to be able to capture every day life like this and give the gift of beautiful photos to our clients. 

Interested in booking a family photoshoot with one of our team members here at Zekar Photography? Contact me today and lets get the conversation started. 

All photos in this blog were taken by Kamila Kuzmicka for Zekar Photography. To see more information about our family shoots, click here.  

This post was written by Kate Tigchelaar, Studio Manager for Zekar Photography.

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) candid photography candid wedding photography dundas photographer family photography family photoshoot hamilton family photographer https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2018/3/candid-in-home-family-photoshoot-dundas-ontario Sun, 04 Mar 2018 03:00:00 GMT
Top 5 Reasons Why You Should Book Your Wedding At The Cotton Factory, Hamilton, Ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2018/3/top-5-reasons-why-you-should-book-your-wedding-at-the-cotton-factory-hamilton-ontario new JotformFeedback({ formId: "80776105808259", buttonText: "Get Our Information Guide", base: "https://form.jotform.com/", background: "rgba(155,155,155,0.45)", fontColor: "#000000", buttonSide: "bottom", buttonAlign: "left", type: 1, width: 700, height: 500, isCardForm: false });

One of the biggest decisions when planning your wedding is picking the right venue. With so many choices out there, it can be really overwhelming and time consuming to research. That's why we've started to put together a series of posts highlighting all of our favourite wedding venues in Hamilton, Ontario, just to make things a little less overwhelming. 

We’ve been shooting weddings in Southern Ontario for almost 7 years now so we’ve got a lot of experience when it comes to the different options and atmospheres that Hamilton has to offer.

The first venue I’d like to highlight is our home base, The Cotton Factory. What started out as an industrial textile factory has now been transformed into a bustling creative arts facility.

cotton factory

We’ve had our studio located in the Cotton Factory for 5 years now and we absolutely love it.. And since we’ve been there for so long, we know all the very best angles and most interesting nooks and crannies.

Here are my Top 5 Reasons Why The Cotton Factory is one of the best locations

if you are looking for something a little less traditional but with tons of style.

1. The Special Know-A-Guy Discount

Because we love doing weddings on our home turf, we’re offering a 5% discount off of your Wedding Photography package for any Cotton Factory wedding booked with Zekar Photography. 

2. Have a big guest list? No problem!

If you’re looking at a large guest list for your event, you might think you’re relegated to a big banquet hall. Not so with The Cotton Factory. Their main event space is 10,000 sq ft, so you are definitely going to have enough space for all your aunts, uncles and 5th cousins twice removed.

dancing

2. Unique Atmosphere

Because the building was constructed in the early 1900’s, you can be sure that there is a ton of character and charm in every corner of this place. We’re talking really awesome old doors, antique windows, rustic wood beams and more exposed brick than you’ve ever dreamed about. Not too many of your friends are going to have the wedding theme of ‘industrial chic’. Think tables overflowing with greenery set against industrial strength in-house decor. Or, like Jessica & Steve's candle-lit wedding, create an incredibly intimate atmospehere and super romantic vibe with glowy lighting and simple decor.

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3. Indoor Location

If you’re having an off season wedding, you really can’t beat The Cotton Factory as the perfect solution to any weather related stress. You could easily do your portraits, ceremony and reception in one location. And a big bonus - if you’re our client, you have full access to our studio to get ready in. This is going to save you money on transportation and hotel rooms and cut out unnecessary travel time. 

The outside of The Building is also pretty amazing - take a look at a shot from one of our recent engagement shoots: 

outside cotton factory

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4. Food

While The Cotton Factory doesn’t have any in-house food available, you can certainly hire your own catering company that fits your specific style and budget. I love this idea because you can really customize your menu and make it completely unique. Deep fried Mac N' Cheese? Check.  A smorgasboard of tacos? Check.

With the incredibly delicious and diverse restaurant and catering industry in Hamilton (seriously, it’s one of the best things about our city right now) you’ll have your choice of all sorts of different kinds of food.  And we have a few of our our top faves to work with, contact me for more info!

 

cotton factory wedding

 

5. Central Location

The Cotton Factory is located in Hamilton's East End, at 270 Sherman Ave North. If you don’t want to stick around the building for your bridal party photos, there are plenty of interesting locations that are not too far away that make for a great backdrop. Some of my favourites:

Van Wagners Beach

Gage Park

James Street North

Royal Botanical Gardens (permit required)

Dundurn Castle (permit required)

One of the biggest tips I have for planning your wedding day, is to keep things as close by and as simple as possible. Having a location that is near so many other photographic opportunities will definitely keep your stress level to a minimum and will allow even more time for incredible photos. Take a peek at some of the featured weddings we've done that have chosen to do their bridal party and bridal portrait photos with an urban feel. 

 

red doors wedding photo

 

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To inquire about booking your event with The Cotton Factory, contact [email protected].

If you’d like our team at Zekar Photography to document your special day, contact me, Kate Tigchelaar, Studio Manager for Zekar Photography at [email protected]And remember, we’re offering a 5% discount off your wedding photography package with us if you book us for your Cotton Factory wedding.

To see more of our work, check out our Instagram account @zekar_photography_studio.

All of the photos in this post are taken by Mike Tigchelaar or Kamila Kuzmicka for Zekar Photography.

This post was written by Kate Tigchelaar, Studio Manager for Zekar Photography.

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) Hamilton The Cotton Factory Wedding Photography Wedding Venue Ontario Wedding Venues https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2018/3/top-5-reasons-why-you-should-book-your-wedding-at-the-cotton-factory-hamilton-ontario Fri, 02 Mar 2018 01:10:00 GMT
Danielle & Cole's Wedding at Whistlebear Golf Club https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2018/2/danielle-coles-wedding-at-whistlebear-golf-club When I think of Danielle & Cole's wedding, the first word that comes to my mind is 'roots'. These two highschool sweethearts have been together for nearly 14 years and have made the most beautiful little family that just loves eachother so deeply, it kind of takes my breath away. My very favourite pictures from this day are ones where you can see how much their kids just adore their parents - with Danielle's loving security and Cole's tender strength, this family has planted roots that come from the strong generations before them and are nourishing the generations after. It's really just completely perfect. 

Here are my very favourite photos of the day! 

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smile Danielle and Cole incorporated so many beautiful mementos and traditions into their wedding day. They really made sure that everyone that was important to them was near to them, even if their loved ones could only look on from heaven. While they were in highschool, Danielle's very best friend passed away. As young girls, they had planned to do everything together growing up. So while her friend couldn't be there on Danielle's big day, she did carry a bit of her friend with her, in the sparkles that were sprinkled throughout her hair, as her friend was a big fan of everything sparkly. 
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mom with kids mom with kids So this next series is one of my favourites for sure. Danielle is opening up a letter that Cole had written to her about how much he loves her and his favourite memories of their lives, and dreams he has for the two of them in their future. I just love how her little daughter completely anticipates her moms reaction and is ready with the tissues, just in case. It's just so sweet! 

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Danielle's gift to Cole was also a very special reminder of those who could not be with them on their special day. Cole's cousin, who was as close to him like a brother, also passed away far too young. What a beautiful way to carry the memory of his best friend with him. 

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A little story from Danielle about the beautiful baskets her two giggling girls are holding here: 

"The baskets were made by a man named Richard Nolan. He is from Kahnawake, Quebec. The baskets were made for our traditional wedding. During that ceremony I am to bring white corn bread to handle out to our guest and give to Cole and Cole is to fill his basket with wild meat to handle out and share with me. This is to signify our roles to one another. "  Isn't that  just amazing? Such a perfect symbol of love, and generosity and hospitality and taking care of eachother. 

happy sisters happy sisters

derby car ring smiling bride and father happy groom ceremony ceremony happy wedding happy wedding happy wedding wedding day wedding day wedding day cake cutting cake cutting cake cutting first dance first dance first dance sweet family

daddy daughter fireworks fireworks fireworks fireworks fireworks Wasn't that such a fun wedding? I can totally imagine their kids just looking through these pictures, year after year, and remembering how special this day was for everybody. 

Some vendor shout outs: 

Hair & Makeup: Amanda Zack

Amazing Cake Stand: Gerry Burning, Danielle's Dad

Cake: The Cake Box (can we get a high five for those gorgeous icing anemones?!)

Flowers: Kayware Event Design & Decor

Videography: Brad Howe 

And of course, the always gorgeous Whistlebear Golf Club. We've been doing weddings for over 8 years now, and one thing we do know - Pearle Weddings and Events is top of their class when it comes to each and every one of their venues. The food is always amazing, the service is so professional and everything is just so flawless every time we go there. 

Interested in having one of our wedding photographers come out to capture your special day? We'd love to chat! 

This post was written by Kate Tigchelaar, Studio Manager for Zekar Photography.
Pictures taken by Mike Tigchelaar, Lead Photographer, Zekar Photography. 

 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) cambridge wedding local wedding photographer ontario wedding venue Wedding photographer whistlebear golf club https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2018/2/danielle-coles-wedding-at-whistlebear-golf-club Mon, 05 Feb 2018 16:45:00 GMT
Sarah & Rob's Fun Loving Romantic Wedding at The Spice Factory, Hamilton, Ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2018/2/sarah-robs-fun-loving-romantic-wedding-at-the-spice-factory-hamilton-ontario new JotformFeedback({ formId: "80776105808259", buttonText: "Get Our Information Guide", base: "https://form.jotform.com/", background: "rgba(155,155,155,0.45)", fontColor: "#000000", buttonSide: "bottom", buttonAlign: "left", type: 1, width: 700, height: 500, isCardForm: false });

So, full disclosure here - I think I cried like three times when I was going through Sarah and Rob's amazing wedding we did for them this past October. It's one of those ones where the romance between the couple is so real and true it's almost palpable.  These two have the kind of love story that you read about in only the best kinds of love stories.

But before I get into the sweet way these two met, let's start with Rob getting ready - and here comes the first set of tears. See that dog tag? That's Rob's dad's handwriting. He's going to be walking down the aisle with his Dad right close to his heart, exactly where all the beautiful memories of such a special man live now that he's not here on Earth to be with Rob on such a special day. 

getting ready cufflinks groom getting ready

Next, Mike and Jordan headed off to the couples amazing Victorian home where they live with their 3 gorgeous kids.  I love the handkerchief idea, it really gives you a sense of how fun loving this couple is, and also about how hard it is to keep your tears looking graceful ;) 

 

Let me tell you a little story about that gorgeous amethyst ring that you see there. The two of them were shopping for antiques on Ottawa St North, and this ring caught Sarah's eye. Even though she had explicitly told Rob that if they were ever going to get married, she didn't want an engagement ring and instead wanted to pick out wedding bands together. Well. Rob had a different plan, and he snuck back to the store a few weeks later and proposed with the ring she had fallen in love with! And one of the coolest parts? It's Rob's birthstone too :) 

getting ready flower girls

We've been seeing a lot of flower crowns lately, and I think they are so sweet. Everyone feels like a princess when they are wearing a flower crown! 

flower girls flower girls

flower girls flower girls

When Sarah was shopping around for her gown, she had one thing on her mind - cathedral bridal veil. I adore a long, gorgeous veil and I'm glad they seem to be coming back in style. It's just the epitome of the quintessential bride and Sarah is true royalty in her customized gown from David's Bridal. She added the gorgeous flowers herself and had a last-minute snip-snip to get rid of the straps, an excellent decision for sure. The thing that makes Sarah's look complete though, is the diamond hair piece. I adore it - its so simple and elegant and fits so perfectly with the rest of her jewelery.

Sarah's hair was done by one of her close friends Kristin and the bridesmaids hair was done by Jody Roshko.  Makeup expertly applied by Emily Beveridge @beyoutifulbyemilynicole. bridal gown bridal gown bridal gown

So here's another instance of tears from me, your overemotional bridal blog writer. Sarah's reveal to her friends and family. Just look at the expressions on everyone's faces - every single person in this shot is so amazingly happy for her and full of love and can't you just hear the squeals of delight? Love it! 

bride reveal bride reveal bride reveal

 

Interested in more information? Let's chat!

Okay so before we get into the ceremony photos, let me give you a little background in this sweet couples love story. The two of them have known each other since Sarah was 9 years old.  Their families were friends and when Sarah's family moved to Hamilton, they moved close to Rob's family as there were lots of kids in that area. One night the families got together for dinner, and Rob was in charge of wrangling all of the little kids. With kids climbing all over him he asked Sarah how she was and if she was liking her new home and all sorts of really thoughtful questions that 9 year old boys don't generally ask other little girls.  It kind of freaked her out and she remembers pretty much just not answering :) 

 They went to school together, were in the same circles of friends, but never dated. I love this because it reminds me of how Mike and I met - we went to the same school, and I knew of him (he was too scary and 'bad' so I would have been way too afraid of him to even look at him) but we passed each other every day, not knowing we were actually soulmates. And that's the same as Sarah and Rob, knowing of each other but having to go through a whole lot of life before realizing that they were actually the loves of each others lives! Isn't it romantic?!

So how did they actually meet up again? Years later, Sarah ran into Rob's sister and cousin in Shoppers drug mart. And isn't it the way when you run into old friends, she's holding a copy of 50 Shades and a Cosmo magazine. Haha! Anyways, word got back to Rob and they ended up chatting on Facebook and one thing led to another and these two fitness buffs turned a quick jog into a hike that lasted 3 hours. You know you've got a good thing going on when you literally never get tired of talking to eachother.  

Fast forward to 2017 and Sarah's getting ready to walk down the aisle towards Rob, who, if you can't tell, is over the moon seeing this seriously gorgeous babe walk towards him, ready to be his wife. 

Before we start - Sarah's beautiful flowers were done by Roger at Grayton Designs 905-774-1398. 

bride walking down the aisle

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wedding ceremony

Some dainty crying going on here! :) 

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The reception took place at one of our favourite new venues in the city, The Spice Factory. It's the perfect place to have a casual and relaxed atmosphere with a healthy dose of industrial chic.  One of the best parts about it is that there are all sorts of cool spots to have your bridal party and portraiture pictures taken, our favourite is James Street North. Always something going on and the cool buildings make a great backdrop. 

Sarah and Rob had a ton of fun together during the bridal portraits and thats the way we like it best. When you're having fun and laughing, you always look gorgeous. 

I love the gaggle of random Hamiltonian's in the background. Street photography combined with wedding photography is our favourite! 

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Just move along. Nothing to see here! james street north wedding

james street north wedding james street north wedding james street north wedding

When love becomes art! Taken right outside the Spice Factory in Hamilton.  james street north wedding

 

Interested in more information? Let's chat!

 

 

reception reception reception reception

Do not look at the next picture of you are hungry. Seriously, you will want to lick your computer screen. That'd be weird though, so maybe just give the talented folks at Jonny Blonde a call to do your catering like Sarah and Rob did. We've done quite a few weddings with these guys as the caterers, and in Mikes words - "best food I've had, hands down." He gets so excited when he knows Jonny is there cause everyone just dies over how good the food is! 

mouthwatering Jonny Blonde

These two had their perfect first dance to the most perfect song. Perfect because Tupelo Honey is Sarah's very favourite Van Morrison song, perfect because (unbeknownst to her) it was Rob's dad's favourite song. Perfect because she and his dad actually share a birthday. So it was a combination of every beautiful thing, combined into one most beautiful start to their lives together.  An angel to the first degree, I can certainly agree to that!

first dance first dance first dance first dance first dance

So that's Sarah's man of honour right there, her amazing big bro. She's acting out how he basically man-posed to her, asking if he could be her man of honour, something they'd talked about since they were kids. It's so cute I can't even handle it!  cute bride cute bride

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The kids kicked off an epic night of dancing with a little tribute to their parents, isn't that the best ever? 

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Interested in more information? Let's chat!

 

 

So what'd you guys think? Honestly one of my favourites of the year for sure. Such a fun, gorgeously emotional and perfect day for these two and we were so happy to be there to capture all the incredible moments. If you loved this wedding as much as I do and are interested in having our team come out to shoot your special day, give me a shout! 

 

p.s I had to add this. Because, life is so beautiful and because marriage so beautiful. This picture is just a snapshot - no fancy lighting, no crazy angles. But it is everything to Rob and Sarah and that's the kind of thing that makes our job so special. Rob's Grandma passed away on Christmas Eve, just a few short months after this picture was taken. She got to see her handsome grandson marry the love of his life and she was ready to go join her husband in heaven for Christmas. They had been married for 70 years and he'd passed away just 6 months earlier. Mike and I will probably never be married for 70 years - I'd have to live to 99 and he'd have to live to 102.  But my goodness you guys, what a beautiful testament of how marriage intertwines our souls!

Okay, the end. Take a breath and take a tissue and go back and enjoy these pictures again :) 

All pictures were taken by Mike Tigchelaar and Jordan Browne for Zekar Photography. 

This post was written by Kate Tigchelaar, Studio Manager for Zekar Photography.

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) candid wedding documentary style wedding hamilton wedding photographer photojournalism real wedding spice factory wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2018/2/sarah-robs-fun-loving-romantic-wedding-at-the-spice-factory-hamilton-ontario Fri, 02 Feb 2018 20:28:56 GMT
Kayla & Taylor's Stunning 2nd Floor Events Toronto Wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2018/1/kayla-taylors-stunning-2nd-floor-events-toronto-wedding new JotformFeedback({ formId: "80776105808259", buttonText: "Get Our Information Guide", base: "https://form.jotform.com/", background: "rgba(155,155,155,0.45)", fontColor: "#000000", buttonSide: "bottom", buttonAlign: "left", type: 1, width: 700, height: 500, isCardForm: false });

Kayla and Taylor's wedding took place this past September, downtown Toronto. These two lovebirds created a wedding style that was all their own - laid back, fun loving, but with a thread of sophistication and class woven throughout the day. With a first-look that took place within the iconic eyes of the CN Tower and a cocktail reception that was held at 2nd Floor Events, this is one wedding you guys will definitely want to take a look at. 

When Kamila arrived at Taylor's suite at the Hyatt Regency, he was just slipping on his elegantly tailored (pun intended) suit that he'd picked up at Nordstrom's. I seriously love the navy blue and black details with subtle brocade design of this suit - its so classic and yet has that edge of style that seems to be a hallmark of this handsome groom.  

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A over in the bridal suite, the elegant Kayla was also putting on the finishing touches. Her cocktail style wedding dress was the perfect fit - fun and sophisticated all at once. 

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converse I love this sweet little flower girl. Kids on wedding days are always the best, especially little girls. It's like all of a sudden this person they knew and loved, turns into a princess for the day and it's just so magical for them. 

wedding day beautiful wedding hair zipping up love beautiful bridal portrait

The perfect family photo! :D  funny face

As Kayla steps into the elevator on her way up to see Taylor for the first time, I love how this bridesmaid is all like 'HEY-OOOO!' haha! 

photobomb

Interested in more information? Let's chat! 

Kayla & Taylor's first look took place on top of the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Toronto. One of the cooler first look locations we've done by far! I'm imagining how many people might have looked out their windows and saw this sweet couple embracing for the first time :) 

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Now how's that for romantic?! 

 

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After the reveal, the entire bridal party took a walk around the neighbourhood to do a few more shots before the reception. The ambiance of one of the coolest cities, mixed with the elegant attire of the bridal party, mixed with the fun and laughter and love of everyone involved, made this part of the day a lot of fun to shoot.  I love how the bridesmaids are all in unique black gowns, something they can wear not just on the wedding day but to any formal function. Each one is unique, yet everyone ties into each other. Kind of like how each bridesmaid has a unique relationship with Kayla, but they are all tied in with their love of this beautiful bride. 

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This kind of shot almost always happens when we are doing wedding street photography. We love it!  bridal party downtown toronto bridal party downtown toronto

toronto wedding photography toronto wedding photography toronto wedding photography toronto wedding photography i love you

 

Interested in more information? Let's chat!

Kayla & Taylor's small, intimate wedding ceremony took place at 2nd Floor Events in Toronto. A funky, industrially inspired event location that was perfect for this laid back couple.  wedding vows 2nd floor events wedding vows 2nd floor events

Such a sweet moment between these two lovebirds! wedding vows 2nd floor events wedding vows 2nd floor events wedding vows 2nd floor events wedding vows 2nd floor events wedding vows 2nd floor events

After dinner, it was time for cocktails and congratulations. Everyone was having a lot of fun with each other and the joy of the day was just bubbling over into laughter and happy conversations. 

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Guys - Taylor actually wrote a rap for his beloved Kayla! It was the best ever, and so much fun. How many lucky brides can say they've had a song written for them?? 

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Interested in more information? Let's chat!

Did you guys love this wedding as much as I did? If you'd like Kamila Kuzmicka to document your wedding, let me know by giving me a shout! Or follow Kamila on Instagram @kamila_zekarphoto to see what she's been up to recently :)

All of the pictures in this blog post are taken by Kamila Kuzmicka for Zekar Photography. 

This post was written by Kate Tigchelaar, Studio Manager for Zekar Photography.

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) black bridesmaid dresses cocktail dress documentary wedding toronto toronto wedding toronto wedding photographer urban wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2018/1/kayla-taylors-stunning-2nd-floor-events-toronto-wedding Fri, 05 Jan 2018 19:24:55 GMT
Adoptive Family In-Home Photoshoot, Burlington, Ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2018/1/adoptive-family-in-home-photoshoot-burlington-ontario As some of you guys may know, our little family (Mike, myself and our daughters Sophia and Isabelle) are big fans of adoption. Our beautiful baby girls are adopted and its something that our family holds very dear.

So we were pretty excited when we got the chance to photograph our friends and their gorgeous new daughter in the first weeks of welcoming her into their home. This little one is already so attached to her mama and daddy, you can see it in the way she snuggles right in when they hold her. I remember the early stages of both my adoptions well - the wonder, the love and the fear of the unknown. But also, the incredible beauty of a little heart who is getting to know their new place in the world and getting to know their new parents. It's truly a miracle the way everyone's paths are meant to cross eachother! 

Mike went over to Jodi & Corey's home to capture their new family. We just love doing in-home family sessions, everyone is comfortable and this is the place where the best memories are made. Their baby girl is so beautiful, don't her eyes just draw you right in? And I always love a girl who loves books as much as I do! 

mom and baby burlington family shoot hands daddy daughter happy family beautiful baby books burlington family photoshoot flying baby daddy snuggles daddy snuggles daddy snuggles daddy snuggles

mommy snuggles adoption burlington ontario adoption burlington ontario adoption burlington ontario All photos were taken by Mike Tigchelaar for Zekar Photography. To find out more about our family photography sessions, click here

This post was written by Kate Tigchelaar, Studio Manager for Zekar Photography.
 

 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) adoption family photographer Hamilton family photography Burlington in-home photoshoot new family https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2018/1/adoptive-family-in-home-photoshoot-burlington-ontario Fri, 05 Jan 2018 13:15:00 GMT
Lindsay & Karthik - Amazing Dyment's Farm Wedding, Dundas, Ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2017/12/lindsay-karthik---beautiful-dyments-farm-wedding-dundas-ontario new JotformFeedback({ formId: "80776105808259", buttonText: "Get Our Information Guide", base: "https://form.jotform.com/", background: "rgba(155,155,155,0.45)", fontColor: "#000000", buttonSide: "bottom", buttonAlign: "left", type: 1, width: 700, height: 500, isCardForm: false });

Lindsay & Karthik's romance started way back in 2009 when they were both working at Boston Pizza. I'm imagining their eyes locking over a heart shaped pizza and the moon hitting their eyes like a big pizza-pie...but it was more like they'd been working there together for a long time and just struck up an amazing friendship ;) Except the thing about this amazing friendship, is when one of the friends moves far away for work as Karthik did, it became a little more amazing every time they talked to each other. And suddenly, the friendship was a long distance relationship, and the relationship was also really amazing and fast forward to 2017 and these two are meeting each other at the altar. I just love it when two souls are separated and can't live without each other and then a romance starts - it's like the formula for every romantic movie, except these two lucky lovebirds get to live it real life! 

The wedding took place this past September, with Lindsay getting ready at the beautiful Osler House B & B in Dundas, Ontario.  For all of you brides who are getting married in Dundas or the surrounding area, this is one gorgeous little gem to check out. Close to everything and makes an incredible backdrop for getting ready photos too - I mean, look at that grammaphone! Hair and Makeup was done by the talented ladies at Honor Beauty. And Lindsay's Maggie Sottero dress just fit her like a glove, talk about gorgeous!  Lindsay's flowers were done by the talented Petal 2 The Metal Mobile Flower Shop. I adore the use of all the different textures in these bouquets, its so fresh and interesting and perfect for an early September wedding.

 

makeup artist

henna bridal gown getting ready at Osler house http://www.oslerhouse.com/

osler house petal 2 the metal flowers

 

Interested in more information? Let's chat!

The ceremony was held at one of our favourite farm venue's in the area, Dyment's Farm. If you're looking for a fun, laid back wedding where you have the whole place to yourself, Dyment's is definitely worth checking out. I love the fact that Lindsay & Karthik said their vows while overlooking the gorgeous views of the Dundas escarpment. The whole month of their wedding was expertly coordinated by the lovely Jennifer at The Wedding Pixie - a sweeter and more friendly coordinator would be hard to find! 

The most interesting aspect of Lindsay & Karthik's wedding, was the infusion of each of their family cultures. Lindsay's dad is Scottish, so of course there were kilts and a bagpiper (Doug Wickham) and then Karthik's family hails from South India. So we've got a beautiful Scottish bride with the gorgeous Mehndi designs on her hands from the celebration night before. I just love it! 

wedding sign

bagpiper

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Before we continue, I have to give a shout out to the hilarious officiant, Reverend Michael Bittle - you guys, this guy is such a character! He added so much fun to an often nerve-wracking part of the wedding day, I just love it. 

funny

happy bride and groom

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Ugh. THESE TWO! So beautiful :) 

happy guests

 

Interested in more information? Let's chat! 

 

 

handsome couple

bride and groom bride and groom

After the bridal portraits - which miraculously did not get rained on - it was time for the reception party. These two have so much love surrounding them, that's for sure. You can see it in the happy tears and joyful smiles and applause as these two are toasted and celebrated and adored. 

toast cheers tears dip kiss night time photography  http://www.dyments.com/pumpkin-patch/special-events/

moms kiss bride and groom first dance hands on hips mehndi hands look of love first dance happiness happy bridesmaid

It doesn't matter that we've been doing weddings for over 7 years now - I still choke up at Daddy daughter dances. Maybe it's because I'm already crying at the thought of Mike dancing with our daughters on their wedding days (and they are both under the age of 4, so I have lots of time to get myself together!) but I just love them. It's so special. And Lindsay's emotion here, is just beautiful!  daddy daughter adnce bridal portrait

One of the best parts about getting married at Dyment's Farm - the campfire! 

 

smores

Hilarious guests!  reception reception reception


Interested in more information? Let's chat!

Was that a gorgeous wedding or what? I hope you guys loved it as much as I do :) If you are interested in having us come out to capture your special day, give me a shout! You can also follow me on Instagram @zekar_photography_studio to see what we've been up to lately. 


This post was written by Kate Tigchelaar, Studio Manager for Zekar Photography.

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) candid wedding photography documentary wedding photography farm wedding hamilton indian scottish south wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2017/12/lindsay-karthik---beautiful-dyments-farm-wedding-dundas-ontario Thu, 21 Dec 2017 17:55:55 GMT
Annamarie & Martin's Joyful, Traditional Country Wedding, Brantford, Ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2017/11/annamarie-martins-joyful-traditional-country-wedding-brantford-ontario new JotformFeedback({ formId: "80776105808259", buttonText: "Get Our Information Guide", base: "https://form.jotform.com/", background: "rgba(155,155,155,0.45)", fontColor: "#000000", buttonSide: "bottom", buttonAlign: "left", type: 1, width: 700, height: 500, isCardForm: false });

Just a heads up on Annamarie & Martin's beautiful country wedding - your cheeks are probably going to hurt from smiling back at all of that happiness that surrounded these two on their special day. I'm not even kidding, these two lovebirds are literally beaming at each other in every shot, it's so perfect! Also, for anyone who loves horses, we have a couple of characters to show you in the bridal portraits. 

Annamarie & Martin's wedding was a short and sweet time for us photogs, but Kamila captured so many beautiful moments, I just had to share it. These two had more of a traditional day and there was something so special about how they kept their day sacred. Weddings aren't just about having a big party extravaganza, it really is the start of the most important covenant between two people and that's what makes it so beautiful.  

bridal hair bride getting ready

bride getting ready

Annamarie's amazing hair was done by the talented folks at Dolce Divas / Teased Bridal  We've been seeing a lot of loose, flowing hair with very feminine accessories like flowers and ribbons lately. It's really beautiful and kind of reminds me of Rapunzel in Tangled a little bit :) 

bride getting ready

For anyone who is planning on having a Wedding Day Emergency kit - scissors are always, always a good idea. :) 

last minute prep last minute prep

groom

getting ready bride walking bride and groom first look bride and groom first look bride and groom first look bride and groom first look

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farm

Oh hay. You smell nice :D 

Have you guys been drooling over this super gorgeous bouquet like this little bee and I have? Such a pretty colour combo! I'd give credit but Annamarie is lucky enough to have this talented floral designer as a friend who only does custom private orders. Such beautiful work and inspiration though! 

flowers

bridal portrait horses

bridal portrait with Ford Mustang bridal portrait with Ford Mustang bridal portrait with Ford Mustang

I'm so happy to see that bridal veils are making a big comeback. You can put a beautiful dress on any old time, but when you top it off when a gorgeous veil, that's when you feel like a true bride!  veil

bridal portraits bridal portraits

Wasn't that just the sweetest and happiest wedding ever? Let me know what you think! Give me a shout if you'd like Kamila Kuzmicka and our team to capture your special day and don't forget to follow us on Instagram @kamila_zekarstudio and @zekar_photography_studio .

All of the pictures in this blog post were taken by Kamila Kuzmicka for Zekar Photography. 

This post was written by Kate Tigchelaar, Studio Manager for Zekar Photography.

 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) country wedding documentary wedding farm wedding first look horses traditional wedding zekar photography https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2017/11/annamarie-martins-joyful-traditional-country-wedding-brantford-ontario Mon, 13 Nov 2017 23:15:00 GMT
Carlyn & Rob - Beautiful Farm Wedding at Dyments Farm, Dundas, Ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2017/9/carlyn-rob---beautiful-farm-wedding-at-dyments-farm-dundas-ontario new JotformFeedback({ formId: "80776105808259", buttonText: "Get Our Information Guide", base: "https://form.jotform.com/", background: "rgba(155,155,155,0.45)", fontColor: "#000000", buttonSide: "bottom", buttonAlign: "left", type: 1, width: 700, height: 500, isCardForm: false });

Carlyn and Rob had the most romantic wedding this past June. These two have been in love since they were 19 years old and I can just imagine the excitement and anticipation they were both feeling as this special day finally, finally arrived. After 7 years of being wedding photographers, there is one thing we notice - that couples that have been together since they were young, often have big, beautiful families who are also very close. This is exactly what Carlyn and Rob's families are like - close and loving and full of laughter and love and happy tears for these two gorgeous lovebirds.

As part of their wedding ceremony, they both poured sand from each beach that their cottages are on - from the shores of Lake Huron and Georgian Bay - as a symbol of their unity. And their variation of a guest book was so unique and personal - everyone signed a custom cut piece of wood and they used it as their coffee table. Isn't that the best idea ever?! Plus one of their guests gave them a gift of customized canoe paddles...you really can't get cuter or anymore Canadian than that! I just love it. :) 

The wedding took place at one of our favourite venues, Dyments Farm. I remember going on field trips there as a little kid and I'm so glad they opened up their beautiful facility as a wedding venue. It's so fresh and relaxed, with all the guests gathering on the patio for drinks and appetizers before the ceremony. And lets not forget the epic first look location - a gorgeous view of the town of Dundas, right at the edge of the Niagara escarpment. 

I love how Rob is cool as a cucumber throughout most of the day - except when he sees his drop-dead gorgeous wife, in her incredible two piece wedding dress, for the first time. These two truly do have one of the best first-look reveals that we've done in awhile! And the emotion and laughter and fun that happens during the speeches, this one is really one of my favourites of the year so far! 

tying tie serious groom nap

Guys - their nighties say NAP. Haha! :D  bridesmaids

bride bridemaid getting shoes on

yay buttons bracelet kisses

Cute Daddy-Daughter moment coming up!! :D 

daddy girl love

beautiful bride

 

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cool guys on wagon epic bridal first look epic bridal first look epic bridal first look epic bridal first look emotional groom emotional groom emotional groom emotional groom cute bride bride and groom mustang

It rained, but no surprise, it was a pretty rainy summer here in Southern Ontario!  rain

rainy guests rainy guests custom canoe paddles custom canoe paddles tiny feet tears bride walking down aisle bide and parents more tears bride giveaway outdoor farm wedding ceremony outdoor farm wedding ceremony outdoor farm wedding ceremony outdoor farm wedding ceremony outdoor farm wedding ceremony outdoor farm wedding ceremony first kiss first kiss first kiss just married

 

Click Here To Get Our Wedding Pricing Guide

 

 

mingling mingling entrance entrance adorable speeches adorable speeches adorable speeches tearful speeches tearful speeches tearful speeches tearful speeches first dance first dance first dance first dance first dance first dance first dance

So what do you guys think? Let me know by connecting with me on Instagram @zekar_photography_studio or Facebook! If you're interested hiring Mike for your 2019 or 2020 wedding, shoot me an email

This post was written by Kate Tigchelaar, Studio Manager for Zekar Photography.

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) candid wedding documentary wedding farm wedding hamilton wedding photography outdoor wedding two-piece wedding dress https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2017/9/carlyn-rob---beautiful-farm-wedding-at-dyments-farm-dundas-ontario Sat, 16 Sep 2017 18:12:31 GMT
Shane & Amy - Beautiful & Unique Wedding at The Warplane Heritage Museum, Hamilton https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2017/8/shane-amy---beautiful-unique-wedding-at-the-warplane-heritage-museum-hamilton new JotformFeedback({ formId: "80776105808259", buttonText: "Get Our Information Guide", base: "https://form.jotform.com/", background: "rgba(155,155,155,0.45)", fontColor: "#000000", buttonSide: "bottom", buttonAlign: "left", type: 1, width: 700, height: 500, isCardForm: false });

Attention all you aviation geeks and airplane enthusiasts, this is one wedding you will not want to miss!  Shane & Amy were married on a rainy fall day last year at the Warplane Heritage Museum in Hamilton, Ontario.  Even though it was rainy and foggy during the day, everything cleared right up and there was an incredible sunset at the end of the night.

These two lovebirds are some of the nicest people you'll ever meet - when Shane found out that Mike would be working on my birthday, he remembered to give me a shout out at the reception. Super sweet! You can tell that these two are so in love too, they have a lot of fun together and seriously had such a blast at on their big day. This was our first wedding at the Museum and we were pretty excited to be amongst all the rich history and amazing aircraft. 

I love how Amy's dress has the perfect vintage feel that goes perfectly with the theme of the day. Shane is an avid aviator and also a professional videographer, so he travels a ton across Canada and back again. Most likely in tiny planes I'd never set foot in in a million years :) 

bride getting ready red lipstick lace dress

groom getting ready groom getting ready first look first look first look airplane themed wedding ceremony airplane themed wedding ceremony airplane themed wedding ceremony airplane themed wedding ceremony

Instead of blowing bubbles or throwing rice, Shane & Amy had their guests toss paper airplanes at them in celebration of their marriage :) 

airplane themed wedding ceremony

bridal portrait lovebirds in airplane

Every time it's raining out, Mike always keeps one eye on what is happening inside and one eye on what's happening outside. Which is a good thing, because the sky that night was unreal! 

sunset airplane

first dance

dancing dancing

How's this for a super unique, super romantic dance? :)  first dance among the airplane warplane heritage museum

Did you love this wedding as much as I did? I can't get over how lovely Shane & Amy are and how the aircraft were such a perfect backdrop for these two! If you're interested in having Mike and our team capture your special day, give me a shout! In the meantime you can check out our latest work @zekar_photography_studio on Instagram. 


This post was written by Kate Tigchelaar, Studio Manager for Zekar Photography.
 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) airplane wedding documentary wedding photography hamilton wedding photography unique wedding vintage wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2017/8/shane-amy---beautiful-unique-wedding-at-the-warplane-heritage-museum-hamilton Tue, 01 Aug 2017 19:31:32 GMT
Kristel & Ryan - Gorgeous Wedding at Crosswinds Golf & Country Club https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2017/7/kristel-ryan---gorgeous-wedding-at-crosswinds-golf-country-club new JotformFeedback({ formId: "80776105808259", buttonText: "Get Our Information Guide", base: "https://form.jotform.com/", background: "rgba(155,155,155,0.45)", fontColor: "#000000", buttonSide: "bottom", buttonAlign: "left", type: 1, width: 700, height: 500, isCardForm: false });

It took me way too long to post Kristel & Ryan's incredible wedding at Crosswinds Golf & Country Club, but boy am I super excited to share it with you now. They got married last September and their wedding was one of my favourites of the year. Which you can probably tell, as I included way too many pictures in this post - but there were just so many amazing moments, I couldn't leave anything out.

Kristel is one of those super sweet, really thoughtful kind of girls, evidenced by the absolutely perfect gift she gave Ryan on the morning of their big day. She knew how hard it was that Ryan's dad was looking down on him from Heaven on such an important day in a man's life. So she did the best thing she could think of and had special cufflinks made with a picture of his dad on them, so he'd be walking along with Ryan the whole day. I still tear up at Ryan's reaction, even all of these months later!  

This wedding is one of the best examples of why we love our job so much, capturing the best parts of peoples lives - the love, the laughter and the happy tears - all on one day :)  groomsmen shaving groom tie

goofy groomsmen groom opening gift groom reacting groom crying friend helping groom sister reacting hugging cufflink

crazy kids

I love kids at weddings so much, they always crack me up with their hilarious facial expressions! 

  bride shirts

bridesmaid kissing bride squad bridal suite busy hotel room bride dress church bride up aisle cute baby love eyes happy couple

I always love the very first photos of the brand new Mr & Mrs - the look on our couples faces as the relief of the ceremony pressure is now off, and they can enjoy the rest of the day as husband and wife is the best. But before Kristel & Ryan headed off to do their photos, they had one stop to make at a very special lady's house. I can't tell you how happy it makes me that they surprised their dear friend with a visit, and she just happened to be making a batch of home made perogies! 

grandma love grandma kiss family photo

bride and groom on escape ladder bridal party One of the best parts about getting married at Crosswinds Golf & Country Club (besides the delicious food and super professional staff) is the scenery can't be beat. We love the rolling hills and the epic views of the Halton escarpment! 

crosswinds golf and country club crosswinds golf and country club crosswinds golf and country club crosswinds golf and country club crazy groomsmen reception entrance bride and groom first dance bride and groom first dance bride and groom first dance bride and groom first dance bride and groom first dance bride and groom first dance

bride and groom kissing candid wedding moments candid wedding moments parent dances ringbearer money dancing

During the reception, Mike always has an eye on the weather outside. Some of our very best pictures are taken at night or during sunset. He noticed that there was the clearest sky, full of stars and had Kristel and Ryan take a quick breather for this beautiful shot. As luck would have it, there is actually a shooting star making its way clear across the sky. I think Ryan's dad may have had something to do with that :) 

bride and groom shooting star

I'm going to end this post with some hilarious garter toss shots. It was such a fun, emotional and beautiful day, I just love being able to enjoy it through these incredible photos!  garter toss garter toss garter toss

Do you love this wedding as much as I do? If you'd like Mike and our team to be part of your special day, give me a shout!  You can also follow us on Instagram to see what we've been up to lately @zekar_photography_studio

This post was written by Kate Tigchelaar, Studio Manager for Zekar Photography.
 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) burlington wedding candid wedding golf club wedding ontario wedding photography photojournalism https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2017/7/kristel-ryan---gorgeous-wedding-at-crosswinds-golf-country-club Thu, 13 Jul 2017 19:17:42 GMT
Willa & Matthew - Romantic Wedding at Vineland Estates, Vineland Ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2017/4/willa-matthew---romantic-wedding-at-vineland-estates-vineland-ontario new JotformFeedback({ formId: "80776105808259", buttonText: "Get Our Information Guide", base: "https://form.jotform.com/", background: "rgba(155,155,155,0.45)", fontColor: "#000000", buttonSide: "bottom", buttonAlign: "left", type: 1, width: 700, height: 500, isCardForm: false });

Willa & Matthew were married at the beautiful Vineland Estates Winery this past October. With all the crazy rain and weather we had this fall, we weren't sure what the day would bring - but it brought beautiful sunny skies and an incredible sunset that made one of our favourite pictures of the year.  Vineland estates always offers a magical backdrop to any of the events we do there, but for Willa and Matthew there just seemed to be something extra special. 

Willa and Matthew are the sweetest couple, they were both so excited to celebrate their special day with all of their amazing friends and family. One of the best things about these two is how they come alive when they are in each others company - the way Matthew just wraps his arms around his lovely Willa makes my heart so happy. 

Take a look at some of my favourites from this happy day! 

"You are my greatest adventure"  

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first kiss laughter bridal party cake bride and dad groom watching bride love eyes altar kiss married mr and mrs sunset bride and groom church wine cellar giggles wine casks wedding ring speeches loving audience funny speech cake smush oops laughing bride and groom snuggling gazing eyes sparklers sparklers kissing under the moonlight

Did you love this wedding as much as I did? Contact us today to see how we can capture your special day! 

This post was written by Kate Tigchelaar, Studio Manager for Zekar Photography.
 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) beautiful bride niagara wedding nighttime wedding nikon wedding photography sparklers sunset vineyard wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2017/4/willa-matthew---romantic-wedding-at-vineland-estates-vineland-ontario Tue, 11 Apr 2017 16:18:01 GMT
Criselda & Vimal - Stunning Rainy Day Wedding at Honsberger Estate, Lincoln, Ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2017/3/criselda-vimal---stunning-rainy-day-wedding-at-honsberger-estate-lincoln-ontario new JotformFeedback({ formId: "80776105808259", buttonText: "Get Our Information Guide", base: "https://form.jotform.com/", background: "rgba(155,155,155,0.45)", fontColor: "#000000", buttonSide: "bottom", buttonAlign: "left", type: 1, width: 700, height: 500, isCardForm: false });

After I finished sorting through Cris & Vim's photos for this blog, I realised something: I had way too many favourites. It's a good problem to have, and as you'll see below, nobody can blame me. Their wedding was one of those ones that had so much magic in it throughout the entire day that its hard to find the moment that made it the most special. From the pure love that Cris & Vim have written all over their faces, to the seriously beautiful daddy-daughter moments, to the absolutely gorgeous venue at Honsberger Estate Winery - everything was simply perfect.

One of the best things about their wedding day was one that most couples worry about - the weather. The weather that day was pretty awful - it was raining and incredibly windy. Those two things combined make for a pretty challenging experience for photographers, but if there is one thing that Mike loves, and thrives in, it's a challenge. And the pictures couldn't have turned out any better because of it. 

Take a look below and just bask in the beauty of the love these two have for eachother!

"And all along I believed I would find you
Time has brought your heart to me
I have loved you for a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more"

"

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groom groom putting tie on groom putting bowtie on bride getting makeup happy bride silhouette happy friend bride fixing hair getting dress on classic bride pulling the strings bride in mirror bridesmaids crying bride laughing bride

Okay, get your tissues out. When I see images like this, I get all teary thinking about how Mike is going to react when our daughters get married one day. (In a million years of course!)   dad waiting for bride bride seeing dad bride and dad seeing eachother for first time dad love groom waiting bride seeing groom happiness i love you bride groom kissing loving

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It was a little windy! windy smiling bride unity candle blessing holding hands first kiss married standing in the rain tablescape bride and dad cooking head table kissing in rain cake cheers cake mash first dance first dance first wedding dance say cheese

You know you've got great friends when they'll stand out in the middle of the pouring rain with you, waving sparklers and pouring love on you!  night party

Surprisingly, it only took a few shots to get this one :) 
ring toss

This post was written by Kate Tigchelaar, Studio Manager for Zekar Photography.
 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) documentary wedding photographer garden wedding hamilton wedding photographer honsberger estate winery niagara rainy day toronto wedding photographer vineyard winery wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2017/3/criselda-vimal---stunning-rainy-day-wedding-at-honsberger-estate-lincoln-ontario Wed, 15 Mar 2017 18:00:15 GMT
Mark & Sandy - Stunning Wedding at Cathedral Basilica of Christ The King, Hamilton, Ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2016/12/mark-sandy---wedding-at-cathedral-basilica-of-christ-the-king-hamilton-ontario new JotformFeedback({ formId: "80776105808259", buttonText: "Get Our Information Guide", base: "https://form.jotform.com/", background: "rgba(155,155,155,0.45)", fontColor: "#000000", buttonSide: "bottom", buttonAlign: "left", type: 1, width: 700, height: 500, isCardForm: false });

Mark and Sandy's wedding was such a beautiful event that it was hard to pick just a few favourites. It was a gorgeous summer day this past July and when we arrived at Mark's hotel room, there was a certain kind excitement in the air that can only mean it's going to be a perfect day.  

Sandy's getting ready shoot is one of my favourites of the whole year. Not only does it demonstrate the importance of having the perfect bridesman, the reactions of her friends when they see her in her dress is amazing. And who can blame them really, her dress is like something straight out of a fairy tale - classic but with the perfect length to add a little bit of flirty fun with those perfect shoes.  

This was the first time we had ever done a wedding at Cathedral Basilica of Christ The King, an iconic cathedral here in Hamilton, so we were pretty excited to get the chance to photograph this beautiful couple in such a stunning atmosphere.  After the ceremony we headed over to one of our favourite spots to get great urban wedding photos, James Street North in Hamilton. I always love the contrast of the soft romance of our couples in love and the gritty backdrops of our city. 

Take a look at my favourites from the day, I know you'll love this one as much as I do! 

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Would you love the team at Zekar Photography to capture your special day? Contact us and let's chat! Follow me on Instagram @zekar_photography_studio to see our most recent work.  

 

This post was written by Kate Tigchelaar, Studio Manager for Zekar Photography.

 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) bridesman cinderella fairytale wedding hamilton ontario wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2016/12/mark-sandy---wedding-at-cathedral-basilica-of-christ-the-king-hamilton-ontario Tue, 20 Dec 2016 20:00:36 GMT
Melanie & Jeff - Wedding at Earth to Table Farm, Flamborough https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2016/12/melanie-jeff---wedding-at-earth-to-table-farm-flamborough Melanie and Jeff's wedding day was an exact reflection of the kind of people these two are - really fun, really relaxed and totally head over heels for each other. The wedding had a country rustic vibe, which was perfect for these to country kids.  I love all of the special looks that Mike captured between the two of them, I bet if we looked really closely you could see how Jeff's pupils actually turn into heart-shapes when he looks at his stunning bride Melanie. Melanie's smile lights up his whole world and you can tell that these two are in it for keeps. The wedding took place at one of our favourite rustic venues, Earth To Table Farm. The whole reception was full of a lot of laughs from their hilarious and talented friends. Everyone was committed to making sure Melanie and Jeff had the time of their lives, and by the looks of things, they sure did. Take a look at some of my favourite images from the day! 

groom getting ready

groom getting ready

laughing bride smiling bride makeup artist makeup first look groom by truck bride and dad wedding ceremony vows first kiss kissing in field lovely couple laughing couple snuggling couple funny speeches kissing candid hugs sunset cheers cute first dance love happy dad goofy groom drummers funny flags happy guest dancing guest

 

Doesn't this wedding look like it was a blast? If you'd like Mike to capture all of the fun at your wedding, contact us today! And be sure to check us out on Instagram by following me @zekar_photography_studio to see all of our latest work.


This post was written by Kate Tigchelaar, Studio Manager for Zekar Photography.
 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) documentary wedding farm wedding happy bride love rustic romantic rustic wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2016/12/melanie-jeff---wedding-at-earth-to-table-farm-flamborough Thu, 01 Dec 2016 19:30:00 GMT
Alex & Lisa - Gorgeous Liuna Station Wedding, Hamilton, Ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2016/11/alex-lisa---gorgeous-liuna-station-wedding-hamilton-ontario Alex and Lisa got married on a  day this past June. The ceremony was held at St Ann's Parish and the reception was at the grand Liuna Station in Hamilton. It was such a beautiful wedding, filled with personal touches that really reflected the personalities of this sweet couple. I adore Lisa's delicate lace wedding dress - and those buttons up the back, with her beautiful vintage hair piece? Couldn't have been more perfect. 

Alex and Lisa have the most incredible way of looking at each other - the picture where Alex is putting the ring on Lisa's finger? Be still my heart! Everything about this wedding seemed so intimate and romantic to me - the quiet moments that these two shared throughout the day was really special. Take a look at my favourites from the day! 

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kissing at altar happy looks at the end of the aisle bride laughing kissing in church pews bride and groom in hallway

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Did you love Lisa and Alex's wedding as much as I did? If you'd like the team at Zekar Photography to capture your special day, contact us today! Follow me on Instagram to see our most recent work @zekar_photography_studio



This post was written by Kate Tigchelaar, Studio Manager for Zekar Photography.
 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) cake toppers documentary wedding hamilton photographer hamilton wedding vintage wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2016/11/alex-lisa---gorgeous-liuna-station-wedding-hamilton-ontario Wed, 23 Nov 2016 18:17:09 GMT
Krista & Steve - Married at Earth To Table, Flamborough, Ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2016/10/krista-steve---married-at-earth-to-table-flamborough-ontario One of the best things about doing wedding photography is seeing how much love their is in family. Krista and Steve are so lucky to have had such wonderful people surrounding them on their special day, they have such a strong foundation to start out on.  Krista and Steve decided to do a first look session, something that always makes for really special moments. A lot of our couples opt for first look sessions because it takes some of the tension and anticipation away from the ceremony, plus things are always better when you experience more of the moments together. 

The wedding took place at Earth to Table, one of our new favourite local venues. Everything was expertly coordinated by the fabulous Liana at Birch & Lace. Take a look at my favourite moments from the day - even though it rained a little during the evening, it only added to the magic that Steve & Krista create when they are together. 

getting makeup on getting foundation on flower girl

beautiful bride bride and mom

bride getting ready funny parents bride getting shoes on beautiful boy groom bowie

whiskey cheers dad hand

waiting for bride bride and groom laughing bride smiling ringbearer running bridal portrait stairway groom standing country wedding happy bride down aisle groom crying

giving bride away first kiss husband and wife bride and groom laughing guests laughing bride laughing bride singing to groom guests watching bride and groom dance dad dancing with bride bride and groom in rain at night Did you love this wedding as much as I did? Contact us to see how we can capture your special day, or follow me on Instagram @zekar_photography_studio to see what we're up to next! 

This post was written by Kate Tigchelaar, Studio Manager for Zekar Photography.
 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) bride groom night time portraits rainy wedding day wedding photojournalism https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2016/10/krista-steve---married-at-earth-to-table-flamborough-ontario Tue, 11 Oct 2016 17:42:14 GMT
Andrea & Bill - Knollwood Golf Course & Marquis Gardens, Ancaster, Ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2016/8/andrea-bill---knollwood-golf-course-marquis-gardens-ancaster-ontario Andrea and Bill had a sweet, country themed wedding at Knollwood Golf Club in Ancaster.  It was a perfect Spring day and there was much excitement and joking in the air as the girls got ready for the day. The groomsmen were ready in no time of course, so they had lots of time to hang out in the barn and be, goofing around as only country boys can do. I love the adorable first look Andrea and Bill shared, you can totally feel the happiness just radiating from the two of them. And I adore the way that Andrea's dad has the perfect Father of the Bride look - serious, but also kind of misty eyed too. 

The reception was held at the lovely Marquis Gardens, also in Ancaster.  These two had the cutest game to get things going, it was the "shoe game", pretty much like the Newlywed Game. They did really well, considering they'd only been married a couple of hours - badump-ching! 

Take a look at this happy couple on their special day. And hey if you like what you see here and want to see what else we've been up to lately, you can follow me on Instagram @kate_zekarphoto! 

bride champagne bride chugging champagne bride looking out window groom looking out barn groomsmen with guns groom seeing bride for first time groom seeing bride for first time groom seeing bride for first time aisle decorations bride waiting with flower girl grandpa and grandson bride walking with dad happy bride with dad dad giving daughter away groom gazing at bride dad paying attention to bride bride making face first kiss kissing in leaves bridal portrait kissing in shadows

kissing in black and white love cake topper bride introducing shoe game bride with shoes green apples wedding ring laughing couple first dance groom holding bride happy dancing couples streetlight love globe kissing silhouettes sparkler wedding

This post was written by Kate Tigchelaar, Studio Manager for Zekar Photography.
 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) award winning wedding photography country boys country girl wedding country themed wedding cowboys hamilton wedding photographer https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2016/8/andrea-bill---knollwood-golf-course-marquis-gardens-ancaster-ontario Mon, 22 Aug 2016 04:15:00 GMT
Anna & Rad - Grand Olympia Ballroom, Hamilton, Ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2016/8/anna-rad---grand-olympia-ballroom-hamilton-ontario It was a lovely Spring day on the day of Anna & Rad's wedding. These two travelled all the way back to Hamilton from Ottawa so they could be closer to their roots while they celebrate this new chapter in their lives.  I love Anna's simply elegant style with the splash of colour with her fuschia pumps - so fun! As soon as these two saw eachother for the first time, they could not stop smiling. After their first look,  they headed over to one of our favourite photography spots in the city - James St North, and then over to the ceremony which was held at the gorgeous St. Stanislaus Parish, in Hamilton, Ontario. These two have been best friends and partners for a long time and I can definitely relate to how good it feels to finally make it official.

After the ceremony, we headed over to another popular photography spot for us, the Hamilton Waterfront. There is something about the urban industrial grittiness of these spots combined with the beauty and elegance of a wedding party that just makes my heart pitter patter.  The reception was held at the lovely Grand Olympia Ballroom, one of Hamilton's classic wedding venues. 

Take a look at the beautiful day these two had!

 

getting read bride hand clasp wedding rings on painting bride laughing groom seeing bride for first time polish blessing groom helping bride walking down the street bride and groom walking across street

kissing in alley kissing groom bride and groom old home bride and groom graffiti walking downtown hamilton kissing under a veil cathedral bride with ring pillow

little boy peering up groomsmen bride and groom at altar smiling bride and groom laughing couple bride and groom kissing by ship bride and groom kissing sparklers ballroom dancing bride and groom dancing having wedding

This post was written by Kate Tigchelaar, Studio Manager for Zekar Photography.
 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) candid wedding photography city wedding hamilton wedding photographer james street north polish wedding urban wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2016/8/anna-rad---grand-olympia-ballroom-hamilton-ontario Sun, 14 Aug 2016 15:55:21 GMT
Lauren, Ewan & Baby L - Lifestyle Family Photoshoot, Hamilton, Ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2016/7/lauren-ewan-baby-l---lifestyle-family-photoshoot-hamilton-ontario Get ready for a little super cute on this sunny Saturday morning! 

You know what makes me really happy? When our past clients contact us to document the extra special early months of their new addition. It's so awesome to be able to witness the growing family of Lauren & Ewan, whom we photographed at their fabulous wedding back in 2013. Baby L is pretty much the cutest baby ever, which goes without saying as you'll see below. With his incredibly adorable rolls and his sparkly blue eyes, I could literally just eat this guy right up. And the pride and love on Lauren & Ewan's face is just so beautiful, made me tear up a little that's for sure! 

newborn chubby baby mom kissing baby baby hands baby eyes family mom feeding baby dad snuggling baby mom and chubby baby chubby baby arms beautiful mama thinking baby proud dad and baby

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) documentary family photoshoot lifestyle photography newborn baby https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2016/7/lauren-ewan-baby-l---lifestyle-family-photoshoot-hamilton-ontario Sat, 23 Jul 2016 14:08:10 GMT
Katie & Jordan - Earth To Table Farm Wedding, Hamilton, Ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2016/6/katie-jordan---earth-to-table-farm-wedding-hamilton-ontario Sometimes the sun goes round the moon. Sometimes the snow comes down in...April. 

Yep, it snowed a bit on Katie & Jordan's spring wedding day, but it actually made the pictures even better than they would have been if it had been a sunny day.

Know what else made Katie & Jordan's wedding so awesome? How totally in love these two are. How much fun they had with their super awesome family and friends. How the little details that they incorporated into their day made it extra personal - especially the absolutely adorable announcement they had at their signing table. Plus the wooden sign they had for their guests to write well-wishes on was pretty awesome too.  I love weddings at Earth To Table Farm, those guys are true pro's and the food is always incredible. 

I love how Jordan had gifts for each of his parents on his wedding day, and I especially love that he picked out a bracelet for his mom to wear that day. I love the contrast of the soft, pretty wedding details on the harsh, industrial background and grey weather. I love the look in Katie's eyes as she looks up at her gentleman. 

Take a look at some of my favourites from the day!

getting ready dad giving instruction son giving mom a present mom reacting mom smiling mom and son hugging wedding converse tattoo bride mom getting daughter ready

bridesmaids react man standing on pier bridal party waiting bride walking through rain groom and bride seeing for the first time bride and groom hugging bridal party walking hamilton groomsmen bridesmaids bride and groom and puddles kissing in snow bridal party snow globe bridal portrait succulent flowers black and white

rusty pipes through the looking glass love board table numbers vintage wedding details baby announcement bride going to walk down aisle dad and bride emotional dad bride looking ad husband laughing couple laughing bridal party married bride and groom standing in snow kissing couple candid photo

 

daddy daughter dance mom son dance bride groom dance cuddling on dance floor

Did you guys love this wedding like I loved it? Tell me about it on Instagram @kate_zekarphoto or contact us today! 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) rustic chic snowy wedding tattoo bride https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2016/6/katie-jordan---earth-to-table-farm-wedding-hamilton-ontario Tue, 21 Jun 2016 13:07:04 GMT
Surprise Marriage Proposal, Albion Falls, Hamilton, Ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2016/6/surprise-marriage-proposal-albion-falls-hamilton-ontario A couple of weeks ago we got a call from a very excited and nervous guy who was planning to propose to his girlfriend. Ben & Jen had planned to come to Hamilton from Kingston to go concert on the weekend but decided to come a day earlier to check out some of the waterfalls in our beautiful hometown. 

Ben called Mike to see if he would be willing to document the surprise and of course Mike was super excited and helped Ben set out the perfect plan.  See fig a. and fig. b for evidence of the perfect plan. 

 

Fig. A

map

Fig. B

On the day of the proposal it was absolutely gorgeous down at Albion Falls. When Mike and Kamila got there to set up, they found that there were about 30 people down at the falls enjoying the day. Since Ben and Jenn hadn't arrived, he and Kamila went around to each person to tell them what was going to be happening and if they could just subtly move off to the side so he could catch the moments. Everyone was very excited and some of the people who were about to leave decided to stay and watch. When Ben and Jenn arrived, and Ben saw Mike giving him the special signal, it was all up to Ben after that...

man and woman on rocks taking pictures of waterfall people looking at rocks

And it was perfect.

man proposing man proposal marriage proposal man putting ring on womans finger couple kissing by falls

After Jenn recovered from the happy shock of not only being proposed to but having 30 strangers clapping and cheering - along with a crowd that was gathering on the edges above- she was so happy and so excited. She was extra surprised when she realized Mike & Kamila had been secretly taking pictures the whole time. Ben had even asked her dad beforehand, which I just love

happy couple happy woman

couple kissing smiling engaged couple

What a beautiful way to start the next stage of their lives together! 

 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) engagement marriage proposal surprise waterfalls https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2016/6/surprise-marriage-proposal-albion-falls-hamilton-ontario Sat, 11 Jun 2016 13:45:42 GMT
Jesus & Kathleen's Intimate Wedding at La Piazza Allegra, Hamilton, Ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2016/6/jesus-kathleens-intimate-wedding-at-la-piazza-allegra-hamilton-ontario Kathleen and Jesus celebrated their marriage at the intimately beautiful La Piazza Allegra in Hamilton. These two have the kind of love that carries them through the ups and downs of maintaining a (very) long distance relationship, and we couldn't have been happier to document their new beginning together.  The day started off with a reveal at our studio in The Cotton Factory, continuing on to the wedding ceremony and incredible dinner at La Piazza Allegra. 

Jesus' family and friends came all the way over from Spain to attend this special event and it was so beautiful for both Kathleen and Jesus to have their families in one room. I adore the way Jesus looks at his gorgeous bride and how much fun these two have together. Take a look at some of my favourites from the day! You guys will definitely want to check out the really cool nighttime wedding portrait Mike captured for these two, it's one of those ones that you look at for awhile and you can't quite figure out which perspective you're looking at. 

bride behind groom

groom looking at bride black and white bride and groom groom wipes away tears bride and groom kissing

groomsmen black and white bride and groom against wall black and white bride and groom laughing bride and groom kissing against wall black and white photo of bride and groom people shaking hands groom eyes loving bride wedding ceremony bride and groom kissing altar champagne toast cheers to their guests vintage bride

groom reacting to speech mom wiping grooms tears woman watching bride and groom dance night time wedding portraits abstract night time wedding portraits

Did you love this as much as I did? Come follow me on Instagram @kate_zekarphoto or give us a shout! 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) black and white photography first look intimate wedding night time wedding photography restaurant wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2016/6/jesus-kathleens-intimate-wedding-at-la-piazza-allegra-hamilton-ontario Sat, 04 Jun 2016 18:51:42 GMT
Laura & Shawn - Ancaster Mill Wedding, Ancaster Ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2016/5/laura-shawn---ancaster-mill-wedding-ancaster-ontario Laura & Shawn had a fantastic wedding this past February. I always love winter weddings because it's so crisp and clear out and it's really fun to snuggle your sweetie when it's cold out. I love the tulip bouquet that Laura had, its so bright and fresh. These two had so much fun and just enjoyed the day together. We started off downtown Hamilton - one of our favourite places to take photos as it is so inspiring. And then we were off to the fabulous Ancaster Mill, a place that never fails to put out their very best. 

Laura & Shawn were up for anything that Mike suggested, so they were lucky enough to get some of the most creative shots he's ever done.  I cannot get over how cool the birds eye pictures are of them in the city, it's almost like a Where's Waldo for the bride and groom. 

Check out some of my very favourites from the day and don't forget to follow me on instagram @kate_zekarphoto! 

groom getting ready groom in mirror groom in picture frame

bouquet of tulips bride getting ready hands doing up dress bride looking out window bride seeing groom bride and groom chatting man walking in front of camera bride and groom on busy street

black and white city bride and groom in parking lot

bride and groom in elevator bride and flower girl groom watching bride bride crying excited bride bride and groom first kiss bride laughing with girlfriends bride and groom under bridge bride and groom under bridge first dance happy bride reflection night time photography

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) cityscapes low light wedding photography nighttime photography nighttime wedding photography winter wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2016/5/laura-shawn---ancaster-mill-wedding-ancaster-ontario Sat, 14 May 2016 17:33:30 GMT
Jessica & Steve - Candlelit Wedding at The Cotton Factory, Hamilton, Ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2016/4/jessica-steve---candlelit-wedding-at-the-cotton-factory-hamilton-ontario PSA from Zekar Photography:

Are you thinking about getting married at The Cotton Factory? We live there! Come to our house and we'll give you our special Cotton Factory friends discount. To inquire, email me at kate@zekarphoto. For more info on our pricing, click here to download our 2018 pricing guide. 

 

And now, back to our regularily scheduled program.


How many ways do I love Jessica & Steve's wedding? Let us count them.

I love the fabulous originality - from Jessica & Steve's fantastic sense of style, to how they incorporated the things that they love so flawlessly into their celebration. Since these two locked eyes for the first time in a cute little bookstore (props to James Street Bookseller & Gallery!) it was only natural that not only would they have their 'First Look' amongst the tomes, but that there would be baskets of books for their guests to choose to take home with them at the end of the night. And can we talk about the pink Cadillac? 

I love how adorable their little guy is - how he looks up at his mama with love-eyes as she says I Do to her very best friend in the whole world. This little family is super fun together, check out their engagement session for evidence. 

I love how they stopped by their fave pub The Pheasant Plucker for a pint and a laugh with their pals before saying their vows. 

I love the incredible candlelit ambience that was created in our fabulous studio at The Cotton Factory . It is definitely one of the very coolest places to get married in Hamilton, by far.

But most of all, I love how much freakin' fun these two have with eachother - some of my favourite pictures are of the two of them just laughing their heads off. These guys are the real deal. Check out some of my faves from the day!  groom blur

groom looking upside down boutiniere Cadillac  cuff links

black and white father son father son in car pink cadillac

laughing bride swooning bride mom seeing son doing up wedding dress laughing bride cute bride couple  meeting in bookstore first look groom seeing bride for first time bride and groom first kiss

bride and groom laughing in books bride and groom in books bride and groom crying dark photo bride family reading books together crowd at pub hugging photo night ceremony candle lit warehouse love young boy with branch baskets of books bride touching up makeup groom watching bride wedding ceremony at night bride crying at ceremony groom crying at ceremony

bridal party dad putting necklace on son son looking up at mom bride and groom first kiss dancing kids dj booth couple watching slideshow

prism photography bride and groom laughing at first dance bride and groom first dance bride and groom first dance kids under table bride and friend dancing

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) book themed wedding candlelit wedding nighttime wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2016/4/jessica-steve---candlelit-wedding-at-the-cotton-factory-hamilton-ontario Tue, 26 Apr 2016 18:53:06 GMT
Jen, Nick & Sweet Baby M - Photojournalistic Family Shoot, Hamilton, Ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2016/3/jen-nick-sweet-baby-m---photojournalistic-family-shoot-hamilton-ontario Guys. Can we just talk about how cute this little family is? Wait, we don't have to talk about it - just look at these pictures. The way little baby M sleeps with his bottom lip tucked under. The way that Jen & Nick look at each other. The way that there are literally hearts pouring out of their eyeballs for their sweet baby boy. Man, we just love capturing brand new families like this! 

mom with baby

close up of baby with finger baby peeking over shoulder new parents looking at baby man woman baby baby feet on daddy parents feeding baby daddy snuggling son husband and wife gazing at eachother mom nuzzling son sweet baby face parents feeding child parents on bed with baby parents snuggling baby on bed smiling newborn

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) Day in the life family photography family storytelling newborn shoot https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2016/3/jen-nick-sweet-baby-m---photojournalistic-family-shoot-hamilton-ontario Fri, 11 Mar 2016 01:14:56 GMT
Leora & Shaul - Rustic Jewish Wedding at Earth To Table Farm, Flamborough, Ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2016/2/leora-shaul---rustic-jewish-wedding-at-earth-to-table-farm-flamborough-ontario Leora & Shaul's  gorgeous Earth To Table wedding was about as relaxed and low key as we have ever done. There were no getting ready photos, no first look, very relaxed bridal portraits - this day was all about the two of them together and the celebration of beginning of the next stage of their lives. It was perfect.

The whole day was filled with so much love and so much laughter, it was a lot of fun to shoot. Each and every guest was there to entertain Leora & Shaul and to make sure they were having a fantastic time, and boy do these two have some super talented and hilarious friends.  Every single shot has someone who is touching, laughing or loving one another.

When Leora & Shaul first approached us to be their photographers, Leora admitted she had been talked into getting a photographer by her mom. A lot of low-key brides are nervous about adding another vendor to their list, but Mike's photojournalistic storytelling style was a perfect fit and we're so happy that Leora & Shaul are as in love with their photos as we are. I think my favourite shots are the ones where everyone is dancing the hora, you guys have to check them out below! 

groom getting ready

guests talking earth to table

two people by barn

a couple laughing by barn walking in a field

black and white in field two people walking down the lane

yamaka getting flowers in hair

men reading ketubah groom putting bride veil on groom putting veil on bride walking with mom bride and groom walking up aisle bride and groom chuppah exchange of rings dad hugging daughter family hug bride and groom under chuppah breaking glass ceremony first kiss bride and groom walking down aisle bride and groom walking down aisle live band fiddlers bride showing off rings dancing in circle crowd dancing holding hands groom on chair hora dance crowd watching hora

mom on hora girls dancing around bride men crowd surfing challah bride and groom holding hands guests laughing

guest singing guests laughing skit bride and groom hugging

Did you love this wedding as much as I did? Find out how Mike can capture your special day, contact us today! 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) chuppah farm wedding hora dance jewish wedding outdoor wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2016/2/leora-shaul---rustic-jewish-wedding-at-earth-to-table-farm-flamborough-ontario Mon, 29 Feb 2016 01:27:34 GMT
Alex & Charlie - Truly Elegant Wedding at the Art Gallery of Hamilton, Hamilton https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2016/2/alex-charlie---truly-elegant-wedding-at-the-art-gallery-of-hamilton-hamilton Alex and Charlie got married on a beautiful day in October, Halloween to be exact. Mike arrived at The Hamilton Club to take a few shots of Charlie and his friends having a drink and relaxing before the ceremony. But before we go any further, I just have to say that I seriously had trouble choosing which pictures I was going to use for this blog. After awhile I just gave up and posted just about all of their portrait sessions, so just be warned, its a long one but I know you're really going to enjoy it. 

Charlie made such a dashing groom and Alex made such an unbelievably graceful bride, I'm just in love with the way these two photograph. I really feel like these two could be in a magazine.  Both Alex and Charlie are fairly quiet and reserved, they have the quiet kind of love that comes alive when they are close to one another. Both of their families were so overjoyed for these two and you can really see how much they are surrounded by so much love. 

The wedding ceremony took place at the Art Gallery of Hamilton, one place that both Mike and myself just love to go to on a date. The AGH made for the perfect backdrop for the ceremony, simple and understated but with undeniable elegance. The reception took place at one our favourite venues, Liuna Station which has its own essence of luxury.  The pictures at the very end of the night were taking under an industrial bridge near Liuna and I just love the contrast between the romance of Alex & Charlie and the stark, functional brickwork.

Take a look at my very favourite images from the day. Enjoy! 

groom drinking beer

groom laughing with friends groom on red couch groom looking out window groom in empty room rings on rainbow friends practicing speeches

Love the subtle skull detail on Alex's purse - perfect for a Halloween wedding!  skull clasp purse bride huggin

mom doing up bridal gown mom hands with scissors bride with family

bride up close

bridal gown

bride looking out window bride getting necklace on bride crossing busy street bride and mom walking up stairs bride in hallway bride seeing dad guitar

groom walking mom groom watching bride down aisle bride walking down aisle with parents ceremony at art gallery bride and groom at altar groom smiling at bride mom smiling at groom white rose bouquet groom reading vows

bride and groom exchanging rings laughing at altar bride and groom holding hands first kiss close up first kiss bride and groom married bride and groom hugging parents bride kissing groom bride and groom near marble wall bride and groom kissing near chairs bride and groom standing in white room bride and groom laughing in white room bride and groom portrait

guests and wedding bridesmaids giving speech bride cheersing friends

She didn't realize the mic was still on...:)  didnt realize the mic was on mic was on little batman

batman busting a move

bride dancing with father black and white photo of bride and groom dancing bride and groom dancing

father smoking cigar bride and groom portrait under bridge bride about to kiss groom bride and groom in alleyway

Did you just love this wedding? I don't know if you can tell, but I sure did! If you're interested in seeing how Mike can capture the elegance of your wedding day, contact us today! 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) elegant wedding graceful bride handsome groom simple wedding gown https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2016/2/alex-charlie---truly-elegant-wedding-at-the-art-gallery-of-hamilton-hamilton Sat, 13 Feb 2016 17:26:56 GMT
Lisa & Andrew - Lovely Liuna Station Wedding, Hamilton, Ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2016/1/lisa-andrew---lovely-liuna-station-wedding-hamilton-ontario Lisa & Andrew's wedding took place at the elegant Liuna Station in Hamilton, which was a perfect fit because Andrew just loves trains. The wedding decor was incredible, I really love the unique burgundy and powder blue colour scheme that Lisa picked out. After the ceremony we headed on over to our very favourite place to take bridal photos, our studio at The Cotton Factory. 

There are so many sweet moments in this wedding I can hardly pick my favourites. But as you guys know, I'm a sucker for daddy / daughter moments and this one is one of my favourites of the year. Every time I look at it I tear up on the raw emotion on both Lisa and her dad's face as they dance together at the end of the night.  I also just love how there are name tags explaining their relationship to each special people in their bridal party. How lucky are these two to have such amazing and long time friends! And I can't forget just the flat out love and admiration that is in Lisa & Andrews eyes as they gaze at each other, Lisa to her hero husband, Andrew to his beautiful bride. 

Take a look at some of the best photos from this wedding, and get your tissues out! 

bride getting ready

bridesmaids looking at bride for the first time bride sister helping with dress groom looking at bride coming down aisle bride crying with dad bride and groom at altar bride and groom first kiss bride and groom first kiss bride kissing grandma bridal party portrait bridesmaids bride giggling

bride and groom portrait bride and groom blue wall bride and groom pose by glass bricks warehouse love bride and groom pose by old door wedding in stairwell dramatic bridal portrait groom telling secret to bride burgundy and blue wedding decor dramatic wedding table lighting cake topper intimate place settings funny first dance first dance wedding bride and groom looking at eachother bridesmaids laughing at reception bride dancing with father crying bride and grandfather crying dancing

bride dancing with grandfather grandfather and granddaughter laughing

mother dancing with sun

mom hugging son Wasn't that the sweetest? If you are interested in having our award winning photographer capture your wedding, contact us today to find out more!

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) burgundy decorations elegant wedding hamilton wedding photographer https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2016/1/lisa-andrew---lovely-liuna-station-wedding-hamilton-ontario Fri, 08 Jan 2016 15:21:12 GMT
Zekar Photography - Award Winning Wedding Photographers for 2015 https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2016/1/zekar-photography---award-winning-wedding-photographers-for-2015 We are pretty proud to announce that our lead photographer, Mike Tigchelaar, came in third overall in Canada for the PWPC Fall 2015 Photography Awards. It's an honour to be selected by this panel of professional photographers and even more of an honour because the competition was so stiff. Thanks to all of our couples for being so awesome, we couldn't have done it without you guys! 

First off, Kamila placed first in the Movement & Motion category, with her passion filled photo of Zak & Carolyn. 

couple kissing under waterfall

Mike placed first in the Wedding Day Details Category, with this unique ring shot featuring some confused goldfish from Michelle & Mark's wedding. 

goldfish wedding rings

And he also placed first in the Dance Floor Category with this absolute tear jerker that happened at Abby & Kevin's wedding. These two were the only ones left on the dance floor for being married the longest - 65 years! Man this gets me choked up! 

Mike placed 3rd in the Wedding Day Details Category, with this owly dude. 

I just love everyone's expressions in this one, Shannon and Brandon had one of the most animated bunch of friends I've ever seen! Mike placed 11th in the Dance Floor Category in this one. 

 

Jessie & Steve had a lot of fun and helped Mike land 12th in the Cutting The Cake Category. By this time of the night, it doesn't really matter what your makeup looks like after :)

couple cake smash

And last but not least, we've got this big sister and her squish of a brother. Mike placed 14th in the Kids Being Kids Category

Did you enjoy these award winning images as much as I did? Interested in finding out more how we here at Zekar Photography can make your day unforgettable? Contact us to day! 

 

 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) PWPC award winners 2015 award winning photography candid photography https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2016/1/zekar-photography---award-winning-wedding-photographers-for-2015 Wed, 06 Jan 2016 21:16:05 GMT
Jessie & Steve - Earth To Table Farm Wedding, Flamborough, Ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/12/jessie-steve---earth-to-table-farm-wedding new JotformFeedback({ formId: "80776105808259", buttonText: "Get Our Information Guide", base: "https://form.jotform.com/", background: "rgba(155,155,155,0.45)", fontColor: "#000000", buttonSide: "bottom", buttonAlign: "left", type: 1, width: 700, height: 500, isCardForm: false });

Written by Kate Tigchelaar, studio manager for Zekar Photography.

I am so excited to share this wedding with you guys! When we heard that the Ancaster Mill had opened up a farm venue, we just knew it was going to be amazing. So on the day of Jessie & Steve's wedding, we couldn't wait to hang out with this amazing couple and experience the country elegance that we knew Earth to Table Farm was going to present. And they did not disappoint - from the jaw dropping, belly filling, amazing food, to the perfect decorations and relaxed vibe, this is one place you guys are going to want to check out! 

Jessie & Steve are a super fun loving couple, back home from Calgary. We just love our Calgary couples, they are always a ton of fun and there are always cowboy or cowgirl boots involved! Since Jessie's family is Scottish, and Steve is a pilot and they both love to travel, there were so many subtle and personal details throughout the day. There were cross-stitched aisle decorations that had oldies love song lyrics, there were bacon and cookie dough cupcakes (omgosh you guys), there were red heads. ;)

These two have such a strong love for each other, and man do they make each other laugh. I just love how much fun their families are having, this was truly a fabulous celebration of love and life! I'm not sure what my favourite part is - from the first picture of Jessie's bestie shoving those boots on, to Steve's dad using his mom's head as a tripod, there are so many amazing images. But I can't forget the image we captured of the newlyweds at their cake cutting - that one landed Mike 12th place in Cake Cutting category for the PWPC Fall 2015 contest, and helped land him the honour of coming 3rd place across Canada for the PWPC Fall 2015 contest. It's a privilege to be recognized professionally for something we just love to do! 

bride getting boots on bride laughing as boots are shoved on bridesmaids loving bride bride seeing self in mirror bride leaning into shoulder bride pinning corsage to dad groom getting ready in mirror

groom getting lipstick on groom laughing with friends groom putting moms necklace on farm wedding venue paper airplane

cross stitch yellow mum aisle groomsmen waiting to walk down aisle bride walking behind groom aisle groom looking at bride coming down aisle bride walking down aisle with parents outdoor farm ceremony bride fixing grooms corsage bride putting ring on grooms finger couple signing registry bride and groom looking at eachother in barn couple laughing by barn wall bride and groom in yellow field bride and groom in yellow field bride and groom in yellow field

couple kissing beside red barn bride in cowgirl boots bride smoking cigar bridal party selfie stick

Are you guys loving this wedding as much as I am? Stay tuned for some epic reception pictures!  rustic barn wedding bridal decor rustic barn wedding bridal decor rustic barn wedding bridal decor bride and groom being introduced bride and groom crying bride and groom laughing at reception parents laughing at reception bridal party red barn bridal kisses wedding ring shot happy wedding guest bride and groom first dance bride and groom first dance bride and groom first dance bride and groom first dance groom first dance with mom mom hugging husband on wedding day tripod mom paper airplanes award winning wedding photography

Interested in having one of our Award Winning Wedding Photographers capture your special day? Contact us today!

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) award winning wedding photography candid wedding photography farm wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/12/jessie-steve---earth-to-table-farm-wedding Tue, 29 Dec 2015 00:04:32 GMT
Shannon & Brandon's Rockin' 50's Style Wedding at Lakeview, Hamilton https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2016/1/shannon-brandons-rockin-50-s-style-wedding-at-lakeview-hamilton Before I get into the awesomeness that was Shannon & Brandon's wedding, I have to link to their epic engagement shoot that we did last March.  It was epic because there was a wicked snowstorm that day, which added a certain amount of drama to a quiet walk in the wintery woods. Shannon is a bird nerd like we are (except she's way cooler and smarter than us about it) and so these little chickadee's made it so much fun! And because we had such a good time on the engagement shoot, we were so looking forward to their wedding day - and it did not disappoint!

Every wedding that we do has a different feel, and Shannon and Brandon's was definitely a lot of fun. Not only are these two so darn sweet, they are completely and utterly eachothers 'person', if you know what I mean. Every detail of the wedding was put together perfectly, from Shannon's elegant fascinator, to Brandon's dapper wing-tips, to the fact that many of their guests donned 50's style clothing to compliment the theme. The ceremony took place at the lovely RBG and then off to Lakeview for the party.  These two have absolutely fabulous friends who just love them to pieces, it made for such a fun day of laughter and celebration - plus the photos of the the reception make me just want to get my dancin' shoes on! 

Check out Shannon's fabulous bouquet toss, we placed 11th in the Bouquet Toss Category for the PWPC Fall 2015 Competition. Love it! 

folding hankerchief

funny groomsman

groom getting ready

bride getting makeup on bride getting hairspray on bride putting veil on bride getting ready with mom bride getting ready with bridesmaids bride getting dress on groom waiting for bride bride and groom kissing bride flirting with groom groom flirting with bride bride and groom kissing in vineyard bride and groom walking to ceremony friend excited bride walking down aisle bride at altar bride and groom holding hands groom at altar mom crying at wedding kissing at altar first kiss at wedding happy couple coming down aisle bride and groom kissing bridesman and bridesmaids bride and groom kissing on bridge bride and groom kissing on path groom by gate bride by fountain bride and groom kissing in fancy car bride and groom smooching in 50's car

Are you loving this wedding as much as I am? Contact us today!  wedding decor black red wedding decor black red bride and groom first dance bride and groom laughing at dinner table bride and groom laughing at dinner table bride telling funny speech bride laughing with father bride and mom singing swing dancing reception swing dancing reception swing dancing reception bride hugging friend bride and groom dancing with eachother garter toss garter toss party reception party reception party reception

Would you like our award winning photographers at your wedding? Sure you would! Contact us today for a consultation:) 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) 50's style retro wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2016/1/shannon-brandons-rockin-50-s-style-wedding-at-lakeview-hamilton Tue, 01 Dec 2015 16:30:00 GMT
Hayley & Tim - Elegant Wedding, Spencer's at The Waterfront, Burlington, On https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/11/hayley-tim---elegant-wedding-spencers-at-the-waterfront-burlington-on When one of our favourite clients referred us to shoot her sister Hayley's wedding, we were so excited because we just knew it was going to be a lot of fun. It was a gorgeous day this past summer for Hayley & Tim's wedding day, the sun was shining, the birds were singing and everyone was full of smiles and laughter.

The bridal party started out getting ready at the Waterfront Hotel in Burlington and that's also where Hayley & Tim shared their first look - and its super, super cute! They headed off to the Royal Botanical Gardens for some beautiful portraits and then back to one of our very favourite venues in the area, Spencer's At The Waterfront.  

What I love most about these two is how overjoyed Hayley looks the entire day and how sweetly and tenderly Tim looks as he gazes at his beautiful new wife. Take a look at my very favourites from the day - you'll definitely love the looks on Hayley's bridesmaids faces when they see her for the first time!

groomsmen putting ties on groom putting tie on in mirror black and white picture of groom getting ready

bride getting hairspray

bride getting hair done

bridesmaid crying

emotional bridesmaid bridesmaids seeing bride for first time bride seeing friends for first time group hug

bride holding new nephew

silhouette bride looking out hotel room bride pinning corsage onto dads lapel adorable bride waiting for groom to see her adorable bride waiting for groom to see her adorable bride waiting for groom to see her groom and bride kissing in hotel room

bride laughing with groom bride and groom hugging couple smiling at eachother behind yellow flowers bridal couple next to koi pond kissing in reflection pool couple kissing in bushes bride and groom kissing through vines cute ring bearer flower girls father walking bride down aisle black and white photo bride walking down aisle flower girls playing in aisle flower girls hanging out in wedding aisle first kiss groom lifts bride up at altar black and white photo of bride and groom kissing smiling after being married bride and groom on rocks on water mauve and red roses wedding decor couple coming in for introductions groom dipping bride bride crying during speech bride and groom having fun black and white cheers

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/11/hayley-tim---elegant-wedding-spencers-at-the-waterfront-burlington-on Sat, 21 Nov 2015 18:21:27 GMT
Natasha & Mike - Super Fun Wedding at Dyments Farm, Dundas, Ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/11/natasha-mike---super-fun-wedding-at-dyments-farm-dundas-ontario When we did Natasha & Mike's engagement shoot last year, I actually tagged along with Mike (photographer Mike) to hang out and explore Elora, Ontario. It's a gorgeous little town, by the way, if you haven't checked it out its worth it. Anyways, what I noticed most about Natasha & Mike was that they love to laugh. And that sounds really dorky right, who hates to laugh? Nobody hates to laugh, but some people seriously love laughing together and these two are the prime example. So as you can see on their wedding day, its kind of hard to miss the pure joy that comes out when these two are together.

The formal photos took place at McMaster University, where they both went to school and upped their already high IQ's a couple notches. I think its cool when you get to revisit the place where you both studied together on the day you're getting married. The wedding took place at Dyments Farm, somewhere where we have just started having the privilege of working and it's such a great place to get married if you're looking for an outdoor, non-vineyard, s'mores-after-dark kind of place. Take a look at some of my favourites from the day, especially if you like epic dance moves.  I bet you won't be able to keep the smile off your face like I couldn't! 

bride getting airbrush makeup

bride getting lipstick on

silhouette of bride getting lipstick on bride yellow converse shoes bride getting makeup done flower girl getting hairspray

bride getting deodarent on bride lifting hands in pyaramid mom putting anklet on bride bride looking sweet in mirror bride opening bridesmaids gift bride laughing at bridesmaids gift

bride looks at jewellery groom waiting for bride bride walks up to meet groom bride approaches groom first look groom sees bride for the first time groom beaming at bride bride snuggling groom groom laughing with bride bride laughing with groom

bride and groom talking woman laughing bridal couple under stone archway wedding guests looking down aisle to see bride bride and father walking down aisle balcony photo in church couple holding hands at altar bride smiling at groom at altar bride and groom first kiss bride showing ring to flower girl bridal party walking to pub west end pub & grill hamilton bride making sad face at shotglass groom taking shot

If you'd like Zekar Photography to be a part of your fun day, contact us here!  bridesmaid tying shoe #mcquasha2015

bride and flower girl snuggling then falling bride and flower girl snuggling then falling

bride falls with flower girl bride and flower girl snuggling then falling

bride and groom karate kick couple kissing in wheat field bridal couple walking through wheatfield black and white photo of couple snuggling bridal couple posing underneath big tree wedding rings on leafy background guests taking a selfie bride and groom skipping into entrance princess peach and lucky bear cake topper first dance wedding groom gazing at bride bridal first dance black and white photo of first dance bride busts a move hip hop bride and groom fresh prince dance rapping bride and groom campfire bride s'mores bride and groom feed eachother s'mores barn wedding dance party Okay, who wants s'mores now?! Let us know on Facebook or contact us today

 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) documentary wedding photography farm wedding fun wedding photography yellow converse shoes https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/11/natasha-mike---super-fun-wedding-at-dyments-farm-dundas-ontario Sat, 14 Nov 2015 02:08:21 GMT
Carmen & Darrell - Gorgeous Wedding at Crosswinds Golf & Country Club, Burlington, On https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/11/carmen-darrell---gorgeous-wedding-at-crosswinds-golf-country-club-burlington-on Carm & Darrell were married on an absolutely gorgeous, sunny day this past summer. They chose the Crosswinds Golf & Country Club for their venue, and man, the scenery out there is gorgeous with the beautiful Niagara Escarpment in the background.  I love the little details and sparks of personality that they included throughout the day, making it truly unique. 

Carm & Darrell are truly the best of friends. These two have been through a lot together and have only gotten stronger. Their bond is so obvious, in the way that they look into each others eyes and in the way that they are always touching eachother, its really beautiful. You can really see how their love is celebrated by all the their family and friends that came to witness the wedding, everyone has a look of adoration for these two which speaks volumes about what awesome people they are. Take a look at my favourite images, especially if you want to see the cutest little ring bearer and flower girl in the world! And  then get ready to get a little misty eyed - I just love an emotional groom ;)

gear shift cuff links love note from bride groom getting corsage on grooms corsage wedding greeter groomsmen having a beer bride in mirror bride hairspray

bride hanging out in kitchen hands doing up bride dress bride doing up dads corsage

mom smudging lipstick off bride baby on moms back groom walking down the aisle

mom waiting for guests flower kids walking over bridge flower girl and ring bearers walking over bridge flower girl and ring bearers walking over bridge flower girl and ring bearers walking over bridge If you want to find out more about how we here at Zekar Photography can be a part of your day, contact us today! 

crying groom at altar emotional groom groom using kleenex at altar bride walking down aisle with grandpa and dad grandfather giving away bride father giving away bride father hugging bride at altar bride gazing at groom wedding guests watching ceremony bride joking about knot tying ceremony bride and groom wedding knot bride and groom kissing at altar bride and groom married

bride and groom walking down aisle funny dad face silver horseshoe on bouquet couple kissing next to escarpment

silhouette of couple on hill couple on a hill plain sky couple kissing under cloud

couple under willow tree bride and groom kissing under willow tree couple walking in front of niagara escarpment couple kissing by pond with yellow flowers couple standing in woods romantic picture of bridal party through forest lavender table decorations cute cupcake sign light up wedding monogram

delicious yellow and purple cupcakes

bride and groom first dance brides hand with ring mother of groom giving speech bride making cute face at speeches friends dancing in front of wedding table funny wedding cake topper bride crying at groom speech emotional friend listening to speech

bride dancing with dad black and white reception couple dancing at wedding dark epic wedding photography bride tossing bridal bouquet bride tossing bridal bouquet groom hanging out with friends Did you guys love that one as much as I do? Tell me about it on Facebook or contact us today! 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) candid wedding photography photojournalistic wedding photographer https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/11/carmen-darrell---gorgeous-wedding-at-crosswinds-golf-country-club-burlington-on Thu, 12 Nov 2015 20:26:43 GMT
Caitlin & Jayce - Village Square Wedding, Burlington, Ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2016/3/caitlin-jayce---village-square-wedding-burlington-ontario We met Caitlin & Jayce a couple of years ago, way back in 2013 when they were just starting to plan for their big day. These two were so committed to having the perfect wedding, they planned way in advance to make sure they got exactly what they dreamed. Two years later, their dreams became reality - not only did they have a perfect wedding day, they got the chance to profess their love for eachother in front of all of their friends and family. And what a love it is! Caitlin & Jayce have such a strong bond, these two are always laughing and have so much fun. They even had a waterballoon fight during their engagement sessions, you guys have check the hilarious pictures out! 

Their playfulness and joy of being around eachother is infectious and made the day just that much better. The wedding ceremony took place at the beautiful Spencers At The Waterfront, with the formal pictures over at Village Square. Then they headed off to Carmen's to dance the night away - I love the little pops of geek culture that Caitlin & Jayce incorporated throughout the day, really making their wedding their own. 

Take a look below at some of my favourites from the day!

 

dad putting cuff links on dad putting bow tie on groomsmen putting corsages on blue silk flowers bride reading letter from groom bride reading letter from groom bride getting dress on bride laughing in dress bride in crinoline

mom waiting for bride dad and bride walking down aisle bride and dad walking down aisle groom smiling at bride bride crying down aisle bride crying at altar wedding ceremony wedding ceremony spencers unity sand bride and groom walking down aisle happy couple bride and groom black and white bride and groom by stairs beautiful bride bride and groom laughing Aren't these two the cutest? :) 

groom sitting in chair bride and groom kissing in rainy window

groomsmen at village square bride and groom at gazebo peeking through window bride and groom in alleyway super mario wedding cake carmens reception hall happy bride bride and groom first dance guests kissing cake smash groom cake nose bride licking nose bride dancing with dad bride laughing with dad groom and mom laughing man dancing garter groom gets garter groom tosses garter man jumps up to get garter

For the record, he caught it :D Did you love this wedding as much as I did? Contact us today to see how we can capture your fabulous day! 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) blue and white wedding documentary wedding photography geek wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2016/3/caitlin-jayce---village-square-wedding-burlington-ontario Sun, 01 Nov 2015 14:15:00 GMT
Linda & Andrew - Wedding at Legends Estates Winery, Beamsville, Ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/10/linda-andrew---wedding-at-legends-estates-winery-beamsville-ontario  When we did Linda & Andrews engagement shoot last November, it was the kind of gray cold fall day that makes for the perfect opportunities to snuggle - but their wedding day was gorgeous and sunny, perfect for having a lot of fun! The wedding took place at the beautiful Legends Estates Winery, one of our favourite wineries out in Beamsville, Ontario. What I love about this wedding is how much fun everyone is having, its kind of hard not to smile when you look through these pictures.  But my very favourite part is the reveal that Linda did with her dad. You guys know I have a huge soft spot for daddy & daughter moments and these ones take the cake! Linda & Andrew have been on lots of adventures together and you can really see how excited they are to embark on this new one together. 

hands doing up bridal gown bride putting on earrings bride looking at friends doing up dress earrings hanging off lavender dad waiting for daughter

dad seeing daughter for the first time dad hugs daughter daughter looking at dad black and white photos of dad and daughter black and white photos of dad and daughter bride in vineyard

bridesmaids getting bride ready

groomsmen waiting for bride groom waiting for bride aisle groom reacting to bride coming down aisle father walking bride down aisle dad giving daughter away bride and groom at outdoor altar outdoor vineyard wedding ceremony

bride looking at groom at altar happy bride at altar bride and groom holding hands bride gazing at groom bride and groom first kiss wedding guests cheers couple bride and groom cheers guests groom cheers father in law kids playing on grass couple kissing in vineyards landscape picture with bride and groom black and white picture of bride and groom bridal couple at end of vineyard aisle close up of couple kissing wedding couple walking through field couple walking into reception couple enjoying wedding speech bride hugging guest sapphire wedding ring wine cellar photography bride and groom giving speech bride and groom first dance in tent bride and groom first dance in tent bride and groom first dance in tent daddy daughter dance at wedding daddy daughter dance at wedding bride and groom kissing christmas lights night

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) candid wedding moments sapphire wedding ring vineyard wedding winery wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/10/linda-andrew---wedding-at-legends-estates-winery-beamsville-ontario Sat, 31 Oct 2015 13:51:56 GMT
Elisa & Sheldon- Dyments Farm Wedding, Dundas, Ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/10/elisa-sheldon--dyments-farm-wedding-dundas-ontario When we did Elisa & Sheldon's engagement session last year, I just knew that given how amazing their photos were,  their wedding was going to take my breath away. I was right. The day started out in Brantford and their tiny hometown of Burgessville, Ontario as Elisa and Sheldon got ready for the day. Both Elisa and Sheldon have impeccable style, but you guys, can we just talk for a moment about Elisa's wedding gown? I mean, it's a work of art! She bought the dress at Sophie's  in London, Ontario but had the top part made by a local lady in Delhi. I just adore how unique and gorgeous it is!

After the intimate and sacred wedding ceremony, Mike and the bridal party went for a little walk through the gorgeous town of Dundas (my hometown!) and stopped at a few little places that meant a lot to Elisa and Sheldon. Then they headed up to Dyments Farm to celebrate the rest of the day. 

The whole day was a beautiful celebration of friends and family and I love how the couple added so many unique elements to the day, not to mention the fact that Sheldon is a firefighter so they had the big truck on hand for some cool photo ops.   Here are some of my favourites, get ready, cause they are gorgeous!!

groom putting socks on groom putting tie on groomsmen getting ready groom doing up tie black and white groom bridesmaids getting bride ready bridesmaids getting bride ready

bride smiling friends and bride getting ready friends and bride getting ready maid of honour doing dress up bridal portrait wedding firetruck

bride getting ready to go down aisle bride with father bride waiting to go down aisle with father groom kissing bride bride looking up at groom champagne opening groom spraying bridal party with champagne bride and groom kissing on street groom thumbs up bride and groom walking down street bride and groom kissing by fountain bride and groom kissing by fountain

firefighter and bride fire truck close up of wedding rings reception photo

 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) custom wedding gown dundas ontario firefighter https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/10/elisa-sheldon--dyments-farm-wedding-dundas-ontario Mon, 26 Oct 2015 00:45:02 GMT
Alison & Dan - Maternity Shoot, Hamilton, Ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/10/alison-dan---maternity-shoot-hamilton-ontario One of the best parts of our jobs is that we often get to follow our couples through at least a few big milestones in their lives. So we were really happy to hear that Alison & Dan wanted to hire us for a maternity shoot for their first little baby. Dan and Alison stopped by our studio, and while it does have an industrial feel to it, it actually makes the perfect setting for this sweet shoot. Take a look at a few of my favourites! 

silhouette maternity

split lighting pregancy shot man and woman and pregnant belly pregnant woman black and white maternity man and woman kissing pregnancy photos black and white maternity mother laughing with husband cute maternity announcement

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/10/alison-dan---maternity-shoot-hamilton-ontario Sat, 17 Oct 2015 14:30:00 GMT
Jen & Rich - Cobble Beach Golf Resort Wedding, Owen Sound https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2016/2/jen-rich---cobble-beach-golf-resort-wedding-owen-sound When Jen & Rich first contacted us way back in early 2014, we had just received the amazing news that we were chosen to be parents of a beautiful baby girl. Needless to say we were over the moon excited, completely scattered and probably acting a little nuts, but Jen & Rich decided to give us a chance anyways. 

And boy are we glad they did. From their awesome engagement shoot on James Street North, to their beautiful celebration at Cobble Beach Golf Resort in Owen Sound, these two were so much fun to work with. 

A lot of couples will ask us what they should do if it rains on their wedding day. Rain is never usually a problem and you can get some gorgeous pictures out of any rainy day. But on Jen & Rich's day, it didn't rain - it was just extremely windy. Like 56km wind, right off the water kind of windy. But Mike loves a challenge and the pictures turned out beautifully anyways. Cobble Beach Golf Resort was a really special place for Jen because she grew up in Owen Sound and always wanted to get married there. The resort and the surrounding location is full of memories for her, so it was the perfect place for her to marry the love of her life. All the details that went into their day were so special  - from the custom made football cover to carry the rings, to having their favourite Huey Lewis & The News song as their first dance song. Jen & Rich are surrounded by so much love and laughter, and having gotten to know them over the past year or so, it's easy to see why. These two are eachothers 'person', they are for realsies - check the pictures out below to see what I mean!

p.s Jen's dress is from a little place called Kleinfeld Bridal, in case you were wondering where you might get some of that gorgeousness! 

bride getting makeup

bride getting makeup on wedding rings groom getting suspenders on

groom getting ready

groom waiting for bride bride getting dress on

bridesmaids getting dress on bride laughing in dress bride with beer groom by lighthouse

groom kissing bride groom making bride laugh

bride and groom under alcove bride and groom on balcony bride and groom in bedroom bride gazing at groom custom football flower girl bride hugging dad groomsman catching football groomsman catching ring exchanging rings kissing at altar bride and groom kissing at altar

walking down aisle with bubbles bride and groom entrance reception kiss cheers at reception cheers at reception first dance bride and groom first dance bride and groom first dance bride snuggling groom bride and groom under gazebo bride and groom in gazebo

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2016/2/jen-rich---cobble-beach-golf-resort-wedding-owen-sound Sun, 04 Oct 2015 00:00:00 GMT
Katie, Jordan & The Cutest Puppy Ever - Engagement Shoot at Van Wagners Beach, Hamilton https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/10/katie-jordan-the-cutest-puppy-ever---engagement-shoot-at-van-wagners-beach-hamilton Hey everyone, its Thursday. And what a better day to share some adorable engagement pictures, than a Thursday? Katie and Jordan headed down to one of our favourite spots, Van Wagners Beach, with their favourite furry little guy, Rolo. Rolo!! Could that name be any more perfect for a chubby little chocolate lab? I mean really! Anyways, here are my favourites from this shoot - Katie & Jordan are so cute together and had so much fun, can't wait to do the wedding in April! 

happy couple on beach couple cuddling puppy chocolate lab walking down beach dog sniffing on beach puppy in bow tie posing on beach chocolate lab in dads arms puppy running on beach puppy flopping ears on beach couple posing underneath tree

Did you melt into a puddle over the insane cuteness like I did? Tell me about it on Facebook!

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) beach engagement shoot dogs in bowties https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/10/katie-jordan-the-cutest-puppy-ever---engagement-shoot-at-van-wagners-beach-hamilton Thu, 01 Oct 2015 18:03:34 GMT
Abby & Kevin- Gorgeous Rustic Wedding at Country Heritage Park, Milton, Ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/9/abby-kevin--gorgeous-rustic-wedding-at-country-heritage-park-milton-ontario Abby & Kevin were married earlier this summer at Country Heritage Park in Milton, Ontario. We had never been to this venue, but man oh man this place is a country girls dream. There was a big gorgeous barn, complete with romantic twinkle lights and so many amazing photo locations as well. Plus the staff was super professional and the food? Amazing.  

Abby and Kevin are such a great couple and so perfectly matched, with each of them leaning on each others strengths and it makes for the perfect partnership. I love their sense of humour and their deep commitment to each other. I think one of the things that was so amazing about their wedding day was how big and loving their families are. The DJ had a "who has been married the longest " game where all of the married couples came onto the dance floor and one by one each couple left the dance floor until only Abby & Kevin and Kevin's grandparents were on the dance floor - with Kevin's grandparents being married 59 years. Its one of my favourite pictures of the day! 

bridal gown in window

bride getting ready close up of brides face

bride putting cowboy boots on bridal gown groom waiting for bride black and white photo of groom waiting for bride groomsmen taking selfie at altar groom watching bride come down aisle bride coming down aisle mother of groom crying bride and groom saying vows groom holding brides hand bride looking at groom bride and groom first kiss

first kiss wedding first kiss wedding black and white bride and groom portrait bridal couple next to cool 50's car bridal couple next to cool 50's car bridal couple portrait bridal portrait near barn doors bridal party in cowgirl boots groomsmen putting pantyhose on over suits groomsmen putting pantyhose on over suits

bride and groom kissing with blue napkins bride laughing at reception pumpkin pie cutting groom emotional at speeches groom emotional at speeches black and white first dance bride and groom low light documentary photography bride and groom first dance night bride dancing with father grandparents dancing grandparents dancing groom hugging both grandparents

Did you tear up a little too? Tell us about it on Facebook or contact us today to find out how we can make your memories last! 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) country wedding cowboy boots photojournalistic wedding photography https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/9/abby-kevin--gorgeous-rustic-wedding-at-country-heritage-park-milton-ontario Sat, 19 Sep 2015 16:24:26 GMT
Michelle & Mark - Carmen's Hotel Wedding, Hamilton, Ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/9/michelle-mark---carmens-hotel-wedding-hamilton-ontario After the fun family engagement shoot we did with Michelle, Mark and their adorable little ones, we knew that their wedding day was going to be just as fun, if not more so. We were right. Michelle & Mark planned their wedding at Carmen's Hotel perfectly, with an impressive mix of both classic elegance and fun, kid-friendly touches. The whole family is a major fan of Iron Man (as seen below!) and they incorporated their love of movies into their wedding in a subtle, light hearted way that really showed their personalities.

What I love the most is the attention and focus that was paid to the blending of their two families. The wedding was not just about the party or the gathering, it was about pledging their love and commitment together, as a big new beautiful family. I am used to seeing the beautiful unity candle ceremonies that are common, but I just adored the idea of how each of them put a little goldfish into one big family sized fish bowl. 

And at the end? Batman showed up. :D

Take a look at some of my favourite moments from the day!

mom gets daughter ready on wedding day young girl hopeful face wedding day bride getting ready on wedding day bridesmaid putting on veil on wedding day bride looking out hotel window groom getting son ready groom with three sons son walking bride down aisle groom watching bride walk down aisle little boy with sunglasses on reflection in sunglasses bride and groom smiling at children bride and groom smiling at son bride smiling at husband ring bearer with metal suitcase ring bearer metal suitcase

exchanging rings wedding ceremony first kiss husband wife family pouring goldfish into goldfish bowl unity ceremony goldfish goldfish in goldfish bowl family photo happy family at altar happy couple coming down aisle

family photo at wedding snuggling bride and groom bride and groom close up bride and groom portrait bride jumping on bed bride and groom on bed custom wedding cake iron man wedding cake silhouette wedding rings in family fish bowl wedding silhouette iron man bride and groom kissing bride and groom first dance

bride and groom first dance chinese lanterns wedding bride and groom holding chinese lanterns silhouette chinese lanterns bride and groom holding lanterns bride kissing son bride and groom pose with batman

 

 

 

Did you love this wedding as much as we did? Let us know and lets hangout on Facebook or contact us today!

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/9/michelle-mark---carmens-hotel-wedding-hamilton-ontario Sat, 12 Sep 2015 17:16:06 GMT
Jessica & Steve - Documentary Family Engagement Shoot https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/8/jessica-steve---documentary-family-engagement-shoot One of the very best thing about being a little kid is spending the summer nights hanging out with your parents, doing the things you love in your cool backyard. It's especially awesome when you have really fun parents like Jessica & Steve, and who are getting married later this year. Mike had the best time with this super fun family, capturing a moment in their every day lives as a family of three (plus a couple of furry ones!), here in Hamilton, Ontario.  I had a hard time picking my favourites from this shoot, every picture makes me smile - and wish I was a little kid blowing bubbles in the backyard again! 

 

documentary black and white family shoot close up of bulldog mom and son playing video games woman and cat silhouette close up of tabby cat

dad and son playing video games jumping through sprinklers in the backyard jumping through sprinklers in the backyard jumping through sprinklers in the backyard boy jumping through sprinkler son squirting mom with watergun mom shooting little boy with water gun family hanging out on porch close up of old bulldog family blowing bubbles at eachother on summer night Hamilton family blowing bubbles at eachother on summer night Hamilton family blowing bubbles at eachother on summer night Hamilton family blowing bubbles at eachother on summer night Hamilton little boy mad at parents little boy angry at parents parents joking around with little boy happy funky couple Hamilton Ontario sweet couple snuggling on front porch

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) bubbles documentary family shoot funky family https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/8/jessica-steve---documentary-family-engagement-shoot Sun, 30 Aug 2015 22:42:12 GMT
Lisa & Andrew, Stratford Ontario Engagement Session https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/8/lisa-andrew-stratford-ontario-engagement-session One fine sunny day Mike headed on up to the beautiful town of Stratford, Ontario to shoot Lisa & Andrews engagement photos. This sweet couple was so excited to show off the sights of Andrew's hometown and Mike had a great time.  From the gorgeously historic train station, the famous Avon Theatre to the unique Stratford City Hall (which looks like it belongs in a storybook!), it was the perfect place to have an engagement shoot. Here are some of my favourites from the day, enjoy!

black and white engagement shoot couple snuggling behind pillars engagement shoot stratford festival couple kissing behind waterfall Walking outside stratford city hall silhouette of couple under bridge couple laughing in tunnel couple standing next to interesting brick wall couple kissing reflected in window

 

Did you love this shoot as much as I did? Contact us today to book Zekar Photography for your engagement or anniversary shoot! 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) documentary engagement photography reflection photography https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/8/lisa-andrew-stratford-ontario-engagement-session Fri, 21 Aug 2015 23:55:56 GMT
Kelly & Cole - Documentary Wedding Photography, The Waterfront Centre, Hamilton Ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/7/kelly-cole---documentary-wedding-photography-hamilton-yacht-club-hamilton-ontario When Mike met up with Kelly & Cole last year, the three of them had an instant connection. We knew right away that their wedding was going to be a lot of fun, and it was definitely that. Not only was it fun, it was full of sweet momentos and little bursts of their personalities that made the whole thing such a great celebration of their unique love for each other.  
 

Even though the weather was a little iffy the week leading up to their big day, the sun was shining as they both got ready at the Sheraton Hotel in Hamilton. Kelly & Cole decided to do a first reveal, which we always love because everyone is always more relaxed when they are together early in the day and it takes some of the stress of walking down the aisle out. Plus its always just so darn sweet, which you'll see in the pictures below. We did the formal-ish pictures over at our studio at The Cotton Factory, which always makes a super unique backdrop. The ceremony was held at The Waterfront Centre, and from there on out the party was started. Take a look at some of my very favourite moments from the day!

bride texting getting ready busy room of bridal party getting ready bride looking at self in mirror sweet notes from groom
 

hands attaching charm to bridal bouquet
 

photo charm on bridal bouquet silhouette of bridal getting ready bridal party seeing bride for first time deck of cards with i love you note
 

cute little boy in a suit cute little boy in a suit groom getting hair spray groom getting shirt on bride and groom first reveal hotel bride and groom first reveal hotel bride and groom first reveal hotel bride and groom first reveal hotel bride and groom first reveal hotel bride and groom first reveal hotel bride and groom in back of limo bridal portrait low light photography bridal portrait low light photography bridal portrait low light photography bridal portrait low light photography bridal portrait low light photography bridal portrait low light photography wedding ceremony hamilton yacht club wedding ceremony hamilton yacht club wedding ceremony hamilton yacht club wedding ceremony hamilton yacht club wedding ceremony hamilton yacht club bride and groom first kiss altar
 

date night jar whiskey bottle go-pro whiskey bottle go-pro bride and groom first dance bride and groom first dance bride and groom first dance bridal reception emotional speeches bridal reception emotional speeches bridal reception emotional speeches bridal reception emotional speeches

hilarious speeches signed baseball bat

sunset waterfront bridal photos

dancing party reception dancing party reception night time bridal picture night time bridal picture Did you love this wedding as much as we did? Contact us today for more information!
 

 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) documentary wedding photography low light photography waterfront wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/7/kelly-cole---documentary-wedding-photography-hamilton-yacht-club-hamilton-ontario Thu, 23 Jul 2015 16:45:43 GMT
Christine, Mike & Baby Hannah - Documentary Family Photography, Hamilton, Ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/9/christine-mike-baby-hannah---documentary-family-photography-hamilton-ontario We are always so excited when we get the chance to do a documentary family photoshoot. To get a peek into the little, intimate moments of the everyday is such a privilege. Especially this one because I went to primary school with Christine so it was really cool to re-connect so many years later. I just love this little family, how Mike and Christine and just pouring their love all over little Hannah. Isn't she just the sweetest thing? With her little blonde curls starting to spring forth and those clear blue eyes, she is certainly one sweet little angel! 

baby blue eys baby girl smiling at camera family sitting on couch dad snuggling with baby girl mom feeding baby mom reading book to baby girl black and white photo of mom and baby baby looking at camera while mom kisses cheek baby sticking tongue out baby checking out big red apple dad snuggling with baby girl family of three photo

Wasn't that the sweetest? :) If you're interested in finding out how Mike can capture your family's every day memories, contact us today

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/9/christine-mike-baby-hannah---documentary-family-photography-hamilton-ontario Sun, 19 Jul 2015 18:00:00 GMT
Emily & Jason - Springtime Wedding, Guelph Wedding Photographer https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/6/emily-jason---springtime-wedding-guelph-wedding-photographer Emily is the only girl in a family of very loving and protective brothers, so the very fact that Jason passed the test (and there was probably more than one) was the a big sign that he was the One. So even though they both now live in Western Canada, it was a natural choice to come back home to Ontario to celebrate their wedding with their close knit families.  Emily and her dad have an especially close relationship, these two are so sweet. I just know that Jason is going to be the perfect man to fill those shoes!

The ceremony took place at the stunningly gorgeous Church of Our Lady Immaculate, a landmark church located in Guelph, Ontario. We just loved how the springtime sunlight bathed over Emily & Jason as they said their vows. With a handmade ring box made by Emily's grandfather, stunning plumeria flowers in the bouquets and delicate lace details, the entire wedding was a tribute to the romance between this sweet couple.  The reception was held at Paragon Banquet Hall & Catering in Cambridge - check out the gorgeous chandelier above the dance floor. Here are some of my very favourite images from the day - get your tissues ready! 

black and white photo groomsmen getting ready black and white photo groomsmen getting ready silhouette of cowboy

groomsmen walking across parking lot

plumeria boutinierres bride getting makeup on siblings looking at iphone little girl trying on wedding dress little girl trying on wedding dress bride trying on dress bride trying on dress dad putting shoes on bride dad putting shoes on bride dad putting shoes on bride dad putting shoes on bride dad helping bride come down stairs bride and grandfather cathedral pews handmade wooden ring box bride waiting to go down aisle ring bearer and flower girl coming down aisle dad walking daughter down aisle

bride and father walking down aisle bride walking down aisle

groom smiling at bride down aisle bride and groom at altar

catholic wedding ceremony catholic wedding ceremony catholic wedding ceremony

couple snuggling in church pew couple snuggling in pew black and white wedding couple snuggling on metal spiral stairs bride on motorcycle outside of church church of our lady guelph ontario church of our lady guelph ontario bridal party shot outside of old church couple kissing outside old church shadows and light black and white shadows wedding photography black and white romantic photography bride and groom walking through trees holding hands bride and groom walking through trees holding hands bride and groom walking through trees holding hands

wedding rings shot emotional wedding speeches bride and groom kiss at podium

bride and groom first dance backlight bride and groom first dance bride and groom first dance

bride and father first dance bride and father first dance mother and son dance sister and brother dance brothers groom bride hugging dancing at reception bouquet toss bride tossing bouquet garter groom bride garter groom bride garter groom bride

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) black and white wedding photography cathedral wedding catholic wedding plumeria wedding flowers https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/6/emily-jason---springtime-wedding-guelph-wedding-photographer Sun, 28 Jun 2015 21:26:01 GMT
Louci & Sarkis - Luxurious Spring Wedding, Carmen's Banquet Hall, Hamilton, Ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/6/louci-sarkis---luxurious-spring-wedding-carmens-banquet-hall-hamilton-ontario Louci and Sarkis got married on a perfect Spring day this past April. These two put a ton of work into every detail of their wedding, right down to the stunning flower arrangements by my very favourite florist, Lush Florals. The end result was the most gorgeous mix of fresh flowers and elegant silver accents, pulled together by the fabulous Anna at Spunky Sapphire. I just loved joining Louci in her excitement for her big day, and the pictures turned out just incredibly. How perfect is her wedding dress you guys!? :) Louci's beloved grandparents flew in from Armenia and the whole day was a beautiful celebration of love and happiness. Here are some of my very favourite photos from their awesome celebration! 

p.s Check out the bridal party taking a selfie at the altar! Too funny!

bride getting makeup done bride getting makeup applied to face

grandfather watching granddaughter bride

wedding dress hanging in window bride looking behind her

peonies, white roses, mauve and silver wedding bouquet peonies, white roses, mauve and silver wedding bouquet bride and flower girl playing piano bride laughing near window flower girl looking at mom doing up wedding dress mother doing up wedding dress bridal dress with beaded neckline

black and white photo of bridal gown bridesmaids watching bride getting dress on bride putting earrings on bride walking down stairs to see her dad father seeing bride for first time grandfather crying when he sees bride for first time

flower girl and ring bearer coming down aisle groom crying as bride walks down the aisle groom crying as bride walks down the aisle groom crying as bride walks down the aisle groom smiling at bride at altar

armenian blessing wedding kids fighting in church pews kids fighting in church pews

bride and groom at altar bridal party taking selfie at altar

happy couple walking down aisle bridal party walking outside wedding photos McMaster University campus, Hamilton, Ontario wedding photos McMaster University campus, Hamilton, Ontario wedding photos McMaster University campus, Hamilton, Ontario wedding photos McMaster University campus, Hamilton, Ontario wedding photos McMaster University campus, Hamilton, Ontario

bride and groom seeing decor for the first time

silver, mauve, springtime wedding theme

silver and purple wedding theme silver, mauve, springtime wedding theme silver, mauve, springtime wedding theme

diamond wedding rings

black and white bridal party photos black and white bridal party photos

bride and groom first dance bride and groom first dance bride and groom first dance bride and father dance together groom and mother dance first time groom and mother dance first time bridal party lifts bride and groom up on chairs crowd dancing at wedding reception crowd dancing at wedding reception crowd dancing at wedding reception crowd dancing at wedding reception

 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) armenian weddings carmens's banquet hall mauve flowers silver wedding accents https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/6/louci-sarkis---luxurious-spring-wedding-carmens-banquet-hall-hamilton-ontario Mon, 08 Jun 2015 00:45:44 GMT
Kirsten & Travis - Waterfront Banquet Centre, Hamilton, Ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/8/kirsten-travis---hamilton-yacht-club-wedding-hamilton-ontario One of the things I always really love about our line of work is meeting all sorts of different kinds of people. A lot of our couples are pretty outgoing and have no issues having a photog follow them around all day. But some of our couples might be a little on the quiet side, and thats exactly where the documentary style photography that we do fits in perfect.

Kirsten and Travis are just the sweetest couple, what I love most about their wedding photos is how you can see that they light eachother up when they are together. The way that Kirsten looks up at her man, the way that Travis gazes at his lady, its all just too cute for words. They got married on a cloudy / rainy-ish day and it was a good thing we had our photography studio over at The Cotton Factory for backup. I always love the contrast between the industrial grittiness of the factory and the softness of the wedding atmosphere.  The ceremony and reception was held over at The Waterfront Banquet Centre and a great time was had by all.

 

Take a look below at some of my favourites from the day!

bride waiting for groom first reveal bride waiting for groom first reveal bride waiting for groom first reveal bride waiting for groom first reveal bride waiting for groom first reveal bride waiting for groom first reveal

bride and groom seeing eachother for the first time bridal portrait Sheraton Hotel Hamilton bride smiling at groom in hotel lobby bridal portraits the cotton factory bride and groom snuggling in abandoned building

bride and groom on white background bride and groom prism effect bride and groom laughing with eachother detail ring shot wedding ceremony at hamilton yacht club wedding ceremony at hamilton yacht club wedding ceremony at hamilton yacht club grandma hugging receiving line bride and groom introductions bride and groom first dance bride and groom first dance bride feeds cake to groom

wedding speeches wedding speeches wedding speeches wedding emotional speeches wedding emotional speeches

daddy daughter dance

Wasn't that a sweet wedding? If you'd like to inquire more about how our documentary style photography might be the perfect fit for you, contact us today! 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) documentary wedding photography first reveal wedding photography https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/8/kirsten-travis---hamilton-yacht-club-wedding-hamilton-ontario Sat, 09 May 2015 20:15:00 GMT
The London Family - Documentary Newborn Photography, Burlington, Ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/5/the-london-family---documentary-newborn-photography-burlington-ontario I have known Krystal for about 12 years now, so when we got the chance to photograph her little baby girl last month, I was pretty excited. I love how the photographs show the beauty of baby Amelia, and the love and adoration in her mama and daddy's faces. Don't you just love the look of pure pride on Matt's face? We've just started doing these documentary family photoshoots and we are absolutely loving it! Here are some of my very favourite photos of this super sweet family! 

close up newborn baby baby newborn feet baby girl asleep on lap baby girl relaxed in moms arms

dad holding daughter in arms

black and white profile of baby close up of baby girl lying on white backdrop close up of baby girl lying on white backdrop dad holding newborn baby girl proud dad looking at baby

baby girl holding moms finger mom looking at newborn baby

mom and dad smiling at baby girl dad smiling and holding daughter happy family of three sweet family of three

 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/5/the-london-family---documentary-newborn-photography-burlington-ontario Fri, 01 May 2015 22:12:00 GMT
Emily & Michael, In-Home Documentary Style Newborn Shoot, Hamilton, Ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/4/emily-michael-in-home-documentary-style-newborn-shoot-hamilton-ontario We are absolutely loving doing the in-home documentary style family sessions we've been getting into lately. This is baby Hazel and her Mom, Emily and Dad, Michael. I first met Emily in primary school and we recently re-connected through Facebook, so I was really excited when she hired us to document the first few weeks with her super sweet baby girl. Mike had a great time with these guys and their little puff ball dogs. Take a look at my favourites from the shoot, the love that these two have for their baby girl is so tangible, I just love it. Kinda makes a girl tear up a little!

 

dad holding newborn baby

baby staring up at dad with love

daddy hands holding baby girl 7 week old baby girl black pomeranian black pomeranian baring teeth

couple holding hands pomperania mom tickling newborns face mom holding seven week old sitting up mom feeding baby dad feeding baby bottle dad cuddling baby girl mom holding babies feet tiny newborn baby feet close up newborn baby portrait close up newborn baby portrait newborn looking up at mom black and white mom snuggling baby girl

new mom snuggling with newborn baby family documentary photoshoot new mom snuggling with newborn baby family documentary photoshoot new mom snuggling with newborn baby family documentary photoshoot

Did you love this photoshoot as much as we do? Contact us today to book your own in-home documentary style family photoshoot! 

 

 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) documentary family photography documentary newborn photography newborn photography https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/4/emily-michael-in-home-documentary-style-newborn-shoot-hamilton-ontario Sat, 25 Apr 2015 20:46:34 GMT
Carys & Carmine - Elegant Winter Wedding, Cambridge, Ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/4/carys-carmine---elegant-winter-wedding-cambridge-ontario Mike and I totally hit it off with Carys & Carmine during our initial meeting so we were pretty stoked when they chose us to be their wedding photographers. After a fun engagement shoot with their big, adorable furbaby Titan, we really enjoyed ourselves at their super elegant and romantic winter wedding this past January at the Cambridge Mill.  

These two fell in love shortly after they met, with Carys being the sweetest girlfriend ever and flying to Ottawa to be with Carmine after his beloved Grandma passed away, just three months after they met. Their devotion and love for eachother is so apparent, I adore the beautiful emotions that are all over their faces, especially the heart-meltingly sweet moments where Carys is (trying to) say her vows. 

Here are some of my very favourite images from the day!

groomsmen getting ready

steampunk cuff links groom getting ready groom getting ready groom looking at cell phone bridal dress in window bridal bouquet bridesmaids helping bride get dress on

bridesmaid doing up bridal dress

bridal nail polish little boy marine solidier groom crying as wife walks down aisle black and white photo bride walking down aisle parents giving away the bride parents giving away the bride bride crying as she says her vows bride crying as she says her vows bride and groom kissing at the altar bride and groom posing in doorway backlit

black and white photo of bride and groom kissing in doorway bridal party dancing entrance bridal party dancing entrance mc black and white bride and groom kissing at wedding reception bride and groom kissing in snowstorm cambridge mill wedding cambridge ontario bridal portrait nighttime snow night time bridal portrait snowstorm bride and groom first dance black and white groom and mother first dance wedding rings on snow nighttime wedding photography

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) night time wedding photography winter wedding photography https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/4/carys-carmine---elegant-winter-wedding-cambridge-ontario Mon, 13 Apr 2015 00:14:29 GMT
Gauntlett Family - Documentary Family Photographer, Hamilton, Ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/3/gauntlett-family---documentary-family-photographer-hamilton-ontario Here is the second shoot in the new family series we're starting which is focusing on the beauty in the every day moments of every day families. This time we hung out with the Gauntlett family and their two super cute littles, who just loved having a photographer around to ham it up for. I love how much of a team Ashleigh and her husband are, especially how Steve is the chef in the house. I know from experience how lovely it is to not have to cook! Mike had a great time with these guys and I think they had a great time too. Here are some of my favourites! 

 

little girl smiling with headband little girl kissing cats head

black and white of baby boy toddlers playing together mom and daughter on couch

mom snuggling little girl on couch mom snuggling little girl on couch

dad making dinner with laptop in background

family making dinner

little boy looking up at dads face

little girl looking at ipad

little girl sneaking food

mother feeding baby mother feeding baby

little girl grabbing dads hand

mom feeding baby girl dad wrestling with baby boy little boy playing with flashlight little boy playing with flashlight parents putting pajamas on child parents putting pajamas on child family reading bedtime story family reading bed time story black and white dad and daughter reading a book mom reading book to daughter family wrestling before bed family wrestling before bed kids playing in playroom mom chasing toddler mom chasing toddler baby kissing daddy goodnight

baby kissing daddy goodnight

Did you love this shoot as much as we did? Tell us about it on Facebook or contact us today to book your own! 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) black and white family photography candid photographic moments everyday life https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/3/gauntlett-family---documentary-family-photographer-hamilton-ontario Thu, 19 Mar 2015 17:43:56 GMT
Derraugh Family - Documentary Style Family Photographer, Hamilton https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/3/derraugh-family---documentary-style-family-photographer-hamilton A couple of months ago, I was talking to a couple I know who have children who are grown up and recently moved out of the house. They were talking about how fast life goes, and how quickly kids grow up - something we all hear, but when you get to the 'other side' (the empty nest side), it becomes real. This couple mentioned that it was the every day, regular days that they missed the most. Just putting the kids to bed, snuggling in for a story, having dinner together. So we got the idea to extend Mike's documentary style talents into our family photography sessions.  I love this kind of shoot - you dont have to get dressed up, you don't have to plan for location and worry about  the weather and whether or not your kids are going to behave. It's just real life, beautifully captured.

Here is one of the first sessions we did, on a regular, everyday weeknight. Baby Rowen just learned to crawl a few weeks ago, I just love her bright, curious little face! 

father and daughter playing little baby peeking behind couch

baby crawling over to cat baby sticking tongue out daddy and daughter

father daughter hands

baby on floor

mom and daughter playing cat looking down from balcony family sitting down to dinner baby eating dinner baby eating dinner

baby eating strawberry baby eating dinner

mom getting baby ready for bath black and white photo of baby in bath water being poured on baby's head parents giving baby bath parents playing with baby on carpet

mother feeding child

mom feeding baby baby playing with cat documentary family photoshoot baby playing with puppet documentary family photoshoot baby playing with puppet documentary family photoshoot baby playing with puppet documentary family photoshoot baby playing with puppet

baby laughing at puppet

Did you love this shoot as much as we did? Tell us about it on Facebook or contact us today to book your session! 

 

 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) black and white family photography documentary style family photos documentary style photographer family photo https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/3/derraugh-family---documentary-style-family-photographer-hamilton Mon, 16 Mar 2015 17:34:00 GMT
Shannon & Brandon - Winter Engagement Shoot, Hamilton https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/3/shannon-brandon---winter-engagement-shoot-hamilton On the day of Shannon & Brandon's engagement shoot, it was snowing. Like, a lot. But nonetheless, they showed up at Cherry Hill Gate at the RBG to meet Mike and make their way into the woods. The results turned out so lovely, with the snow swirling around them and Shannon's fantastically bright red coat, I just love it. But the best part was that at this particular spot, the chickadees are extremely social and friendly and they were more than happy to indulge themselves in a mid-winter buffet on Shannon and Brandon's shoulders. The even better part about this? Shannon is a Ph.D student in Behavioural and Cognitive Neuroscience who is currently studying chickadees. How completely perfect is that?! :) Here are some of my very favourites! 

 

snowy engagement shoot hamilton

couple kissing in the woods black and white snowy picture black and white picture snow couple walking in the snowy woods hand feeding birds chickadee on man's shoulder black and white picture couple kissing birds woods

I found this one hilarious. It looks like the bird on the left is going, "oh Brandon, it's beautiful! You shouldn't have!" (But Shannon informs me that they are in fact actually fighting over the seeds)

chickadee's fighting over seeds

close up of chickadee and engagement ring couple feeding three birds in woods snowy engagement shoot snowy engagement shoot

And for all you bird nerds out there (like us), here are some of Shannon and Brandon's audience. :) 

winter birds in ontario winter birds in ontario winter birds in ontario winter birds in ontario

Did you love this shoot as much as we did? Tell us about it on Facebook or contact us today! 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) bird feeding snowstorm engagement shoot winter engagement shoot https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/3/shannon-brandon---winter-engagement-shoot-hamilton Tue, 10 Mar 2015 18:15:59 GMT
Mark & Michelle, Family Engagement Shoot, Hamilton https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/3/mark-michelle-family-engagement-shoot-hamilton A couple weeks ago, Mike met up with Mark, Michelle and their adorable little kids to do a fun family & engagement shoot. These guys were totally fun to work with and they all had a blast. And look how gorgeous those kids are! I love how their individual personalities shine through in the pictures. Here are some of my favourites, enjoy!

family photoshoot industrial hamilton black and white family photoshoot family of six photoshoot modelling portrait black and white natural light modelling portrait kids children portrait photographer hamilton boy on antique ladder punk rock kid photoshoot 4 year old photoshoot family hamilton kids photoshoot hamilton kids jumping photoshoot couple snuggling by window couple snuggling on couch engagement shoot black and white couple on antique bench engagement shoot

 

Looking to book a family photo shoot with Zekar Photography? We'd love to hear from you! Contact us today or come hang out with us on Facebook!

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) family engagement shoot family shoot wedding photography https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/3/mark-michelle-family-engagement-shoot-hamilton Mon, 02 Mar 2015 14:55:49 GMT
Olivia & Tom - Cottage Country Wedding, Barrie https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/2/olivia-tom---cottage-country-wedding-barrie We've been excited for Olivia and Tom's wedding ever since Mike did their super cute engagement shoot at McMaster University. These two have so much chemistry, they look like they were literally made for each other. Olivia says that snuggling is her favourite, and it's not hard to see why - I think these two could be models for how snuggling is supposed to look! 

The wedding took place at the intimate and rustic Nottawasaga Conservation Authority. Both Tom and Olivia are major outdoors people, so it was the perfect fit. The two of them thought of every single detail for their acorn & scottish themed wedding, right down to the absolutely adorable handmade acorn chocolates and matching cake. I just adore Olivia's vintage dress, she looked absolutely gorgeous, especially with her fantastic shoes from very cool (and local!) Poetic Licence. Even the bridesmaids dresses were unique in the way that an evening or formal party dress probably wouldn't have fit with the theme, but the sweet swingy skirt and fitted cardigans were perfect. 

As you take a look through my favourites of this wedding, take note of the night time shots near the end - this is a prime example of what happens when Mike gets a bolt of inspiration for a picture. He might make you stand  outside in the cool night air, wondering what the heck he could possibly be doing, but believe me, Olivia and Tom trusted their photographer and the results were amazing. 

 

groom getting ready

wedding writing on bottom of shoes bride looking out window poetic licence wedding shoes bridesmaids helping bride get ready bride looking at self in mirror happy bride laughing wedding writing on bottom of shoes groom waiting for bride bride walking toward groom in woods bride seeing groom for first time bride and groom hugging by water

bride fixing groom tux bride smiling at camera black and white photo bride and groom woods acorn themed wedding programs groom walking down aisle groom watching bride come down aisle bride coming down aisle in woods mom kissing daughter at altar bride looking at groom altar groom looking at bride altar bride and groom kissing woods altar light beam wedding altar bride and groom with arms around eachother bride and groom smiling down wedding aisle bride and groom kissing on wooded trail bride and groom kissing on wooded trail

bridal portrait bridal portrait bride and groom happily ever after sign kissing on lake woods autumn bride and groom kissing on bridge bride and groom kissing on bridge yellow mums and poms wedding bouquet

yellow button boutinierres

acorn themed wedding

wedding rings on tartan acorns black and white wedding photo bride and groom enjoying speeches bride and groom first dance bride and groom first dance bride and groom first dance

black and white wedding reception photos black and white wedding reception photos night time wedding photography night time wedding photography

 

 

 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) acorn themed wedding cottage country wedding forest wedding muskoka wedding yellow and blue wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/2/olivia-tom---cottage-country-wedding-barrie Tue, 24 Feb 2015 00:18:54 GMT
Tori & Justin - Cambridge Mill Wedding, Cambridge https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/2/tori-justin---cambridge-mill-wedding-cambridge Tori & Justin had an awesome wedding this past fall at Cambridge Mill in Cambridge, Ontario. I just love how they incorporated their cool sense of style and personalities into their wedding, and really made sure to have an absolute blast. These two have been together since high school and you can see that their love has grown so deep and strong over the years. With Tori's stunningly dramatic dress, and the cool steampunk & gothic inspired details, Mike absolutely loved shooting their unique day. Here are some of my favourite moments, enjoy!

groomsmen waiting for bride bride and groom reveal bride and groom reveal groom seeing bride for the first time black wedding dress black and white photo bride and groom bride and groom formal wedding photo

black and white photo of bride and groom crossing the street

bride standing by window ambient lighting dark red bridal bouquet rhinestone accents bride and groom first kiss altar sneak pictures bride and groom in hallway bridal party portrait night time steampunk groomsmen watches groom holding baby bride and groom dancing dancing wedding reception bride hugging friend bride and groom black and white portrait

 

 

 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) black cambridge dress gothic mill wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/2/tori-justin---cambridge-mill-wedding-cambridge Thu, 19 Feb 2015 14:32:02 GMT
Liam & Katie - Steam Whistle Brewery Wedding, Toronto https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/2/liam-katie---steamwhistle When Katie & Liam decided to commission us to do their wedding, Mike and I were super pumped. This was a couple who was so excited about their day and had put a lot of effort into making everything totally reflect their personality. The result was an elegant, intimate day that was an absolute blast to shoot. Katies mom hand-picked the flowers and brought them all the way from Sasketchewan. They had vintage books donning every table, reflecting the couples eclectic literary tastes.  Roopa, a close friend of the couple, officiated the wedding and recited their love story as as a spoken word poem, complete with jazzy piano backups adding crescendos and appropriate drama. Liam's niece, the very talented Kennedy,  blessed the evening meal with a beautiful opera song. And Katie and Liam's friend Henry added to the romantic ambience of the cocktail hour by singing a few of the couples favourite songs. Not to mention the whole thing taking place at the absolutely fabulous Steam Whistle Brewery in downtown Toronto, Ontario. It's really amazing how many talented and loving friends these guys have around them, everything added to the absolutely perfect day.

I love the way these two look at eachother - Katie is stunningly elegant in her vintage style dress, she has a grace and beauty about her that Liam did not miss a single second of. No wonder he fell in love with at first sight!

Take a look at some of our favourite images from their day, and enjoy!

mother helping daughter get ready vintage wedding hair

saskatchewan flowers

 

bride waiting for groom bride waiting for groom bride and groom see eachother for the first time groom seeing bride for the first time

bride and groom laughing black and white picture of couple hugging bride and groom holding hands adorable flower girl and ring bearer bride and groom in rowboat bride and groom in rowboat bride and groom sitting on boat bride and groom portrait seagulls

hilarious bridal party shot groomsmen

friend playing piano ceremony at steamwhistle brewery parents walking groom down aisle mother hugging groom at aisle flower girl and ring bearer bride and groom at altar bride looking at groom crowd looking at wedding party funny wedding ceremony wedding ceremony at steamwhistle brewery bride and groom cheering down aisle bride and groom high-five beside train

groom greeting guests guests checking out ring

 

vintage books on wedding table table decorations book lovers

reception at Steamwhistle Brewery Toronto

black and white photo of bride and groom entering reception opera singer at wedding bride and groom wedding photography CN Tower Toronto night time wedding photography fan expo black and white wedding photography steam whistle brewery toronto night time wedding photography toronto reception photography bride and groom first dance bride and groom kissing black and white bride dancing with father wedding reception friends hugging bride at reception

 

 

 

 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/2/liam-katie---steamwhistle Fri, 06 Feb 2015 23:03:18 GMT
Mallory & Mark - Royal Botanical Gardens Wedding - Hamilton, Ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/1/mallory-mark---rbg When our friends Mallory & Mark asked us to photograph their wedding, we were so excited. These two are such an awesome couple - they are truly  teammates. Earlier in the year we met up with them to do a fun, curling themed engagement shoot, since Mark is a professional curler and Mallory is quite the player herself.

 Fast forward to their beautiful wedding held at the Royal Botanical Gardens, which was so much fun. These two have the sweetest family, from their adorable little kids to their amazingly loving and supportive extended family. Their little guy is such a gentleman - when I was walking with him and Mallory to the spot where were meeting Mark, he said "My mom? She looks better than Cinderella."  And Mark - Well, you could say he agreed.  Mark has an unabashed love for his beautiful wife. We seriously had to pick this guys jaw up off the floor when he saw her for the first time during their reveal. You can literally see the hearts floating around their heads, the magic between them has definitely not been dampened by the ups and downs of everyday life.  Mallory looks at Mark as her protector, her knight in shining armour and as an amazing dad. Without further adieu, here are some of my favourites from this Hamilton, Ontario wedding! 

man looking in mirror

man putting tie on little boy groom portrait

black calla lilly bouquet

bride getting ready bride putting on earrings

bride walking past dad groom waiting for bride bride coming up behind groom

groom seeing bride for the first time groom kissing bride bride and groom hugging

bride and groom calm water

bride and groom reflection

bride and groom kissing by vines bride and groom kissing by vines

couple kissing on bench romantic bride and groom laughing bride and groom

bride and groom in yellow flowers flower girl flower girl and ring bearer walking down aisle happy couple at altar smiling bride at altar laughing couple at altar bride and groom kissing at altar bride and groom coming down aisle mom hugging daughter first dance groom first dance bride crying at speech happy couple speeches bride and groom kissing dancing

 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/1/mallory-mark---rbg Fri, 30 Jan 2015 21:37:03 GMT
Dominican Republic with The Samaritan Foundation - Zekar Photography https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/1/dominican-republic-with-the-samaritan-foundation A little while back, Mike had the chance to visit the Dominican Republic with The Samaritan Foundation Organization. They helped build a home for a mom and her little girls, they visited kids in orphanages and long term care facilities, men in drug and rehab centers and got to know some of the local people.  He witnessed the amazing work that is being done to help the Dominican people build healthy, sustainable lives. Here are some of our favourite pictures from his trip.

woman and child

children in dominican dominican boy black and white photo of kids in mud boy playing in mud dragonfly on barbed wire dominican boys playing baseball dominican school children dominican kids eating popsicles beautiful dominican little girl dominican children man in slums dominican republic

man giving gum to little boy

dog in alleyway dominican woman in curlers dominican boy with stick

Dominican skyline Dominican countryside

This is one of the villages that The Samaritan Foundation has built with the hearts and hands of volunteers.

Dominican village built by The Samaritan Foundation dominican village the samaritan foundation

This is a typical home in the poorest areas of Puerto Plata.

dominican slums

A Dominican Village.

dominican slums

cow walking through residential Puerto Plata cow walking through residential Puerto Plata

beautiful dominican baby dominican man dominican man dominican children peeking out from doorway

dog lying by front door little dominican boy dominican little boy black and white photo of little girl

man on horse in sugar canes boy in overalls sweet newborn baby girl little boy in doorway boy laughing dominican

The woman who received the home. Clean, with plumbing and electricity. Safe and secure for herself and her precious babies. http://thesamaritanfoundationdr.com/

woman receiving home

For more info on some of these pictures, join us on Facebook

 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) dominican republic off the resort the samaritan foundation https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/1/dominican-republic-with-the-samaritan-foundation Tue, 27 Jan 2015 23:24:23 GMT
The Springsteads- Family Photography with Zekar Photography, Hamilton https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/1/the-springsteads--family-photography-with-zekar-photography-hamilton Even though after Christmas can be pretty dreary and blah around here, it makes doing family shoots even more fun. When we met up with the Springstead family to do a relaxed family photoshoot, it was pretty darn cold out so we headed on over to our studio space at 270 Sherman Ave N, in Hamilton. We were limited to a smaller part of the space due to some construction, so Mike was really excited to find out what kinds of shots he could pull out of a space that had only a couple of varieties of backgrounds. This family was a ton of fun, and the boys were super high energy, so it was only natural that the shoot turned into a mini wrestle-fest. We think the oldest boys black eye (acquired the day before the shoot, naturally) totally added to the rough-and-tumble feel to this shoot. At the end, the boys were sent to run around in circles somewhere else while this yummy Mummy and Daddy showed off their cool new tattoos. 

 

man by factory window

industrial family photography little boy on wood floor

family photography family photography hamilton dad and son photography dad wrestling with sons mom with sons tattoo photography

Did you like this shoot as much as we did? Head on over to Facebook and lets be friends! 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) low light photography unique family photography https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/1/the-springsteads--family-photography-with-zekar-photography-hamilton Thu, 22 Jan 2015 22:49:46 GMT
Matt & Katie - Hernder Estates Winery Wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/1/matt-katie---hernder-estates-winery-wedding We had the privilege of photographing the wedding of two of our friends this past fall. Katie and Matt have been together for a long time, and they are undoubtedly one of the cutest couples I know. Their beautiful wedding was held at  Hernder Estate Winery in St Catharines - definitely worth checking out. They were super friendly and really professional and the grounds are just beautiful. When Katie & Matt's hilarious wedding officiant was talking about how much fun he had with them in their pre-marriage classes, he mentioned that when he asked them why they were sure their marriage was going to last, they both answered 'because we're awesome!' at the same time. And they are! You'll see what I mean as you scroll through some of my favourites from this fun filled wedding, full of love, laughter and true romance.  Oh, and in case you're wondering - no, the monarch butterfly is not photoshopped in. He just wanted to wish the happy couple a congratulations :) 

 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) st catharines wedding photographer vineyard wedding winery weddings https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/1/matt-katie---hernder-estates-winery-wedding Fri, 16 Jan 2015 14:12:22 GMT
5 Tips on how to get the most out of your documentary family photography session https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/1/how-to-get-the-most-out-of-your-family-session

With the nice weather finally here we have had many requests for outdoor family sessions.  I thought I would share with you some of what in my experience are the "do's" and "don'ts" of a successful documentary photo session with young children indoors or out. This will also give a preview of what usually takes place during the time we spend together.

I love photographing families doing their thing. Although posed photographs have their appeal, I believe that the true bond between family members becomes visible when they play and have fun together.  I love documenting the looks, the smiles, the friendly nudges and loving embraces.  But for all that to happen the stage has to be set long before the family arrives at our meeting spot.

1. Arrange the session around the child's schedule.  You as parents are the experts on your children and we rely on you to tell us when your little ones might be in the best mood. As a mom I know that this "phenomenon" usually happens when they had a good nap and their little bellies are full.  But is that not true for all of us?  And let's not underestimate the importance of a clean diaper ;) 

While there are better and worse times for doing photography outdoors we specialize in capturing your memories at any time of day. 

2. Allow enough time. We try and keep the sessions about an hour long.  Just about the right length of time for a nice leisurely walk in the park. Children can get tired and bored easily. This time is usually ample enough to let the kids and everyone else get used to me and the camera. Then once the fun begins it's my job to in turn make them forget all about me and  that is then the magic happens.  "Play" and "relax" are the key words here. In my experience, children don't do well when they are rushed or not enjoying themselves. If need be we will take time to take a break and have a drink and a little snack. I know I don't need to remind the parents to bring one along.  Having said that, sometimes we have to work on the child's timetable. I have had very successful sessions where the child cried for the first 45 minutes.  I just documented the crying and the parents comforting the baby. I was able to capture some very tender moments for the family that the parents were very happy with. 

3. Pick a spot.  You as parents know best whether your child will be happiest indoors or out. Do they like playing with their toys inside or a visit to the playground will be better to allow us to capture them at their best. Either way I usually arrive at the a little bit earlier to scout out the place for the best locations and the best light at any given time of day. It helps things go a little bit smoother once the little ones arrive. I have had a lot of experience with children of all ages having raised three kids (including a set of twins) myself. I have many tricks up my sleeve that I use to capture the little ones' attention. So the parents don't need to worry about coaxing the children to smile and look at the camera.  Besides sometimes a little touch or look can say more than a thousand words ever could...

4. Once there don't worry and stress too much about your child's mood.  Unless they are ill and not feeling well we will spend enough time together to get the best moments out of them. The beauty of a documentary family session is that all the moments are precious and worth capturing.  Even the tears and the tantrums.  The photographs give you a glimpse of a real family life in a way that the posed session never could.  They capture how everyone looks at a given moment in time but also documents the special moments, unique personalities and attitudes of everyone involved.

5. Bring something along to jump start the fun. If it's a birthday party then there is plenty going on already. When we are at a park then it could be your child's favourite toy or game. If the parents don't bring toys I often times bring something with me or find something to grab the child's attention and let them forget about the camera.

The bottom line is that it is important that we all enjoy this experience and that the session captures the uniqueness of each individual family.

Hope this helps you prepare for your session and that you enjoy the images!

Kamila

 

 

 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) documentary family photography kids photo shoot photography props photoshoot tips https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/1/how-to-get-the-most-out-of-your-family-session Thu, 01 Jan 2015 23:12:00 GMT
6 Ways To Get The Wedding Photos You Really Want https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/7/6-ways-to-get-the-wedding-photos-you-really-want There are many things that can happen on a wedding day that affect the quality of images. Locations, experience, light, equipment etc, the list is very long. For me as a professional, the thing that tops that list is time!

Weddings are already fast paced and highly emotional, even for the most laid back of couples. Adding a professional photoshoot into the mix only adds to the commotion. That is why an experienced photographer is essential if high quality pictures are of  great importance to you. A professional will come with that experience, gear, and artistic know-how to make photography an enjoyable part of the day rather than an experience you would rather avoid.

Even the most professional photographer has their limits however. It takes time to set up those award winning images you see all over the internet. Even a veteran photographer needs time, what they do is an art and if its rushed they may get the job done but that extra creativity they need for award winning images can be muted by the rush.

My experience has always been that couples that leave a little extra time always end up with images I submit to photography competitions or who have that weddings I use for sample albums in our studio.

night time wedding photography

There are two major reasons for this:

First, during the day there are some moments during the time we spend together to sit back and take a few breaths to relax. We are not rushed to get the job done and move to the next thing… So while I’m scouting and setting up they are relaxing and not feeling rushed to move to the next spot. The more they get to enjoy the quiet moments the more they are into one another when we are taking pictures. How often as a couple do you kiss and hug when you need to get a million things done in a day? Intimate moments are stimulated when you are both relaxed and focused on one another.

black and white wedding photography

Second, having a little extra time gives me the ability to do more scouting and creative thought. There are locations I have been numerous times and still to this day I will find a new image I’ve never taken there before if I have the time to look. When I have the time to study the light and shadows, look around corners, and let a couple relax in the moment the better the image gets.

So how long does it really take? That depends on your expectations what you desire to have done and the individual photographer. This is another reason why a professional is important, they will spend the time to learn what you want so they can get you what you need.

Below are 6 tips to consider when planning your picture time.

  1. Doing family photos at weddings is akin herding cats. People leave to freshen up, grab a drink, after all, it’s a party right? No matter how hard you try you will be waiting for people. To save frustration and let yourself and your guests enjoy the day, give lots of time for family pictures. If all goes well you will have extra for artistic portraits and if it’s a mess you had the extra time and all is well.
  2. Create a shot list. Preplanned shots are good because you have a list to check off, during the rush of the day it can be easy to forget even the most important people. Your photographer may not be familiar with your family dynamics. So leaving it in their hands to figure it all out can be a risk. Work with them to create a good shot list of the family and friends you want to have posed shots with.
  3. Start with a big group and work down. Its easer to have everyone you need in one spot and send them away when you’re done than it is to go find them one at a time. It’s also harder to pull someone away from a drink and a conversation then if their near and ready to get the picture and go party.
  4. Relax. The best thing to do is be yourself! This has much to do with the photographer you chose. Make sure they make you feel comfortable.
  5. Come prepared, bring extra shoes for walking, umbrellas, makeup, food and drink. There are things you will need and having to go get them if you don’t have them with you can take valuable time away from your pictures.
  6. And last but not least talk to your photographer, as what their opinion is when it comes to getting the job done. If you want simple shots it will take less time, if you want creative shots, you may need to leave time for them to work the situation out in the way they do. 

snowy night time wedding shot

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) night time wedding photography tips on how to plan your wedding day https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/7/6-ways-to-get-the-wedding-photos-you-really-want Thu, 01 Jan 2015 18:30:00 GMT
Linda & Andrew - Engagement Shoot at Albion Falls & James Street North https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/12/linda-andrew---engagement-shoot-at-albion-falls-james-street-north Had to do a quick post of this adorable engagement shoot with Linda & Andrew. I just love their super cozy sweaters and their super cozy romance :) We did this shoot at Albion Falls and then headed on over to James St N in Hamilton for a different feel. 

couple laughing in the leaves couple laughing in fall leaves couple laughing in fall leaves couple standing in fall field couple kissing in field couple laughing near graffiti couple snuggling in the rain couple snuggling in the rain couple in gray sweaters snuggling in front of stone well couple snuggling on city streets

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) cozy engagement shoot engagement shoot rain fall weather https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/12/linda-andrew---engagement-shoot-at-albion-falls-james-street-north Fri, 12 Dec 2014 21:10:51 GMT
Iain & Melissa - Liuna Gardens Wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/12/iain-melissa---liuna-gardens-wedding Iain & Melissa are the kind of couple I wish lived a lot closer than all the way out in Saskatchewan. We so thoroughly enjoyed working with these two, they are so in love with each other and had so much fun at their wedding, it was a lot of fun to shoot. Even with the constant threat of rain, the day went perfectly. Check out some of my favourites from their laid-back Sunday wedding at Liuna Gardens

bridal makeup application bride being pampered at wedding bride getting hair done bride getting make up applied beautiful bride

bride getting ready in hotel room bridesmaids

groom getting suspenders on groom putting shoes on

Iain and Melissa decided to do a first-look, which we always love. These two are super cute, I can just feel their joy right through the pictures!  black and white shot of groomsmen waiting groom waiting for bride groom waiting as bride walks toward him bride sneaks up behind groom groom sees bride for the first time groom cries as he sees bride for first time bride smiling at groom for the first time bride and groom kissing bride and groom laughing on boat dock bride and groom kissing on beach

During the formal photo session, Melissa got this crazy big splinter in her foot...my palms are sweating just thinking about it. Kind of a bummer, but she took it in stride. I'm sure it didn't feel to great the next day though! 

brides foot bride squeezing friends hand

After the repairs were done, it was time for the ceremony. The thing I love about Liuna Gardens is the outdoor ceremony location is so pretty, right on the water. It also has the worlds longest aisle, so if you're into making a big grand entrance, this place is for you! 

groom getting advice from dad mom crying as she walks down the aisle bride and father walking down aisle bride and dad walking down aisle father steps on brides dress bride and groom smiling at altar

wedding ceremony liuna gardens

laughing couple at wedding ceremony

bride and groom kissing at altar black and white picture bubbles

Generations :)

four generations of hands with rings

groomsmen portrait groom laughing with friends

The rest of the day was spent partying-on-down with their loved ones!  bride and groom first dance bride and groom first dance

surf and turf dinner bride laughing at reception black and white reception photos

 

 

 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) first look liuna gardens https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/12/iain-melissa---liuna-gardens-wedding Thu, 04 Dec 2014 16:36:47 GMT
Richard & Maria - Ancaster Mill Wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/11/richard-maria---ancaster-mill-wedding After Richard and Maria's fabulous engagement shoot last year, we couldn't wait to meet up with these two again on their wedding day. These two have such a natural chemistry with each other its kind of ridiculous. As you go through the pictures, you'll see what I mean - how Maria comes alive when Richard walks in the room, and how Richard simply adores his beautiful bride. 

flower girl and bridesmaid dancing

 

bride getting ready in mirror bride with champagne

bridal party cheers black and white bridal party roar

beautiful bride

I love the beauty of this next moment. There is nothing quite like seeing your mom's reaction on your wedding day!  bride crying when she sees her mom bride crying with mother

Over at the ceremony garden, Richard was anxiously awaiting his bride as he greeted his guests.  groom hugging mom

groom watching people down aisle flower girl coming down aisle

I love how Richard's groomsmen are checking to see if there were any tears!  groomsmen watching groom groomsmen watching groom

ring bearer waiting at aisle

After a short and sweet ceremony...Richard and Maria are finally married!

bride and groom laughing at ceremony bride kisses groom at altar bride kisses groom at altar

black and white photo bride and groom married black and white photo groomsman

Before you guys get to drool over the gorgeous formal photos, I gotta throw in this handsome ringbearer first. Does this kid have swagger or what!

cute ringbearer

bride and groom pose beside waterfall ancaster mill hamilton ontario bride and groom laughing by waterfall ancaster mill hamilton ontario

black and white photo of bride and groom kissing

bride and groom snuggling black and white

On our way over to the beautiful covered bridge that the Ancaster Mill has, Maria had to stop and do some footwear adjusting! 

bride taking off shoes bride tossing shoes up in the air

covered bridge photograph covered bridge bride and groom bride and groom sunlight

Looking this gorgeous really builds up an appetite, on to the reception!

guests cheering at the dinner table groom and flower girl hugging bridesmaids on cell phones bride and groom laughing at reception flower girl on cell phone bride and groom cake smash bride laughing at cake smash

bride and groom dancing first dance

So cheeky...

so cheeky

bride and groom first dance bride and groom first dance bride and groom first dance

dancing on dance floor

And the rest of the night was a big, fun party! 

dancing on dance floor

 

 

 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) documentary wedding mother of the bride ringbearer https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/11/richard-maria---ancaster-mill-wedding Mon, 01 Dec 2014 00:43:14 GMT
Heather & Lawrence - Spencers At The Waterfront Wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/11/heather-lawrence---spencers-at-the-waterfront-wedding To say that Heather was excited about her wedding day would be an understatement. I just love talking with brides who are amped up to have a great time, and Heather sure was excited to celebrate the day she was marrying her best friend. When Mike arrived at the Waterfront Hotel in Burlington, Heather and her best friend were literally jumping with joy. You know a wedding is going to be fun when the day starts off like this:

bride and bridesmaid jumping on bed

bridesmaids jumping on bed

bridesmaids jumping on bed

Eventually though, it was time to get down to business.

bride and bridesmaid with bridal gown

I love the look of pure intensity here. 

bridesmaid concentrating on dress
bridesmaid doing up bridal dress

silhouette of bride in window

After much primping, and intense lacing-up, Heather was finally ready - and gorgeous!

bridal portrait

Her daddy agreed!

dad hugging daughter on wedding day

Over in the grooms suite, it was all jokes and smiles as Lawrence got ready for the day. 

groom laughing putting tie on groom laughing with brother black and white picture of groom in sunglasses

Finally, Lawrence was ready to meet his lovely lady at the altar over at Spencer's on the Waterfront in Burlington. 

altar at spencers at the waterfront green calla lillies

unity candle

From here on in, it's kind of hard not to have a constant smile on your face while looking at the joy on Lawrence & Heathers face as they say I do!

groom waiting for bride groom waiting for bride

groom looking at bride coming down aisle

bride walking down aisle with father

father giving away bride at altar

bride and groom at altar bride and groom laughing at altar

bride crying at altar

unity candle lighting

bride and groom kissing at the altar

happy couple at altar

happy married couple

bride and groom looking backwards

bride and groom portrait

A lot of the very best moments at a wedding happen when nobody expects it, and Mike is always ready for it when things like this happen - Chef photobomb!  chef photo bombing bridal portrait

bride waiting for groom

black and white photo of bride and groom black and white photo of bride and groom jumping

bride and groom first dance

All of Heather loves all of Lawrence. :) bride and groom first dance rings in letter o

And all of me? Loves all of this dinner. Nom Nom x 100. 

delicious prime rib Spencers at the Waterfront, Burlington

bride dancing with father

bride and groom cuddling

A little newly-wed smooch underneath an August blood moon!

bride and groom kissing under blood moon

 

kissing beside waterfall bride and groom wedding portrait bride and groom backlit under starry sky

No wedding is complete without a random parkour kid!  bride and groom parkour

 

black and white photo of spencers at the waterfront at night spencers at the waterfront at night

 

 

 

 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) parkour wedding spencers wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/11/heather-lawrence---spencers-at-the-waterfront-wedding Sun, 09 Nov 2014 00:11:58 GMT
Jen & Rich - James Street North Engagement Shoot https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/11/jen-rich---james-street-north-engagement-shoot You know what I love about Jen and Rich's shoot - you can really see that these two are truly best friends. Every shot is casual but intimate and captures their easygoing friendliness. These two are tying the knot next year at Cobblestone Golf Club in Owen Sound, and they wanted to do something that was a totally different feel than the rustic elegance that their wedding will have.  Here are a few of my favourites from the day, taken on Hamilton's own James Street North

couple kissing on docking bay

couple kissing in docking bay graffitti couple laughing on bench couple kissing by oil drums

couple smiling in sunlight black and white photo of couple on bike racks couple hanging out by brick wall

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/11/jen-rich---james-street-north-engagement-shoot Mon, 03 Nov 2014 23:35:03 GMT
What is wedding photojournalism? https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/8/what-is-wedding-photojournalism Well its time to give my thoughts on our style here at Zekar.

The phrase 'wedding photojournalist' has become somewhat of a marketing term as of late. You can find it plastered all over wedding websites. The reason being is most photographers know that the traditional style of wedding photography is not something that attracts very many clients and to use the term suggests they are responsive to the demands of most couples these days. So I thought its time I put my thoughts in on the matter. 

Wedding photojournalism is often defined as capturing the wedding day in a manner that is unobtrusive and candid. I would agree with this for the most part. However, I feel photojournalistic wedding photography goes deeper than just this. Before I explain my thoughts on it I want to make sure you know one thing: there is no set in stone definition of this form of photography, and that is a good thing. What we do is an art and if you ever could define it its mystery and speciality would be diminished.

Some photographers believe wedding photojournalism means absolutely no interference with the moments at all, even to the point of only basic editing and no camera flash. Others will say the photographer is in control of the situation, lighting, where they place the subject, but not taking away from what happens naturally. And other may say something different still. Ultimately the only thing that matters is that if you are looking to have photojournalistic wedding photography done, make sure that whatever style is put forth by a potential photographer suits your needs, and the personality of your photographer complements you so you feel comfortable. 

bride and groom laughing at altar

What is wedding photojournalism at Zekar Photography?

So how do I define wedding photojournalism? For me it comes down to one simple idea: telling a genuine, natural story! I’m not one who will ask a wedding party to jump for a picture, in fact I don’t like those pictures because its overdone and I like to kick against the norm not copy it, it’s my nature to trail blaze. I don’t ever want to make a wedding look like some other wedding I found on a blog! However if a couple asks for one I do it because part of their story is the time where they asked for a certain picture from their photographer, so at that moment its natural and my feelings change. So in that sense I am happy to do it.

But what does telling a story mean to me? Its complicated. In fact I haven’t been able to figure it out completely yet myself. There is a good reason for that however, I am always growing, learning, changing, so how I define the core of my style has to be malleable. I revisit my foundation often and question it. 

However, there are three clear aspects to wedding photojournalism I see in my work that I can explain that will never change.

First is the story of the day. Most couples who commission me to document their day do so from beginning to end. The reason is they want to relive the whole day again and again through my pictures. So my primary focus is to tell the whole story of the day in the collection of images so that once they have gone through them all they have relived each part like they were right back on their day. Years after a wedding I have gotten emails from couples on their anniversary. They tell me “we just went through our wedding and want to thank you again, I took us right back and we remembered the whole thing”. That is my goal!

Second, telling a story in a single picture. This is where the magic happens. This idea separates a real photojournalist from one using the term as a marketing tool. So what is an example of this? Well, lets say a bride is sitting at the head table and her maid of honour is giving a speech. She brings up a past moment that causes the bride to tear up. The photographer takes notice and takes a picture of just the bride crying remembering her friendship. Is this a photojournalisim? It was candid, the photographer did not interfere, so is this photojournalism? For me however, I don’t think it has become wedding photojournalisim yet, certainly not in the single image. What story does it tell, if its just the bride in the image she could have just found out her chicken was over cooked and it upset her. Or maybe it was her father giving the speech, how could you ever know. What a wedding photojournalist will do is get that shot, but another that seeks to incorporate the brides maid in it as well so the viewer later on can see who it was that caused the emotion. For the bride it will remind her of her friendship again years down the road.

It also stretches a photographer to their creative limits, the best composition might be a picture of just the bride, the best light etc… but if it avoids the story it has missed the real picture taking place. So only experience and knowledge on how to make a situation work well will make a good image. This is what makes a good artist, one who can take limitations and have limitless options from experience to choose from, that tell the whole story. That to me is what wedding photojournalisim is when telling the story in a single image. 

Yep. They really did just say that.

 

Lastly, how far do I get involved in an image. This would be the controversial area where photographers really start to disagree. What crosses the boundary? There are two areas to talk about.

First is in the actual image its self, my best example would be the use of flash. Photography is the manipulation of light, everything you see is light that hit a sensor. So if you add or take away light you have changed the environment the couple was in. So for me, how I view light is I will ues it to enhance only what is happening.

A first dance is a good example, if it’s a very intimate dace where the couple feels as though they are the only ones in the room I will create light that complements that emotion by isolating them from the crowd. If they have done ball room dance lessons and are putting on a show for their guests I will create light that incorporates their guests.

The second aspect is in editing, how far do you manipulate and image? Do you change the colors to give it a vintage look? If you do that then you have in a sense created a false environment and have changed reality. So my same principle applies here, my edits will only go as far as to enhance what is already there. I will not manipulate an image, change the environment, change the mood, my goal is to keep the image as genuine to the moment as possible while making it artistic and of quality. 

What wedding photojournalism is not.

It is not just taking candid shots, it is a thought out, planned process to tell a story. Getting to know our couples their dreams and ideas for their day is massive so we can be prepared to get those moments. 

It is not avoiding posed shots, part of a wedding is doing portraits, so taking a hard line approach and not getting involved at all would mean no set up shots would happen. This is not the case for us at Zekar, and in fact many of the best candid moments I have gotten happen during a set up shot. How we approach the photojournalistic side of portraits is to do what we call staged shots, we find the best location, make suggestions to the couple, and then let then engage on another. There will be natural moments generated in this and we document that. We help create natural moments for the couple because portraits are a natural part of the day.

It is not without structure. We don’t cross our fingers and go into the day hoping to see all the moments by chance, we develop a detailed outline of the day, ask lots of questions about what will be taking place, and make lots of suggestions on how to structure things to be optimal for the best photojournalistic shots. 

Details are a big part of the pictures. Its not just about the people its about the things, the rings, flowers, handmade décor, all of these things were planned out before hand and are a major part of the day, we document them because they are part of the story as well. 

So to sum it up, wedding photojournalism is something left to be interpreted. Every photographer has a different approach or theory as to what it is. But at its core it’s the ability to tell the story of what is happening naturally. At Zekar Photography, we do not follow trends, we follow the story of your day and how it reflects all your planning. We document that in a candid unobtrusive way and add our artistic vision to a natural moment.

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) black and white photography candid wedding photography wedding photojournalism https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2015/8/what-is-wedding-photojournalism Sat, 01 Nov 2014 18:30:00 GMT
Elisa & Sheldon - 270 Sherman, Spencer Park Burlington Engagement Shoot https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/10/elisa-sheldon---270-sherman-spencer-park-burlington-engagement-shoot I love it when our couples choose two totally different locations for their engagement shoots. You've got the gritty industrial backdrops of our fabulous studio down at 270 Sherman Ave N in Hamilton, and then the sweet, soft beach of Spencer Park that looks like Elisa & Sheldon went on an instant vacation. 

Check out the posh gorgeousness that these two rocked - I love the elegance of their outfits and the natural chemistry that just shines through. 

girl and guy hanging out by window

girl and guy smiling natural light man and woman sitting on pew in studio man and woman cuddling on bench silhouette of man and woman in doorway silhouette of man and woman in doorway black and white black and white engagement shoot hands and feet engagement shoot smiling couple holding hands around corner

Then we jaunted off to Spencers Park in Burlington, the place where Sheldon asked Elisa to be his love forever . :) 

couple kissing at sunset black and white photo of couple on beach couple snuggling on beach couple standing on pier

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) beach engagement shoot elegant industrial engagement shoot https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/10/elisa-sheldon---270-sherman-spencer-park-burlington-engagement-shoot Thu, 23 Oct 2014 20:18:25 GMT
Stefanie & Erik - Scottish Rite Wedding, Hamilton https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/10/stefanie-erik---scottish-rite-wedding-hamilton Stefanie & Erik were married on a beautiful summers day this past July. Both Stefanie and Erik come from rich cultural backgrounds - Stefanie being a Polish girl and Erik being a Swedish chap. They integrated the best parts of both of their heritages in a beautiful celebration, complete with a heck of a lot of vodka - guess who's culture that's from! 

The day started off with Stefanie getting ready, attended to by her beautiful bridesmaids. 

bride opening champagne cherries and champagne wedding dress hanging in window bridesmaid putting makeup on bridesmaids enjoying champagne

bride laughing bride blue shoes bride getting ready

bride getting ready bride walking down hallway black and white

Meanwhile, Erik was bartering for his brides hand in marriage with a bottle of Vodka - Stefanies brother, however, wouldn't budge in the negotiations unless the proper size and value of Vodka was brought to the table. Luckily for Erik, it all worked out in the end! 

vodka bartering polish groom bartering for bride groomsmen shaking hands bridal party watching negotiations brides mother hugging groom bride and groom seeing eachother for the first time

Next, it was time for a traditional Swedish ceremony of blessing.

bride being blessed bride and groom being blessed groom being blessed

Finally it was time to head off to the ceremony. Everything was going as planned, until...

polish roadblock wedding A roadblock!

bride and groom meeting army

Turns out, they were friendly. Stefanie & Erik were back on their way, and everything was going smoothly. Until...

tractor

Another roadblock! Turns out, this one was friendly too, especially with an offering of...you guessed it...vodka! 

groom and bride

Finally, after an intense bartering session and two serious roadblocks, Stefanie & Erik made it to the church on time! 

bride having veil put on

flower girl at church bride walking down aisle bride and groom listening to ceremony aerial view of congregation at wedding bride and groom at wedding ceremony bride and groom at wedding ceremony smiling bride and groom walking down aisle bride and groom kissing in aisle

Next we were off to the Scottish Rite. This next picture has a bit of story behind it for Mike, its really neat. So about 5 years ago when we were just starting Zekar Photography, we were stopped at the intersection kitty cornered to the Scottish Rite. The sun was shining and there were two little flower girls who were spinning around, with the sunlight enveloping them in golden rays and you could just feel the joy. Mike said that if he was the photographer, he'd have stopped whatever he was doing to capture that moment. Fast forward 5 years, and he got his chance! 

flower girls dancing in the sunlight bride dancing in the sunlight bride posing with flower girls under her veil

Finally it was time for real festivities to begin. Stefanie and Erik had a fantastic time with all of their loved ones surrounding them in happiness and joy! 

bride and groom at dinner table bride smiling black and white bride and groom first dance

little girls playing with clouds of dry ice bride and groom first dance bride and groom first dance bride and groom first dance groomsmen fighting over garter toss groomsmen fighting over garter toss

 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) polish wedding scottish rite vodka https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/10/stefanie-erik---scottish-rite-wedding-hamilton Mon, 20 Oct 2014 19:55:57 GMT
Carys & Carmine - Engagement Shoot, Rockwood Conservation Area https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/10/carys-carmine---engagement-shoot-rockwood-conservation-area Mike had an awesome time with Carys & Carmine at the gorgeous Rockwood Conservation Area. We'd never been there before, so when Carys suggested it, we were all for it. They brought along their adorable fur baby, as you can see, he's a total character. His name is Titan - fitting, yes? :)

First, some of the gorgeous wildlife that can be found at the hidden paradise that is Rockwood. 

blue heron landing on water

blue heron landing on water

And now, some of my favourites!

couple laughing with dog couple walking dog in woods couple kissing on bridge man and woman snuggling man and woman snuggling in old ruins beautiful couple smiling at camera

And now for some close-ups of the real star of the shoot! The paws. The crazy eyes. The tongue. AAH!  funny dog rolling in grass funny dog rolling in grass funny dog rolling in grass

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) blue heron conservation area couple hiking dog engagement shoot https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/10/carys-carmine---engagement-shoot-rockwood-conservation-area Mon, 06 Oct 2014 22:35:59 GMT
Caitlin & Jayce - Waterballoon Fight Engagement Session https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/9/caitlin-jayce---waterballoon-fight-engagement-session Every now and then we meet a couple who just want to have tons of fun on their engagement session. We were so up for Caitlin & Jayce's waterballoon fight idea! The day turned out to be cold as all get out (because you know how cold those August days are here in Southern Ontario...) but they did not let that dampen their spirits and the results are hilarious. Get ready to see exactly what two people in love look like the millisecond they get smashed in the face with water balloons...

 

It started off innocently enough:

couple walking with cooler and blue black and white balloons

couple kissing behind balloons couple kissing under archway engagement shoot

 

Then, the weapons were drawn. 

water balloons

Then these things happened. :D 

girl getting hit by water balloon

 

 

girl getting hit by water balloon broken water balloon

 

guy getting hit by water balloon girl with water gun boy with water gun couple soaking wet kissing girl getting soaked with water balloon

Then this happened. I guess a natural progression in an epic water balloon fight is trying to see what it feels like to have one explode in your mouth :)

black and white water balloon exploding in face biting a water balloon biting a water balloon biting a water balloon

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) water balloon fight https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/9/caitlin-jayce---waterballoon-fight-engagement-session Mon, 22 Sep 2014 22:39:26 GMT
Olivia & Tom - McMaster University Engagement Shoot https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/9/olivia-tom---mcmaster-university-engagement-shoot Olivia and Tom met and fell in love while attending McMaster University in Hamilton. Both lovers of the outdoors, these two are the perfect match! They cuddled and had fun without Mike having to do a single thing as they reminisced about all their old haunts and special places. I am especially a fan of the cutie Scrabble tile idea! Here are some of my favourites from the day.

These first few were taken at Princess Point, definitely a great spot for some romantic outdoor dates.

Olivia and Tom...sittin' in a tree...

couple sitting in a tree

K i s s i n g. :D 

black and white photo of couple in a tree

couple kissing in long reeds and grass

couple cuddling in front of brick wall

Olivia fits right under Tom's chin, like they were specifically made just for the exact purpose of the perfect standing cuddle. :) 

adorable couple cuddling under archway

couple cuddling on bench lens flare photography

scrabble tile Forever black and white photo of couple in architecture

 

 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/9/olivia-tom---mcmaster-university-engagement-shoot Wed, 10 Sep 2014 16:44:55 GMT
Sonia & Mike - Michaelangelo's, Hamilton https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/8/sonia-mike---michaelangelos-hamilton When we arrived at Mike's house, everyone was gathered around the first belle of the ball - the super sexy Lamborghini that was parked in Mike's driveway. It's hard not to have a good start to your wedding day when you get to drive this baby to the church! 

men standing around lamborghini

groomsmen reflection in lamborghini hood side profile of groom suave groom in lamborghini

men with fake mustaches

Mike left the guys drooling on the driveway and went off to the real belle of the ball, Sonia. Sonia and her girls were bustling around, putting the finishing touches on. Sonia looked drop-dead gorgeous, her wedding gown fit her beautiful silhouette to a tee - it's probably one of my favourite dresses I've seen. I love the swathes of fabric around the bodice and the delicate lace overlay. 

bride getting make up on

bridesmaids approving

 

mother of bride putting on veil

bridesmaids fixing veil

Next, we were off to St Joseph's Ukrainian Catholic church. The ceremony was gorgeous, rich in tradition and reverence. 

aerial shot of church audience bridal party lined up before aisle groom watching bride down aisle dad walking bride down aisle ukrainian ceremony

This next series just shows how in love these two are. I mean, look at the adorably cute secret looks these two share! 

bride looking at groom vows

bride giggling at groom groom telling secret to bride bride and groom receiving blessing bride and groom first kiss bride and groom walk down aisle post reception hugs

For the formal-ish part of the day, Sonia & Mike decided to take advantage of our awesome studio, located at 270 Sherman Ave N in Hamilton. The industrial grittiness offers a fantastic juxtaposition between the softness of the wedding party and the harshness of the architecture.  

I don't often show a lot of posed family or group shots as we really do concentrate mostly on documenting the moments as they happen, but I love the way these ones turned out. 

family photos

bridal party portrait bridal party portrait

groomsmen watching photography ring shot bridal portrait bride standing by old window beautiful bride standing by window bride and groom on red background

bride and groom silhouette industrial background

Just before we headed over to Michaelangelo's for the reception, the bridal party launched into a champagne fight - mostly aimed at Mike! 

bridal party champagne spray bride and groom black and white champagne spray

And off to the reception! 

bride and groom entering reception hall

I love all the different traditions that our couples have, but I really wish I was Ukrainian so that I could have one of these incredible Korovai. I adore the little bread love birds! 

ukrainian korovai korovai love birds couple eating korovai

black and white photo of bride and groom first dance black and white photo of bride and groom first dance black and white photo of bride and groom first dance wedding toast

bride tears

Mike & Sonia had a ton of fun at their reception. There was competitive garter-grabbing...

groomsmen fighting for garter

And then they played a game where the bridesmaids had to roll a cold hardboiled egg along the groomsmens leg, inside their pants...tee hee. 

reception laughing

bride and groom laughing

We wish Mike & Sonia the very best - we know they'll have a beautiful life together! 

Did you love this wedding as much as we did? Let's be friends on Facebook, or contact us if you'd like to set up a consultation! 

 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) Lamborghini industrial wedding photos stunning bride https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/8/sonia-mike---michaelangelos-hamilton Thu, 21 Aug 2014 15:30:06 GMT
Jen & Nick- June Wedding, Hamilton https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/8/jen-nick--june-wedding-hamilton On a gorgeous summer day in June, Mike arrived at Jen's house to the happy hustle and bustle of a bunch of giggling bridesmaids. Jen and her girls were having a blast, getting ready for the big day. 

 

bride in housecoat

bride laughing with friends bride laughing with friends black and white photography wedding bouquet drinks

Since Jen is so outgoing and funny, her expressions made for fantastic photos. As a side note, she also has the coolest job ever - she is a professional puppeteer! Awesome!  bride laughing

Since some of the other wedding vendors were running behind schedule, Mike had a bit of time to go exercise his creativity. He found this dude on the dance floor of the wedding tent and him and our assistant Kamila coaxed this little diva onto Jen's wedding ring. He was fairly particular that we get his 'best side', a bit of an attention hog really.  white moth on diamond ring bride getting ready bride fascinator

After the finishing touches were completed, we were lucky enough to witness this beautiful moment between Jen's parents. Love the look on her daddy's face!  parents seeing bride for first time father of bride

Next, we headed on over to the Royal Botanical Gardens for the ceremony.  bridesmaids

Nick was waiting patiently for his beautiful bride, as these two decided to do a 'first look'. It was totally worth it...get your tissues out!  groom bride isolated

groom waiting for bride bride first look groom first look at bride bride crying at groom

For the record, we did not Photoshop those tears. This girl just has big beautiful happy tears! We love it!  groom crying when he sees his bride bride and groom first look

bride looking at groom groom and bride laughing bride and groom laughing

Do you guys hear violins in the background?! Cause I sure did when I first looked at those! 

bride and groom posing bride and groom pose in archway

black and white photo of bride and groom

Time for the ceremony, with more beautiful tears and laughter. 

bride walking down aisle with dad

bride walking down the aisle with dad dad giving away daughter emotional groom

bride looking at groom at altar

 

bride and groom first kiss

After a couple more formal-ish photos, we headed back to Jen's house for the outdoor reception. 

bridesmaids posing

bridal party posing

I love how Jen & Nick are super genuine and themselves, they truly had a really good relaxed time on their wedding day and it really shows in their photos. bride and groom entrance

bride and groom first dance bride and groom first dance bride and groom first dance

I think this fist pump pretty much says it all :D 

bride fist pump

Did you guys love this wedding as much as we did? Come on over to Facebook and lets be friends! Or contact us here at Zekar Photography, we'd love to chat! 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) first look photos outdoor wedding rbg wedding tent ceremony https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/8/jen-nick--june-wedding-hamilton Mon, 18 Aug 2014 22:13:07 GMT
Karen & Brian - Civil Ceremony, Mississauga https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/8/karen-brian---civil-ceremony-mississauga Not all of the weddings we do are the big shebang. Sometimes we get a call for a short 'n sweet one, and believe me, Karen and Brian's sure is sweet. They got married at City Hall in Mississauga, a quick wedding before jetting off to live in Germany where Brian's new job is taking them. I love that it was so important for them that their friends and family be there that they whipped up an intimate ceremony and followed up with a dinner at one of their favourite restaurants.

Mike was on hand to snap a few shots of the couple as they celebrated their love for each other in the courtyard of the Mississauga City Hall.

 

groom on red background bride and groom on red background kissing This guy was so awesome - his fiery hair totally suited this whole scene! bride and groom with skateboarding dude bride and groom black and white photo with skateboarder

black and white photo skateboarding bride and groom

beautiful bride isolated

bride and groom under water fountain

Are these guys not all kinds of gorgeous?! Like what you see? Lets be friends on Facebook or contact us here for a consultation! 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) blue wedding bouquet civil ceremony small wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/8/karen-brian---civil-ceremony-mississauga Wed, 13 Aug 2014 23:15:55 GMT
Ozella & Marcellus - Maternity Photography, Hamilton https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/8/ozella-marcellus---maternity-photography-hamilton When Ozella gave us a call to ask if we'd be available to do a maternity shoot, we jumped at the chance. We had an awesome time with these guys during their engagement shoot and we knew it would be a blast, you gotta check out their super sweet engagement photos! So ever since Mike came home and showed me the previews  I've been beyond excited to share them with you. Like super duper excited, cause these guys are flat out gorgeous and we love them. These shots were taken at our awesome photography studio at 270 Sherman in Hamilton, and then at Gage Park.  Ozella and Marcellus arrived in their usual effortless style and infectious energy...and the magic began. 

First up, adorable gender reveal. 

Are you loving them yet :D I KNOW, right?! :) 

This one is hilarious...Marcellus totally photobombed the shot ;) 

See what I mean :) These guys are not only an amazing couple together, they are going to make two heckuva good set of parents for their lucky little boy! 

 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) baby shoot maternity photography maternity photos https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/8/ozella-marcellus---maternity-photography-hamilton Sat, 02 Aug 2014 00:43:52 GMT
Samantha & Aaron - Balls Falls Wedding, Niagara https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/7/samantha-aaron---balls-falls-wedding-niagara I always say, just because it rains on your wedding day, doesn't mean the pictures are going to be crummy. Take Samantha & Aarons's day for example - totally rainy, kinda chilly, but the pictures? Awesome. 

These two tied the knot at the rustic and ever shabby-chic Balls Falls.   Samantha was busy getting ready as Mike arrived, with all her fabulous bridesmaids decked out in the prettiest of pink bridesmaid gowns. I love the soft peony colour of them, just perfect for a springtime wedding. 

bride getting ready for wedding day bride getting ready for wedding day bride getting ready for wedding day bride getting ready for wedding day bride getting ready for wedding day

bride in low light photography

friend seeing bride for the first time bride getting garter on

Just before the ceremony, Mike had a peek at the wonderfully decorated barn. Don't you love Samantha's bouquet, with a beautiful and touching tribute to her beloved Grandma?

barn reception hall bridal bouquet with grandmothers watch

I absolutely love the idea for table numbers that Samantha and Aaron had. Each number corresponds to something important to the two of them, like their first date or the date Aaron proposed. It didnt matter if the numbers were out of order because the point was the sentimentality of them and it was a perfect way to personalize each table and for others to know more about their history. 

table number creativity

Over at the cute little chapel, it was time for the ceremony to begin.  bride making her way to wedding chapel

wedding ceremony wedding ceremony wedding ceremony wedding ceremony wedding ceremony

Next, time for some formals. A little soggy, but a lot fabulous!

bride and groom wedding photos bride and groom wedding photos bride and groom wedding photos bride and groom wedding photos bride and groom wedding photos bride and groom wedding photos bride and groom wedding photos bride and groom wedding photos bride and groom wedding photos

Finally, time for the part-ay :D Samantha and Aaron are an awesome couple, so totally in love. Even though Samantha wasn't quite sure about Aaron (at all!) on their first date, he wooed her out a second time and she knew then that he was the man she was going to marry. I adore it when love takes us by surprise like that!  wedding reception photos wedding reception photos wedding reception photos

first wedding ance first wedding ance

 

wedding party having fun

Let's end it with a little bit a groovy dancing! :)  bridesmaid dancing

Did you love this wedding? Tell us about it! Come hangout with us on Facebook :) 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) Balls Falls barn wedding pink bridesmaid dresses springtime wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/7/samantha-aaron---balls-falls-wedding-niagara Tue, 22 Jul 2014 18:56:38 GMT
Ian & Hoa - April Wedding, Cambridge Mill https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/7/ian-hoa---april-wedding-cambridge-mill When Mike arrived at Hoa's house early one April morning, he found Hoa and her girls having a great time, bustling around and getting ready for the day. Hoa was trying on her veil to make sure it looked perfect (it did) and was about to slip into her traditional Vietnamese wedding outfit for the tea ceremony that was to be held downstairs.

bride getting ready in house bride getting ready in house bride getting ready in house

vietnamese bride vietnamese bride

The tea ceremony was beautiful, such a rich tradition with deep family roots. Ian was honoured to be welcomed into this wonderful family.

vietnamese tea ceremony vietnamese tea ceremony vietnamese tea ceremony vietnamese tea ceremony vietnamese tea ceremony

After the tea ceremony, we all headed off to Cambridge Mill. Hoa slipped into her western bridal gown and got ready for the second ceremony of the day. 

bridal gown hanging on wooden doors

bridal party helping with wedding dress groom seeing bride for the first time groom seeing bride for the first time

wedding photography cambridge mill wedding photography cambridge mill wedding photography cambridge mill

Check out Hoa's stunning bouquet! Calla lillies, tulips, freesia, irises - the perfect mix of all the best purples for spring!

gorgeous purple spring wedding bouquet

traditional wedding photography

Next we headed back to the Mill for the ceremony. This couple is so sweet together, they just have a natural fit and their ceremony was just lovely. 

wedding ceremony wedding ceremony wedding ceremony

artistic black and white of bride and groom artistic black and white of bride and groom artistic black and white of bride and groom

I have to explain the next couple of photos before we go on. Hoa and the bridal party conspired to play a hilarious trick on Ian. All of the groomsmen were told to line up and put blindfolds on, and the music kicked in and they all started dancing. Then everyone stopped - everyone but Ian, who was left dancing his heart out by himself in front of his friends and family! It was pretty hilarious, and luckily Ian has a wonderful sense of humour! 

funny groomsmen dancing funny groomsmen dancing funny groomsmen dancing funny groomsmen dancing funny groomsmen dancing funny groomsmen dancing funny groomsmen dancing

wedding details

How cute is this cake topper?! Super cute! 

wedding details

The dancing continued and the evening went on, and it was a wonderful, fun day for this awesome couple! 

black and white bride and groom in stairwell

 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) cambridge mill wedding vietnamese tea ceremony https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/7/ian-hoa---april-wedding-cambridge-mill Thu, 03 Jul 2014 14:40:35 GMT
Jessa & Brad - Winter Cocktail Wedding, Hamilton Golf & Country Club https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/6/jessa-brad---winter-cocktail-wedding-hamilton-golf-country-club One of the things we loved about Jessa & Brad's March wedding was how intimate it was. Held at the Hamilton Golf & Country Club, these two pulled off a classy cocktail party style wedding that went perfectly. Here are a few of my favourites from the day!

bride pinning flower on dad groom waiting by fireplace bride and groom smiling bride and groom kissing on couch bridal portraits bridal portraits bridal portraits

black and white crowd black and white cocktail party bride and groom black and white

black and white woman

 

This next shot was pure magic. Mike convinced them to brave the cold and snow because his photography ninja-sense was going off, and he never ignores The Ninja!

 

winter wedding night time photography

 

I just have to add these in as well - don't you guys just love Jessa's pearl wedding ring? It's simply stunning and so unique, pearls are something that all of the women in her family wear so it's extra special. 

pearl wedding ring pearl wedding ring

 

 

 

 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) cocktail wedding night time photography pearl engagement ring https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/6/jessa-brad---winter-cocktail-wedding-hamilton-golf-country-club Wed, 18 Jun 2014 00:11:05 GMT
Kendra & Dave - Engagement Shoot, Tobermory, Ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/6/kendra-dave---engagement-shoot-tobermory-ontario When we met up with Kendra & Dave last year, we nearly jumped out of our seats when they asked if we'd be willing to go to Tobermory, Ontario for their engagement shoot. I was totally Oprah-yelling in my head when they suggested it (I was all like, Tobermorraaaaaaaay) and we were so excited when Easter Weekend rolled around and we were on our way. I have very fond memories of being up there as a child as we had a cottage there for awhile, so I was excited to share all my old memories with Mike. Kendra and Dave spend a lot of time up there as well, its just one of those places where you feel so grateful to live in such an enormous and beautiful country such as ours, its a four hour drive away and looks like nothing else in Ontario. 

Our first stop was Little Cove. Kendra and Dave spend a lot of time in this secluded little cove on Georgian Bay. Since we had the craziest winter ever, the bay was still frozen in a lot of spots and it was cold...and windy...but sunny, and fun! 

As you can see, these two have an absolute blast with each other. I love Kendra's big smile - and so does Dave!

Little Cove, Tobermory Engagement Shoot

Little Cove, Tobermory Engagement ShootLittle Cove, Tobermory Engagement Shoot

Little Cove, Tobermory Engagement ShootLittle Cove, Tobermory Engagement Shoot Little Cove, Tobermory Engagement ShootLittle Cove, Tobermory Engagement Shoot Little Cove, Tobermory Engagement ShootLittle Cove, Tobermory Engagement Shoot Little Cove, Tobermory Engagement ShootLittle Cove, Tobermory Engagement Shoot

One of the things we learned about Kendra and Dave, is not only are they both equally excited about their upcoming wedding, but their whole family is too. This is a shot of them cuddled up in a handmade quilt by Daves Grandma, and the cool iron heart was crafted by Kendra's Brother. Three cheers for crafty families!

cuddling in little cover, tobermory ontario

On our way back into Tobermory, Mike spotted this fabulous patch of birch trees from the side of the road. Luckily these guys are good sports, because we had them tramping through some swampy areas, but it was totally worth it. 

engagement shoot in birch tree woods engagement shoot in birch tree woods

Next we headed over the little town of Tobermory. I was quite surprised by how many people were there on Easter Weekend, the town was just waking up from a deep-freeze and the restaurants were scrambling to serve all the unexpected guests. Kendra & Dave got some ice cream from the supermarket - we're pretty sure it was left over from last year, but it still works. Don't you love their t-shirts? An inside family joke that worked perfectly! 

couple eating ice cream engagement shootcouple eating ice cream engagement shoot couple eating ice cream engagement shootcouple eating ice cream engagement shoot couple eating ice cream engagement shootcouple eating ice cream engagement shoot

harbour themed engagement shootharbour themed engagement shoot harbour themed engagement shootharbour themed engagement shoot

One of the things Kendra & Dave love to do together is fly kites. We headed over to Singing Sands beach - which was a little careworn after the winter, but it was so windy it was perfect for kite flying. 

Kite flying engagement shootKite flying engagement shoot Kite flying engagement shootKite flying engagement shoot Kite flying engagement shootKite flying engagement shoot

We had such a good time with these guys, I love how truly in love with each other they are, they were so much fun to hang out with. Can't wait till the wedding this summer!

 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) tobermory engagement shoot tobermory wedding photographers tobermory wedding photography https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/6/kendra-dave---engagement-shoot-tobermory-ontario Tue, 10 Jun 2014 22:12:05 GMT
Amanda & Dan - October Wedding, Hamilton https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/5/amanda-dan---november-wedding When Mike arrived at Amanda & Dan's house, the whole place was a buzz with happy voices and activity as everyone was bustling around getting ready for the big day that was finally here. Amanda & Dan put a ton of planning and thought into their day and you can really see it in the details and the class that is woven through. These two are an amazing couple who have a bond with each other that we noticed right when we first met them. 

groom getting ready

groom getting ready groom getting ready groom getting ready

How about these two cutie flower girls, all class :) 

flower girls black and white

winter wedding floral bouquet dusty miller peonies champagne roses bride getting ready bride getting makeup on

bride getting make up done

I love the pure beauty of this next shot!

bride laughing two flower girls

Next, it was time for the ceremony at St Francis Xavier Parish in Hamilton.

grandpa and grandson black and white flower girl walking down aisle

I have a huge soft spot in my heart for daddy-daughter moments and Amanda and her Daddy are just heart melting!

emotional picture of bride walking down the aisle with dad

After a beautiful ceremony, we head on over to a local winery in Niagara. It's pouring rain but Mike makes great use of the fabulous wine cellar. 

birde and groom kissing in wine cellar handsome couple standing in the rain

handsome wdding couple kissing under umbrella

 

The reception was held at St Naum's in Hamilton. Here are a couple of examples of some of the fabulous details that Amanda arranged. I simply adore the elegance of the silver theme and how magical it was. She proved that just because you have a fall wedding, doesn' mean you are stuck to the red and orange and brown colour schemes. 

masquerade masks wedding decor silver place settings wedding decor silver themed wedding decor

Pretty gorgeous :) 

wedding rings

 

Amanda and Dan's first dance song was sung by their friend singer / songwriter Tomi Swick, you can hear the song by clicking here.  

wedding first dance

Remember how cute Amanda and her dad were while they were walking down the aisle? Well Dan and his mom nearly outdid them on the dance floor:

groom and his mom dancing

Close up shot!

groom crying dancing with mom

Super sweet! This whole wedding was super sweet actually, and we're so glad we got to be a part of it :) We wish Amanda and Dan the very best! 

Did you love this wedding? Tell us about it on Facebook! Interested in seeing what Amanda and Dan's wedding album looked like? Click here for the blog post: 4 Reasons Why Professional Wedding Albums Are Worth It!

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) silver themed wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/5/amanda-dan---november-wedding Sun, 04 May 2014 01:42:00 GMT
Jenn & Dan - Cambridge Mill Winter Wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/3/jenn-dan---cambridge-mill-winter-wedding Ok, so we all know that this winter has been the craziest winter ever. Like, I love winter, but hoo-boy, it was hardly ever over -10C from December until now. And on Jenn & Dan's wedding day? -22.  Needless to say, we kept to the indoors as much as possible, but we were so grateful that the sun was shining and because we were surrounded by the class and style of Cambridge Mill, not to mention our amazing clients, it was a truly beautiful wedding day.

Jenn and Dan are truly a sweet couple, who just adore eachother. They met  in a library and I have to say I have the most romantic visions of them catching eachothers eyes through the nook and cranny of a giant bookshelf. I don't know if thats even close to what happened, but meeting in a library is pretty awesome. Love blooms when you least expect it, even when you have to use your library voice to get your newly found soulmate's attention. 

Jenn and her girls were busy getting ready in the bridal suite, her bridesmaids were super attentive and awesome. They even brought a crochet hook to help do the buttons up on Jenn's dress, such a smart idea! Speaking of Jenn's dress, this girl completely rocked her gown. Truly, the dress skimmed her fabulous figure and flared out ever so slightly at the bottom - the epitome of grace and style, Jenn's natural elegance shone through beautifully. 

bridesmaids getting ready

bridesmaids getting ready bridal dress hanging bridesmaids doing up dress

bride posing

Mike headed on over to the cocktail room to hang out with Dan as he got ready to meet his bride. Dan is one of those guys that just makes people happy, just by being in the room with them. He and his friends were having a blast, just hanging out and enjoying the day.

room getting boutonnière on

groom waiting for bride

Dan and Jenn decided to do a 'first look' session, which worked out really well. It's a great option for couples who are feeling freaked out by the pressure of walking down the aisle in front of everyone, and as you'll see below, the pictures say it all. I included a lot of pictures from this part because it's cute to see the anticipation of their emotions. 

bride and groom first look bride and groom first look

This is Dan, reacting to the peanut gallery that was watching this beautiful moment take place. :) 

groom and bride first look bride and groom first look bride touching groom on shoulder groom turning around to see bride at first look bride and groom first look bride and groom first kiss bride looking at groom

bridal party watching bride and groom

Wasn't that gorgeous? 

Speaking of gorgeous, check out the perfect winter flower bouquet that Jenn picked out. The dusty miller and subtle silvery hues are absolutely perfect with the deep purple of the bridesmaids dresses. 

winter bridal bouquet

bridesmaids bustling up bridal gown

bridal party photo

After a few of the semi-formal formals, Mike and the guys hung out at the bar for a bit and the guys showed of their fabulous socks. It's always cute when people do this,  a little bit of fun and personality added to the day. 

black and white photo of groomsmen

groomsmen with funky coloured socks handsome groom

An example of how we get creative when its minus a million degrees outside and we've got time for lots of bridal photos. 

Finally it was time for the ceremony to begin. With everyone relaxed and laughing, the vibe was so good as Jenn's dad walked her down the aisle.

groomsmen greeting guests bridesmaid with ring bearer bride and dad walking down aisle bride and dad walking down aisle

bride and groom at altar bride and groom at altar bride and groom kiss at altar

After the wedding ceremony, it was time to find some warm spots to take a few more formal photos. The first spot? The elevator. :) 

bride and groom kissing in elevator

bride and groom kissing at sunset

bride and groom posing in front of rock wall

Finally, it was time for the reception. We've heard a lot of wedding speeches, and a lot of wedding MC's, but its unusual for us to be laughing so hard at the MC's jokes or teared right up at the speeches like we were at Jenn and Dan's wedding. 

bride and groom walking in to room Master of Ceremonies bride and groom kissing black and white bride and groom laughing at speeches

groom tender hand on bride

This is proof that Mike actually never stops taking pictures. Don't worry, this is taken after he thoroughly washed his hands :) Another fun fact about this shot? It placed 7th at the PWPC quarterly wedding contest for Wedding Details. funny wedding ring shot

wedding speeches wedding speech emotions

After the beautiful speeches, comes the dancing, and dance they did. I love watching a couple dance for the first time as husband and wife, its definitely one of my most favourite wedding traditions.

bridal portrait bride and groom dancing bride and groom dancing

We wish Jenn and Dan the best of everything in the future!

 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) cambridge mill wedding first look silver bouquet winter wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/3/jenn-dan---cambridge-mill-winter-wedding Sun, 23 Mar 2014 02:18:29 GMT
4 Reasons Why Professional Wedding Albums Are Worth It! https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/3/albums Last week, Amanda and Dan's wedding album came in and I was so excited I just had to take a few pictures and show you guys. Mike and I searched for a long time to find a print company that was not only local, but that had the quality of albums that we wanted to bring to our clients. Pretty much anyone can get a photo book nowadays, I think Apple has their own program to do it or any of the other multitudes of photo album companies out there. But there are many reasons as to what makes our albums so special, and the first one is quality. I've ordered from a popular 'consumer' photobook company before, and while the album was economically priced, when I got it I realized that I definitely got what I paid for. After a few times of looking through my album, the glue literally split and the pages half fell out. And that was a re-order of the first one, the first one some of the pages were cut crooked so it was all ridiculous looking. Not exactly made for a lifetime of sharing with future generations like I wanted my album to be. That being said, I knew the first thing I was looking for would be durability and quality and thats exactly what this album has.

flushmount wedding album

The first thing you'll notice when you get your album is how heavy it is. This particular album is a 10 x 10 and about 5 lbs. It's a two-hander for sure. The reason behind the heft of this thing is because it has nice, thick flushmount pages. A flushmount album lies flat and there is no gutter interrupting the flow of the picture, which makes it awesome for telling the whole story, right across the page spread. The professional Fuji photopaper that is used is actually the best that is available on the market. This means print quality is second to none - my pictures will never do the seamless detail justice, so if you do want to check them out in person, you can always just give us a call. You can get all up close and personal and squinty with the pages and I promise you, you'll never see the little ink dots made from the printer.

These albums are all handmade too, by professional artisans in Toronto, Ontario. The best part about that, is not only is it so much cooler than having a mindless robot put together something that is so special to you, but an expert is going to notice when something isn't put together right. Your wedding album is crafted to become a timeless heirloom that is to be passed down for generations, definitely not a product of today's "throwaway" culture. I just love the fact that each album we give our client is actually made just for them, because it's an extension of our commitment to individualized service for each of our couples. No run of the mill, factory pushed out cookie-cutter stuff here! 

See how awesome the spine is? No glue, no dodgy sewing.

accordion style binding on flushmount wedding album

thick flushmount pages wedding album

The second reason we love our albums, is not only is each album hand made, but you can really customize these babies. For Amanda and Dan's wedding, we chose a dove coloured, faux silk cover for their album because Amanda's bridesmaids dresses were a beautiful muted greyish purple and there were silver and grey details all throughout the wedding decor. We've got about 10 colours of faux silk, linen and leatherette to choose from, so if matching makes you happy, these albums are perfect for you! You can put any text you'd like on the cover, we just kept this one nice and simple.

faux silk wedding album

The third reason why our albums are so special, is they are hand designed by the guy that took your photos. Mike was there, he knows the exact succession of events, he knows exactly what pictures are to be grouped together to tell the perfect story. Your album is put together by experienced artisans from start to finish, the artistic vision you hired us for is completed by having us put the album together just for you.  Its also a huge time save for you too. It's pretty cool to know that your album is going to be crafted and made and all you have to do is give it the final thumbs up and voila, it's at your door and ready for you to share with all your peeps. When we design the albums, we don't use stock templates either, because we know that each wedding is one-of-a-kind and isnt going to fit just a couple of different templates. 

flushmount wedding albums

And the fourth reason our albums rock? Only professionals can get them. You can't just sign up on a website and order these ones up, only professional photographers have access to these boutique albums. That means that your album is going to be pretty unique among your friends, which also gives you bragging rights. Pretty cool, right? :) 

So what did you think? Do you love this album, do you want to know more? Give us a shout on Facebook or send us an email, we'd love to chat! 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) flushmount wedding albums handmade wedding albums wedding album quality wedding albums wedding photography albums https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/3/albums Wed, 12 Mar 2014 00:42:20 GMT
Lisa & Craig - Maritime Themed Wedding at Baranga's On The Beach, Hamilton https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/3/lisa-craig---maritime-themed-wedding-at-barangas-on-the-beach-hamilton Whenever I sit down to do a blog, I always get kinda excited because it's so fun looking back on the weddings we've done and reliving the day. Because I can't go with Mike to too many of the weddings anymore, I totally love living vicariously through the pictures. That's the best part about being a documentary style ninja style photographer, Mike takes the whole love story of the day and weaves it together so that everyone actually feels like they were there.

With Lisa & Craig's wedding, I could not stop smiling through their story - from the beginning to the end, these two are literally beaming through the entire day. I just love how they incorporated their Maritime roots into a fun, relaxed wedding day that was all their own. You would think that having a November wedding at a beach-y place like Baranga's would be a little contradictory, this wedding is all sunshine with these two lovebirds! A cute random fact before we start? They met at the great Canadian coffee shop, Tim Hortons, and not on a date either - just two peeps who were in line at the same time every day, and found themselves wanting more than just a few minutes of hi-how-are-ya, come-here-often? So cute :) 

When Mike arrived at Lisa's house, everyone was just putting on the finishing touches and helping Lisa slip into the most fabulous shoes. But first - best wedding invitation ever! 

 

maritime themed wedding invitation

flower girl getting shoes on

 

bride getting shoes on lacing up the bridal gown bride side profile bride side profile

bride getting ready in bridal room bride laughing at flower girl black and white photo

After everyone got all gussied up, it was time to head over to Baranga's, for Craig and Lisa's first look. We see this so much now, and we find that when our couples do it, they are much more relaxed for the rest of the day. It can be pretty scary walking down the aisle! 

bridal party walking

bride and groom first look

Just a warning going forward - if you see anything ridiculous, its because Craig & Lisa are hilarious on their own and Mike just stood back had a blast just capturing their goofiness :) I also actually had a hard time narrowing down my favourites for these guys, so because they set aside so much time for one-on-one pictures with Mike (which we love), there are a lot of pretty awesome shots.  black and white photo of groom and bride kissing

flower girl on beach bride and groom kissing in wind bride and groom on bench black and white photo of bride and groom on bench

I'm pretty sure the only reason the guy on the bike is not looking is because the cuteness would have caused him to fall right off his bike. Cuteness like that is hazardous. : )

black and white photo of bride and groom on the bench

bride and groom on beach on cloudy day

bride and groom kissing on rocks bride and groom laughing by water bridal portrait

I don't usually include the family photo part of the day into these blogs, not because the pictures aren't good, but because I like to incorporate pictures that everyone can relate to. Pretty sure you guys can feel the adorable-ness of this one :) 

bride with flower girl and ring bearer

After the short and sweet ceremony, it was time for the real fun to begin.

bride walking down aisle with her dad
wedding ceremony

Lisa & Craig did a seriously fantastic job at incorporating their theme throughout the day. From the lobster trap envelope box, to the delicious lobster and seashell shaped sugar cookies (hand baked, mhmm), to each table being named after their favourite Maritime place, the whole thing was an east coasters dream come true. 

wedding guests having fun

black and white photo of groom with ring bearer

maritime seating chart

place settings at wedding

wedding colouring book

lobster trap envelope box

bride and groom first dance

bride and dad dancing

Pretty much the rest of the night is proof of why I hope Craig and Lisa have a bus load of kids. Even if they don't plan on it, wherever they are, kids are sure to find them. It's like Craig emits a sonar signal that only people under 10 years old can hear, and it's saying "jump on me." "pin me down on the ground in my wedding outfit.'" 

kids jumping on groom

kids jumping on groom

bride and groom having fun

Okay wasn't that wedding awesome? Did you smile the whole time?? Tell us about it on Facebook! We wish these two the very best. Are they going to be married for ever and ever?! YOU BETCHA! 

bride and groom kissing at night

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) maritime themed wedding november wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/3/lisa-craig---maritime-themed-wedding-at-barangas-on-the-beach-hamilton Sun, 02 Mar 2014 21:47:15 GMT
8 Questions To Ask A Potential Wedding Photographer! Series Part 3 https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/6/8-questions-to-ask-your-wedding-photographer Welcome to Part Three of the series: What To Look For In A Wedding Photographer! Missed Part One and Two? Click here for What to consider when hiring a Wedding Photographer: Personality - Series Part 1 and What to look for in a Wedding Photographer: Price Reflects Process - Series Part 2

In this post, Mike outlines 8 important questions to ask your Wedding Photographer! It's important that you ask as many questions as possible so that you get a good feel for who you're talking to, here are some tips to help you out. 

As always, over to Mike! 

Questions you should ask your potential Wedding Photographer

 

 

1. Ask them if you can see a sample of a few weddings. Go beyond their front page portfolio. Be sure to see that their portfolio quality is the standard not an exception. Looking at sample weddings will show you a few things. Do they maintain good quality in every situation the wedding puts forth from a sunny day to a dark reception hall? Can they tell a story of the day? Are all of the pictures ones you’d want to show your friends and family?

 

2. Ask how many weddings they do in a year. This may seem trivial but it can tell you a lot, to little and maybe they are not full time and its more of a hobby, to many and will you get the attention you need to get quality? A good average for a photographer is 30-40 weddings a year. If all they do is weddings maybe 40-50. If they say they do 25-30 and they spend lots of time on each this is good! 35-40 and they also shoot family, maternity, and headshots. You might be one in a line of many and the quality will not be the same, this is what looking at full weddings is important. 

 

3. Ask about their work flow, how many pictures do they edit and what program (s) do they edit with? A camera takes a picture when a photographer is inspired by the moment. This inspiration is an idea; there are controls on the camera that give the photographer the ability to begin to communicate this idea but it only just starts there. You will not find a photographer who will upload your pictures and give them to you at the end of the very same day, if they do, find another one - unless you have a prior agreement that we photographers usually call 'shoot to burn'. 

 

Why shouldn't they give them to you right out of the camera? Because they need to edit them. The camera itself is limited if it wasn’t we wouldn’t have a such a wide variety of editing software out there making millions in sales if there were cameras that did all the work. They are just machines! So the idea begins on your wedding day with the click, it is then taken back to the digital darkroom and the photographer applies their special touch through programs like Adobe Photoshop, Gimp, Lightroom and so on. This aspect of photography is as vast and as important of the workings of the camera itself, it is only when they are put together that you get a good full package. Shoot to burn photographers aren't very common, but to put the importance of proper, professional editing into perspective, I will continue with the car metaphor by saying that a picture without editing is like purchasing a car without a paint job. It's still a car, it still works, it just doesn't look pretty. They'll still be pictures of your day, but they probably aren't going to look too pretty!  

 

4. Ask about their equipment. Do they use a point and shoot? I hope not! A point and shoot is basic, a camera that does not have interchangeable lenses. It's important to remember that a camera is a tool. To illustrate, here is a little story about Ansel Adams, a very famous landscape photographer. When asked why he would give up composing music for photography, as it didn’t seem to communicate as much as music, he said, and I paraphrase. “I don’t think a camera can communicate very much, but I think a photographer can”. If your photographer is going to communicate your wedding properly they need the tools. Ask what they use, write it down and look it up to see if it’s suitable for weddings. Do they have off camera lighting, extra camera bodies and lenses if something breaks? However, Ansel Adams also said "There is nothing worse than a sharp photograph of a fuzzy idea” The tools are not the end all, do they have vision and ability to produce the idea. This means, having technical expertise and fancy equipment is one thing, but if they aren't an artist, then they're not going to have the innate ability to capture the beauty of your day. You'll be able to tell this by the emotions you feel when you see their art. 

 

 

5. Ask them about their photographic experience. Where did they get started, how long have they been around cameras, why did they become a wedding photographer. And most important, how many weddings have they shot?  A photographer may have 'been in business' for 10 years, but only have photographed 20 weddings!

 

6. Ask for a few references. All experienced photographers will have some past clients that you can talk to. See if they lived up to the standards they advertise by asking a client. 

 

7. Ask about printing rights and watermarks. Do they require you to print with them? If they do how much does it cost? You could be confronted with some surprising back end prices if this is not considered. A watermark is the company name or photographers name placed onto the picture as a permanent mark and they may charge you a fee or printing fees to remove the watermark. We've 'front end loaded' our packages so that what you see is what you pay, and you can decide for yourselves which of the prints and extra's you'd like to purchase in the end. 

 

8. Make sure the photographer you meet, is the photographer that will actually shoot your day. Here is a story that upsets me – and it happens more often than you’d think. Years ago my cousin walked into a home studio, saw good pictures, and signed the contract. After meeting with the photographer, he sent them on their way and she was happy to have her/him booked and went on with other things. Her wedding day came, the door bell rang. Someone yelled “the photographers here!” and she jumped up with excitement and went to the door. Who was there? The photographers apprentice. “Who are you?” she said. “I’m your photographer Mr Never-Done-This-Before replied. “Oh no you’re not” she said “yes I am… Mr Ripoff sent me” he replied. It was never mentioned that Mr Ripoff would not be there, but Mr Never-Done-This-Before, with his cheap camera from the 70’s would be. I don’t know if the contract said this was possible but it may have, so sit with your photographer and read their contract and ask about it. If they don’t have a contract, run. Contracts protect you as much as them! Luckily for my cousin, my older brother who is a very experienced hobbyist photographer was there, and his pictures grace her walls today.

 

 

 

We are happy to answer any questions you have about what you've read here, or maybe something we haven't addressed. We like to have a friendly relationship those who are getting married and with fellow wedding photographers in our community, so even if you do not end up as our client, we are committed to helping everyone get the wedding photos they deserve!  Feel free to contact Mike at [email protected] or join us on Facebook

 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) how to hire a wedding photographer questions to ask a wedding photographer what to look for in a wedding photographer why you should hire a professional wedding photographer https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/6/8-questions-to-ask-your-wedding-photographer Sat, 01 Mar 2014 18:45:00 GMT
What to look for in a Wedding Photographer: Price Reflects Process - Series Part 2 https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/6/what-to-look-for-in-a-wedding-photographer-price-reflects-process---series-part-2 This is the second in a series of posts dedicated to educating you on how to choose a Wedding Photographer! Missed the last post? Check out What to consider when hiring a Wedding Photographer: Personality - Series Part 1 Read this one already? Hop on over to our next post,  8 questions to ask your Wedding Photographer! 

So we've learned about the personality traits that you should look for when looking for someone who fits your personality and comfort level. But the fact still remains that weddings are expensive and its crucial to be fully educated on why its important to make investing in a good photographer a priority when setting your budget. This ones a little longer - but remember, when you invest the time into educating yourself, you're going to get exactly what you want on your wedding day! 

Over to Mike! 

Investment

 

Wedding photography is one of the hardest forms of photography there is. A wedding is like sports photography, fashion, portrait, product, architecture, and landscape photography all in one, happening fast, and often at the whim of situations like weather or unique lighting conditions and the rush of emotions of those involved. Nothing but experience can prepare a photographer for this, and this is before they even edit and compile your story together. So it makes sense that excellent wedding photography has a price and should be considered an investment. I feel it’s important to say this, and therefore I should talk about price and product and how they are related as it governs most people’s choice in some way. Most couples do not know how to price wedding photography as they have usually only encountered it for the first time after their engagement. Let me clarify something before I go on - when I use the term cheap in this blog, I mean this. Once you have read this, and you understand what it is your looking to invest in, cheap will mean someone who claims to provide all the things mentioned at an exceptionally lower price than you typically see as the average.

 

I would suspect there is something to be couscous of if their cheap in the manner I am speaking about, the chance that it is a photographer who offers everything required to create pictures with lifelong durability at a 'discounted price' seems unlikely to me. All cars are generally the same in concept, yet we all know when we sit in a luxury car it has higher value, why is that? It has seats as all others do, an engine and body, but why do we know it’s different? It’s because there is experience, time, energy, and quality going into the small details, it may have all the same things as other cars, but the small things are so much better. There are many aspects of photography that come into play in a photography package, engagement session, extra photographers, equipment, editing, albums, prints, and then intangibles like experience, creativity, and a photographers style are just a few to list. All have worth and will dictate the price. Think about the combination of these things up against price, if you saw a new BMW priced the same as a KIA I think you would stop and wonder "this is to good to be true". An experienced photographer has learned the work involved and there is both value to them and yourself in this fact. Why one will be priced the way they are will depend of these factors, so you must consider which factors have value to you and then seek after those things the best you can within your budget.

 

Although it may be true that you can get similar packages for a wide range of prices I do not think you can get everything wedding photography offers cheap and end up happy unless it’s an unusual circumstance. However, you can get less for cheaper, and be happy, if that’s what your budget dictates. You can have things cut out of the package to lower the price, this is a different cheaper all together -lets call it "budget savvy". Photography is not like a product from a superstore; you can’t buy it in bulk and sell it for cheap, it is an art, a collection of once in a lifetime moments, so expect to pay for it. When you do so with understanding, you will get your monies worth. Like all things quality and price are attached at the hip in some way, in wedding photography they are related intimately.

 

As I grew in the industry, I knew from study of good photographers that it was very involved, the more I got involved however I saw there were so many more techniques I would have to acquire than I could have imagined. By going cheap as I mean it, or bargain hunting, you are most likely making a mistake. And your wedding is not a safe place to learn how you should have hired an experienced professional. That is not to say that you won’t stumble across the next budding world famous wedding photographer, or that an inexperienced person cannot produce acceptable results. I too had to start out with no wedding experience; and those people I shot weddings for in that time knew what they were getting. My travel experience photographing new people in different cultures and countless hours with my cameras and editing software over the years prepared me well, but I still had much to learn and better equipment to buy. My warning here is about the people who claim and even possibly think they have the abilities and experience and can do all the same things much lower than the rest of us when they actually do not. You need to look out for them, that way there is no surprises or tears in the end. And there are ways for you to figure out who these people are by knowing a little about what we do as wedding photographers, which is another goal of writing this blog. Like knowing BMW is a good car by driving in one, you will know why and what to ask someone who seems cheap as I have defined it. 

 

But weddings are so expensive!

There are two sides to this statement, both the photographer and the engaged couple can say it and both be true. I will only spend a short time on what it means for the photographer. In my study I could find only one reliable study on the profit margins for photographers, it was done in 2004 by the PPA (Professional Photographers of America). That was around the time digital had a foot hold into the professional scene. The average profit margin for a photographer then was 19-21%, so lets assume its gotten better and now its twice as much at 40%. An established photographer has lots of overhead, camera equipment, editing software, insurance, travel, taxes etc.. Once all these expenses take a piece of the profit the photographer is left with a chunk. It is not a get rich job! Here is some math to show you. Lets do an average of 30 weddings a year at $4000.00 per wedding. You might say that's a good income! 120,000$!! In truth, if the photographer is lucky they will only see 40% of that, and that's $48,000. That was doubling the average of a reputable study. So remember the price you see quoted is not what they get to keep.

For Kate (my wife and business partner) and I our budget was limited, so I truly understand the problem money can be in planning a wedding. I was moving from university into a career and a new home, things were tight. With both of us having a passion for photography, our pictures had high importance to us. So our primary focus while looking was the quality of work, not the extras. We decided for our wedding that everything else could suffer at the expense of food, drinks, and photographic quality. So we decided spend less on the "disposables"... Things like table toppers, we made our own invitations, had cupcakes instead of a fancy cake, and found lots of other places where we could transfer our resources to achieve our goal of high standards on our priorities. It didn't make sense to us to spend a lot of money to have a "Pinterest Worthy" wedding and have had terrible photographs of all of our pretty things and many missed moments. Our photographer was there because of his work quality and personality, and we still have a relationship with him to this day. Remember photography is one of the few things that lasts past the wedding day. What good is a ton of prints if you don't want them on your wall, or they remind you of a photographer who treated you like the next part in their production line. You simply cannot risk feeling your heart sink every time you look at your wedding pictures for the rest of your lives. You have spent countless hours, emotions, and dreams creating the perfect wedding, looking your very best, having the biggest party of your lives, make sure the memories captured reflect the beauty of your day.

 

 

 

 

If your budget is the bottom line and you cannot bend, you may be able to find someone who can give you good results for a lower price, but expect that it will have risk involved and you may just get what you pay for. If someone is inexpensive, expect for them to say that they are inexperienced, that they are looking to build a portfolio, or they don’t edit their pictures afterwards, find out why before so you don’t find out why the hard way, after. However, everyone has to start somewhere, so it’s not always a bad thing, just be aware.

 

However, in saying that I do not mean to take away from the value the extra's have. Most of the time the products photographers offer like albums and prints come from labs that only work with professionals. The time and energy that goes into producing these products cannot be compared to what you find online or at consumer labs. Our lab has professional bookbinders that assemble the albums by hand, and our work stations are all calibrated to their printing equipment. Each picture I put into an album is sized and sharpened properly for optimal printing, and I will even edit an image to insure it fits in with the other images on the page. Your photographer has put together countless albums and blogs, they know how to tell a story in images, they have years of experience with the programs and equipment used to make quality products. These are a few things you cannot get from consumer labs, they require time, much like the extra work in a high end car, and you can tell in the final product. Just be sure to ask your photographer about their lab, you don't want to pay boutique lab prices to a photographer who may be using a consumer lab and marking up something cheap. If you'd like to see an example of one of our wedding albums, check out our blog post 4 Reasons Why Professional Wedding Albums Are Worth It!

 

I mentioned that Kate and I were on a limited budget, I was in university so money was tight. After our wedding we decided to put an album together from a consumer lab online. We got what we paid for and knew that we would. The print quality is not even comparable to the lab we now use, and the pages fell out after a year because of low quality binding. I'm not upset though, I knew this was the case. Now that we have some extra money we will be building a new album with our professional lab, but if I could have, I would have had our photographer do it at the time because I know the value in allowing his art to be managed and assembled by him. When I look at the album we bought I feel like I rented a Lamborghini for a photographer and drove it on a dirt road called "My Album." 

 

Price reflects Process

 

The work that goes into a picture is extensive. The know-how begins with how to capture it, but also moves into editing and keeping your wedding in an efficient workflow. A 6 hour wedding done by a professional will not be merely 6 hours; it could easily reach 40 hours with downloading, backing up sorting, editing, ordering prints, putting your unique story together in an album, and all the other administrative work that goes on behind the scenes. My opinion on budget is blunt; inexpensive usually represents either inexperience or a sacrifice in a proper work flow.

 

Think about it this way, would you be able to work 40 hours a week and also pay for all the product your working on for your employer, like paper, manufacturing, equipment, programs, employees, insurance, hydro, etc and do it all for $500, or even $1000 dollars? You would go broke fast, so if someone tells you that's what they do like other pro's, either they don't do it or wont be doing it for long. So consider the process your pictures will go through, good pictures don’t end at the last call of the wedding, they begin there and started long before. You're not just paying for good pictures, but a workflow that your pictures will enter. Furthermore it is often very expensive to have a picture corrected by another professional if your photographer has not done it as part of their work flow. You could potentially have two outcomes if the photographers post-production is not considered before you book. First, when you look back at it through poor pictures that could never be fixed your memories won’t be as they should be, a happy window into the past. Second, you could spend hundreds or even thousands more paying another professional to fix something in Photoshop that should have been done properly the first time.

 

 

 

Feel like you're understanding it a little better? Great! Now for the next post, 8 questions to ask your wedding photographer!  Or if you missed it, part one While you Search.  

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) finding a professional photographer wedding photographer cost wedding photography cost what do wedding photographers cost why are wedding photographers so expensive https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/6/what-to-look-for-in-a-wedding-photographer-price-reflects-process---series-part-2 Sat, 01 Mar 2014 18:45:00 GMT
What to consider when hiring a Wedding Photographer: Series Part 1 https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/6/things-to-consider-when-hiring-a-wedding-photographer-series---part-1-while-you-search Hello! We first just want to thank you for checking out this first post in a series of posts that will be directed to helping you choose the wedding photographer that is right for you. We'll cover every aspect - from why the heck wedding photographers are so expensive, to what exactly a photographer does. We'll also touch on the questions that surround setting a budget for photography. We hope you enjoy the posts and come away feeling much more confident and educated about the world of wedding photography!

This first post will focus on what you need to consider when hiring a photographer when it comes to personality.

Without further ado, here's Mike! :) 

While You Search

Most people who are seeking after wedding professionals have never encountered the special things they do. Before my wedding, I can say I knew nothing of wedding cakes, outside of how to take a picture of them, so before we bought one Kate and I went down to look at and eat some samples before we decided. You wouldn’t buy a cake for your day unless you tried it first right? The fact that you’re here to read what wedding photography is about, is much the same - you can look at a photographers pictures and appreciate them, or not. Just like a cake. However, why you may or may not like those pictures goes deeper than just emotion, there is a reason why they appeal to you, and that is the overall goal of this blog.

 

Wedding photography is a very deep subject, I have written a lot and that's why I've broken it into a series so you can skip to the parts you're most curious about.

 

However before you decide what to skim over I would like to put the entire thing in perspective. Let’s say this first section “while you search” is a 20 minute read. I know, you can get food faster, but remember if the food is not done right you can take it back, you can’t take back wedding pictures and get new ones. Let’s say for an easy number you have $4000 dollars to spend on wedding photography. If this section does what it is intended, it will help you make the wisest choice for your investment. Someone who does not research a product runs the risk of not getting their monies worth, so we can say then that taking 20 minutes to read the first section is worth a potential $200 dollars a minute in value if it helps you make a sound investment and gives you amazing wedding photos.

 

That being said if you want to skip ahead here are the links :) 

 Series Part 2:  Price Reflects Process

 Series Part 3:  8 questions to ask your wedding photographer! 

Okay, so first up - Personality! 

Your photographer is typically one of the first vendors you book when you are starting your wedding planning. Since sometimes they can be with you for a year or two, and even longer if you have them shoot your family as it grows later in life, they should be considered as a potential professional friend. I have been blessed to watch families grow from the first time I met a couple before their wedding, right through to their family turning from two to three and beyond and I call them friends now :) So a photographers character is the first thing you should consider, speak with them in person before you reserve your day. Are they excited for you? Do they have a passion for weddings? Are they interested in your day and all the unique specifics? Do they sound nervous, bored, or act like talking with you is just run of the mill? Ask yourself, could this person be a friend, or at least someone I will smile for? Next to your fiance and wedding party, the photographer will be beside you the most on your day, their presence should make you comfortable.

 

I can't tell you how many times I have talked to bridesmaids or others at weddings who said something like. "my photographer was so boring or depressing I wish I had been more thoughtful about who I picked!" A look into their character will give you insight into how they both work as an organized person and how they will fit into your plans. Are they a take charge type of person, are they laid back and observant, a combination of both, what do you need to help you? Some people simply want their day documented so a laid back yet very observant photographer may fit best. Or you may want them to conduct the pictures, promote a moment; a more take charge vocal photographer may fit you then. Ultimately if you feel comfortable with your photographer your pictures will be much better, so your comfort level should be paramount. So in short never higher a photographer unless you have met them, spoke with them on the phone or in the least gotten a reputable reference!

 

 

 
 
Next up, we're going to show you aspects that need to be considered when you're making an investment as important as this, as well as answer the next question, "why wedding photographers are so expensive".
 
PART 2: Price Reflects Process 
PART 3: 8 Questions to Ask a Potential Photographer

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) bride wedding resource hiring the right wedding photographer photographer personality questions to ask wedding photographers why are wedding photographers so expensive https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/6/things-to-consider-when-hiring-a-wedding-photographer-series---part-1-while-you-search Sat, 01 Mar 2014 18:45:00 GMT
Laura & Jason - Wedding Ancaster Mill, Valentines Day, Hamilton https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/6/laura-jason---ancaster-mill-valentines-day-hamilton On a very, very cold day this past Valentines Day, Laura and Jason celebrated their love for each other in a beautiful wedding. Laura has to be the most organized bride we've ever had, and her hard work really paid off with all the little details and thoughtful touches she incorporated into their celebration. 

Mike arrived at one of the Hamilton areas hidden gems, we actually never knew this place existed but we'll be telling others about this quaint little bed and breakfast right here in Ancaster, Serenity Ranch. It was the perfect place for everyone to hang out and get ready, close enough to The Ancaster Mill but not as impersonal as a hotel can be. 

bride getting read on cell phone

bridal gown hanging above stairs

bride and mom getting ready mother zipping up bridal gown

Mike peeked in at Jason. Waiting. Like grooms do. :D 

black and white photo of groom

It was finally time for the reveal. Laura and Jason opted to do it outside in the beautiful sunshine. These two are just so sweet, I can literally feel their giddiness as I go through the pictures, I love it!

bridal reveal bridal reveal bridal reveal

I love the 'friend paparazzi' in this shot!  bridal reveal bridal reveal

See that? Man tears. Mmhmm. 

bridal reveal

bridal reveal

Next we braved the knee deep snow and snapped a couple shots of the girls having blast! 

bridesmaids in snow bridesmaids in snow

 

bride and groom kissing

Then we were off to the Ancaster Mill for the ceremony. I love how just Laura and Jason's close family and friends were there, it made it so intimate and special and these two are really lucky to have such amazing people around them.

bride and groom vows bride and groom vows

 

Love will keep them warm :)  bride and groom winter portrait

As I mentioned, Laura put a lot of thought into the details of their wedding. But what we really noticed was how on the day, Jason and her only had eyes for each other. They forgot about the chaos, the scheduling, the frenzy of a wedding and just enjoyed each other and had an amazing time together. 

A few of the details..

Valentines Day Wedding Details Valentines Day Wedding Details Valentines Day Wedding Details Valentines Day Wedding Details

bride and groom celebrating at reception bride and groom celebrating at reception bride and groom celebrating at reception bride and groom celebrating at reception

Laura surprised her mom with a dance - it's not just Daddy's that get the honour!  bride and groom celebrating at reception bride and groom celebrating at reception bride and groom celebrating at reception

We wish the very best to this sweet couple! 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) ancaster mill valentines day https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/6/laura-jason---ancaster-mill-valentines-day-hamilton Sat, 01 Mar 2014 16:30:00 GMT
Mike & Haylee - Winter Engagement Session, Albion Falls, Hamilton https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/2/mike-hailey---winter-engagement-session-albion-falls-hamilton You know what I love about living in Canada? The way our seasons change. Mike has lived in Australia, and I have lived in the Netherlands, and both of those countries have very subtle weather changes. Admittedly, nobody really minds the weather in Australia, but Mike did say he definitely missed the seasons changing. So when Mike (groom to be) and Haylee were up for a winter photoshoot, and having recently been blessed with all this amazing snow, we were totally pumped to do our two favourite things - play in the snow, and hang out with a cute couple of almost-newlyweds!  We were sort of on call with this one, and after the fourth major snowfall this winter we finally had a Saturday that was free and Mike and Haylee were totally flexible with only one hours notice before the shoot. 

Mike, Mike, Haylee and our assistant Kamila, all headed over to Albion Falls, dressed warm and ready for a romantic hike. We do a lot of shoots there because of the diversity of the landscape, this time with the white snow and the dark branches made great contrast.

kissing in winter time

kissing in branches

couple laughing in snow engagement session

I just adore how Haylee's hat matches the snow hats these reeds are wearing. Like a little crowd of marshmallows :)

couple in bushes couple with bushes in front

It was a good thing we brought a blanket, I'm pretty sure it was -16. 

couple cuddling in blanket in snow couple engagement shoot snow black and white engagement photo in snow couples feet in snow

Next, it was time for an all out snowball fight. I don't know who started it, but I'm pretty sure it was equally matched!

snowball fight engagement session snowball fight snowball fight engagement shoot

After Mike and Haylee warmed each other up (aww), it was time to head back. Mike had a great time with these two, totally looking forward to their wedding this summer! 

 

cuddling in blanket couple kissing under bridge kissing in field engagement shoot

Did you love this shoot? We'd love to hang out, check us out on Facebook

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) snowball fight winter engagement shoot https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/2/mike-hailey---winter-engagement-session-albion-falls-hamilton Mon, 10 Feb 2014 00:47:26 GMT
Elise & Jonathan - Grand Victorian, Niagara-On-The-Lake Wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/2/elise-jonathan---grand-victorian-niagara-on-the-lake-wedding What I love about this wedding is how seamlessly Elise & Jonathan blended both their French Canadian and Scottish heritages, their love of super hero's and boxing and topped it off with all the lace and romance and sweetness that represents their love for each other. 

The wedding day was the kind of amazingly sunny, gorgeous fall days that we all hope for when we book an October wedding. The venue was to die for, the very elegant and amazing Grand Victorian Bed & Breakfast in Niagara-On-The-Lake, Ontario. Mike arrived to a relaxed atmosphere where Elise and her friends were getting ready and enjoying the day, especially with their two cutie flower girls. 

Grand Victorian Bed & Breakfast Niagara-On-The-Lake

bride getting ready in room happy flower girls

bride getting hairspray bride getting hairspray

wedding dress in window

See those awesome shoes? Thought I'd include a close-up for all you shoe lovers out there : ) She got 'em at Bakers Shoes

cool wedding shoes flower girls getting hair done flower girls getting hair done bride sitting in make up chair bride getting make up done bride getting hair finished tattooed bride

I just loved Elise's wedding ring, when I asked her where she got it I spent an unspecified amount of time looking at the Michael Hill website. You'll see her bracelet in some of the pictures later, and she got that at the delightfully named Bling on King in my hometown of Dundas, Ontario. 

wedding rings

Before Elise slipped into her dress, Mike went over to the next room to spend a little time with Jonathan and his guys. 

ring bearer getting ready

For the record, the guys were all wearing super-hero underwear underneath their kilts, however I didn't get explicit permission from each guy so I didn't want to post those photos. But let me just say that if we ever did a calendar featuring all of our hunky grooms (which we wont, cause that's weird) these guys would be on the cover.  grooms men getting ready

In no time, Jonathan was ready to go for his lovely lady! groom

The wedding ceremony was held at the charming St. Saviour Anglican Church, an amazing building built in 1879. 

stained glass window in church

 

bride walking down aisle with dad

bride and groom kissing in car reflection of bride and groom in car

bride and groom kissing in sunlight

As Mike's time with Elise & Jon was winding down, they headed back to the Grand Victorian to take advantage of the fabulously wide wrap around porch that hugs the house.  But first, Elise with proof of her ass-kicking-ness:

bride with boxing championship belts

bride and groom on porch swing bride and groom on porch swing

couple kissing on porch swing bride and groom looking in each others eyes

We just know that these two have a love that is for keeps. They are so very much each others 'person', its really beautiful and an honour to have been part of the day that tied them together forever!

Like this wedding? Come hang out with us on Facebook and keep in touch! 

 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) niagara wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/2/elise-jonathan---grand-victorian-niagara-on-the-lake-wedding Wed, 05 Feb 2014 22:57:20 GMT
Why the heck do we need an engagement shoot anyway? https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/2/why-the-heck-do-we-need-an-engagement-shoot-anyway Why, thank you for asking. We get this question here and there, and I’m here to tell you why it’s a really good idea to book an engagement shoot with us before your wedding.

Number one answer? Because they are fun.

Seriously, they are. That’s the main reason we include them with all of our packages. Basically it’s like, you guys are on a date, and Mike is the weirdo ninja paparazzo in the bushes snapping away furiously as you guys are canoodling and schmoopying and doing all that stuff that maybe you haven’t done together in a while. 

Going on a date, with just the two of you, focusing on each other and just…feeling each other’s energy, and hearts and enjoying each other’s company. And then having awesome pictures to remember it with for the rest of your lives? It’s perfect! 

 

You two are in love. That’s why you’re getting married.

And your wedding day is going to be all sorts of amazing, but that day is extra special, which is why you dress up all fancy-like.  You’re probably not going to spend too much more time after your wedding day in your wedding clothes. (Unless you’re like me who likes to wear her wedding dress for Halloween, because why the heck not.)  There is really only a short period of time where you’ll identify as ‘the bride’ or ‘the groom’, but you’ll always identify with being ‘each others’. So capturing you guys as who you are, how you belong together in everyday life, is so important because it’s who you’re going to be for the rest of your lives.

couple on the beach with dog


It doesn’t matter if you still want to ‘lose weight’ before the wedding (just gotta add in here, do not put this kind of pressure on yourselves…!) or maybe you just got a less than fab haircut or your future husband looks stiff and silly in pictures. Forget all this stuff. We are professionals, and our job is to bring out the beautiful in you both, by making you comfortable, and letting you guys do what you do. 

And if you’re sitting here thinking, “what if we don’t DO anything?”, believe me, you do. We’ll step in if we need too, to get you guys loosened up a bit, suggest some poses maybe or Mike will tell terrible jokes.  Actually, the terrible joke part happens regardless of what’s going on.

black and white photo on beachTo see more of Richard & Maria's engagement shoot, click here http://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2013/10/richard-maria---van-wagners-beach-engagement-shoot-hamilton

(wanna see more of Richard and Maria's shoot? Click here!)

Anyways, so then, when the big day rolls around, you guys will not only have amazing pictures to show on your welcome table and in your guest book, you’ll know exactly what it feels like to spend time with Mike, to have a big crazy-ass camera pointed at you and to not even care because you’ve been there and done that.

 You’ll know how amazing you look in the pictures we take. So you don’t have to worry about making sure you have your model lips on, or you are tilting your head just so, because all that stuff is baloney and you’ll have had real time practice looking fabulous without even knowing it.  

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) beach engagement photos https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/2/why-the-heck-do-we-need-an-engagement-shoot-anyway Sun, 02 Feb 2014 00:15:00 GMT
Keirsten & Kyle - Macedonian Wedding, Dundurn Castle, Hamilton https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/1/keirsten-kyle---macedonian-wedding-dundurn-castle-hamilton When we had our first consultation with Keirsten & Kyle, we were happy to also meet Keirsten's parents at the same time. When a bride and groom have so much support from their parents, we know that the wedding is going to be one, big, beautiful celebration full of family and friends. Keirsten & Kyle definitely have a wonderful family, and an even more amazing group of friends. I just love how close these two are to everyone around them, and its no wonder, because this sweet couple is so easy to love.

Our engagement shoot with them was probably one of the single hottest days of the summer, we were smothered with the heat and it was at 9am - but Keirsten and Kyle had so much fun with each other, plus we had a little surprise visit from a sweet horse named Joe. 

couple with horse

 

The weather on their wedding day in October? Windy and kinda rainy. But that didn't stop Keirsten and Kyle from have a simply fabulous wedding! 

The first stop was to where the guys were getting ready. When guys get ready, they pretty much do it in about 5 minutes and spend the rest of the time drinking. It's a rite of passage for the guys to make sure they are extra super relaxed :)

man drinking from flask groomsmen toasting groomsmen laughing

At the girls house however, the rooms were a-bustle with joyful pandemonium, glitz, glamour and a heady mix of hairspray and laughter. Now I've seen a lot of girls get ready on their wedding day and most of them usually have a makeup artist helping them with their makeup. But Keirsten and her girls? These girls were professionals themselves. Seriously, I have never seen so many women know exactly how to put on their makeup like this and look so absolutely stunning! 

bridal party getting ready

bridesmaid putting on makeup bride putting on hairspray

Keirsten chose a mermaid-style wedding dress that was the perfect choice for her to-die-for silhouette. She looked drop dead gorgeous and was glowing with anticipation and excitement at seeing Kyle at the end of the altar. 

black and white picture of bride in mirror bride in doorway \ friend helping bride get ready bride in mirror

black and white picture of bride mom taking pics of bride

Finally we were off to St. Naum Macedonian Church, for a traditional Orthodox Macedonian ceremony. The church was filled with family and friends and the traditions were so special and sacred, it was beautiful.

groomsmen looking down aisle bride coming down aisle with parents groom looking at bride coming down aisle This shot just melts my heart....love the moment when a Daddy gives away his baby girl :) 

dad giving away his daughter

 

kids sitting on steps at ceremony

bride smiling at friend

macedonian ceremony macedonian ceremony

 

Once we got outside again, I understood why there was so much hairspray action going on back at the house - it was really crazy windy out! Wind and veils make some pretty cool pictures though, and Keirsten didn't mind a bit! 

bride in wind bride with veil

Next we headed on over to Dundurn Castle in Hamilton for wedding pictures. The elegance of this gorgeous house (definitely more of a stately mansion than a castle, hehe) lent itself perfectly to the elegance of the day.

This is where the bridal party totally let loose and had a blast. All of these guys and gals could easily step in front of any camera and model, it was like they were born to do it. Mike had an amazing time with them and Keirsten & Kyle had a blast, hanging out with their besties and celebrating their new status as mr & mrs. 

bride walking with bridesmaids

I have to take a moment here to explain what was going on in this pic. Since it was so windy, there were all sorts of things flying around in the air, including a crazy bug that landed on Keirsten. So the bridesmaid in the far left? She's just still freaked out by the bug! 

epic bridal party shot

black and white picture of bride walking with groom bride posing at Dundurn Castle

bride and groom kissing at dundurn

The ever classic dudes-with-cigars shot turned out fantastic with this super suave group of studs. (Yes I just said that, haha!)

groomsmen smoking cigars bride and groom kissing close up

Check out Keirsten's serious amount of sass in this shot....so perfect!

bride laughing with groomsmen bride and groom kissing in window

bridal portrait bridal portrait in front of doors

 

After the formals were over, it was time to hop back in the party bus - but first? A little top-up on the hairspray.

groom getting hairspray groom getting hairspray party bus

Shortly after this, the bridal party headed off to their reception to enjoy the rest of the night. Mike had such a great time with Keirsten & Kyle and we know these two are going to have a beautiful life together,  surrounded by their family and filled to brim with friends! 

Did you guys love this wedding? We'd love to get to know you better, hang out with us on Facebook!

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) dundurn castle fall wedding photos mermaid style wedding dress pink and white bridal bouquet https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/1/keirsten-kyle---macedonian-wedding-dundurn-castle-hamilton Fri, 24 Jan 2014 00:20:54 GMT
Tim & Daneille Mini Family Shoot - Dundas Conservation Area https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/1/tim-daneille-mini-family-shoot---dundas-conservation-area Over the holidays, I had the opportunity to hang out with one of my old friends Tim. We knew each other in highschool and reconnected over Facebook. He happens to be a fantastic photographer himself, (you guys can check him out at www.timcarrphoto.com) and when he suggested we meet up and do a photoshoot swap, I was all over it! I had never met his wife Daneille, since they now live in Switzerland (I know, right?) but I had stalked followed them on Facebook so I knew they were a super cute couple. And, as you can see, I was totally right.

Seriously, I feel like they should write a book or something on how they stay so in love for 10 years and with two little little ones in tow. Winter photoshoots are always hit and miss when it comes to the weather, so we were so glad for all snow that had recently fallen. It even stayed fresh and white for us and it wasn't even that cold - for the adults at least. The littles on the otherhand were a little chilly, so we had to do the shoot toute de suite. I think the photos turned out pretty good, and even though little Abigail doesn't exactly have eyes in some of them, I think it shows the funny realities of life and the love between Tim & Daneille perfectly. 

family photoshoot hamilton ontario

 

Poor little Abi :) 

family photoshoot near trains

 

An insider tip on how to get kids to look like they're smiling and avoid the cheesy-cheese? Just tell em to yell. Works every time :)

boy and mom on train steps

dad and baby beside train family photo beside train

 

I love Daneille's fabulous pose here, and Abigails all 'omg mom' haha. :) 

family photo on train tracks in winter

couple beside train photoshoot little boy looking at parents photo

True love :)

 

couples photoshoot hamilton ontario

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) family photography train photoshoot winter photoshoot https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/1/tim-daneille-mini-family-shoot---dundas-conservation-area Sat, 18 Jan 2014 01:56:15 GMT
Amanda & Trevor Wedding at Knollwood Golf Club, Ancaster https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/1/amanda-trevor-wedding-at-knollwood-golf-club-ancaster I'm sitting here on a very rainy, gray winters day and I'm reminded of a poem that I once read and fell in love with, The Darkling Thrush, by Thomas Hardy. It's about a gloomy day that is made bright by the sweet song of a little bedraggled thrush, and its just so cute its hard not to smile when I read it.

What I also love about cloudy days, is how much brighter they can be when you get to revisit a gorgeous sunny fall day, like the day that Amanda and Trevor were married back in September at Knollwood Golf Club in Ancaster. When we did Trevor and Amanda's engagement shoot, we had a ton of fun with them - mainly because these two are willing to get down and dirty and have a lot of fun by having an all out paint fight. So when Mike arrived at Knollwood, he knew the day was going to be a fun, relaxed celebration full of a lot of laughter and Amanda's ray-of-sunshine smile. 

bride getting makeup on

bride getting makeup done bride getting eyeshadow done black and white photo of bridesmaids

I just love Amanda's wedding dress, you guys will see how beautifully it fits her. It's always a little bit of a challenge when you are petite like Amanda is to find a dress that doesn't overwhelm you, and this one is perfect.

wedding dress in door bride checking cell phone on wedding day bride next to wedding dress smiling bride getting ready in mirror

bride and mom getting ready in mirror  Amanda chose to have only her mom in the room while she was putting her dress on. Such an important moment between a daughter and her mama, I love how Amanda chose to keep it intimate and special.

mom putting veil on bride mom and bride daughter hugging

After putting on her dress, Amanda walked down the steps and her bridal party and dad saw her for the first time. Notice all the dropped jaws? Because, this girl is stunning

bride coming down stairs bride coming down stairs

 

Next, it was off to the church. We love the cool, sleek architecture of St Lukes Church. The light was streaming in in such a perfect way, so Amanda and Trevor were just glowing!

bride walking down aisle with dad groom seeing bride for first time bride and groom at altar

little girl at wedding bride and groom exchanging rings bride and groom at altar The best part if the day... finally married!! :)

bride and groom coming down aisle

bride and groom coming down aisle

bride and groom laughing with friends bride hugging friend

I love the romance of Amanda & Trevor, it only gets better as the day goes on, but check out this sweet little moment in the limo :)

bride and groom kissing in limo

A little royal wave...and a little bubbly! 

bride and groom waving from limo bride and groom champagne

 

So first this happened.... bride drinking from champagne bottle

And then this happened. We love it :D 

groomsmen peeing on barn groom posing with groomsmen groom posing with groomsmen bride walking with maid of honour bridal party posing in sunlight bridal party posing on bridge

Remember I said the that romance just keeps getting better with these two? Get ready cause here come my favourite pictures of the day...!

bride and groom wooden fence bride and groom wooden fence bride and groom sunlight wooden fence bride standing on road bride and groom silhouette on road

bride and groom by river

Are these guys beautiful or what? Now comes the fun part, the reception. We love being in a room full of happy voices, lots of hugs and super big smiles and Trevor & Amanda simply had it all. 

bride and groom coming in to hall bride and groom high five bridesmaid speeches groomsmen speeches bride and groom kissing black and white

Our couples have all sorts of different ideas in lieu of clinking glasses for the bride and groom to kiss, and I love the idea of bean-bag toss. Looks like Trevor wanted to kiss his bride and kick up the competition! 

groom bean bag toss bride and groom speech bride and groom first dance bride and groom first dance bride and groom first dance bride and groom first dance bride and groom dance face black and white reception picture

Trevor and Amanda are destined to have a beautiful life together and we were honoured to be a part of the beginning of it! 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) hamilton wedding hamilton wedding photographer sunny day wedding photos https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/1/amanda-trevor-wedding-at-knollwood-golf-club-ancaster Sat, 11 Jan 2014 18:28:30 GMT
City Kidz Hamilton Christmas Party https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/1/city-kidz-hamilton-christmas-party Hey everyone!

We know you guys are all huge supporters of the City Kidz Organization we work with here in Hamilton, so I wanted to post a few photos to give you a behind the scenes look at the tremendously successful Christmas Party they had this year.  I couldn't get permission to post any pictures of the kids themselves, but here's a little bit of what the staff does there- and believe me, this was one loud, rockin' good time! In total, there were 1,846 kids who were able to attend one of the three Christmas parties, and still another 4,086 that got really cool Christmas presents. For most of the kids, the Christmas presents from City Kidz were the only gifts they got this year - super, super appreciated! The kids were beside themselves with excitement, like literally it was a madhouse of shouts and cheers and jumping about. Plus they actually got really cool presents like ipods, disney on ice tickets, hockey game tickets, you name it! Plus with the amazing true message of Christmas, these kids are probably still giddy from it and it was weeks ago now :) Anyways, enjoy these pics and thanks again to all of you who help us support the organizations who mean everything to the kids who are most in need in our city! 

picture of kids christmas party play picture of kids christmas party play picture of kids christmas party play picture of kids christmas party play

 

 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) christmas party city kidz https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2014/1/city-kidz-hamilton-christmas-party Fri, 10 Jan 2014 23:39:06 GMT
Heather & Justin - Cambridge Mill, August Wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2013/12/heather-justin---cambridge-mill-august-wedding When Mike arrived at Justin's house, Justin was busy getting ready for the big day ahead. A serious fellow, Justin was all business and made sure everything was perfectly in place. Lucky for him, he had a few equally as serious friends, who were just as nervous as he was. The guys may not have to worry about getting into a big dress or how to make a corset comfortable, but some of the belts and buckles and snaps that the tuxedo comes with are a little confusing! 

 

groom getting ready

groom getting ready groom getting ready in bathroom ring shot

After the guys were ready, we headed off the Cambridge Mill to start the rest of the day. Heather was just about to get into her dress, a dress that was fit for a princess and thats exactly what Heather looked like when she was done. We see a lot of slim silhouettes in bridal gowns, but I just love it when a girl goes all out and has a big gorgeous dress with diamonds and tulle and everything that makes a bride feel like she's in a fairy tale! 

bridal gown in window bride getting dress corset done up bride getting dressed bride getting ready in mirror bride getting ready in mirror bride getting ready in mirror

As the nerves pile up, Justin is looking pretty serious. Good thing his friends are around...and his bride is just around the corner! :)

groom waiting for bride groom and friend laughing black and white photo of groom waiting for bride bride and father walking down aisle bride and father walking down aisle

groom smiling at bride wedding ceremony exchange of wedding rings

bride and grooming kissing

 

Finally, married! And the smiles begin : ) I love how much Heather & Justin make each other smile. You can tell that when they are together, they are invincible! 

signing bridal registry bride and groom walking down aisle

bride and groom hugging bride walking across street

Since a summer storm interrupted our outdoor photoshoot, we headed on inside to the reception. One of the things that Mike likes best about being a wedding photographer, is the challenge of unexpected things like sudden storms. He revels in thinking on his feet and we're always so excited when we get to see how awesome on-the-fly pictures turn out, especially in such a beautiful spot as Cambridge Mill! 

bride and groom kissing in elevator bride and groom kissing in stairwell bride and groom kissing in rain bride and groom through window at cambridge mill

 

After some toasting and some speeches, it was time for the first dance.

bride and groom toasting

How amazingly elegant are these two? After lessons and many practices, Heather and Justin achieved the ultimate in a graceful first dance!

bride and groom dancing

Not to be outdone, a levitating wedding guest :)

guests dancing

 

We wish both Heather & Justin all the very best in the future, especially on their new adventure in Western Canada! 

bride and groom silhouette picture

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) cambridge day gown mill photos princess rainy wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2013/12/heather-justin---cambridge-mill-august-wedding Fri, 27 Dec 2013 21:56:58 GMT
Jenn & Bob - Peninsula Ridge Estates Wedding in Niagara on The Lake https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2013/11/jenn-bob---peninsula-ridge-estates-wedding-in-niagara-on-the-lake When Mike and I met Jenn & Bob (and their cute little son Calvin) we immediately loved them. These two have such a warmth and happiness about them, you can really tell they have a lot of fun together and were very excited about their wedding day. The amount of thought and detail that Jenn put into her day was amazing, as you'll see in the following pictures. They even had a chinese lantern and sparkler celebration!  And leading up to the day, we had a number of very cool conversations over email, she's just one of those people that is so easy to connect with. It's a no brainer why Bob is just ga-ga over her! 

When Mike arrived at Peninsula Ridge Estates, Jenn and her girls were busy slipping into their gowns and putting the finishing touches on. Jenn wore the perfect wedding dress, mermaid style and fit exactly to her petite figure. With her gently flowing hair and fresh makeup, she was the epitome of a beautiful bride. I just adore her choice in bridesmaids dresses, the black and white floral made such a statement - but not so much that it outshone the bride. A lot of people stay away from the long dresses, especially in the summer, but these were so fresh and stylish, it totally worked. 

bride getting ready behind door

bridesmaid holding up dress

Champagne - a wedding morning essential! :)

champagne

bridesmaids getting bride ready bride getting ready

 

Ok so I gotta take a minute to tell you about Jenn's fabulous veil. When she first told me about it, I was amazed at the patience this girl must have to do such a thing. Then when I saw the final product, I was blown away. Seriously you guys, have you ever seen such a clever and unique idea? I have not! It's really the cutest detail I've ever seen. hand stitched bridal veil

Next, I gotta take a moment to talk about the shoes. We've been seeing a lot of brides making some serious statements with their bridal shoes, but Jenn took hers to a whole new level. She and Bob have a great love for superheros and comics, and they came up with the fabulous idea of incorporating both things into Jenn's shoes. She decoupaged scenes from where Batman gets married to Catwoman (well, in Catwoman's dreams actually) and made the coolest shoes! You could do so much with this idea, say a specific book or poem meant a lot to the both of you, you could decoupage the pages onto your shoes. Or what about the sheet music to your favourite song? Such a great idea! 

 

comic book covered wedding shoes comic book covered wedding shoes

Keeping up with the superhero wedding theme, the guys sported their favourite characters on their cufflinks. Another cool, subtle way of putting your personality into your wedding!

super hero cufflinks groomsmen

And yep, that is a batman style wedding ring :D 

batman wedding ring

Okay, so next was the ceremony, held in a tent outside the winery. The couples family and friends looked on as these two love birds made it official, with much smiling and much tears and much love. 

ring boy getting flower pinned on guests at wedding bride and groom at altar bride smiling at altar bride and groom kissing at altar

 

After the wedding ceremony, it was time for some semi formal formal pictures. Oh and a mini meltdown from an overexcited little ring bearer- it's kind of a lot of work! :)

ring bearer meltdown bride and groom and son

bridal portrait through screen door

Since Jenn & Bob's wedding happened during a weekday, the winery part was actually closed because they were...making wine. ;) But when Mike wants to get a certain shot, he's pretty determined and after laying on the charm to a couple different people, they finally let them go in to get a few shots. It was a little dark, a little wet, a little...wine-y...but a lot worth it!

bride and groom near wine vats bride and groom kissing near wine vats

bride and groom kissing winery bride and groom kissing winery

Jenn & Bob decided to share a special moment with each other in the vineyard, and Mike was only too happy to capture the intimacy of these two reading their personal vows together. Surrounded by the rolling hills in Niagara, the sun beamed down as these two beamed at each other (...in Beamsville, I'm not even kidding). They professed their love to each other in a private moment, where they could be themselves and just enjoy each other. I love that these two recognized that they needed this sweet time alone together, to just breathe and finally be married. 

bride and groom in vineyard together bride in vineyard bride and groom kissing in vineyard bride and groom kissing in vineyard

Next it was time for dinner. Before I go into how delicious the food was (and it really was), I gotta tell you about the pic below. It's one of the many topiaries that Jenn made, each flower, by hand. A lot of folding and a lot of glue gunning, but doesn't it look cool? 

 

hand made paper flower topiaries

See the burlap rosettes on the table? Totally hand made. This girl rocked the DIY! 

head table

chicken and bacon wrapped asparagus steak and bacon wrapped asparagus bride and groom first dance

Jenn is not originally from Ontario, so she was happy to receive well wishes from her family and friends back home :)

bride on cell phone

 

groom and mom dance cutting the cake

You know what five year olds do when the get cake on their pants? They lick it right off. No big deal. :)

boy eating cake off pants wedding photo

After dinner, we did a few more bridal party photos, and then came the really fun part...the chinese or 'wish' lantern celebration! 

beautiful bridal party photo black and white bridal party photo happy bride chinese lanterns lighting chinese lanterns bride and groom heart chinese lanterns bride and groom watching heart lantern float away bride with chinese lantern bride and groom with chinese lanterns

 

And for the final hurrah, a sparkler party, with all their loved ones lighting their way. We wish Jenn & Bob and Calvin much love and success in their new life together!!  bridal party with sparklers at night

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) Niagara Weddings Peninsula Ridge Estate Winery batman wedding ring black and white bridesmaids dresses chinese lanterns comic book wedding handmade bridal veil super hero themed wedding superhero cuff links winery https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2013/11/jenn-bob---peninsula-ridge-estates-wedding-in-niagara-on-the-lake Sun, 17 Nov 2013 02:06:24 GMT
Mallory & Mark - Engagement shoot Albion Falls & Glendale Golf & Country Club https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2013/11/mallory-mark---engagement-shoot-albion-falls We recently had the  privilege of hanging out with Mallory & Mark for their engagement shoot. I don't have to tell you guys that these two are super cute, cause you can kind of already tell....but these two are super cute. ;) First we headed on over to Albion Falls, a place we just love to spend time at, especially in the when Ontario's forests are at their finest. Our shoot took place during a really busy season for Mark, so it was extra cool that their one day they had together that week was their engagement shoot with us. A pretty good date night, I must say! 

engagement photoshoot albion falls

 

black and white engagement shoot photo waterfalls fall engagement shoot fall engagement shoot near albion falls lake couple snuggling on rock near waterfall engagement photo

Next we headed on over to Glendale Golf & Country Club in Stoney Creek where Mallory & Mark are members. Not only did they meet here, they got engaged here. Apparently Mallory was quite caught up in the game and didnt notice Mark preparing to propose. Little did she know that an even better rock would be sliding her way...;) 

curling themed wedding photos

Curling is especially significant to both of them, Mark is a competitive curler and is currently kicking butt and is on a fast track to pursuing his Olympic Dreams! Seriously guys, TEAM CANADA!! 

This is the same lane that Mark proposed on :)

curling themed engagement photos

 

curling shoes curling themed engagement shoot hamilton ontario curling themed engagement shoot

beautiful solitaire engagement ring engagement ring on curling rock

 We know we'll be following Mark closely, check out Team Kean and cheer right along with us :) 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) curling curling themed wedding engagement https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2013/11/mallory-mark---engagement-shoot-albion-falls Fri, 08 Nov 2013 23:43:25 GMT
Rose & Tom Wedding at Geraldo's at LaSalle Park, Burlington https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2013/11/rose-tom-wedding-at-geraldos-at-lasalle-park-burlington It was a beautiful, sunny August morning when Mike arrived at the Sheraton Hotel in Hamilton. Rose was busy having her makeup done, and slipping into her beautiful lace wedding dress. The dress fit her perfectly, with delicate details and lace overlay, its femininity was a fitting extension of Rose's gentle and sweet personality. 

 

bride getting makeup applied

black and white photo of bride getting makeup applied bride getting makeup applied

wedding dress hanging in window friend watching bride get ready friend watching bride get ready black and white picture of bride smiling wedding rings over bible pages

The women in the room helped Rose slip into her dress, and put the finishing touches on. Her hair looked glorious, thick and dark and shining down her back in perfect loose curls. 

bride getting into dress hands buttoning up wedding dress

The men were busy following an Armenian tradition where Rose's brother slips some money into her shoes as a sign of good luck and happy start to her new life as a wife. 

money in brides shoes Armenian tradition money in brides shoes Armenian tradition

Next we were off to the church, St. Patricks Cathedral, one of the oldest churches in Hamilton. Built in 1877, the stunning architecture seems to embrace Rose as she walks down the aisle to her handsome husband-to-be, Tom, as he waits for her with smiling eyes and a happily nervous smile. 

bride walking down the aisle with dad bride and groom at altar of old Catholic Church bride and groom crowning Armenian tradition

Finally, Rose & Tom are married, smiling and relaxed and really excited. Having gotten the most nerve wracking part over, its time to head over to the reception at Geraldo's at LaSalle Park in Burlington.

bride and groom leaving church bride and groom leaving church smiling wedding guests black and white groomsmen photograph bridal portrait

groom portrait bride and groom laughing black and white photo of bride and groom walking with wedding party

Rose and Tom are truly a sweet couple. Both of them are a little shy and reserved, but when together they bring out the best in each other and truly only have eyes for the other. I just love the way that Rose gazes up at her handsome husband, as he looks adoringly down at her. So much is said between these two in the subtleties of love and life.

bride and groom kissing on bridge

bride and groom hugging bouquet in foreground, bride and groom blurry in background bride and groom kissing bride and groom walking along the beach

The only downside to having shoes full of good luck money :) 

  groom helping bride with shoes

silhouette of bride and groom bride and groom kissing on grass

I just love this idea, a great way to celebrate a couples first midnight together, with sparklers and revelry!  sparklers for wedding

 

 

bride smiling at bridesmaids groom smiling at guests bride and groom being introduced

A lot of our couples are doing their first dance as part of their entrance celebration. This is a beautiful way to kick of the feast! :)

bride and groom first dance

guest taking picture of bride and groom with ipad black and white picture of bride and groom dancing black and white picture of bride and groom dancing black and white picture through the window panes of bride and groom bride and groom kissing through christmas lights at head table at night

Rose and Tom met and fell in love while they were both planting flower beds, while working for the city. I can't resist making a reference to flowers, as Mike & I both wish this lovely couple a beautiful life as their love blossoms and their future unfolds!

bride and groom kissing at night in window with flash behind them making shadows

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) armenian gown gray groomsman lace suits wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2013/11/rose-tom-wedding-at-geraldos-at-lasalle-park-burlington Sat, 02 Nov 2013 21:16:14 GMT
Erin & Neil - Wedding at Ancaster Mill, Hamilton https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2013/12/erin-neil---wedding-at-ancaster-mill Erin & Neil were married on a wet and soggy day in September at the Ancaster Mill in Hamilton, Ontario. Given the wet and gloomy day of their engagement session, I'd say these two are experts at having a lot of fun despite the weather, and these two had an absolutely lovely wedding day!

When Mike arrived at the bridal suite, Erin and her girlfriends were happy and relaxed, excited for the day ahead. As Erin's mom helped her put the finishing touches on her classy cocktail wedding dress, the excitement was palpable and it was time for Erin to go meet her groom. 

cocktail wedding dress

 

bridesmaids laughing

  bride with fascinator bride and mother of bride getting ready

rainy day bridal portrait wedding rings on art

As you can see, Neil is equally as relaxed and excited :)  groom pinning corsage to mom

The ceremony took place on the porch of the 1812 room, because of the rain. It was a sweet, intimate and fun ceremony, and all the trees and flowers that surrounded the gathering were fresh and green and bursting with life...perfect! 

friends waiting for ceremony to begin

bride and groom at altar guests watching wedding bride smiling at groom friends laughing at ceremony bride and groom through heart bride and groom walking down aisle

Before we get to the more intimate photos with Erin and Neil, I have to take a moment to explain the way these two met. It is hands down the cutest story I've ever heard, and I'm pretty sure there are a few romantic movies already based on such a story.

Erin & Neil are both super-smart. Like really smart, like Erin is a Doctor and Neil is actually a rocket scientist (or close to it) and has actually had a beer with Stephen Hawking himself. It's true! Anyways at some point in Erin and Neils life, they were both on a train in Italy. I am unsure of what they were both doing there, probably something super smart, but they both ended up on the same train car. Neil's eyes were immediately drawn to the lovely Erin, as she sat there reading and trying to ignore the 'creepy guy' who was staring at her, obviously wanting to start a conversation.

I guess he finally won her over and they both realized they were from Ontario, and after awhile they realized it would be a good idea if they met up again, and soon. After deciding on a local restaurant they were both familiar with, it was agreed that they would meet there the next night and carry on where they left off. Little did either of them know, there was a massive concert in town and all roads were blocked off around the restaurant they had chosen. So there Erin and Neil are, both coming from separate parts of the city, neither of them having contact information to reach each other and both wondering if they would ever see each other again or if this moment in time would just be a big 'what-if?'. Being the smart girl she is, Erin decided that the best thing to do would be to go back to the train station where they had ended their conversation before. She waited...and waited...and as hope dimmed, she decided it was just too far fetched that Neil would be on the same wave length. As she left the station and walked down the road, there, in the distance...was Neil. Walking towards her, fate surrounding him, and I swear there must have been violins playing somewhere in the distance. And the rest, as you can see below, is the lovely outcome :)

bride and groom kissing in bushes bride and groom by waterfall

bride and groom kissing under altar bride and groom in window

bride and groom first dance

One last thing about Erin and Neil, not only are they super smart, they love Zombies. And we love Zombies. So we just adored the little touch of zombie-ness that Erin had added to their wedding cake. You think it's a beautiful wedding cake?

It is.

wedding cake

 

Until ZOMBIES ATTACK!!! aggag-gagghghg (zombie noises ensue)

Cake made possible by the talented folks over at Hamilton's own Cake & Loaf! 

Oh and did you see that picture sitting next to the cake? That is a collage of pictures of the two of them that Neil made - rather, he made the program to create an algorithm to make it - and its just awesome! 

We feel lucky to have met Erin & Neil, we had a great time at their wedding and wish both of them the very best in many years to come! :) 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) ancaster cake cocktail dress fascinator hamilton mill photographer wedding zombie https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2013/12/erin-neil---wedding-at-ancaster-mill Thu, 31 Oct 2013 18:45:00 GMT
Sarah & Lukas Wedding at Whitehern Museum, Hamilton https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2013/10/sarah-lukas-wedding-at-whitehern-museum-hamilton I don't know if everyone's neighbourhood had this, but during the summer, our neighbourhood park would suddenly become awesome because the 'supies' had arrived. A supie was a cool "older" (to us) camp counsellor type person that would be full of fun games and lots and lots of boondoggle. They would make a boring summer afternoon way, way cooler.  What does this have to do with Sarah & Lukas? These two met waaaay back when, when they were both supies at their local park. Cute huh! These guys are the sweetest couple. Very laid back and they both just really enjoyed the day together. 

We were lucky enough to have nice weather that day, for August in southern ontario can be seriously killer. The flowers at Whitehern Museum in Hamilton were in full bloom, and the birds were singin' and the people were smilin' and Sarah and Lukas were just a-lovin'. 

Ok so I am a big nerd when it comes to animals, check out the paw tufts on this dude. Paw tufts! I mean, really. :)

girl cuddling a gray cat

These guys are so cute with the loving messages around their house! 

keep calm and marry me

bride getting ready in bedroom bride getting perfume sprayed all over her

groom getting out of limousine

We had a chance to do a few photos before the ceremony. So much of the day was spent with Sarah and Lukas just enjoying their friends and family and thats what made this day really perfect.

black and white picture of bridesmaids

bride and groom laughing in yellow flowers bride and groom cuddling in yellow flowers

 

Mike had the guys lined up for a shot, and he told them all to turn to the left. The little dude thought that they were going to turn to the left and march. So he marched...they didn't. Classic!

funny groomsmen wedding photograph with ring bearer

Guess which one of these kids did NOT want to be in the wedding....;) You know who the flower girl totally reminds me of? The love of Charlie Brown's life, The Little Red Haired Girl!

bride and groom at altar

This next series is really cute. Sarah was pretty sure that Lukas was not going to remember his vows, but he worked really hard to put them all to memory. These are shots of her realizing he has no cue cards and has memorized them all, just for her. 

wedding ring on paper bride and groom exchange rings bride and groom exchange rings

After the ceremony, we headed off to the Hamilton Waterfront Centre. The room was alive with love and laughter of Sarah & Lukas friends and family. We know these two will have an amazing life together...supie love forever! :) 

groom sernading bride with piano groom vodka

guests applauding bride and groom

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) funny groomsmen shot whitehern wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2013/10/sarah-lukas-wedding-at-whitehern-museum-hamilton Sat, 19 Oct 2013 01:43:43 GMT
Richard & Maria - Van Wagners Beach Engagement Shoot, Hamilton https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2013/10/richard-maria---van-wagners-beach-engagement-shoot-hamilton Oh, these two. Be still, my heart!

When Mike met up with Richard and Maria on this gorgeous early fall day, he had been stuck inside editing for days. It was and understatement to say that he was pretty pumped to be out in the fresh air, sunshine and hanging out with this couple who are so fabulously in love. Richard and Maria brought along their tiny pup, who was most definitely not a beach bum - to be fair, the waves were bigger than she was, so I don't really blame her.  It took just a few warm up shots for Richard & Maria to get comfortable in front of the camera, but as you can see, it took no time at all for them to forget all about Mike and concentrate on their love for each other. Maria is so full of grace and elegance, she moves like the prettiest ballerina. The way she carries herself reminds me so much of Audrey Hepburn, with Richard being her Gregory Peck in all his handsome ways.  This photoshoot may truly be one of my favourites of the year so far, with the romance of it all - it's a beautiful life!

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) hamilton engagement shoot romantic van wagners beach https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2013/10/richard-maria---van-wagners-beach-engagement-shoot-hamilton Sat, 12 Oct 2013 01:05:28 GMT
Mhairi & Lyle - Anniversary Photoshoot at Whitehern Museum, Hamilton https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2013/10/mhairi-lyle---anniversary-photo-session-at-whitehern-hamilton Mhairi & Lyle were married 5 years ago at Whithern, and asked us to do an Anniversary photoshoot with them as they did not have a professional photographer on their day. Mike was delighted to be a part of this, especially because it so happened that the shoot was able to be scheduled on the exact day they got married. What a wonderful way to spend an anniversary! The love between these two is so apparent, and its moments like these that really define the beauty that life is full of. My favourite shot? The elderly gentleman in the last photo :) 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) anniversary photoshoot hamilton ontario whitehern https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2013/10/mhairi-lyle---anniversary-photo-session-at-whitehern-hamilton Thu, 10 Oct 2013 23:00:00 GMT
Samantha & John Ancaster Mill Wedding, Ancaster https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2013/10/samantha-john-ancaster-mill-wedding-ancaster Samantha & John were married on a lovely summer day at the Ancaster Mill. This was in stark contrast to the couples' engagement session, which happened to be in the middle of a monsoon here in Ontario. Samantha was already dressed and ready to go, with a big beautiful bouquet to accent her stunning princess wedding dress. Everything about Samantha's look was fresh and flowing and altogether lovely. 

 

The best part of the day? Samantha's walk down the aisle with her adoring Daddy. :)

 

With such ideal weather, the outdoor ceremony was perfect, at once elegant and casual as only the Ancaster Mill can do. As the couple said their I Do's in the embrace of the lush green trees around them, their friends and family lovingly looked on as they sealed their vows and stepped into their new life together. 

 

I think one of the most striking things about Samantha and Johns love, is how their opposite personalities just completely compliment each other. Samantha is outgoing and delightfully quirky, while John is steadfast and a man of few words. But you can see how completely 'for' each other they are, and the casual way that  Samantha drapes her arm across her man speaks of a deep friendship between them both.

This really is one of my favourite, casual photographs of the year so far.

The reception was held in the Millview Room, and it was full of a lot of laughter, a lot of glass clinking and a lot of fun!

They are. :)

Congratulations to the both of you guys, we wish you a very long and happy life together! 

C

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) ancaster mill wedding big bridal bouquet princess wedding gown https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2013/10/samantha-john-ancaster-mill-wedding-ancaster Tue, 08 Oct 2013 23:00:00 GMT
Ozella & Marcellus Engagement Shoot at Spencer Smith Park, Burlington https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2013/10/ozella-marcellus-engagement-shoot-at-spencer-smith-park-burlington Ozella and Marcellus are the real deal. Immediately after meeting the two of them, Mike and I could tell that these guys were in it for keeps. They are the kind of couple that communicate on a level that doesn't need words. They'd probably kick serious butt on the Newlywed Game. ;) Even though it was stinkin' hot on the day of our engagement shoot at Spencer Smith Park, they came ready to go and we had a great time. Because of Marcellus' career, the two of them have travelled to many different places together, and have been each others constant the whole time. With their cute little pup Bravo in tow, these guys are on the adventure of a lifetime!

 

A classic example of Mike being random and proof that these guys are up for anything ;)

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) burlington engagement session photoshoot spencer smith park https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2013/10/ozella-marcellus-engagement-shoot-at-spencer-smith-park-burlington Mon, 07 Oct 2013 23:00:00 GMT
Andres & Silvi - Wedding at The Good Earth Winery, Beamsville https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2013/10/andres-silvi---wedding-at-the-good-earth-winery-beamsville It was a gorgeous summers day on the shores of Lake Ontario, the summer breeze was softly blowing off the lake and Silvi & Andres' families were all gathered at the delightful Cottage by the Lake in Lincoln. They had flown in from near and far come together for an intimate weekend of family and friends, to enjoy eachothers company and celebrate the wedding of their loved ones. It was such a casual and relaxed atmosphere, the Cottages are nestled such a ways off behind orchards and a rustic dirt road, that after being there for only 10 minutes, Mike and I had a hard time remembering that we weren't in cottage country. What was particularly nice was the couple had hired a chef to come and cook for the family that weekend, so it was a true vacation for everyone. Andres' & Silvi's nephews were getting their pre-wedding energy out on the trampolines, while other relatives were enjoying the relaxing sound of the waves in the comfort of the classic Canadian muskoka chairs. Andres and Silvi, however, were busy getting ready in their separate little cottages, gearing up for the day that they had waited so long for. 

 
Andres is a talented piano player and serenaded Silvi as she was upstairs putting the final touches on her hair and dress, with her lovely family around her. What I noticed about Silvi's family was how attentive they were to her, and how concerned they were for her happiness. It's no surprise though, since Silvi herself is a such a lovely woman. 

 

 

 

                   

After Silvi finished getting her gorgeous, handmade lace wedding dress on, we walked over to meet Andres in the peach orchard, for the couples first look. This is always such an intimate, special moment of the day and we just love it. The first thing that Andres said to his beautiful bride was how truly lovely she looked and the both of them just relaxed and let the excitement of the day wash over them as the spent a few minutes alone together. 

 

Next, we headed over to The Good Earth Food & Wine Co. in Beamsville. This charming, rustic winery was absolutely perfect on a summers day. Having the whole place to themselves, Andres and Silvi's family were able to enjoy the festivities and not be distracted by any other weddings around them. 

Everyone gathered at the long table under the beautiful wood trellis, the stars were starting to come out as the sun was setting, and the staff brought out a truly delicious meal for everyone to enjoy. Andres had known Silvi was the one for most of his life, as they grew up in the same small Estonian-Canadian community. To have finally captured the heart of the one he loved was truly a blessing, and for both of them to share in the love and laughter that surrounded them that night, was a wonderful thing indeed. Mike and I learned a few things about the Estonian culture that day, but our favourites have to be the vodka based wedding traditions, which kind of deserve their own blog. My personal favourite is scaring the 'evil spirits' that 'lived under the table' away with offerings of vodka. Truly, there was a lot of glass clinking and vodka drinking and great times. 

The staff at The Good Earth were polite and professional, and our meals were garnished with fresh herbs from the gardens directly outside the kitchen. It is beautiful to know that what we were enjoying truly was from the Good Earth! 

A delicious packet of wild canadian trout and fresh herbs - so amazing!

 

After dinner, the festivities continued with a rousing waltz by the bride and groom, and then literally every single guest was on the dance floor. I just love how Andres mother lets loose, so much fun!

 

 

It was a pleasure to be a part of Silvi & Andres day, it was one of those experiences that reminds us what a blessing it is to be doing what we do!

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) first look handmade wedding dress lace wedding dress winery wedding Niagara https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2013/10/andres-silvi---wedding-at-the-good-earth-winery-beamsville Sat, 05 Oct 2013 18:34:22 GMT
Veronica & Sepandar - Royal Hamilton Yacht Club Wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2013/9/veronica-sepandar---royal-hamilton-yacht-club-wedding On a gorgeous summer evening, and intimate group of the friends an family of Veronica & Sepandar, gathered by the lake at the Royal Hamilton Yacht Club to witness these two lovebirds tie the knot. Veronica has the kind of look that only a gorgeous South American gal can pull off, elegant and sexy at the same time. She was so pretty, that Sepandar simply could not take his eyes off her the whole day. During the one-on-one shots with Mike, these two let loose and had fun and you can really see how deeply in love they are. It's pretty amazing! During the wedding reception there were a few tears of joy and remembrance, but afterwards it was full on party-time with some fantastic props that really made everyone get down and boogie! 

hamilton wedding zekar photography bride and groom kissing on dock at marina Hamilton Wedding Photography Bride & Groom Yacht Club Industrial Setting Cool Background hamilton wedding zekar photography bride and groom industrial background Hamilton Wedding Photography Bride & Groom Yacht Club Industrial Setting
sexy red wedding shoes zekar photography

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) club hamilton wedding yacht https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2013/9/veronica-sepandar---royal-hamilton-yacht-club-wedding Tue, 17 Sep 2013 01:06:29 GMT
Lindsay & Sean - Ancaster Mill Wedding, Hamilton https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2013/12/lindsay-sean---ancaster-mill-wedding-hamilton On a bright, sunny September day, the friends and family of Lindsay and Sean all gathered at the Ancaster Mill in Hamilton for a fun and casual celebration of one couple who is seriously in love :) 

When Mike arrived at the bridal suite, he walked into a cloud of giggles and hair spray as the girls got Lindsay dressed and prettied up for her handsome groom. 

bride looking out the window bride with hairspray bridesmaid wedding rings bride hugging her mom

   It's always nice to know we've got a back up camera, just in case. Tee hee :)  bride getting ready

 

bride getting ready bride getting ready mom putting necklace on bride groom waiting for bride bride walking down aisle

Don't you just love the way that Lindsay looks up at her husband? I'm pretty sure if we looked close enough her pupils would be heart shaped. For more examples of Lindsay and Seans heart shaped pupils, check out their fabulous engagement shoot at Brickworks in Toronto! So cute! 

bride looking at husband groom looking at bride

After the beautiful ceremony, it was time to get a few shots of the couple together - married, at last!

bride and groom walking up stairs

I'm not sure how Mike convinced these two to get up there, but it was worth it! I guess some of his Ninja Style Photography is wearing off on them : ) The one thing about being a Hamilton wedding photographer is that you get to find all sorts of creative spaces in places that we get to go to a lot, and this is one of them! 

bride and groom in old doorway

Next the three of them tucked underneath the bride at the Mill, lucky for us Lindsay wasn't shy about climbing over the rocks in her beautiful gown!

black and white photo of bride and groom kissing

beautiful sunlight beam on bride and groom

 

This is one of our favourites :)

beautiful sunlight beam on bride

Mike gets so excited when moments like this appear, really its part of the magic of the wedding day when you can capture the emotion of the day reflected in the weather like this.

 

After a lovely meal and some hilarious and emotional speeches, Sean called Lindsay outside for  one more picture - he had a surprise for her : )

black and white reception pictures bride tears at speeches He's actually Super man. Surprise! :D  groom super man t-shirt groom super man t shirt

 

Congratulations to both Sean & Lindsay, we wish them the very best!! :) 

 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) ancaster mill photography shirt superman wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2013/12/lindsay-sean---ancaster-mill-wedding-hamilton Sat, 14 Sep 2013 20:00:00 GMT
Erin & Neil Engagement Session Hendrie Valley, Royal Botanical Gardens, Hamilton https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2013/9/erin-neil-engagement-session-hendrie Mike had a great time with these two on the boardwalk in the beautiful, lush landscape of the Royal Botantical Gardens. Erin & Neil love to dance, so there was a lot of twirling and gallantry and they had a ton of fun, despite the rather gloomy weather. :) 












 

 



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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) engagement photography engagement photography hamilton ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2013/9/erin-neil-engagement-session-hendrie Sat, 14 Sep 2013 15:24:56 GMT
Meghan & Andrew - Scottish Rite Wedding, Hamilton https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2013/8/meghan-andrew-scottish-rite-wedding On a beautiful day in early June, Meghan and Andrew had finally arrived at the day they'd been waiting for. While Andrew was hanging out at Staybridge Suites, the new hotel in Hamilton, Meghan was getting ready with her girls in the bridal suite at The Scottish Rite. 





 





Sometimes a girl needs a little help :)





So I did a little research on the internets about this Ferguson clan symbol and I learned two things. First, it says Dulcius Ex Asperis, which basically translates as "Sweeter after difficulty", which is a fitting motto not only for a fierce clan like the Fergusons, but for the ups and downs of marriage. The second thing I learned, was that Craig Ferguson has this motto as a tattoo. And now you know. 
 
 

After the beautiful 1950's Bentley, from Memory Lane Limousine, dropped Meghan off at the Church, it was time to say 'I Do' as the bagpipes played and their loving families looked on. It's always nice when a couple has the privilege of having a family member officiate, and Andrews mom, who is also a minister, did a wonderful joining her son to his beautiful bride.





Little dude in a kilt! :D


 


 
 




 Before we headed back the the Scottish Rite, the four of us took a short walk across the street to capture a few wedding photos in Hess Village, Hamilton's own pedestrianized bar district. With its paved stone streets and old architecture, it made the perfect backdrop for this beautiful couple.












After little impromptu busta-move to Brown Eyed Girl and the reception was at hand.







We enjoyed a delicious meal and a fantastic same-day wedding video done by their talented videographer. When it was time to dance, everyone was out on the floor, gettin' their groove on and Meghan & Andrew celebrated being Mr & Mrs, at last! 




 

 

Since most of the bridal party met through various jobs at the CFL, it was only fitting that Meghan & Andrew had Hamilton's own Pigskin Pete as their MC! 





 
 
Raisin Bran Love :)

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) 1950's bentley groomsmen kilt hess village wedding photos pig skin pete scottish kilt scottish rite hamilton wedding wedding photography hamilton https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2013/8/meghan-andrew-scottish-rite-wedding Sat, 24 Aug 2013 15:37:00 GMT
Kristen & Joel's Wedding at Carmen's Banquet Hall, Hamilton https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2013/7/kristen-joels-wedding-at-carmens When we met Kristen & Joel, we were so excited to have been invited to be a part of their day. These guys are the real deal, so in love and super committed to eachother - even across the US / Canada border, their love for eachother is solid. We had a blast at the engagement shoot (our first sunrise engagement shoot, and it turned out fabulous) and knew the wedding was going to be just as amazing. Unfortunately I (Kate) couldnt be there that day, but Mike and our assistant had a lot of fun and, as you can see, this family is pretty amazing and beautifully emotional. Kristen looked so delicately beautiful in her strapless, multi-tiered wedding gown, she really took Joel's breath away. Check out some of my favourites from the day, enjoy!
 



 


 





After the ceremony, Mike and the bridal party quickly headed over to Sam Lawrence Park to snap a few shots. The leaves were just coming out, and the flowers beds were still asleep -  a gorgeous Spring day!
 
 
 


 

 

 


 
 
The reception was held at Carmen's Banquet Hall, and everyone was ready to par-tay!






Cutest family!! 








The couples' little one decided he needed to help Joel with the flow of tears...





 
And it helped. A little. ;) 




I love how kids are always the first ones to break in the dance floor :D



 
 
Shadow monster dance puppets! 




Congratulations you two, we wish you guys all the best...its a beautiful life! :)

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) carmen's banquet hall grey suit groomsmen hamilton multi-tiered wedding gown regina mundi parish sam lawrence park sapphire engagement ring teal bridesmaids dresses wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2013/7/kristen-joels-wedding-at-carmens Mon, 01 Jul 2013 10:57:00 GMT
Korinn & Luke's June Wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2013/6/korinn-lukes-june-wedding  

Hey everyone!

A lot of our clients are out-of-province couples who come to the fine city of Hamilton to tie the knot. Korinn & Luke were a couple of cool cats from the prairies that we just loved hanging out with. It was a crazy sunny day, perfect for some great wedding shots on Van Wagners Beach! These two pretty much beamed at eachother the entire day, and honestly you guys, does Korinn have a million dollar smile or what?! Here are some of our favourite shots of the day, enjoy!




 

 

ta-daaa!
 
 
 
 
(the guys have it easy :)
 

 
 

 

A little before-the-ceremony bro-time. Or operatic aria time, take your pick. ;)



 
I included the next pic cause I love the guys suit. :D


perfect sunny flowers!
 
 
 
 

 
Finally being married is fun!
 




 
 
Off to the beach! 
 





I'm not really sure what was happening here, but it's funny. :D






The reception was held at Renaissance Banquet Hall, if you're a fan of dry ice, this place is for you :)






 
On a cloud....of love! 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) Renaissance Banquet Hall Van Wagners Beach beach wedding photos gerbera daisy bouquets mermaid bridal dress https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2013/6/korinn-lukes-june-wedding Fri, 14 Jun 2013 18:47:00 GMT
Jamie & Jon Wedding - Othello's Banquet Hall, Oakville https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2013/6/jamie-jon-wedding-othellos-banquet-hall Hey guys! So I (Kate) am not always able to go to every wedding (booo), and unfortunately Jon and Jamie's was one of them. Which is a total bummer because we had such a great time on their engagement shoot, I was really looking forward to it. Because I wasn't there, I can't tell you too much about all the things that happened behind the scenes, but what I can tell you is that, a) Jamie looks stunning, b) Jon & Jamie are super in love with eachother  and c) everyone had a great time at the wedding! Here are some of my favourites from the day, which as I recall, was fah-reezing and kind of snowing (ahhh, Ontario spring!) so Jamie & Jon cut the outdoor shots a little short to avoid hypothermia :)

Enjoy!



































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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) beautiful bride mermaid wedding dress othello's banquet hall wedding wedding ring https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2013/6/jamie-jon-wedding-othellos-banquet-hall Sat, 01 Jun 2013 18:13:00 GMT
Lindsey & Matt - Ancaster Mill Springtime Wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2013/5/lindsey-matt-ancaster-mill-springtime
It was a pretty spring morning when we arrived at Lindsey’s house. With warm greetings from her lovely family, we captured all the things we love about the pre-wedding events, happy tears, love and laughter.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
exciitttinnng!! :)
 
After arriving at the beautiful Ancaster Mill, it was time to get Matt in position to see his gorgeous bride for the first time – how cute are these two! 





 

When they look into eachothers eyes, it is so sweetly intense there really isn’t any doubt that these two are for keeps.




 
 
tee hee :)

Next up, the ceremony!

As Lindsey’s father walked her down the aisle, accompanied by a talented musical duo and with all their family and friends looking on, the most important one was there, waiting eagerly for his wife-to-be. The ceremony was made even sweeter by personally written vows, signifying their true commitment to the promises they were making in front of a crowd of loving witnesses.




 
 


By the way, Matt is not sucking Lindsey's braaainnzzz out here, he's giving her a super cute sweet kiss on the head. ;)





“Love is a mirror
It sees and reflects back….
It even has the ability to show you sides of yourself that you never knew existed….
And if love is true
Every side is your best side. “
-ZaMar Mbatha-
 
After the ceremony, the guests enjoyed a lovely cocktail hour and had a chance to relax and unwind after the anticipation of the day. Honestly, literally everyone was laughing and having a great time! Here are just a few of the shots we got, but we seriously love just hanging out and snapping shots of the good times a rollin'. ;) 


!
great staff at the ancaster mill!
These next few shots make a cute series. These dudes look like an old timey comedic duo, like their names are Hinks & Hughson or something like that. ;)

so I says to her, I says hey martha..!

 
And this awesome chick could be their sidekick :D

Super cute Grandma alert...!



people really dig the guestbooks we do - pretty awesome keepsake!
Guess who loves cars:)


As they walked into their reception to the Baywatch Theme song (too funny!) everyone was on their feet to formally welcome them into their new lives as Mr & Mrs.

 
 
 
 



Super speedy ninja lemon juggling!



“And when you kiss me, on that midnight street, sweep me off my feet, singin' ain’t this life so sweet.”







Lindsey and Matt have a wealth of awesome friends and family, and we were so happy to have been a part of their day. Congratulations you guys!
 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) ancaster mill wedding candid wedding photography groomsmen cuff links spring wedding wedding ceremony wedding reception https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2013/5/lindsey-matt-ancaster-mill-springtime Fri, 17 May 2013 17:52:00 GMT
Singin' in the rain - Sam & John's engagement shoot! https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2013/4/singin-in-rain-sam-johns-engagement The day of Sam & John's engagement shoot was at the tail end of a very rainy week. It pretty much rained non-stop for about 6 days straight, but that didnt stop them from totally having a great time together. As you can see, sometimes weather like this makes it even more romantic and fun! 


 
 
 
 
 
this dude was motorin'
 
 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) bayfront park hamilton rainy engagement shoot https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2013/4/singin-in-rain-sam-johns-engagement Sun, 28 Apr 2013 16:30:00 GMT
Kristen & Joel's Sunrise Beach Engagement Shoot https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2013/4/kristen-joels-sunrise-beach-engagement When Kristen & Joel came up with the idea of doing their engagement shoot at sunrise, we were pretty excited. And luckily for us, despite days of cloudy early-spring days, the morning of the shoot was pretty much as perfect as you could get in March in Southern Ontario. I just love the idea of the sun rising on their new day, their new life together that is coming up in just a few short weeks now. This shoot is also a great example of great outfit planning, since the colours really enhance the soft sweetness of the beach and the amazing silver tones of the water we were so lucky to have that day.

 
At one point during the photoshoot, I asked them both to 'look off into their future', even though it's so incredibly cheesy to say that - but when Joel looked off to the left and Kristen realized she was looking to  the right, she quickly snuggled closer to her husband-to-be and said softly "Oh, I guess thats where my future is." So sweet! 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) Beach engagement session Van Wagners Beach engagement photography hamilton sunrise engagement session https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2013/4/kristen-joels-sunrise-beach-engagement Sat, 20 Apr 2013 14:16:00 GMT
Why we love kids at weddings! https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2013/4/why-we-love-kids-at-weddings So I was pretty sure I'd posted a picture illustrating why we seriously love kids at weddings, but turns out I didn't - which means this blog post is going to be one that I'm really looking forward to building upon as the busy season is starting to roll in for us this year. 

First, the most recent kid enhanced wedding moment:




Really, you can't beat the floating head effect here. :) 

And second, last years prime example of why kids are awesome: 



http://zekarphoto.blogspot.ca/2012/11/marsha-steve-august-2012-burlington.html

Stay tuned for more updates! :) 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) kids at weddings zekar photography https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2013/4/why-we-love-kids-at-weddings Sat, 20 Apr 2013 13:06:00 GMT
Stephanie & Steve - Lovely Toronto Wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2013/3/stephanie-steve-lovely-toronto-wedding
Stephanie & Steve were married on a beautifully chilly November day. After getting all prettied up at the Quality Suites Hotel in Toronto, they had a beautiful ceremony at the Canadian Coptic Center. Then we all headed off to the Humber Arboretum for some fabulous wedding portraits, and finished up the day with a gorgeous reception at Claireport Place Banquet Hall - full of dramatic smoke, laser lights and belly dancers. Wonderful! Stephanie & Steve are a lovely couple, and we had a great time hanging out with them and their families. Congratulations to both of you!
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
This rappin' bridesmaid did a hilarious job of a customized song for Stephanie and Steve, a la Fresh Prince of Bel Air (check the shades, yo)


We don't often see this, but Steph had a great surprise for her groom - his beloved truck, in cake form :) 


 
 
 
 
best photo bomb ever. :)
 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) belly dancers brown bridesmaid dresses grooms cake low light photography peacock feathers wedding photography wedding reception https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2013/3/stephanie-steve-lovely-toronto-wedding Sat, 02 Mar 2013 17:19:00 GMT
James Street North, Hamilton - Engagement Shoot -Lindsey & Matt https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2013/3/james-street-north-hamilton-engagement
It was a beautiful winters day when we took a leisurely stroll down James Street North in Hamilton with Lindsey & Matt. I’m in love with how the bright colours popped against the snow! These two were so cute, there were a couple of occasions where they received encouragement from random passersby, gotta love how friendly Hamilton is.  We’ve been wanting to do an engagement shoot on James Street North for awhile,  so we were pumped when Lindsey & Matt were all on board, especially for the impromptu snowball fight at the end! 
 
 
 




 



 

 


 



 
 
I think every engaged couple should have a snowball fight, gets the pre-wedding stress out    ;)

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) graffiti engagement shoot hamilton james street north snowball fight engagement shoot winter engagement shoot https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2013/3/james-street-north-hamilton-engagement Fri, 01 Mar 2013 16:55:00 GMT
Gorgeous Bouquets https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2013/2/gorgeous-bouquets I spend a lot of time on Pinterest (shocker, I know), and since I have quite the collection of wedding themed pins growing, I thought I'd share a few on here. 

Some jaw droppin' bouquets that I've seen recently, there may be some inspiration here to take to your florist or wedding planner. Or you can just drool over them, then go to Fortino's (or your local grocery store florist) and pick the closest things they have ;)



er- something tells me the grocery store wont sell anemonies :D 





 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) bridal flowers flowers wedding bouquets https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2013/2/gorgeous-bouquets Fri, 22 Feb 2013 10:32:00 GMT
Julie & Brandon, Queenston Heights, Niagara On The Lake Wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2013/2/julie-brandon-queenston-heights-niagara
Julie and Brandon were married on a beautiful fall day in Southern Ontario. Mike and I started out in a cloud of hair spray and flurry of bridesmaids at Julies house.
 
 
 
 

 
 
 We then popped on over to Brandons house for a quick couple of shots. The groomsmen figured out their boutonnieres and posed for an important shot in Brandon’s dad’s motorcycle, complete with a purple socked tribute to a much loved man. 
 
 
 
 
 


Speaking of a much loved man, I have a soft spot for daddy’s and daughters on the wedding day, and these two shots are two of my favourites of the day.
 

 
 
 
The church ceremony took place at the beautiful Cathedral of St Catherine of Alexandria, the same place that Julies parents and brother were both married in. 

 
In this shot, Mike replicated the same photograph that was taken by Julies parents photographer, back in the day.
 
 
 
The group photos were taken at the beautiful Royal BotanicalGardens in Queenston. There were so many amazing spots to take pictures here, we could have spent hours there, it was perfect. Plus, we are always grateful when it’s raining just a little bit, because the greenery is always so much more vibrant and lush looking. It was a little chilly, a little damp, but the weather only enhanced the warmth and love between this lovely couple (and I'm not saying that to be super cheesy, there really was a lot of snuggling going on!).
 
 
 
 
 

 
As Julie and Brandon met at a golf tournament, it was fitting for us to get a couple of shots on the nearby golf course.

 
Next, we headed off to the beautiful Queenston Heights for an intimate dinner party and reception. During the cocktail hour, the bride and groom surprised their guests with a special war of 1812 presentation, put on by the fine folks at Queenston Heights. The guests were delighted and Mike was able to get some really unique shots, these guys were so cool!
 
 
 
 
After a delicious dinner and dessert (where I was introduced to Crème Brulee for the first time and have now commenced a true love story with it…delicious!), it was time for the speeches & dancing. This little dude is not only imitating the cute monster on his pj's, but he totally drops down to the ground for some very intense break dancing. 
 
dress shoes and pj's? so cute!
 
 Finally, Julie and Brandon danced together to The Luckiest, by Ben Folds  (Mike and I had chosen the same one for our first dance tooJ ). 
 
 
 
 

 
We had such a great time hanging out with Brandon and Julie and we know these two are going to have a beautiful life together!
 
 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) Queenston Heights War of 1812 beaded gown fall wedding gray suits niagara royal botanical gardens teal bridesmaids dresses https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2013/2/julie-brandon-queenston-heights-niagara Mon, 18 Feb 2013 17:00:00 GMT
Danielle & Dave - Lowville Park Wedding, September 2012 https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2013/1/danielle-dave-lowville-park-wedding It was a glorious early September morning when we arrived at the Waterfront Hotel, and Danielle and her girls were having a great time as they got ready for the day.
 
 
 


After slipping into her beautifully simple lace dress, one of her bridesmaids tied the worlds most perfect bow with her wedding sash


After finishing up with the girls, Mike and I headed on over to Lowville Park where the ceremony was to take place outside a little old schoolhouse. I have to say that Lowville is such a pretty spot to get married, it's low key and absolutely gorgeous.  I just love all the simple details that Danielle included, everything has a fresh, comfortable feel to it and it just reflected her and Dave's easy going and friendly personalities.




As Dave was finishing greeting his guests, their friend started up with the most beautiful steel drum music to accompany Danielle down the aisle.


It was so amazing to be a part of this warm, sunny day with such gorgeous music as Dave watched his lovely bride walk down the aisle. 




maarrieeed! :)

After the ceremony, we headed over to the large stream in the park. We were pretty sure that Danielle and Dave would be up for getting right in, so we were pumped when the whole wedding party joined in. 




Islands in the stream!
that is what we are...;)
 

Danielle surprised Dave with a sweet message for him on the bottom of her shoes : ) 

Then it was back to the schoolhouse for a couple more shots.



 
 
The reception was held at the Lakeview Banquet Hall, a beautiful spot with a beautiful view of Lake Ontario.  But before the couple started in on dinner, we had time to grab a few more shots. Danielle  & Dave have a lot of fun together, they are so perfectly matched in personality. I really love how Danielle was totally up for a  game of hoops, and I must say the bridal party gathered a small crowd of admirers. 
 
 
 
In order to get these shots, Mike decided it was time for another installment of Ninja Style Photography, you can read alllll about it here.

Dave is at least 6"5, so I'm pretty sure this was easier for him than it looks !


 
 
 

So cute! They did this a lot : ) 

Inside the hall, we enjoyed a delicious meal prepared by Carmen's.  But the most delicious part?


 
 
 
 
Home made hotsauce peeps. Now, I am not usually brave enough for hot food. But Mike is, so as soon as we got home that night he popped open the bottle, put a modest amount on his finger....and almost died. Seriously, it was so hot! I proceeded to taste an iota of this stuff and was all Looney-Toons-Steam-Exploding-Head after. Nicely done, Danielle and Dave.
 
 
Sweet 'n simple!

 
After a very lovely first dance (these two are just so in love, you guys)
 
 
Night was falling, and the wine was flowin' and a lot of carousing and rug cuttin' abounded. 
 

This guest was actually one of the best dancers I've seen :D
 


 
 
 
We thoroughly enjoyed the laid back atmosphere at the wedding of this gracious couple, and we know that they both have the commitment and love that is made to last. Congratulations you guys!
 
 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) Lakeview Banquet Hall Lowville park baby's breath basketball beach wedding burlington hamilton lace dress lemonade low key wedding ontario steel drums https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2013/1/danielle-dave-lowville-park-wedding Sat, 19 Jan 2013 09:14:00 GMT
Jake & Candice - August Wedding, St Catharines, ON https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2013/1/jake-candice-august-wedding-st
It was a gorgeous, sunny day in beautiful Jordan, Ontario and Candice and her girls are all a-buzz.  I just love the way the light pours in, it was like Nature was all thumbs-up for how pretty Candice looked.


 

 
 

During the ceremony, there was a lot of singing, which is wonderful because its like all of their loved ones are singing them into their new life together.



 
After the ceremony, there were lots of hugs – this picture is actually one of my favourite pics of the year.



Next it was time to head over to Lakeside Park in Port Dalhousie. They have this awesome old carousel there, fully restored – and still only 5 cents to ride!  The carousel was carved between 1898 and 1905 and is totally awesome. Candice and Jake rented the carousel for half an hour and we had a blast snapping pics and gettin’ dizzy.



Dudes.


 
 
A little walk down the beach and we found a troupe of ragamuffin beach boys.
 
I love the deep purple that Candice chose for her bridesmaids, so elegant and yet the long dress style is flowy and light so it totally worked with the warm weather and beachy theme of the pictures.
 
 
 
 
 



Next we went to an park near Brock University that used to be quarry but has since been reclaimed into a beautiful natural oasis.


 
This is place where Jake asked Candice if she was interested in starting to date - she was ;)


 
 
It must be noted that Candice is a farm girl at heart and had no problem walking over the gravel road in her bare feet (check out the hot pink toenails, peeps) 
 
 
but a little later on it was time for her new husband to come to the rescue. Rocks are one thing, brambles are quite another.

 



Finally it was time to head on over to the Four Points by Sheraton in St Catharines. One thing I have to mention – the bridal party had the most creative entrances we’ve ever seen.  

The following picture is not a picture of a bridesmaid falling and being embarrassed – it’s a picture of a bridesmaid doing the inchworm and totally rockin’ it. Talk about hidden talents!  


And not to be outdone, the best man totally surprised us with a fabulous leap forward. (Actually just as a note, this best man did something amazing later in the night  - he actually wrote, played and sung Jake & Candice a romantic song, just especially about them and it was really amazing!)

 

 

It's fun being married. :)
During the speeches, it can get kind of emotional. Candices sister stepped in to help Candice with the rest of her speech here, sweet huh?

 
And then this happened. :D This was a game, not sure what it was called, but something like ‘Guess which one is your husbands butt’. Too funny!! : )

 

 

This was arranged by a very helpful and talented flower girl :D
After the first dance,

 
 
It was time to party on down.





Just about every guest got their groove on, especially Jake with this classic gettin-on-down dance face.

 
Candice and Jake are a lovely couple who are just starting their lives out and are going to grow beautifully together in love and life. We wish them all the best! 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) beach wedding brides carousel gold shoes grooms niagara orchids purple bridesmaid dresses st catharines wedding photography https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2013/1/jake-candice-august-wedding-st Sun, 06 Jan 2013 13:13:00 GMT
Shout out to the Sash! (the wedding sash that is!) https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2012/12/shout-out-to-sash-wedding-sash-that-is  

Hey guys!

Since posting the blog on Marina and Steve's wedding yesterday, I've been on a little mission to find the coolest and most unique wedding belts I could find. But first things first - apparently they are not called wedding belts, they are called wedding sashes. Excuse-moi! But I do agree that wedding sash is a much more fashionable term, so I stand corrected.

So what does one do when they want to find creative, unique wedding accessories? They go to Etsy.com of course!

Within the first 20 seconds of my search, I was already squealing - I came across this shop, Rosy Posy Designs. Not only are these all handmade, but they have such a unique flavour to them - kind of boho, kind of earthy girl, very romantic. You could put this on any lace dress and have it work perfectly, or for you summer-time beach casual brides, white eyelet cotton or linen. A few of my favourites:

 



Something blue!

You could even incorporate the guys' corsage colours with the colours in the sash, and your bridsemaids too!


This last one is a great compromise for those of you who dont want to go all out there with the colour, but want to have something unique and feminine.
 



And wait, I totally just thought of something - after your wedding day is over, you can still have these brooches / sashes afterwards, as a keepsake that is not tucked away in a box in the basement. Yay!

I came across these two that I really liked, mostly because I'm still obsessed with gray bridesmaids dresses, and I've seen these colour combinations before and it just works so well in photographs. The following two pictures are from Brown Eyed Girls Boutique.
 







Loved this one for the very boho look, from Lukamoda.
 


For a little more of a refined look, elegant and clean but still unique, I stumbled across this shop called Elite Women. I love the placement of the interesting feathers on these ones, and was surprised at how low the price was.
 

 
 

 

 Another great thing about handmade wedding sashes, is you can save a lot of money with buying a simple dress, and enhance it for under 200$.

There are tons of options out there though, you can really bling it up:
 

From Ingenue B
From Star Trim

                         

So there you have it :) Most bridal shops these days have a small assortment of bridal sashes, but I always recommend checking out craftspeople first. Have any of you guys seen some awesome wedding sashes? Feel free to share in the comment box below!

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) accessories beaded boho boutique elegant etsy.com handmade unique wedding belts wedding sashes https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2012/12/shout-out-to-sash-wedding-sash-that-is Sun, 16 Dec 2012 12:45:00 GMT
Marina & Steve- Wedding Hamilton, Ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2012/12/marina-steve-wedding-hamilton-ontario
After a serendipitous meeting at her mother’s hair salon, Steve and Marina were well on their way to creating a beautiful life together, with a beautiful August wedding to kick the whole thing off. It was kind of rainy that day, but as with most weddings we do, the rain has a way of either washing everything clean for us, or staying out of the way for the really important parts.  After hanging out with the groomsmen for a few minutes, we headed on over to Marina’s house, full of hustle and bustle and all around gorgeousness. 


 

 

 

Marina looked every bit the princess bride in her fabulous, multilayered gown – simple, yet so feminine and pretty.

 
 

One of my favourite parts is the awesome belt that perfectly customizes the gown to match Marina’s style , yet still remains elegant and not over the top.
 

 
 

And check out these sexy hot pink shoes…!


 
 

 
 
Finally it was time for a beautiful ceremony at the Holy Cross Croatian Roman Catholic Church.

 
 
 


 
  
After the ceremony, we headed over to the Royal Botanical Gardens for some formals.  
 




A little behind the scenes on this next picture, as Marina was getting her fine self situated on the bench, Steve was standing beside me, with this look of just pure love and adoration for his bride. He just shook his head as he gazed at her, and said (or rather, sighed) “isn’t she just beautiful?” It was so darn sweet and he walked over and gave her a very prince charming kiss, and I swear  the birds just started a-singin’. 


 
 

 
 
 
 
 Before  we headed to Pier 4 Bayfront Park for a few more pics, a little break for a smooch in the elevator ;)

 
 

 
 
 
 
 
Now it was time to head over the the Croatian National Home, for some delicious food and some nerve-wracking excellent speeches.
 
Notice the gleam of mischief in Steve's eye? :)
 

 

What a fun idea for bonbonierre’s, don’t you guys think? Honestly, after the wedding, I ate so many gumballs, I couldn’t  open my mouth properly for a couple days my jaw was so stiff, tee hee. : )

To top the beautiful day off, Steve and Marina danced like professionals…
 
 ....and then everyone else followed suit! Patryk from Liquid DJ Services was great, he got everyone involved and everyone was bustin' a move.
 
 

 
These two are so in love, it was so fun to hang out with them for the whole day.  It’s stuff like this that makes life so good!

 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) bridal belt burlington catholic ceremony croatian wedding gumball bonbonierres hamilton hot pink shoes royal botanical gardens wedding https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2012/12/marina-steve-wedding-hamilton-ontario Sat, 15 Dec 2012 15:28:00 GMT
Jason & Robin - Wedding at Atlantis Pavillions, Ontario Place https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2012/11/jason-robin-wedding-at-atlantis
It was a cold, blustery Fall day when we arrived at the elegant Atlantis Pavillions at Ontario Place in Toronto for Robin & Jason’s wedding. Robin was busy up in the mezzanine room, being attended to by her group of multi-tasking bridesmaids.
 
 
 
 
It really does take a village to get a girl into her dress :)
 
 
Check out these killer shoes ladies – seriously, this girl means business!
 
 
 
 
 
Outside the boys were braving the chilly temperatures, but we think these shots were definitely worth it.
 
 
 
 
After a few finishing touches before the ceremony,
 
 
 
 A few last minute 'shh, its almost time'...
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
It was time for Robin’s grand entrance with her proud daddy.
 
 
Doesn't Robin look just like a porcelain doll in this picture? Beautiful!
 

Robin and Jason had a relaxed ceremony, and very casual 'I do's' which we loved, because getting married, is really fun!
 

 
 
 
 
Next it was time for the reception, we were all welcomed into the grand reception area by Robin and Jason's hilarious friend and excellent MC.
Record skip – check out this treat table! These little sugary delicious marshmallow pops are such a great alternative to cake pops, which can get kind of pricey if you have a lot of guests. These are just a delicious and super fun and easy to make!
 
 
And check out this great idea for bonbonniere's  - Robin's love of tea translated into a great keepsake of monogrammed teaspoons!
 
Ok back to your regularly scheduled program of....the first dance. :) 
 


Loving Robin's Grandma there in the left hand side, aren't you? :)
After a delicious dinner, and some toasts, it was time for dancing and cheers-ing and all around good times. 
 
 


 
"If you live to be 100, I hope I live to be 100 minus 1 day, so I never have to live without you."
 
 
Robin and Jason have the kind of love that has grown over many years of being together, solid and strong, and totally for keeps.
 
 
Before the night was over, we ran back up to the rooftop to get this one last shot - so gorgeous!

 
 
We wish you both the best of everything that life has to offer, congratulations guys!

 
 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) Atlantis Pavillions Ontario Place Weddings bridesmaids cake pops gray suits groomsmen photos night time wedding photos sexy wedding shoes teaspoons https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2012/11/jason-robin-wedding-at-atlantis Fri, 30 Nov 2012 16:50:00 GMT
Lindsay & Sean Engagement Shoot Brickworks, Toronto https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2012/11/lindsay-sean-engagement-shoot  
 
 
 
So, I  (Kate) can’t always go to each of our clients engagement shoots, which is a total bummer – especially for an extra cool one like this. 
 


Lindsay and Sean invited Mike to the famous Evergreen Brickworks in Toronto, a place that is special to this couple because Sean literally helped rebuild the site to be the amazing place it is today. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 When Mike got home from the shoot, he was so pumped and kept saying how much he could tell these two were really in love with eachother. You can totally see it in the pics they captured that day too.  

Guess where they met :)

My favourite? It’s a toss up between the impromptu brady-bunch-meets-photobooth shot (especially the one right in the middle!)
 
 
 
 
and the ‘prepare to merge’ :D
 
 
 
 And of course, our patented  reflection shot tm
 
 
We are really looking forward to being there when these two tie to knot next year!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) Brickworks Starbucks Toronto engagement shoot photobooth https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2012/11/lindsay-sean-engagement-shoot Sat, 10 Nov 2012 17:41:00 GMT
Rockin' Fairground Engagement Shoot - Jamie & John https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2012/11/rockin-fairground-engagement-shoot

When Jamie and John agreed to do their engagement shoot at the Rockton Worlds Fair this past Thanksgiving Weekend, we dosey-doed (yep!) right on over to the fairgrounds and got shootin’.
 
 
 
The fall colours were just in the middle of their glory, but the temperature was certainly not glorious (it was fah-reezing)– however, Jamie and John were troopers and still managed to look cozy and warm, canoodling in the midst of a copse of trees on the fairgrounds.
 
 
 
After a quick snack on some delicious apples,
 
 
 
We headed over to barn, where we met this cute little Miss, all decked out in her fuzzy pink jacket and adorableness.
 
 
Then we met Dandelion the cow. Guys, seriously, who looks this good petting a cow! A little backstory on Dandelion, Mike and I went back to the fair the next day and we happened to meet Dandelions ‘dad’, who is a 7 year old boy. He informed us that even though her name tag says Dandelion, her real name is Suzanne. Which makes total sense, of course. ;) 
 
Next came the midway, and some significantly less healthy snacks. We were stopped at least twice to ask if we were doing a modeling photoshoot, which kind of tells you that it wasn’t just us that thought this couple looked pretty darn good. 
 
 
 
rain schmain.
 
 We also snagged a couple of free rides, which was a total bonus to such a fun day with this great couple! 
 


 
Jamie and John, you helped us Rock that Rockton Fair *badum-bum*
 
 

 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) Rockton Fair autumn cotton candy engagement fairgrounds fall fall fair ferris wheel https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2012/11/rockin-fairground-engagement-shoot Sat, 10 Nov 2012 16:08:00 GMT
Marsha & Steve - Wedding at Paletta Mansion, Burlington https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2012/11/marsha-steve-august-2012-burlington

“You know why I love Marsha?”   Steve said to me, as we were walking towards the spot where he would see his bride for the first time. “Because she is…” he paused, emotions welling up in his eyes. “The light in every room we go in. She is everything. She is so beautiful, and bright and she just loves her friends so deeply.” He shook his head in amazement and love for his soon-to-be-wife and took his place to wait for her, as she was about to come around the corner and meet him in the middle of a bridge at Paletta Mansion, in Burlington.  
 
Rewind a little bit. It was a hot, lovely day in August and Marsha and Steve were getting married after being together for 10 years. Steve was downstairs at Paletta, doing what groomsmen do best – grooming.

 
 Marsha arrived, beautiful, glowing and surrounded by her amazing (pumpin’) bridesmaids and friends – and a couple of really beautiful little flower girls.





 
One of my favourite moments of the day:

 
 
Next, it was time for the ‘reveal’. I don't really need to explain these next few pictures, it was just such a beautiful moment...
 
 
 
 
This is one of my favourites, because Steves hand is practically vibrating with excitement :)




 


After they (and all of us lucky enough to be there) dried their tears, we did a few formals.But for this fun loving couple, formals weren’t super formal, which we totally love. 
 
 
 
 
Their ceremony was held outside, with beautiful Lake Ontario in the background. As Jake Dudas strummed his guitar, everything fell into place and before we knew it, Marsha and Steve were officially mister and mrs. Check this out - I posted this on our Facebook fan page, but thought I'd pop it on here too - makes me laugh every time!
 
 As you can see, the groomsmen were still doing what they do best – being ridiculous. 
 
Check out this stunning cake – made by Jessica at Hey SweetStuff! Custom Cakes.
 
 
And I have to give a shout out to The Original Posie for making such a pretty and dramatic bouquet!
 
 


Tee hee.




 
At the end of the night, it was time for the first dance, Marsha and Steve are a couple who will definitely love eachother till the end…and then everyone busted a move in true, sophisticated, Nova Scotian style!

 
We had the best time with these guys, their friends and family were hilarious and we truly enjoyed ourselves!

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) burlington calla lillies candid wedding photography first look first reveal friday wedding ontario paletta mansion https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2012/11/marsha-steve-august-2012-burlington Tue, 06 Nov 2012 16:11:00 GMT
Ashleigh & Aaron - August 2012 Wedding, Niagara Falls https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2012/10/ashleigh-aaron-august-2012-wedding

Ashleigh and Aaron had an amazing wedding in Niagara Falls,Ontario. When Mike and I arrived at the hotel , Ashleigh and her bridesmaids were just starting to get their makeup and hair done, and were about to dig in to a healthy breakfast and watch one of Mikes favourite classics – Spaceballs.  
  One of the things we like most about Ashleigh is how much she laughs, and she and her girlfriends were so relaxed and chilled out, it was fun to shoot. 
 
After getting into her dress ( a community effort, as it usually is!), everyone was looking pretty fine, I must say.
 
 
 
 
 

 
Next, the girls travelled in style in the mother of the brides fabulous 1955 Chevy. When they pulled up to the Crowne Plaza Hotel, the girls were an instant tourist attraction and I spent a considerable amount of time doing crowd control. It’s funny how many people walk right up to the bride in the middle of a photoshoot!
 
 
 
After literally the quickest ceremony we’ve seen yet (15 minutes or 20, tops!) we headed off to discover all the fabulous places the Crowne Plaza and Niagara Falls has for photo ops.
 



 
 
 
 These little cuties were very helpful keeping everyone cool with the mini fans they brought  :)
 
 
 
Guys, how awesome are the top hats and canes? So dapper! 
 
 At the hall, we had a delicious meal of all the couples favourite traditional Croatian food. I love going to weddings where the food tastes like you’re at your Baka’s house for a Sunday meal.
 
For their first dance, Ashleigh & Aaron kept it sweet and low key  and one of their groomsmen serenaded them to Wheat Kings by The Tragically Hip. It was very cool and very sweet. 
 
 
 
Thank you both for having us out, we wish you both the very best! 
 

 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) Niagara Falls Wedding casino wedding crowne plaza hotel red bridesmaids dresses top hats https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2012/10/ashleigh-aaron-august-2012-wedding Thu, 25 Oct 2012 19:13:00 GMT
Paint Fight Engagement Photography - Albion Falls, Hamilton Ontario https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2012/10/paint-fight-engagement-photography 800x600

We took a walk with Amanda & Trevor the other week to enjoy some of the beautiful fall colours that were just starting to bloom across the forest at Albion Falls .
 


 
 After taking one last toe dip of the season, they did exactly what one should do on a beautiful fall day.
 
 
 
 
 
They had a paint fight.  : )
 
Mhmm. That’s right, a paint fight engagement shoot!  We found a highly decorated bridge in Red Hill Valley that was the perfect backdrop for the duel.
 
It started off with a showdown.

And started off slow.

 





But then it got messy.

 


 
 And then really messy.
 


And then the messiest of all messyness.These two made a completely beautiful Rorschach Inkblot  of…their love :)  



 


 


*cue violins, fade out...*



 
 

 the end! :)
 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) adventure albion falls engagement paint fight photography unique engagement shoot idea https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2012/10/paint-fight-engagement-photography Sat, 13 Oct 2012 17:25:00 GMT
Ninja-Style Photography https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2012/10/ninja-style-photography

When people ask us what our photography style is, I like to say its Ninja-Style. Now from what I know about Ninja’s, they get really mad when you claim you are a Ninja, and yet don’t actually follow the Ninja way.  Misrepresenting a Ninja never turns out good in the end. Therefore, to back up my claims, I present you with concrete evidence that, indeed, “It's not uncommon for Mike to be found perched precariously in a tree above an unsuspecting bridal party or silently somersaulting behind the last pew in the church” (taken from our website )
 
Exhibit A.
 
This is a beginners move in Ninja-Style Photography execution. Note the lack of foot holds, however the height and danger element leave something to be desired.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Exhibit B.
 
This shot does not accurately represent just how far up and precarious the situation was. This particular shot involved Mike taking off his shoes, rolling up his pants and wading through the river (I must note it had been sleeting earlier that day, so it was freezing) and scrambling up the side of a gorge that was lined with shale, all to get the intimate shot you see below.  I would say this would be a moderate move in Ninja-Style Photography.  During the reception speeches at Allasan & Mikes wedding, they thanked us and said “we knew when our photographer was off-roading on our engagement shoot, that they were the right choice for us!" Just doin' our job, guys. ;)
 
 
 And lastly, but certainly not least, Exhibit C.
 
 
This would be a classic example of expert Ninja-Style Photography. Mike does not think twice about missing an amazing photo op in the face of danger. Despite my anxiety and desperate wish for a big huge fireman trampoline to put under him, there really was no other way to capture the awesome hoops this 6”5 groom was shooting (his lovely bride also joined in,  but that’s a whole other post!). These great shots were taken by a guest at the wedding, and I do believe that a crowd eventually ends up forming and there are probably some Instagram versions of this spectacle floating out there as well.
 
First, the climb up, balance, and assurance to his sweaty-palmed wife that he knows what he’s doing. 
 
Don't you love the basketball, frozen in time there? :D
 
Don't be deceived by the shot perspective here, I was  on the top of a step-ladder here, on my tip toes.
Second, the set up.
 
Please note, there is a reason why we bought stretchy-paaants for him for photoshoots. Too many ripped seams
Third, the shot. 
 The backboard and the whole thing shook like crazy every time Dave took a shot. I think I actually turned away from the scene and couldn’t look anymore.
 
But you know what? It was all worth it in the end. Nobody ended up a quadriplegic, and we ended up with this kickass shot of Dave being a superstar. 
 
 
 

And there you have it, proof that Mike truly is a Ninja-Style Photographer.
 
 

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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) basketball candid documentary ninja ninja-style photography https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2012/10/ninja-style-photography Sat, 13 Oct 2012 16:46:00 GMT
Another Reason Why Mike Loves His Job! https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2012/10/another-reason-why-mike-loves-his-job Today Mike had a  photoshoot with two adorable little girls. I can't show you the pics yet, but I wanted to share just how freakin' cute this is! They had it all prepared for him beforehand, and the pumpkins represent all the different places they were going to go. Each pumpkin has a different face, because 'you make different faces in each picture'. Mike literally melted into a puddle when they handed him this super awesome card, so amazing!




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(Zekar Photography, Wedding Photographer, Photojournalist.) https://www.zekarphotography.com/blog/2012/10/another-reason-why-mike-loves-his-job Fri, 05 Oct 2012 14:17:00 GMT