Dancing. This magical series of movements that brings two beings into harmony as one. Those light gentle touches that guide each other around the dance floor, simultaneously communicating love and care. Kate and Jordan met each other through dance, and anyone can see why they fell in love. It's hard to capture in a still image the connection the two of them have as they share their first dance. I am most certainly not a dancer, so it's hard to shake this feeling of awe as I watch the two of them move together in unison.
Because their wedding ceremony is late in the day, I meet up with Kate and Jordan mid-afternoon for their wedding party and family photos. For their first look, I set Jordan up in front of the beautiful red brick of the McKay Avenue School Archives & Museum, the grey-blue of the window panes a perfect match to his suit. From there we move to a teal gazebo where we channel the energy of Vogue magazine as I photograph the wedding party entering the frame with Kate and Jordan. Next we meet up with their families to capture some family photos, with Edmonton's downtown and river valley in the background. Kate and Jordan's wedding ceremony is at Edmonton's All Saints Anglican Cathedral, with dazzlingly high ceilings and exquisite stained glass windows. A full choir sings during the ceremony, and includes both of Kate's parents and her grandfather. Their wedding reception is held in the pristine new banquet hall of Edmonton's Polish Hall, the meal complete with delicious mountains of pierogies (my absolute favourite).
Kate and Jordan decide to have a second photographer for their wedding ceremony and reception, so I bring on my long-time photography collaborator Dan for the project. I get a lot of questions about having second shooters. For me, the biggest advantage is that you have two people available to capture each big moment from different angles. While I focus on the couple and the officiant and the members of the wedding party, my second photographer focuses on the parents and family and friends in attendance. As the wedding party enters the cathedral, Dan uses his wide angle lens to capture the fresh excitement on the faces of Kate and Jordan as they enter the church, and gets a stunning shot of Kate's ornate dress flowing down the aisle. Meanwhile, I photograph the moments at the front of the church, including the emotions between both the bride and groom and each of their parents as they part ways at the front of the aisle. Both of the venus that Kate and Jordan used for their wedding were quite big, so having two photographers allowed us to photograph a wide range of shots without missing an important moment. You'll see detailed images from the front of the ceremony using a zoom lens in close time proximity to breathtaking wide angle shots from the balcony. Having two photographers with a complementary lens kit allowed the two of us to capture a wedding with a wide range of visual interest.
Here you can see photos from Kate and Jordan's spring Edmonton engagement session. This Life by Selena Photography blog post was written by Montreal wedding photographer Selena Phillips-Boyle. The second photographer for this wedding is Dan McKechnie. Selena often travels to Edmonton for weddings. She also accepts commissions worldwide, so send her a message on her contact page if you have a project in mind!