Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Bonnie and JM: Married!

"Is it always like this?" Bonnie asked us. She meant all of the last minute things that needed to be done. "There's always last minute stuff," I said, "but it's not always this calm." Five hours before the ceremony, Bonnie had just hand-tied her gorgeous bouquets and made boutonnieres, and was moving on to finishing up table number cards.

JM walked into Bonnie's parents' house and casually said hello to the woman he was going to marry later that day, and then pitched in. An hour later, when Bonnie was in her wedding dress, and ready to rejoin the crowd downstairs, I asked if she wanted to do any kind of special entrance for the first time JM would see her. She said no and headed down the stairs. But it was still special, because it fit who Bonnie and JM are, individually, and as a couple. (And, for the record, JM still beamed when he saw her, even without the grand entrance.)

Bonnie and JM were probably the most relaxed couple I've ever seen, let a lone photographed, on a wedding day. They were the perfect bride and groom: simply happy to be together and to be getting married. They both showed the kind of quiet devotion that makes you sure there will be nothing in life that they can't get through together. They, their families, and their friends, were an absolute pleasure to spend a day with.

As I was trying to choose photos to blog from this wedding, I tweeted that I am so happy to finally be a good enough photographer that it's hard to narrow down my selection for the blog, rather than hard to find enough to post! I really did have a lot that I wanted to share, and I also wanted to try out my new MCP Actions Storyboard actions, so I thought I'd use them to show lots of images without too much scrolling. Don't know if I'll keep doing it this way, but I will say that the MCP Actions actions were super easy to use. Love them, and they will make album design a breeze. I'm definitely going to get some more! (Also, I should note that I DID NOT use the Blog It boards, which would have been even better, but I haven't bought them yet. I definitely think I will!)

(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Wedding Photographer

Bonnie's dog didn't get to go to the wedding, so we got some pictures with him at her parents' house before we left.
(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Wedding Photographer


I really love Bonnie's dress, which she got from Taylor's Bridal in Elmira. I also love Taylor's. A couple of my sisters got their dresses there, and it is definitely my favourite bridal shop in the area. They have truly awesome service, a great selection, and the prices seemed very reasonable to me when I was in there.
(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Wedding Photographer

The "Funniest Moment of the Day" award goes to the one when this guy came up to Bonnie in the street as we arrived in St. Jacobs and asked if he could take her picture, then asked Angela to take his picture with her. I guess he was just excited to see a beautiful bride! People also cheered randomly while we were taking pictures downtown. It was fun!
(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Wedding Photographer

(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Wedding Photographer

JM and his men
(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Wedding Photographer

The following is not an MCP Actions board. I know that because it took me many minutes to do instead of two. So please don't blame Jodi for my poor design skills.
(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Wedding Photographer

And the day isn't complete without an adorable flower girl!
(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Wedding Photographer

Some Bonnie details.
(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Wedding Photographer

(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Wedding Photographer

Isn't Bonnie's ring just gorgeous? I loved it! And I love the hammered metal look of JM's as well (I have no idea what that's called!).
(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Wedding Photographer

Some pretty reception details
(C) Copyright Amanda Stratton, 2009 - Waterloo Wedding Photographer

If you want to see even more form this wedding (believe it or not, despite this post exceeding the normal recommended picture limit, there are more)... check out the slideshow here.

Lots more blogging coming up this week, so stay tuned!

And, please, don't forget to head over to Angela Smith's blog and see some of the shots she did and to check out her other work. Angela did an awesome job second shooting, and she was great company, too! Thanks for coming out, Angela!

7 comments:

Lisa said...

These are beautiful, Amanda! I love your blog-board layouts too. (even the one you designed yourself - LOL!)

Kristin said...

Wow, beautiful!

I love the bride & the flowergirl :)

Tracey said...

These are all gorgeous Manda! I just love your work! Beautiful!!

Sharon Verbeek said...

these are gorgeous! great colours.

Lisa B said...

Okay i won't say AWESOME!!!

FLIPPIN FANTASIC!!!!

Love the story, the photos

biting her tongue...

You know... Aw.......

Unknown said...

Oh, I just love these pictures. Isn't it amazing how great you get as you shoot more and more? Absolutely fabulous wedding pictures. I love them!

Dodie said...

Amazing shots!!! I love how relaxed the bride is .... just wanting to enjoy her day. My fav is the shot with the flowergirl in the grass - they appear to share a special bond.