Ginette + Matt | a sunny Vancouver wedding

This will be a very special blog post for both Magda and I. The reason? Well…Matt and Andrew are Magda’s twin cousins which she adores to the fullest. We are blessed to have been able to frequently fly out to Vancouver and visit them and our extended family over the years, but this time…Matt was getting married.

On one of our last trips to Vancouver, we got a chance to meet Matt’s fiance, at the time, Ginette! Just like Matt, she comes from an incredibly faithful and loving family. That along with her completing every bit of Matt’s life made us immediately see that they were perfect for each other. Did I mention that Ginette is a chef? And a pretty spectacular one at that too!

Our week in Vancouver went by incredibly fast. We hung out with Matt and Ginette, cousins, visited uncles and aunts and enjoyed all the things we miss about Vancouver from when we used to live there. Our daughter Klementine bonded with the kids of the family… especially with her “twin” cousin Miss. Samara… They were both born on the same day of the same year just an hour apart, it was awesome. Then came time for the wedding…

This was a unique opportunity for us since we were also guests at the wedding. Balancing that can be quite tricky, but we always manage to enjoy the best of both worlds. Lucky for us, Vancouver decided not to rain this time! We had beautiful sun pouring through the stained glass windows in the church.  It also followed us to the beautiful rainforest, hills and waters of the city during the photo session.

Now, we had a really hard time looking clearly through our viewfinders at the reception. See, we learned just how powerful a bond between twins can be when Matt’s brother Andrew took the podium. It is a bond like no other, even different than a parent with their child or a couple. It is so incredibly strong that Andrew had a hard time putting into words just how much he will miss his brother…but yet that he will always be happy and be there by his side wherever they may go. I’m starting to well up just remembering this.

Once the traditional Polish dancers hit the floor, it was time to party…and for us to put our cameras down!

Matt and Ginette, we wish you and your families the most blessings we can wish for. Knowing your families, we have no doubt that you two will have an incredible and fun journey together and we thank you for taking us along for this special day. We hope you enjoy your photos…and don’t forget to click on the link below for the slideshow!

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milsztof - Stunning shots, beautiful ceremony, gorgeous couple.November 16, 2012 – 4:54 am

Ewa Drwiega - Beautiful pictures as always ! Your artistic eye, sincere and loving approach to your profession and hard work are captured in your pictures every time.
We are so proud of you ! Love you both beyond words ! mom and dadNovember 16, 2012 – 11:08 pm

bartekandmagda - Mi and Tatus, thank YOU for the never ending support and help. With out you guys this would not be possible for us. We love you both too very much! love, Magda and Bartek and of course KlementineNovember 17, 2012 – 9:42 am

Christina + Matthieu | a Wedding at the Vieux-Port Steakhouse

We met Christina and Matthieu fairly recently when we did their engagement session here on the West Island. Magda and I quickly got to learn about Matthieu’s fun and quirky sense of humor as well as Christina’s shy side…which didn’t last very long, since Matthieu always manages to make her smile! The same went for their wedding day…

In the morning, I (Bartek) got to spend time with the guys at one of the groomsmen’s really cozy apartment near the Atwater Market. As they prepared for the big day and listened to good music, I snapped away at every moment I could. But that didn’t mean I couldn’t enjoy a delicious mushroom pizza from a local place! Of course, Magda too got to spend a relaxing morning with Christina and the girls before heading to the church downtown.

The ceremony at St. Stephen’s Anglican Church was really touching. Christina and Matthieu exchanged some really deep and beautiful words with each other.

As mother nature has it, it turned out to be one of those rainy days. Having a wedding this time of year is beautiful, but it can be risky as the weather is incredibly unpredictable! However, as we drove to the rainy day photography location (the Westmount Greenhouse Conservatory), it started to clear up beautifully! We had to share the space with a few other wedding photographers doing their thing too! Regardless, we still decided to shoot inside the historic building since the light was so soft and warm that we just couldn’t ignore it.

The wedding reception was held on the top floor of the Vieux-Port Steakhouse in the Old Port of Montreal. If you have never been and are in the mood for a seriously great steak, we highly recommend it. Having never shot a wedding there before we were welcomed by a cozy atmosphere accompanied by great food and a great party. With some really hilarious games, a swing dance lesson and our photo booth, the night was off to an incredibly fun start.

Christina and Matthieu, thank you for trusting us with our vision for your day and we hope you love your photos as much as we do. Your faith and the things you and your families said to each other are a clear sign that you will live happily ever after.

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Lidia + Sandro | A wedding at Restaurant Eighteen in Ottawa

I don’t know what happened, but these past few weddings happened to have some portion of the Polish community we grew up in! Lidia and Sandro’s wedding was no exception. Lidia and her family go to the same church Magda and I used to go to when we lived in Ottawa so we knew who she was. But it was not until we finally got to meet Lidia and Sandro on their engagement session,  where we learned how incredibly delicate and sweet the two of them are.

When the morning started off with Jagermeister on the rocks and Mimosa’s, we knew the day was going to be fun. Having been married in the same church, it was really special for Magda and I to photograph a wedding there. St. Hyacinth church is Ottawa’s only Polish church and it’s design follows the traditional folk Polish architecture featuring beautiful wooden sculptures which you can find especially in cities close to the mountains like Zakopane! After the ceremony we drove all the way up to the Gatineau hills to take photos at the Mackenzie King Estate. It was our first time taking photos there and we loved the variety!

The wedding reception was held at the chic Restaurant Eighteen in the Byward Market. We find it very difficult to make a restaurant your own to fit your wedding, but Lidia and Sandro and the staff at the restaurant really made it happen! The mood lighting, the cozy atmosphere and the top shelf food and drinks came together like the best ingredients in an award winning dish. Not to mention the beautiful stationary made by Wishtree Invitations and Stationary Inc.!

The genuine love between Lidia and Sandro can only be translated into years and years of a beautiful marriage. Thank you so much for having us a part of your special time in your lives! Enjoy the slideshow and our favourite moments from the day.

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Diana + Wojtek | A Waterloo Wedding

Weekend getaway weddings are always a treat for Magda and I. We fly out somewhere and spend a few days with new people in a new and exciting environment and we also get to unwind a little and join the party! This time we travelled to Waterloo, Ontario where we had the pleasure of shooting Diana and Wojtek’s beautiful Polish wedding. You may remember them from a few posts back when we did their engagement photos.

We have known Diana from the Ottawa Polish community from way back so we were thrilled to find out we would be hanging out with some familiar faces that weekend! After a little rain scare it cleared up and we were fortunate enough to find beautiful places to photograph at like the historic Waterloo Sun Life building. Complete with a traditional folk Polish dance group, the amazing live band Impuls, a ton of amazing Polish food (pierogies!) and a fantastic party, I can safely say everyone was finished by the end of the night…even Father Paul was it up on the dance floor all night!

Thank you guys so much for getting us down there to spend the weekend with you covering your special day. Judging by both your parents, you two will have absolutely no problems living many many happy years together. Here are some of our favourite images from your day and be sure to click on the slideshow just below for more crazy dancing moments!

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Justine + Lukasz | A laurentian wedding at Esterel Spa & Suites

We are fortunate enough to be living in Canada. A country with flaws, like any other, but honestly it is one of the best places to live in the world in our eyes! We genuinely have freedom to do what we like, we have peace and we also have a landscape that spans an incredible distance with views ranging from the freezing cold arctic to the desert plains!

With Lukasz’s family being from Poland and Justine’s from Quebec, they really wanted to give their guests a feel of this part of Canada. After looking at options for their wedding in the Laurentians they came upon the Esterel Spa & Suites resort. We have never heard of this place till now but after driving up there and spending the weekend with Justine and Lukasz it quickly became apparent why they chose it. The drive from Montreal alone was beautiful, with winding roads and hills and of course the resort itself. Placed right on a serene lake, surrounded by nature and offering luxurious comfort and food. It was perfect! Every single one of their guests absolutely loved it.

As opposed to most wedding days for us, this one was exceptionally relaxing! Even with the imminent rain everyone still had smiles and no one fretted about anything. This made for a perfect environment for Magda and I to capture some really nice moments with Justine and Lukasz. The food was to die for and the party, as we expected, was off the hook! Complete with a traditional Polish bread and salt greeting by the parents of the groom, a bottle of Wyborowa vodka on every table and our photo booth, the pictures we took tell the complete story below…

We know how difficult it is planning a long distance wedding, so on top of that we would like to thank Justine and Lukasz for taking us along for the ride! We wish them lots of love and happiness and we leave you with a summary of the day below.

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Ashley A-Photo - Your golden hour shots are killer. I’m loving them so much. Fabulous shots on the steps too!!!October 3, 2012 – 8:04 pm

Louise Hetu - Superbes photos! Journée fantastique! Que du bonheur! ???October 3, 2012 – 9:58 pm

Agata - OMG ale mam ?adn? bratow?! I przystojnego brata – nie wiedzia?am o tym!! Super zdj?cia. To by? wasz dzie? – pi?kny dzie?!October 6, 2012 – 10:11 am

Daisy , épouse Williame - Quel beau mariage !
Audrey et Arnaud ont eu bien de la chance de participer à cet événement .
Dans une nature resplendissante,tout respire calme , sérénité et félicité .
Le bonheur…je vous souhaite d’être sur son chemin .
Merci de m’avoir permis de parcourir votre album de souvenirs .

Daisy , épouse Williame .October 25, 2012 – 9:18 am