While the blossoms are singing spring's praises in British Columbia's capital, Victoria, snow and sub-zero temperatures are reminding residents of eastern Canadian locales that the last vestiges of winter are still upon them. Hence the publication of one final (I think!) winter shoot for the season. If you're a bride, photographer, or stylist looking for some last-minute snowy engagement shoot inspiration, look no further than Blair + Matt's shoot featured on Vale + Vine, shot by Ontario photographer Kurtz Oripa....

EngagementsJaime FenwickMarch 6, 2015Winter, Ontario, Engagement Session, Woodland, Forest, Snow Comment

Big Sky Montana Engagement Session

This shoot by Samantha Lord is for all those couples who find the space where prairies meet the mountains as romantic as all get out, and long for a way to incorporate this sort of majestic landscape into their own love story. Though MJ + Fredo are tying the knot on Long Island in New York, the couple decided to plunge themselves into the wilds of Montana for an engagement session quite unlike anything one could conjure up on Long Island! Dramatic skies, sweeping vistas, rippling mountain waters, and a breeze you can practically feel on your face set the stage for this utterly romantic engagement session....

Sunshine + Snow Hamilton Engagement Session

Snowy days that look deceptively warm are never a bad thing. There's something about being able to trudge hand-in-hand with your love through snowy drifts without having to be bundled to the max. The thought of warm sun on my face with snow beneath my feet brings to mind spring skiing and crisp country walks, and the last frosty mornings before the (muddy) thaw offers one more chance to embrace the best of winter...

DIY + Tutorials, EngagementsJaime FenwickFebruary 25, 2015Ontario, Woodland, Forest, Snow, Winter, FilmComment

West Vancouver Engagement Session

It's easy to be deterred by a grey-sky kind of day when an engagement session is on the books, but photographer Lani Elias along with Eric + Esther brought beauty and tender romance to what might otherwise seem like just a blank backdrop. But that's where great styling choices (a dark blue suit for Eric to provide some contrast, and a light, airy dress for Esther to keep things from getting to heavy), an ideal location (water and foliage always provide a little bit of colour), and the pairing of film with a great lab (which can provide a fabulous warm feel, even on a cool cloudy day), makes all the difference...

EngagementsJaime FenwickFebruary 16, 2015Engagement Session, VancouverComment

Ontario Engagement Session at the Bluffs

While the fine art film look is known for its heavy West Coast influences, it's been great to see photographers from eastern Canada spreading the look throughout their communities and championing the beauty of fine art wedding photography. During Vale + Vine's 50th post celebration week, I wanted to give our viewers something from Ontario to be inspired by, and Heidi Lau Photography provided an engagement shoot that fit the bill.

EngagementsJaime FenwickFebruary 4, 2015Ontario, Toronto, Eastern Canada, Film, Shoreline, LakesideComment

Artistic Woodland Engagement Session

Everything about this engagement session photographed by Adrian Michael resonates with me. The quality of photography, the natural setting, and obvious love of the couple - all of these things provide a solid foundation for a fantastic shoot, but what really seals the deal for me is that the details come together without overwhelming the eye. Here are a few reasons why I feel they come together well...

EngagementsJaime FenwickJanuary 23, 2015Engagement Session, Hipster, Forest, Woodland, Vintage, Vintage Car, Fall, AutumnComment

Scenic Colorado Engagement at Sunset

While photographed in Colorado by Holeigh V Photography during the Lemonade + Lenses workshop, I was struck by how much these images reminded me of certain landscapes and light throughout British Columbia, specifically in the interior where the mountains are less dramatic than the Rockies or Coast mountains, but also more conducive to longer sunsets and softer shadows.

EngagementsJaime FenwickJanuary 21, 2015Colorado, Engagement Session Comment

Engagement in a Meadow of Wildflowers

Couples wherein each partner is perfectly natural with one another are just so easy to spot, especially when there's a photographer in the equation--their unconscious smiles aren't the least bit contrived and their displays of unbridled affection are anything but posed. Michelle and Jon are one such couple and I love how effortlessly their comfort with, and love for ,one another is expressed in this engagement session by Heidi Lau Photography. Unaffected, relaxed, and obviously in love, Jon and Michelle make me grin as I scroll through each frame. It's a feel-good shoot with roots of love that run deep and I'm so honoured that to be given a glimpse into Michelle + Jon's beautifully celebrated love.

EngagementsJaime FenwickJanuary 20, 2015Spring, Ontario, Wildflowers, Fields, Meadow, Engagement SessionComment

Ontario Engagement Session in Hamilton

Yes, I realize this is a fall shoot, but there was no way I was letting this heartfelt engagement session slip by without finding a spot on Vale + Vine. I also thought it might provide some inspiration for early spring engagement sessions when the colour palette found across the Canadian landscape is chalk full of earth tones, but very little vibrancy. While it might be easiest to throw on some punchy summer colours or soft spring pastels, I actually think that reflecting back on fall hues works best when working with (let's face it) a somewhat drab landscape...you know, the kind after the snow melts, but the first shoots of green have yet to peek through? ...

EngagementsJaime FenwickJanuary 16, 2015Fall, Ontario, Engagement Session, Fields, FilmComment

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