Growing up in Canada, mandarin oranges, or Christmas oranges as they are affectionately called, were very much a part of my childhood memories. The pint-sized orbs fit snugly in my little hands the way no massive naval orange ever could. They came in those small cardboard boxes, (which now house my Christmas ornaments and look positively vintage after all these years!) individually wrapped in pale green tissue paper. Each orange was like a miniature gift, a treat to be treasured, but only for a moment before it was juicily devoured. Now as an adult living in California, oranges in a bewildering array of varieties are as common as can be, and yet never fail to bring me delight every Christmas season. Each year I seek out the perfect mandarin (this year they are California-grown Satsuma Mandarins from Trader Joe's) eating several a day relishing in the memories of my childhood and also boosting the immune system during this time of tidings, great joy, and germs.

Wedding InspirationJaime FenwickDecember 15, 2014Citrus, Orange, Green, Winter, Coastal, West Coast, FilmComment

Sumptuous Winter Wedding Inspiration

Everything about this styled shoot by Nadia Hung Photography is sumptuous. The cake, the gowns, the floral arrangements...there is nothing stuffy or aloof about what's on display here. Like a velvet chaise or an exquisite down duvet that beckon one to enjoy their luxurious charms, these elements - gowns, florals, cake, and even the nuanced details - are to be enjoyed. What bride wouldn't want to run her finger along the cake's creamy edge to taste the luscious swirl on her fingertip, or twirl endlessly on the dance floor in one of Truvelle's magnificent gowns. If I was in need of winter wedding (better yet, New Year's wedding) inspiration, this is where I would start. With the cremé de la cremé.

Wedding InspirationJaime FenwickDecember 12, 2014Blush, Grey, Sequins, Snow, Cake, Winter, Film Comments

Okanagan Sunset Shoot

There are plenty of reasons why British Columbia's Okanagan Valley attracts brides from all across Canada -- with a temperate climate, relaxed atmosphere, breathtaking scenery, and wine country appeal, it's easy to tempt almost anyone to select the Okanagan for their in-country wedding destination. But I find the light in the Okanagan to be the intangible quality that makes all its other characteristics appear as if wrapped in a gauze of rosé. The Okanagan doesn't mind showing off either, with her blush hues of dusk coming out to soften the landscape's edges most summer evenings. Sometimes summer lingers a while, and in this case, early September saw a fantastic parade of pastels transform the shoreline of Okanagan Lake. This team of vendors knew instinctively how to pick a palette that echoed the landscape and light of the Okanagan at summer's end, and I'm so very pleased to see their work celebrated here on Vale + Vine.

Wedding InspirationJaime FenwickDecember 10, 2014Okanagan, Summer, Lakeside, British Columbia, Sunset, Blush, Lavender, PinkComment

Contemplative Coastal Inspiration

As a photographer myself, the process of publishing work by other photographers has been fascinating. I'm learning so much through the process of assessing, laying out, and writing about imagery created by other creatives, and I feel like my own work can only be enriched as a result. Today I have the opportunity to feature photography and florals by Vancouver Island vendors Red Leaf Boutique and Clare Day Flowers, the former whom I've followed for years, and the latter whom I've recently discovered. Together they have created a contemplative, sculptural shoot, layered with earthen tones and textures, that seem to speak of the last vestiges of autumn and the onset of a season for introspection.

Wedding InspirationJaime FenwickDecember 9, 2014West Coast, Coastal, Fall, Autumn, Orange, Grey, MoodyComment

Coastal Winter Wedding Inspiration

Earlier this week on Vale + Vine, I featured an exotic West Coast inspiration shoot by Blush Wedding Photography that incorporated lush botanicals and had my imagination wandering off to some far-flung tropical destination. So I found it utterly striking to see Adrian Michael's West Coast inspiration shoot styled with a completely different look and feel--one that conjured up an intimate beach-side ceremony or elopement, with a luxurious Tofino lodge or cozy B+B to duck into as an evening storm rolled in. I love the contrast between the two shoots and how similar environments can inspire completely different styles for two very different types of brides.

Wedding InspirationJaime FenwickDecember 4, 2014West Coast, Winter, Blush, Pronovias, Adrian Michael, Redhead, Floral CrownComment

Exotic West Coast Wedding Inspiration

Last week Blush Wedding Photography was featured here on Vale + Vine, but Kristy's images of the cranberry farm engagement session were just a little teaser and hopefully left viewers wanting to see more. Kristy and I met at Jose Villa's photography workshop in Mexico 3 years ago, and since then I've loved watching her flourish in her work--last month, Blush Wedding Photography won Best Wedding Photographer in BC, an honour extended by the Canadian Wedding Industry Awards. Kristy's photography often features a flair for the exotic, which is no surprise seeing as how she and her husband are true globetrotters--Kristy has traveled to over 50 countries. With that in mind, I'm excited to start off the week with an exotic styled shoot perfect for brides planning destination weddings or planners and stylists needing a little inspiration for their clients' spring weddings. Because as planner friend Nicole Sihlis of Created Lovely recently noted, "Whoever came up with the term 'off season' forgot about planners"...so true!

Wedding InspirationJaime FenwickDecember 1, 2014Film, Fine Art Weddings, West Coast, Beach, Garden, Destination, Pink, Spring, BotanicalComment

Orchard Portraits at The BX Press

I decided to end the first week of Vale + Vine's soft launch with a feature of my own to remind myself, and share with my first viewers, why I've embarked on such an enterprise. I have spent the past five years living in California fine-tuning my photography business, becoming a part of the fine art wedding community, and returning to my roots as a film photographer. Throughout these years, I've noticed a slow trickle of the fine art influences beginning to influence the wedding industry in Canada, and I've wondered what would happen if more Canadians embraced this aesthetic--not just in terms of photography, but in terms of the entire wedding experience.

Style + Beauty, Wedding InspirationJaime FenwickNovember 28, 2014Okanagan, Orchard, Portraits, Film, Jaime Lauren Photography, SummerComment

Cozy Winter Wedding Inspiration

With mind-boggling snows blasting the east coast, I have to say that out west I'm feeling a twinge of winter envy. That being said, this cozy winter session photographed by Christie Graham on a sunny winter's day in Pemberton, British Columbia, will more than suffice!

There are so many elements I love about these images: the bride's iceberg-blue gemstone, the emphasis on texture and sunlight contrasting the cool tones and frosty landscape, the couple's natural embraces so tenderly captured by Christie whose fingers were no doubt laced with a chill, But the aspect that I truly admire the most about this selection of photographs is just how wonderfully uncluttered they are.

Wedding InspirationJaime FenwickNovember 26, 2014Christie Graham Photography, Winter, British Columbia, Cable-Knit, Gemstone, Rustic, RanchComment

for the fine art canadian bride