In Peterborough, there is a hidden gem. Well, not really hidden as alot of people know about this and use it daily. It's part of the Trans Canada Trail, and from Jackson's Park west towards Omemee runs a beautiful path - past Lily Lake. I meet many photographers there, those that are after nature, foliage, and of course, out photographing their clients. I had a great session with this lovely family. Late summer splendor! 

I was very lucky to find a fabulous place with vintage tractors. The owner is an avid collector and, by the condition  of them, you can tell his love for his collection. This beautiful family enjoyed the uniqueness of the session and I enjoyed photographing it.  The barn proved to be an excellent backdrop too! 

Let's talk about the importance of quality photography. One of the major reasons for this is because I made a big mistake that I regret- and one that I hope to prevent other brides from making.
I hired a cheap wedding photographer. Yes, you heard me right, I hired a cheap wedding photographer.
The fact is, when I was planning my wedding, I had no clue about anything. I didn’t know what to expect costs to be, what to look for, or how to even figure out what I liked. The only resources I used were large, popular wedding sites because that’s all I knew about and quite frankly, all that I could find back then. When I used the budget recommendations of these sites and magazines, the recommended photography percentage was way below what I was realistically seeing for photographer pricing. I didn’t have anyone to tell me what the “normal” pricing was for a good photographer, or even how to know what would be considered “good”. I thought it would be helpful to pass along some tidbits that I wish I had known when it came to wedding photographers…
COST EXPECTATIONOne of the things that is crucial is knowing what the normal cost is for decent photography. In this day and age, you can expect to see pricing around $3500 for a professional wedding photographer for a full day of coverage. This of course will vary depending on location, as well as with the photographers and their experience.
PAY ATTENTION TO QUALITY Oh my goodness- I definitely wish I had known more about what to look for when it came to quality! I remember meeting with 3 photographers, but I got so fixated on price that I forgot to also look at quality. It can be quite difficult to compare just based on price, because often times photographers’ pricing structures are different- not to mention that their experience and quality is going to be different too! So please pay more attention to quality than to cost!
IT’S NOT JUST A DAY’S WORKKeep in mind that photographers are not just taking photos of you for 8 hours on your wedding day. They also have to edit the photos (which can take up to 30 hours), answer your emails and phone calls, and carry out all of the other administrative duties that owning a business entails. Not to mention the cost of advertising, the cost of equipment and maintenance of that equipment, insurance, website upkeep and yearly fees (and there is so much more, but I'll leave that to your photographer to explain).  Sure, it’s easy to say that a photographer is making $3500 for a day’s work, but all of the work done before and after the wedding ends up being way more than just one day.
Needless to say, I’m still pretty heartbroken about my lack of knowledge when it came to choosing my photographer. Now that I look at amazing work from photographers every day, I know that my photos could have been so much better. But you live and you learn, right?
BOTTOM LINE: YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.If you have any questions about choosing your photographer, please ask! I don’t want anyone else to experience this regret, and this is one of the many reasons why I write this blog and why I entered the wedding industry. I want to help everyone have the absolute best wedding possible, and I believe that knowledge is the key to that!

When you talk to a photographer, he/she will tell you, light is everything in a photo. That is why we like to shoot either early morning, or in the later afternoon/early evening. The lower sun in the horizon gives a softer light and is less harsh. The photographs below, taken by Justin Schofield, reflect the beautiful ambient, soft light.

We waited while the contractions got closer and closer. 

Almost fully dilated, with no epidural. 

And Maverick is born. 

First skin-to-skin contact.

All natural birth. Congratulations Brittany and Brandon. 

We were honoured to photograph this very special birth. Surrogate Celeste delivered a beautiful little boy to these two loving dads, who welcomed their second child into their family.

Holding their son for the first time.

The dads bonding with little Noah

Proud dads with the perfect t-shirts.

The team who made it all happen. 

As you can see from previous posts, we really love to shoot in beautiful Jackson's Park in Peterborough. This park offers so much in the way of background for photography. Recently we took the opportunity to photograph Justin and Sharon's engagement session here. Now, this was one fun couple and we loved capturing their playful interaction with each other. We can't wait to photograph their wedding in mid-July. It will be fun for sure. 

We were very happy to join this couple in the celebration of their love and commitment to each other and were honoured to be able to give these grooms special memories from their wedding. Even though we had rain on and off all day, we used the beautiful backdrop of their church, Trinity United Church in Peterborough, both inside and outside.  The day was filled with the love from their friends and family. The formals were done in Jackson's Park under the gazebo and some special photos of the pair using umbrellas to round off the formals. Their reception was held in their backyard in a beautiful white tent, complete with heating, flooring and excellent food catered right on the spot.