Vancouver Wedding and Portrait Photographer - Magnolia Photographic » Weddings

Executive Plaza Hotel Richmond Wedding – Pamela and Toby

Laura — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 19:38:55 +0000

Pam and Toby are two of the most easy-going, cheerful people you could hope to meet, which turned out to be a good thing because Mother Nature gave them some liquid sunshine on their big day! Fortunately, we found some great partially covered photo locations, which allowed us to duck in and out of the rain as needed. The beautiful ceremony at St. Paul’s Church in Richmond was followed by a fun reception at the Executive Plaza Hotel, also in Richmond. The reception was full of lively entertainment, including a violin performance by Pam’s little 8-year-old niece. When the dance music started, the floor became packed – I love it when everyone gets into the dancing and cuts loose! Last but most definitely not least, it was great to see past clients Kathy and Dave again, who referred Pam and Toby to me – you can see them getting their dance on in the top right dance photo below!

Performance Works Wedding – Alana and David

Laura — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 03:18:21 +0000

Not only did Alana wear a birdcage veil, which I adore, but her colour scheme of pewter and yellow was modern and bold and worked perfectly with their chosen venue, Performance Works. Although the weather looked a little iffy at the start, the rain held off for their beautiful ceremony in the park at Granville Island, followed by a fun photo session. The evening reception at Performance works was filled with touching speeches and music by David’s Latin band, inspiring guests to party into the night!

Cecil Green Wedding – Charissa and Dustin

Laura — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 19:56:05 +0000

Charissa and Dustin were married in May, and we had an awesome day with them taking photos all over Vancouver! We started with some getting ready coverage, followed by a “first look” in Steveston near Charissa and Dustin’s new home. It was pretty clear that Dustin was just a bit nervous, but as soon as he saw Charissa it seemed to all melt away. In fact, I found it was rare to ever see Charissa without a smile on her face, even prior to the wedding day, and for this reason I’m sure she has the same joyful effect on everyone she meets. We then headed into Vancouver to David Lam park for a modern architecture look, followed by a short time at Pacific Spirit Park, a quick stop at Spanish Banks, and then some final photos at Cecil Green Park House – whew, that was quite the location marathon! Needless to say, we got a great variety of images with Charissa and Dustin and their wedding party, even the “sun filtering through the trees” shot that Charissa wanted very much! The day progressed with the ceremony on the beautiful lawn at Cecil Green, followed by cocktails and an evening reception full of touching speeches, good food, and dancing. Thanks to Charissa and Dustin for having us with you!

Capilano Golf Club and Pacific Rim Hotel Wedding – Laureen and Benjamin

Laura — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 05:29:10 +0000

It wasn’t too long ago that I photographed the wedding of Laureen’s sister, Jocelyn, so I was excited to now be photographing Laureen’s big day and for the opportunity to see the Singh family again! Laureen and Benjamin’s fabulous day began at Akali Singh Temple, with Benjamin being led in with Indian drummers and his family. I always love this part of a Sikh wedding, because this is the part where the bride’s family formally welcomes the groom’s family – garlands are exchanged and male relatives are encouraged to hug each other in the most enthusiastic way possible, which is quite entertaining for the surrounding crowd! The wedding ceremony was followed by a photo session outside the temple (the only time of the day when the rain held off!) with family and the bridal party. Later, we met up with Laureen and Benjamin again at the stunning Pacific Rim Hotel, where they got changed and ready for their reception. It was at this time that hail actually began, and I fear we might actually have to build an ark to make it to the reception at Capilano Golf and Country Club. Fortunately, the rooms and lobby at the Pacific Rim are absolutely gorgeous, so we photographed the couple in their new look in the cover of the hotel and safely out of the rain. When we arrived at Capilano, I was greeted by an amazingly decorated room, courtesy of the talented Angela Girard at Reflection Events – check out the beautiful carnation balls – don’t you just want to touch them? (I did!) Laureen and Benjamin enjoyed a delicious and beautifully presented buffet, speeches, and first dance throughout the evening, all while taking in the magnificent view out the windows of downtown Vancouver. Thanks to Laureen and Benjamin for having us photograph your fabulous, beautiful, fantastic day!

Swan-e-Set Wedding – Fe and Dovey

Laura — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 03:00:47 +0000

What a gorgeous April day we had for Fe and Dovey’s wedding! These are two of the sweetest people you could ever meet, and I was so excited to capture their beautiful day at the always lovely Swan-e-Set Resort and Country Club. Not only is the clubhouse spectacular, but so are the grounds, and we were lucky enough to have the perfect early evening light for the bridal party photos session – pair that with spring flowers and you have the makings of some amazing wedding photos. Thanks to Fe and Dovey for having us share your wonderful day!

To start off, check out their first look – Fe sneaks up on Dovey…

And Dovey turns around to see Fe in all her bridal gorgeousness!

Temple Sholom and Eagle Creek Golf Club Wedding – Amy and Arthur

Laura — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 00:57:27 +0000

Sharing a quirky sense of humor and love of Ultimate Frisbee, it’s easy to see why Amy and Arthur work so well together. When I first met them, they told me all about their “Chewish” wedding (combination Chinese and Jewish wedding) – I knew at that moment that this would be a fun wedding to photograph. The Jewish ceremony was held at Temple Sholom, followed by a photo session at Granville Island and then on to the Trade and Convention Centre. It was here that I finally photographed the infamous Olympic cauldron for the first time, with Amy and Arthur cuddling in front of it. I must say, the architecture of this sculpture makes for some interesting images! The reception was held at the lovely Eagle Creek Golf Club on Burnaby Mountain, and Amy and Arthur did a beautiful job decorating the venue in their theme colour of crimson burgundy. Of course, no Jewish wedding is complete without dancing the hora, and while their stay on the chairs was short (Amy looked terrified!) the guests enjoyed it thoroughly. Thank you to Amy and Arthur for having me with you on your special day!

Connie and Patrick’s Marriott Pinnacle Wedding

Laura — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 01:30:19 +0000

There’s a first time for everything, and Connie and Patrick’s wedding marked the first time I ever saw a groom scale a balcony, Romeo-and-Juliet-style. In fact, Patrick was Spiderman-like with his wall-climbing skills (ignoring the fact that his friends gave him a little lift to begin with). It was all in the name of defeating the bridesmaids and their tricky groom games, a Chinese tradition designed to playfully thwart the groom from seeing the bride. All this debauchery was followed by two tea ceremonies, a wedding ceremony at Ryerson United Church, photo sessions at Locarno Beach and the Vancouver Convention Centre, and finally a grand reception at the beautiful Marriott Pinnacle Hotel. Connie and Patrick’s wedding colours were white and the most delicious shade of deep purple (one of my favourite colours!), carried throughout the amazing decor by Celsia Florist and Upright Decor.

Heidi and David’s Capilano Golf Club Wedding

Laura — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 21:15:44 +0000

Heidi and David had a magnificent day for their wedding, and chose two my personal favourite venues to play host to their ceremony and reception: St. Andrew’s-Wesley Church, and Capilano Golf and Country Club. As always, I was awed by the size and beauty of St. Andrew’s-Wesley, and Heidi fit the scene perfectly in her gorgeous sparkly gown (David even shed a few tears when he saw her walking down the aisle!) After the ceremony, we continued on with a bridal party photo session – and this was definitely a fun bridal party! Although many of David’s groomsmen were not fluent in English (they had flown in from Belgium and France), we all managed to have a great time together and get some awesome images. The evening reception was made even more special by a personal performance from Heidi’s bridesmaid, who wrote a song just for the couple and played along on the piano. The evening was completed by an incredible buffet (the food is always awesome at Capilano Golf Club!), a touching first dance, then some crazy partying, including the first conga line I’ve seen in a while! Good times!

Veronica and Tony’s Beach and Backyard Wedding

Laura — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 19:09:14 +0000

With a shared love of being outside, it was pretty much a “must” that these two nature-lovers be married in the great outdoors. With that theme in mind, Veronica and Tony chose to have their ceremony on a lovely point at Spanish Banks, overlooking the water and the mountains, and the reception in the beautifully gardened Vancouver backyard of Veronica’s childhood home. With rain forecast for their big day, I asked the couple what their back-up plan was for the ceremony, and their response was truly indicative of how relaxed and easy-going these two are – their grand back-up plan? Umbrellas! Okay then. Fortunately, no umbrellas were needed and the ceremony went off beautifully, followed by an epic photo session on the beach, at Pacific Spirit Park, Tony’s childhood home, and finishing off at Van Dusen Gardens. We shot for hours, and I loved every minute of it! There’s something to be said for having lots of time for your photo session – makes for lots of stress-free and creative images! The evening reception was casual and fun, with many heartfelt speeches and delicious food, and the most fabulous steel-drum band! To top it all off, Tony and Veronica’s first dance was a perfectly choreographed copy of the iconic dance between Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey in “Dirty Dancing” – complete with lifts and all! Thanks to Veronica and Tony for having us photograph your super-fun big day!

Naomi and Vincent’s Terminal City Club Wedding

Laura — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 18:05:08 +0000

On an overcast day in June, two of the sweetest people you could hope to meet tied the knot: Naomi and Vincent! Although the sky was cloudy, the rain held off for a perfect downtown “first-look” meeting between the bride and groom – I always enjoy the anticipation (and nervousness!) that comes with these encounters – so many emotions going on! We headed over to the Trade and Convention Centre for photos with the lovely bridal party, and then it was back to the always-gorgeous Terminal City Club for a tea ceremony, for which Naomi wore her grandmother’s beautiful qua (two-piece Chinese bridal outfit). The wedding ceremony was next, followed by a fabulous cocktail hour on the Terminal City patio overlooking downtown. The reception continued on throughout the evening, with much laughter and a few tears from the bride and groom and their guests. Thanks to Naomi and Vincent for having us with you on your special day!