MKP's Daily Blog

Grouse Mountain Wedding: Ryan + Michelle

mattphoto — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 04:55:09 +0000

I first met Ryan & Michelle over Skype when they were looking in to having me shoot their wedding and we hit it off right away! They are such a natural, comfortable couple, and I had the best time shooting their wedding. I even enjoyed the dance at the end of the night where I got to showcase some of my newly acquired dance moves that ended up splitting my pants!! At least that gives me an excuse to go shopping for some more!

Lisa Gregory did an AMAZING job decorating and organizing the wedding day, it was such a pleasure working with her!

Here are a few of my favorite shots from the wedding day…

Credits:

Wedding Coordinator/Floral/Cake – Lisa Gregory with LISA GREGORY WEDDINGS – www.lisagregoryspecialevents.com

Make Up & Hair – Tracey Le at MINK MAKE UP & HAIR – www.minkmakeupart.com

Officiant – Kevin Fatkin – www.kevinfatkin.com

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Cancun Wedding: Ramnik + Bonnie

mattphoto — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 05:45:45 +0000

What an honor it is to be chosen to spend an entire week with a family, getting to know them all and getting to capture such a pivotal time in their life! Not to mention becoming an honorary BROWN GUY !! They even gave me a new name…Malkit

I fell so in love with this whole wedding, and had such an amazing time! It couldn’t have been more beautiful, and I didn’t even get too sweaty!

Here are some of my favorite shots from the wedding day…and we did a few other sessions on other days that I’ll post later as well!

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Ramnik & Bonnie: Cancun Engagement Session

mattphoto — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 01:11:41 +0000

Case and point as to why I give additional hours on other days for destination weddings…so we can get killer shots like these!! Even though Ramnik wasn’t digging his beard that he had to have until after the ceremony, they ROCKED this session! Truthfully, it was more of a video session with the video guys than it was a photo session, but I got to get a few in here and there and I’m excited about what we got!

I can’t wait to share the rest of this amazing wedding with you…all in good time All in good time!

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Vijay + Bella: Old Orchard Engagement Session

mattphoto — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 21:07:24 +0000

I got a facebook message one day from Vijay telling me that he popped the questions and that he really wanted me to do some engagement photos for them…obviously I was thrilled! Vijay is such a quality guy, and I know that they have both chosen well! Bella lives in Idaho…and that’s where they’ll be getting married, but I had my turn with them and loved every minute of it! They were such great sports with everything I asked them to do, and I am so stoked with how the images turned out!

Here is my recap video from their engagement session - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFQXESsNqjI

Here are a few of my favorite shots from the engagement session at Old Orchard Park and Rocky Point Park in Port Moody!

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Downtown Vancouver Date!

mattphoto — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 21:45:22 +0000

When you have 3 young kids it is hard to go on dates often, especially a FULL DAY date!! We’ve been wanting to just spend a day downtown for awhile and so we finally just made it happen and it worked out well with meeting a new wedding couple. We are fortunate enough to have some good friends that we swap babysitting with lots, so instead of using the babysitting for doing our regular office duties- we mixed business with pleasure and headed downtown to do some shopping! It was a gorgeous day to hang out together!

Our goal was to get Matt some new wedding clothes…he had great success. I got in a little bit of shopping as well

We ended our time with a late lunch at the Cactus Club right on the water. I absolutely loved this place.

Our view from our seats.

There is always work to do, but it is refreshing to go out and have a little fun every once in awhile together! Kid-less! My next dream date is to spend a full day at the beach with a good book and suntanning. Matt: hint! hint!

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Eagle Mountain, Abbotsford Engagement: Artem + Mila

mattphoto — Thu, 30 May 2013 15:15:37 +0000

How cool is the name of this place?!?! Eagle Mountain! I met Artem and Mila at their place and then we went up to the exact spot where Artem got down on one knee and asked the love of his life to spend the rest of it with him…it was an awesome spot! And yes, we re-enacted it

Artem and Mila are a wonderful couple, and we had a great time hiking all around the place. Artem was a real trooper as he just about cut his entire finger off just a few days before the photo shoot with a skill saw! He couldn’t move his hand much, but he got the cast off (against doctors orders) and was all smiles

Here are a few of my favorites from the session!

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Jake + Amanda Engagement: Fort Langley

mattphoto — Tue, 21 May 2013 21:00:14 +0000

There’s just something special about photographing more than one wedding in one family! I am so excited to get to photograph Jake and Amanda’s wedding after recently shooting her sisters wedding. This pair is such a perfect match for each other, and we had a great time walking through Fort Langley talking about everything from fire fighting to Poutine!

Here are a few of my favorite shots from the engagement session!

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Vancouver’s Best Ceremony & Reception Locations

mattphoto — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:49:27 +0000

We have been so fortunate to shoot at some of the BEST vancouver wedding locations! Brides- if you are on the hunt for a vancouver ceremony venue or reception location, here are some amazing wedding venues highlighted to help your search!

HYCROFT MANSION – Vancouver Wedding Venue

Jesse & Nicole added their personal detail to the elegant Hycroft Mansion for their reception. The Hycroft Mansion is a gorgeous Vancouver venue both for inside and outside wedding Ceremonies and Receptions. There are tons of different Character-filled rooms with plenty of space for an awesome cocktail hour! The outdoor patio is a long open space that fits a really cool banquet style seating table setup and there is plenty of room to roam around on the grounds and to plan little games and fun things to do for the wedding. Not to mention, it’s an amazing venue for photography as every corner has another unique look! The basement has a great open area for dancing and an attached bar and sitting area that lets you escape the loud music for a bit. I love the layout!

HERITAGE HALL – Vancouver Wedding Venue

Ashley & Joe celebrated their winter wedding at the landmark Heritage Hall. It is another great place where you can do both the ceremony & reception. Just outside of Downtown, parking isn’t too hard to find, and the look of the building is great! Inside there are a few pillars that add to the look, but give you something to think creatively with for your table setup.

THE METRO – New Westminster Wedding Venue

Cheryl & John had their reception at the uniquely hip “The Metro”. It’s a really trendy venue that has a VERY different seating style! There are some high tables in the middle, perfect for cocktails and snacks, and then booths around the outside which are large and cozy. This is a great “mingle-ready” venue and was amazing for the dance party! Just up from New Westminster Quay, there are TONS of great photo opportunities in and around here!

FALSE CREEK COMMUNITY CENTRE in Granville Island – Vancouver Wedding Venue

Dustin & Roxanne had their reception at the False Creek Community Centre located right in Granville Island. One of the best parts about this venue is that there are so many great photo locations in walking distance and all around the venue. The open beam ceiling and wall of windows make this venue look fantastic. Just be prepared to put in a little bit of decorating effort as it can look like a gym if you don’t do some creative placement of decorations. it’s a BIG open room, and a great location all around!

THE BRIX – Vancouver Wedding Venue

Kim & Ryan’s ceremony & reception was at the Brix. This is place has originality with a rustic, urban-chic feel for more intimate weddings. AH-FREAKIN-MAZING food is the standout at this place, along with a great atmosphere and decor. You don’t have to do much to make this place look great! Space in the courtyard can be tight, so make sure your # of guests is kept to a minimum for this one.

UBC ROSE GARDEN – Vancouver Wedding Venue

Troy & Aimee had their beautiful garden wedding at the scenic UBC Rose Garden. This gorgeous Vancouver Ceremony Venue shows off Vancouver’s beauty by showcasing the Pacific Ocean and beautiful mountains as a backdrop. Parking is easy, but is paid. There are PLENTY of great places on the UBC grounds, and within a close drive for photos, which makes this an ideal spot for tight timelines.

VANCOUVER ROWING CLUB - Vancouver Wedding Venue

Troy & Aimee had their reception at the Vancouver Rowing club. It is a great Vancouver reception location right on the water at the entrance of the infamous Stanley Park. A great night city view and close access to Stanley Park makes this a great place for wedding party photos as well!

GROUSE MOUNTAIN – Vancouver Wedding Venue

Kyle & Jenna at the scenic Grouse Mountain. They had their ceremony on the outside deck and the reception just inside at the Timber Room. No location says “BC” like Grouse Mountain! Make sure to plan out the timing of the wedding keeping the Gondola trip in mind as it takes some time to get up the mountain.

SFU DIAMOND ALUMNI CENTRE – Burnaby Wedding Venue

Keith and Jessica were Married at the Diamond Alumni Centre (D.A.C.) up at SFU. SFU is possibly my favorite place to photograph a wedding party because of the HUGE variety of photo locations. The D.A.C. has two floors, typically the lower being used for ceremonies and the upper being setup for receptions. The view from the balcony is amazing, and parking for everyone is close and free. You’ll get an AMAZING meal here, and the venue looks great as is…so adding your touches will just make it look better!

WESTWOOD PLATEAU – Coquitlam Wedding Venue

Josh & Brittany celebrated their special day at the gorgeous Westwood Plateau. Located right at the golf course, this Coquitlam venue has a “Whistler” feel to it with the beautiful building made of hand-crafted timber and stone, and the food is exceptional! The garden area is fantastic for outdoor ceremonies, and the indoor ceremony location is also gorgeous (and located just off of the main reception hall).

Ryan & Michelle Hartt also held their late night reception at Westwood Plateau…

MINNEKHADA LODGE – Port Coquitlam, BC Wedding Venue

Minnekhada Lodge is tucked away in Port Coquitlam, BC by the gorgeous dykes and mountain views! It is an intimate wedding location, perfect for those like Kyle & Sarah who added so much romantic, vintage details. There are rooms for bridal prep, food service, bar, etc. and the whole vibe of the lodge is very old fashioned and cute.

GOLDEN EAGLE – Pitt Meadows Wedding Venue

What a gorgeous, scenic location for a wedding! With an amazing view of the BC mountains, Golden Eagle is tucked away in this picturesque private setting. There is a perfect room for receptions and an amazing view for outdoor ceremonies.

SWAN-E-SET BAY RESORT & GOLF CLUB – Pitt Meadows Wedding Venue

Swan-E-Set Bay Resort & Golf Club is truly a high-end resort in such a private, gorgeous setting surrounded by the beautiful BC Mountains. They have an intimate area near the lawn for your ceremony and the grand ballroom is perfect for an elegant reception. You will not run out of beautiful photo opportunities here…only time to get them all in! Oh, and DEFINITELY take the golf carts for a spin!

Joe & Lynn – Swaneset Wedding Photos

Rob & Tracey - Swaneset Wedding Photos

Josh & Heather – Swaneset Wedding Photos

Meadow Gardens – Pitt Meadows Wedding Venue

Greg & Nichole tied the know at Meadow Gardens is located in central Pitt Meadows, directly over the Golden Ears Bridge. There are lots of great places to take photographs around this golf course as well as some great nearby spots. The rooms are completely customizable for size as there are 3 in a row that can be combined by moving walls. A beautiful outdoor and indoor location for ceremonies and receptions.

Whonnock Lake – Maple Ridge Wedding Venue

Whonnock Lake is another character filled location, right on the lake! With lots of natural surroundings, a great lake view and beach, this is a perfect spot for a bit of an outdoor enthusiast. It’s a bit of a drive, but is nice and private!

Mike & Vanessa – Whonnock Lake Wedding Photos

Dave & Janie – Whonnock Lake Wedding Photos

FORT LANGLEY COMMUNITY HALL – Fort Langley Wedding Reception Venue

Trevor & Sarah recently held their vintage-style wedding reception at the famous Fort Langley Community Hall. Right in the heart of the little town of Fort Langley, this rustic hall is surrounded by unique and fun settings to shoot wedding photos. The main hall is a large open room with a stage on one end and a loft/kitchen on the other end. This is a perfect match of beauty and function. I love shooting at this hall!

Redwoods Golf Course – Langley Wedding Venue

The Redwoods golf course has to be one of my favorite locations because of how versatile it is with the surrounding areas for photos. You’re so close to beautiful spots like Fort Langley and Derby Reach, as well as having a fantastic property for photos right on the course. There are a few other stand outs at this location, like the Monster Truck Gold Cart! The outdoor patio for ceremonies and the tent covered patio for receptions is a great combination for a beautiful wedding no matter how the weather turns out.

Scott & Jenelle – Redwoods wedding photos

There are countless gorgeous venues in BC. We hope this post helps you on your search to finding the venue that is best for you!

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Granville Island Engagement Session: Jeff & Michelle

mattphoto — Fri, 03 May 2013 12:30:55 +0000

WHAT A DAY!! The weather forecast was DEFINITELY not in our favor, but the big man upstairs opened the clouds for us to get some GREAT images at Jeff & Michelle’s engagement session!

Jeff and Michelle and such a great couple…huge personality and a very visible love for each other! It was a blast walking through Granville Island with these two! Even if Michelle and I took at least twice as many steps as Jeff did because he’s so flippin’ tall! I’m sure Michelle has a hard time keeping up sometimes, haha!

Here’s my recap video of their session and a few of my favorite images from it! I’m stoked about their wedding and the fun we’re going to have…especially with his soccer buddies I hear!?!

Click here to watch Jeff + Michelle’s Engagement Session Recap on YouTube

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Family Day at the Vancouver Aquarium!

mattphoto — Fri, 03 May 2013 05:07:42 +0000

Yesterday our family took a day off of school, work, life and had a FAMILY DAY! It was a beautiful day to go to the Vancouver Aquarium! The kids LOVED it! Even though the aquarium is a beautiful place with lots to see, I sure miss the old aquarium with the ocras and also, Stanley park with the monkey, otter and polar bear exhibits.

This was Gracie’s expression most of the time we were there. She just walked around giggling and going up to people and giggling some more.

The highlight for the kids was the kids play area!

We ended up buying an annual pass this time. We don’t go very often, but our kids are at a great age for it and once we go twice, it has paid for it. So more aquarium adventures to come!

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