MacKenzie & Jeriah Intimate Backyard Wedding | Bancroft, Ontario

MacKenzie is an old friend of mine from my figure skating days and I was SO honoured to be asked to photograph her beautiful wedding on private property belonging to her parents. There were roughly 20 people in total, just the people that matter the most to the couple. I was there for 2 hours and captured some of the sweetest moments and memories for this lovely couple. I love that couples are now doing more of what THEY want.

2 hours of coverage was plenty for this small wedding to get the ceremony, some detail shots, family photos, bride and groom portraits, and some photos of the wedding party. My advice if you have a limited wedding photography budget - hire a professional for less time so you actually get photos you will love and can use. You might see a “good deal” for “full day coverage”, but if none of the images are usable is it really a good deal?

I arrived just a little bit before the ceremony was set to start. I was immediately greeted by the mother of groom and could tell right away that the atmosphere of the day was going to be full of love, excitement, and anticipation for everyone there.

Kevin Martin officiated with some flowers from Posies, decor being DIY and still looking absolutely gorgeous. It rained just a little bit and then cleared up enough for us to still be able to do some family, couple and wedding party photos after the ceremony.

I will add just a small sample of what I delivered from this wedding. Hopefully these show you just a little bit of the joy that we felt being there to witness this beautiful couple exchange their vows.

Congratulations MacKenzie & Jeriah!

Olivia & David Proposal | Eagles Nest Park | Bancroft, Ontario

The Eagles Nest Park Lookout in Bancroft, Ontario is one of the most beautiful locations that the town has to offer. Being a Bancroft local for many years, I also was privileged with many memories at this location - from hikes with my family, watching fireworks from the balcony on Canada Day, and even having my first date with my now husband here - safe to say that I know this location very well and I was very excited to be asked to photograph a surprise proposal here.

This all started with a message from a mutual friend to see if I was available. At the time I didn’t even realize that David and I actually go to the same church in Norwood - I just hadn’t crossed paths with him yet. Our mutual friend gave David my contact information and we got to work planning where and when he was going to propose to Olivia.

I went to the spot we decided on and waited in the bushes as best as I could - I really wanted to capture Olivia’s genuine reaction to being asked so I didn’t move from the bushes until after she said “yes!”

Along with the initial proposal photos, we also did a mini engagement shoot. Below is just a sample of what a photo gallery can look like for a couple that wants to save their first kiss for the wedding. I will never force anyone to do something they don’t want to, your comfort during a session is very important to me.

It will never cease to amaze me that I get to be a part of such important moments in the lives of my clients.

Congratulations Olivia & David!

Meet The Photographer

After a few years and some major life changes, I figured it was time to do an updated blog about myself.

The last time I wrote a blog about myself I was a fresh out of college young adult and was so eager to jump on every single session I possibly could. Now I have been out of college since 2018 - 8 years ago - which is absolutely wild to me because I still feel like I’m pretty young and eager - I just have a few different priorities now than I did in the days before Covid and AI became a thing. My college program doesn’t even exist anymore… am I aging myself a little bit, or am I sharing that I have some experience under my belt with my craft now?

So, a little bit about myself:

• I graduated from the Algonquin College Photography Program in Ottawa in 2018. Although I do think I learned more once I finished the program and got into the industry and worked with other professionals, I can’t deny that the knowledge and networking I’ve gained from it have helped. I also had the pleasure of having the BEST mentor for my placement (shoutout to Emma Haidar), I even had her photograph my own wedding.

• I got married to the love of my life Ben on October 22, 2022. We were blessed with the most incredible weather, some great vendors, and although there are a few things I would change about that day - I am pleased to say that my husband and photography were 2 of the things that would remain the same even if I were to plan my wedding today.

• I have 2 beautiful kids - Mia who is 3, and Malachi who is just under a year old. Being a mom is my favourite thing in the world. More than photography - maybe I shouldn’t post that on a page where I’m trying to book photo clients - however, I value honesty.

• I’m a Christian. Jesus loves you. Even if you’re not, I hope that even a little bit of that love shows through my work. These locations I shoot at are all His handiwork and that is pretty incredible.

• I love coffee. I have a baby and a toddler, I think this speaks for itself.

• I’m a small town girl. I grew up in Bancroft and currently reside in Havelock. Both are small towns. I love to support local whenever I can and am a huge fan of the local networking that happens as a result of small businesses being supported. I am always happy to share vendors for your wedding or event if you need some. There are some insanely talented people around all of the areas I frequent.

• I have a weird/dark sense of humour. My mom died when I was 10. In high school, my dad was in a coma for 10 days. My cousin was found deceased in my grandma’s backyard. This is a huge reason why I cope with some weird humour and also why I value my Christian roots and time with family. I wholeheartedly believe I will see my mom again, but until then I am so thankful for every photo I have with her.

• I value family, time, trust, & honesty. My turnaround will not be the fastest. I will not reply to people if I’m already engaged in something with my family. I will however put as much care into your photos as I would want put into my own family photos. You can expect a final gallery that can be treasured for generations to come. My goal is timeless photos that show life exactly as it is now. I will not be hopping on the current trend wagon, but if you have a specific request let me know and I can include some in the final gallery.

I’m going to cap off this blog post here. I’m also going to try to post a bit more than I used to. Thanks for following along on this crazy beautiful journey called life. :)

Photo taken by the ever talented Naomi Lucienne Photography at Sanctuary Flower Fields at a content day organized by Kyla Fajt Photography.

Laveanne Lavender Field Mini Sessions | Port Hope, ON

In July of 2019 I went to the Laveanne Lavender Fields in Port Hope, Ontario for the first time. I absolutely love the photos I was able to capture. This was a great way to get in some quick family photos. I ended up doing two mommy & me sessions, a couples session for my sister and her boyfriend, and a family shoot. Fun fact: lavender is a lot shorter than you might expect.