This is a story of an afternoon well-spent with Amanda & Michael under the trees and on the shores of Gambier Island, where her family has had a cottage for ages.

“When I first moved to Vancouver I lived in a little basement suite on the far end of Kits, on 1st ave. For one of our best dates, Andrew and I walked to Jericho Beach and watched the sunrise over the mountains (there was coffee). Then, we figured since we were up, we might as well make the day of it. So we followed the Kitsilano train tracks all the way, past Kerrisdale to where the grass is wild and over our heads. It was best because we were the only people around for so long. Plus we were tired which made us extra silly. Sunrise at the beach reminds me of this.”

Meet Sarah & Andrew. We caught the sunrise with them at Wreck Beach for some pre-wedding photos and it was just wonderful.

As often as we can, we have couples over to our home when we meet them for the first time. We love hosting folks and allowing them to get to know us in the home we’ve created together. It’s not always possible though, and on those occasions we’ll arrange a little Skype date-which is what we did with Rachael & Ayman.

We’ll save their full story for the wedding post, because believe me, it’s coming and you won’t want to miss it.

Until then, enjoy these pre-wedding portraits. They flew in from Toronto a few days before their wedding shindig went down and we were lucky enough to get some of their precious time to make these. And it was good. After we shared fish and chips together and before we actually started photographing them, Ayman confessed that they were a bit nervous and not photogenic, but that they trusted us to do what we do and make them look good. I said, “You know, when we meet a couple on Skype, it’s never fully clear how good-looking they are, but when you walked up, I breathed a huge sigh of relief. You’ve got nothing to worry about.”

Two incredibly good looking people + the remarkable love they share + gorgeous sunset light + a little bit of wind. All the ingredients for pure magic.

Engagement portraits in the summer are divine.

We went to Kelly & Justin’s favourite summer spot for their portraits-his family’s lakeside cabin. A wander through the forest was followed by time at the beach and then a sunset boat ride. More to come!

He cooks. She bakes.

They met playing dodge ball, but it took a little help from their friends to make the magic happen.

And, they’re getting married. Tomorrow.

Every since we first heard from Jenn & Mat, we’ve been so incredibly excited for their wedding day. I remember sitting with them in our living room/kitchen/office (our house is… compact) and thinking, “I like these two. We’re going to create some great photos together.” And, we did. Honestly, it was super difficult to narrow down the portraits we took of them by the sea for a tidy blog post. But, that’s okay. Tidy isn’t always the best anyway.

Jenn and Mat, we are so excited for you two. Tomorrow is going to be amazing from start to finish.