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Laura & Cody – Rainy Mountain Wedding

January 9, 2017

Laura & Cody – Rainy Mountain Wedding

Dear rain…you made my summer amazing! It seems like a common denominator for all my weddings in Alberta this summer that rain decided to show up – especially the ones out in the mountains in Kananaskis.

Driving out to Banff, Alberta, will always be one of my favourite drives. As I rolled up to Buffalo Mountain Lodge to see Laura, the rain started coming down lighly – not much to worry about, I thought to myself. I had already scouted a few sweet new spots earlier this summer that would compliment Laura’s amazing Hayley Paige boho style dress. I sent out positive vibes to the universe as I walked up the winding staircase to her room.

When I arrived, getting ready was in full swing. An evil bird was lurking outside the room, trying to snack on someone’s room service. After a few calls to the front desk, they came and politely asked the bird to move on (Haha! Yeah right – they just took away the tray with the food that the bird obviously was enjoying, and he took off in search of greener pastures). Once the bird was gone, I felt safe enough to take the gorgeous dress out to shoot. Can I get a hell yes for those dress shots please! Worth the wait.

I should back up. Laura and I met years ago, when I shot her best friends wedding here in Calgary. Bre & Hayden’s day was re-routed to Calgary from Kicking Horse, BC, due to the flood we had in 2013. I must have made a good impression on her at the time, because the moment she got engaged, we chatted about venues and once she nailed one down she contacted me to be part of her day.

Maybe it was my running away from a feral cat at Bre & Hayden’s wedding that really convinced Laura of my talents. Or perhaps when I asked them all to funnel between abandoned furniture for an epic shot I came up with. Who knows, but I’m glad she kept in contact with me because man, she’s awesome, and Cody, well, what can I say!

The first time I got to really hang out with Cody was during the couple’s engagement session. They wanted something really majestic, so we chatted about waterfalls, and Laura went on the hunt for something spectacular. Needless to say they found a gem and their engagement photos were unreal.

Cody is a quiet kind of guy, I would almost say he is reserved. During their session, I did ask them to go behind a super loud waterfall, so I mean he clearly trusts me. Little did I know he has quite the wolf pack. What do you get when you put a bunch of guys together in a limo bus, with strobe lights and booze? I would say a strangely fascinating time. I think that was the moment I knew Cody’s soul and why Laura loves him more than peanut butter loves jam.

I can’t begin to explain how awesome their ceremony was or how wicked their friends and family were. What I really want to do is take a moment to blab about Laura’s dad. He’s amazing. In the morning, she gifted her dad with the cutest pocket-watch and note. The wiping away of tears was real. Throughout the day, his kind eyes kept catching my attention. You can really feel his love for his daughter when you see him watching them tie the knot during the ceremony.

I wish them the most adventurous, love-filled life together and I hope they make a baby soon because her sister was the cutest pregnant bridesmaid I’ve ever seen, so I feel like it’s going to be in her genes and I can’t wait to photograph them as they make their tribe bigger. Even if it’s just another puppy to accompany Bane, I can’t wait!

Hair Stylist // The Pretty Haus: Crystal Lockhart
Make-up Artists //The Pretty Haus: Jen H
Bride Getting Ready Location //BML
Brides dress designer // The Bridal BoutiqueHayley Paige
Shoes // Converse
head piece // The Bridal Boutique: Sara Gabriel
Groom Getting Ready Location // BML
Suit / Tux //Moores
Cufflinks //Moores
Tie //Moores
Shoes // Moores
Watch // Daniel Wellington
Wedding Rings/Bands // Maximes: Simon G
Ceremony Location // BML
JP // Klaus Ohloff
Reception Venue // BML
DJ // Hype! Entertainment – Cory
Florist // Pretty Petals Floral Designs
Wedding Planner // Beyond the Proposal: Christy
Cake // Okotoks Cakes
Limo // AMPM
Wedding Decor// Special Events Rental

 

 

From the Bride & Groom:
Wedding colours: Gold, Blush, and Ivory
Feel they were going for: Romantic and light
Top 3 best moments:
1. The wedding rehearsal/mixer the night before. It was so fun to have everyone around from such far distances hanging out in the very place where Cody and I first met. We had met at the Aurora night club which has since been turned into high rollers so we had some friends and family gather for drinks, pizza, and bowling. It was super cool to see everyone we love mingling and letting lose.

2. Peaking into the room before everyone came in for the reception. There are no words to describe how it feels to see your vision come to life when you didn’t have to lift a finger to set it all up. I made decisions and picked colours but I had no idea it would look so beautiful/bring me to tears.

3. I’m going to make a hybrid answer for #3. I loved having my 7 year old niece and 5 year old nephew lead everyone into the dance party with WHIP & NAY NAY. I also had the best time when we all tore down the room so that we could get in cabs and bar hop! To some this may seem tacky but Banff is where I met 2 of my bridesmaids (and cody) so it was the coolest being able to hit all the old hot spots, in a wedding gown. With the finale at McDonalds. The venue later told me that they had never seen a room get torn down/cleaned up that fast!

Wedding song, explain choice for song: XX-Angels. We chose it because Cody and I loved XX and when I heard this song it explained Cody so perfectly. Cody is a very private person and I get to be THAT person who gets to learn more about him every day, I still do. Its one thing to be open and outgoing and accessible but, he isn’t. I get to learn AND KEEP all of the things no one else sees. He’s a quiet guy but that silent devotion is what keeps me.Kind words from the Bride: THANK YOU SARAH!!! Cody and I may be in love but we are awkward AF and you not only embraced that, you made it look good! I’m sure this isn’t the end of our quirky friendship!

 

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