It is always fun to document a family through their life’s moments. So to come back and visit with Andrew, Marnie and Violet as they introduced me to 9 day old baby Desmond was a real treat!

When I got there I found Violet playing with her toy baby that looked so real I thought it was Desmond… and Echo standing guard. Such a sweet everyday moment.

Violet just love’s Des…. you’ll see she does need the occasional reminder about how much love is too much for a newborn….

All three of the kids – Violet, Des and Echo.

Lots of love between Echo and Violet…..

I think Des look like a little woodland creature – so sweet!

Someone else also thought he looked sweet….

Violet and Echo we saw love each other. Des and Echo… still have some bonding to do.

I think Des is saying here “I thought someone said something about Brad and Angelina… you mean YOU’RE my parents?”

Marnie made this great teepee for Violet – I think I may have to make one for my girls!

Two kids in diapers – adorable!

Desmond – you are an absolute doll!

We ended with a favourite shot from Violet’s baby photos….

Celebrating life and love,

Krista

A happy Halloween to all of you! Hope you all had a fun night out celebrating good times and candy… mmmm… candy.

Celebrating life and love,

Krista

Josh and Meg I’ve known for years – but being a few years younger than me I’ve never spent a lot of time with them. So, it was a treat to hang out one morning last week and document this new phase in their life. They are so sweet – and I loved seeing Meg’s beautiful belly as they await their first baby! This little guy is sure going to be loved – can’t wait to meet him in a few weeks!

The fall colours were just perfect!

We went down by the water and it was so calm. What a beautiful morning!

Caught Josh watching Meg….

Meg – you look so beautiful! You two will make great parents!

Celebrating life and love,

Krista

As Andrea slipped into her dress, she shared the story of how she knew it was “the” dress.

Like many, it was the first dressed she had tried on. The Pronovias dress was elegant, timeless and gorgeous. But…. to make sure she tried on lots of other dresses. One day while dress shopping again, she went back to the first dress. The one she had fallen in love with at first glance. In the dress shop the radio had been playing the usual pop music in the background. As Andrea slipped into this dress and stepped up on the platform to admire herself in the mirror the radio played a new song. Not another pop song this time but the beautiful “Ava Maria”. Her Grandma’s favourite song. It was like a confirmation and a blessing from Grandma watching her granddaughter.

It was definitely “the” dress for her. Grandma said so.

Let’s start at the beginning of the day…

I love hands – they tell such stories. They can show stress, nervousness, love, joy… I thought these two images of both Paul and Andrea’s hands prior to the ceremony spoke volumes.

Andrea had gorgeous details for her day – I have to share some of them!

Loved her “something blue”….

And her “something borrowed” (Grandma’s diamond watch) and “something old” (a hankie made from her Christening gown)

Her flowers from “My Bouquet” were absolutely gorgeous! I loved the bouquet locket too! One of her many great finds on etsy!

Andrea’s mom and her best friend both had daughters just months apart. Now these two are best friends – and were each others maid of honour! Here are the four of them getting Andrea ready – such a special bond!

Mom watching Andrea with the finishing touches. Always such an emotional day for parents!

The finished look…. stunning!

Andrea hadn’t showed her dad her dress… so it was a special moment when he saw his girl all ready to go!

I love old churches – and St. Paul’s United Church in Dundas was beautiful.

Well – maybe it wasn’t as exciting to some…. ha ha. Always such a long day for flower girls!

I love this moment in the ceremony – always such a joyous walk!

As they reached the back of the church – we discovered it was raining. No pouring! Andrea was laid back and we had some fun around the church while we waited for it to clear…

While the ringbearer and flowergirls also relaxed inside…

Then Andrea and Paul agreed they didn’t mind a little rain – so we went out and wandered around Dundas a bit!

And did we mention the cute shoes? Love.

Then it was on to the Hamilton Golf and Country Club – and the decor by Simply Beautiful Decor was exquisite!

Glidewell Press did a beautiful job on all the yummy paper goods – the menu, place cards, and cards throughout the venue were all beautifully done! The labels on the jam (made by Andrea’s mom!) were adorable and from GersonCurse on etsy. And I loved the idea of the luminaries from IlLUMIEnate for table numbers – just lovely!

The first dance was just beautiful – loved how they looked at each other!

And sometimes it’s hard to choose just one cake isn’t it? How about a whole table of cakes from Criveller Cakes! Yum!!

Stay tuned for the slideshow later this week!

Paul and Andrea – thank you for letting me be a part of your Big Day! Hope you are having an amazing time in Portugal and France!

Celebrating life and love,

Krista

For this week’s Imagine post… I want to focus on indecision. Really… you have one day to glow as a bride – how do you narrow down your attire and look to just one choice? When I got married wayyyyy back in the 90′s everything was big puff sleeves, lace, beading, and tacky. Basically I went to my dressmaker and said “I want a dress with no beading and no lace.” Done. There wasn’t a lot of choice then – it was big puffed sleeves, or bigger puffed sleeves. Sigh.

But now…. the choices are endless!

What I propose is… two looks. Either two completely different dresses – or if that seems ridiculous to you – two looks.

Let me explain.

Let me introduce you to one of my new loves. Short wedding dresses. They just scream confidence! I absolutely love them. But….

I know, I know… your mom will freak if you wear a short dress. You’re not sure what your groom will say. You’re not sure what YOU think. Here’s my two cents… one of my favourite things is a two dress bride. Wear a long, gorgeous formal gown to the ceremony and portraits and then…. slip into something you can dance in! The reception is about the party… make a grand entrance in something completely different! Your wedding is your one chance to wear something completely different than you’ll ever wear again – so how can we possibly settle on just one look? A short dress is fun and party-like… which might not be the feel you want for your whole day (but adorable if you do!) but makes a great reception dress. Let me show….

This is what I would pick. Fun and adorable – and something that would be a treat to wear still! I don’t want to blend in as a guest after all!

Or this…

Some more fun choices….

And some dresses are specifically designed to convert from long to short – warning… some are extremely tacky. Here’s a couple I thought were sweet though….

I really love this option below – two totally different looks… one dress. So fun!

But – if changing your dress isn’t in the books for you – it’s also fun to change your accessories! Some fun ways to do so are…

Little jackets or sweaters for over your dress (your bridesmaids could wear them too! Make a great bridesmaid gift…). I ALWAYS come back to this designer on Etsy… love these!

The lace is so pretty….

And I love this dainty little cardigan option!

Another trend I love is the bridal sashes – fun way to tie in your colours of your day! You (and again – bridesmaids could do this also!) can quickly tie one on before entering the reception.

Maybe you love the bold, fun birdcage veils, feathers and hairpieces that are in style now… but aren’t ready to commit to that for the entire day. Try on one of these beauties for the reception!

Or again – tie in your wedding colours! Also can clip the flower on your dress… or have the bride clip one in her hair and bridesmaids on their dresses….

Or maybe change from Grandma’s heirloom pearls – to a show-stopping one of a kind necklace!

And don’t forget your boy! Maybe he can lose the suit jacket and go with a vest or suspenders instead at the reception. Or change his tie to a fun bowtie. Dress shoes for Chucks.

Whatever it is you do… have fun, and express yourself! You want to feel beautiful on your wedding. My good friend Monica tells the story of just before I was to walk down the aisle, Monica as one of my bridesmaids looked at me and said “I’ve never seen you look more beautiful.” To which I replied (with the little tact I have) “Well I hope not!” And taht’s just it… you want to feel beautiful on your day… because it’s just that. Your Day! Have some fun with it!

What other ways can one change up their look from ceremony to reception? Did you do this at your wedding or have you seen it done?

Celebrating life and love,

Krista

In my family, I am the youngest of three. My brother is four years older and my sister is six years older. I could never understand why I couldn’t do the same things and have the same responsibilities as they did – at the same time. The concept of an age difference never registered with me.

Fast forward a few years… to Eden. She gets so frustrated if she can’t read the same books, and do the same math problems as Madi is doing in school. She wants to go to the same birthday parties as Madi and do everything she does.

Like losing teeth.

Madi has lost her teeth and got her new ones… and still Eden waits. And waits. And waits. Eden has started to be the one to put Madi’s tooth under her pillow and check for the letter from the tooth fairy for Madi. She gets more excited than Madi.

After months and months of waiting – she got her first wiggly tooth. She has been wiggling and wiggling it. We’ve been giving her apples and carrots to eat. Wednesday night at supper her tooth was barely hanging on…. so we all wrote down bets on when it would come out.

Eden voted for Thursday at school. Guess who pulled their tooth out… Thursday at school? Yep. You know what they say – state your goal if you want to achieve it. Go Eden!

Eden came off the bus with the biggest smirk and couldn’t wait to unbutton her coat to reveal her necklace! If they lose a tooth at school they get a necklace that holds their tooth. Which is why Eden REALLY wanted to lose it at school.

She was so, so, so excited!

My BIG girl!

I just love these mini-celebrations in the kid’s lives. Eden really wanted a party. With kids, a pinata and a pool. We settled on playing Wii after supper instead. And by playing Wii – I mean Eden made countless “Mii”s. That’s how she chose to celebrate her big moment.

Celebrating life and love,

Krista

Last week, a young girl in our church – just days away from her 15th birthday committed suicide. Although I didn’t personally know Kristina, this hit us all hard. And I have been thinking about it since I heard the news… and I had to share my thoughts. My thoughts can be summed up as such:

Love.

Active and intentional love.

If I have learned anything through this crisis, this is it. This is what I am being challenged with in my daily life. Each person I come in contact with is just that – a person. A person that needs love, encouragement and to be built up. I am guilty of becoming so busy and self-absorbed I forget to intentionally “be” with the people around me – be it in person, online or on the phone.

I may not know who is hurting – so why not love recklessly? Spread cheer, joy and encouragement lavishly.

I want to be a person of Love.

Although this post started on a tragic note – my prayer is you read and are encouraged to live a life of love. That you read this and are encouraged. Be it a random act of kindness, an encouraging word, a hug, a listening ear… may I encourage you (and me!) to love wildly today.

I saw this video awhile back at our old church… I love it. I love watching the diversity of the respondents. As I watch I wonder when some of them were hugged last. Why not give a free hug today.

Celebrating LIFE and LOVE!!!

Krista

Jon and Jenn had completely won me over at their engagement shoot. If you haven’t seen these images – you should look HERE. Every corner held new significance, a story, and meaning. I’m a sap for this. So for their wedding story – I am going to re-tell one I told in their engagement blog because I loved it so much.

During their engagement session…. “I asked Jon and Jen to sit on these oak leaves. I heard one of them mention “Oak leaves! Perfect!” And when I asked why and heard their story, I couldn’t agree more. Perfect setting.

Jon’s dad passed away a few years ago. While sick, he was telling Jon one day how proud he was of who Jon had become. Jon worried he wasn’t there yet… so much growth still to do in life. (Don’t we all feel the same?) Jon’s dad shared how an Oak tree takes years, and years, and years to reach it’s full potential. The same is true with Jon he reminded him. Love this message. So, to include Jon’s dad in the wedding they are using Oak leaves throughout their Fall celebration.”

As you’ll see in the details of the wedding in the slideshow – their was an oak theme throughout the whole day – the “thank you tags” were oak shaped, so were the cookies inside the boxes. The programs had oak leaves. The back of the table numbers had a poem on the Oak Tree. And so on. And of course when we stopped to take photos in the woods – they were surrounded by Oak leaves.

Let’s start at the beginning….

Jenn has an incredible infectious smile – that didn’t leave her face the entire day. So beautiful!

I love the timeless feel to this big mirror and stool here.

Jon was SO nervous… but I think one look at his beautiful bride calmed him down. Loved how Jon met Jenn in the aisle to walk in together.

Sarnia’s Riding Club is a gorgeous setting for a wedding!

Man and wife! Always such an exciting walk….

The Riding Club offered so much beauty for photos – the big ivy covered wall, the beach, the hammock… love it!

Louise from Exquisitely Designed did such a great job with all the flowers and decor!

We went for a short drive and found some beautiful spots!

Jon and Jenn had gotten to know each other over playing cards. At the engagement shoot, Jenn had used playing cards to create a banner that said “Almost Married” – so now it was time to change it to “Just Married”!

These two are just so sweet together!

And then it was back for the reception – loved all Jenn’s fun Fall details!

I always get a bit choked up when the bride and groom enter the reception – always such joy and emotion!

A beautiful first dance!

And now – please, enjoy the Slideshow!

Jon and Jenn – thank you for letting me be a part of your Big Day!

Celebrating life and love,

Krista

I know a few of you are waiting anxiously for Jon and Jen’s photos…. they’re coming!! Here’s one more to enjoy for the time being….

Celebrating life and love,

Krista

Yesterday was an amazing day for Jon and Jen’s wedding and I can’t wait to share! However – I’m headed into Toronto today for another wedding… so for now I will leave you with a couple to tease you until you can come back for more on Monday!

celebrating life and love,

Krista