When Alicia and I met up yesterday she presented me with a gorgeous card, the most beautiful bouquet of flowers from the local flower stand on her street (I wish I had one on my street!) and an assortment of goodies from their mini-moon in Seattle.  Besides the incredible wild honey and Pappardelle’s organic pasta, there was this delicately wrapped box of chocolates.  I have never had Fran’s chocolates before, and now I am huge fan.  They are DELISH !!!

Skye and Alicia you seriously spoiled me!  THANK YOU so much for everything.  And yes …. I did manage to save a few for Darren

Today’s post is about a beautiful island in Greece that we had no plans on visiting.  Darren and I had no intention of stopping in Syros, but the universe had other plans.  Anyone who has travelled in Greece knows how absolutely chaotic and bizarre the ferry schedule can be.  Island hopping can get complicated.  The ferry schedules are a mess and can flip your plans upside down in a moments time.  That’s what happened to us.  But so often these unexpected circumstances in life turn into a wonderful experience and I am happy to say that this accidental island visit was just meant to be.  Syros is gorgeous.  It is a beautiful combination of old and new.  I could have wandered down their marble and cobblestone streets for hours taking photos.  And yes, there are several places in Greece we visited where the streets were made out of marble slabs!  Amazing.

Some snaps of stunning Syros.

I asked Jamie and Colene to tell me their three favourite things about each other.  Colene said “his caring nature, loving affection and his brilliance and drive.”  Jamie said “Colene is easy going and up for anything.  She is loving and loyal yet can be fun and crazy when the time is right.”  They both described their style as a couple as easy going, social, energetic, loving and family oriented.  I think their wedding was a perfect reflection of their personal style.

I know it was their goal that everyone just have a blast at their wedding and I can say without a doubt that they achieved this goal.  They have an amazing family and hilarious friends that love these two like crazy.  It is easy to tell why.  Jamie and Colene are such a fabulous couple and they elevate all of those around them.

Here are just a few more photos to tell a bit more of the story of their day.  If you missed the first post from their wedding, you can view it here.

One of my favourite shots of the day taken by my second shooter Sean Norman.  Colene is laughing because we were driving behind her screaming like idiots for her not to get in the car yet, because we loved this shot and had to get it.

I am driving and Sean is shooting out the window.  Big props to Sean!

So where am I going with this post?  Well I thought I would dedicate it to a few of my favourite food blogs.  I follow them like it’s an addiction and it makes me want to just cook and bake all the time.  Unfortunately that doesn’t happen, but regardless they constantly inspire me and give me the courage to try new things in the kitchen.  I have pasted the links below and if you love food as much as I do you have to check them out !  If you have any you would like to share, please leave a comment below with the link for everyone.

http://smittenkitchen.com/

http://sunday-suppers.com/

http://thepioneerwoman.com/

http://sproutedkitchen.com/

http://annies-eats.com/

I thought it would be fitting to post pictures with this post of some images taken at my mom and Don’s property.  This is where Darren and I were married.  I didn’t post really any images that would give a good idea of how truly beautiful their property is, but instead I focused on my mom’s incredible garden, (her organic produce is insanely good!) and some of their barnyard animals.

Sidenote, I did post pictures below of my mom’s rooster and her chickens.  I have overcome my fear of roosters after being attacked by one of theirs two years ago.  I am still traumatized, but getting past it day by day  Trust me NOTHING is scarier then having a huge angry bird with freakishly long talons / claws flying at your head.  NOTHING!

When Darren and I were travelling in Syros, Greece, I became fascinated with all of the amazing doors on this island.  The intricacy.  The detail.  The age.  The texture.  But more so I wondered, who lived behind these doors?  What is their story?  What do they look like?  Have they always lived here?  Are they happy, sad, generous, angry, hopeful?

I love how when I travel I am able to step outside of my ‘normal’ life and everyday worries or habits and start to really see more of what is around me.  I start to see more beauty in the everyday and little things and I love that.  I stop to smell the roses (or notice beautiful door knobs).  And I start to nurture my curiosity.  It makes me feel so balanced and relaxed and I feel good about myself.

I could do an entire post dedicated to the doors of Greece and Turkey, and maybe I will.  But for now, just one.  I think it’s beautiful.

I am blessed to have a lot of brides and grooms that are really into the photography for their wedding.  They aren’t just hiring me because it’s a wedding, and well having a photographer is just one of the ticks off the list.  Nope, I have amazing clients, and for most of them photography is right darn near the top of their list.  Gemma is one of those wonderful brides  Don’t get me wrong, I am sure Steve is super stoked to see them too, but Gemma is a woman after my own heart and the wedding photography was a very important part of her day.  LOVE that !!

I know these two are internet savvy and juuuust might check their Facebook while they are away, so I wanted to get a quick teaser up on the blog to surprise them!

Please leave some comment love and let them know what you think

PS – I was incredibly obsessed with Gemma’s GORGEOUS Carrie Bradshaw Sex and the City wedding shoes, just ask Steve.  Obsessed!  I love it when bride’s incorporate their style to make a fun fashion statement.  You really can’t go wrong with HOT shoes !!

Isn’t her dress beauuuuutiful ?!

Hello Lover !  I am huge Sex and the City fan, can ya tell ?!

Justin and Amber were married at the Mt. Newton Seed Orchard which is a gorgeous piece of property.  The view of lovely farm land surrounding the area and the orchard below was a perfect peaceful setting to share their vows.  It also holds extra special place in their hearts as this is the same spot where Amber’s dad and step-mom were married.

Amber has a one of a kind laugh – and snort – that is the cutest thing you ever heard.  We heard it a few times during the ceremony which once again had everyone laughing and smiling and kept the ceremony feeling really relaxed and well, fun.  Justin and Amber were married by the incredible Tami Heywood.  I may be a bit biased as Tami also married Darren and I, but I truly believe she delivers the most touching, personal and beautiful ceremonies.  Her passion for what she does is always so evident and it is so great to witness.

I know Amber is very eager to see more of her photos, so here are just a few more to tide her over

Amber and Justin it was a true honour to document your love and the start of your married lives together.  I wish you nothing but the best. xo

Lives quickly get filled up with things to do, errands to run and before you know it years have passed by.  Having a night dedicated just for us is a way we choose to stay grounded.  It helps us keep our priorities in check and I think it makes both of us feel even more valued.  Time is such a precious thing and I think how you choose to spend it in your life speaks volumes about who you are and where you are going.  I know that I want to live my life more simply and really focus on what truly matters.  Darren is the most amazing thing in my life and spending our date night together always makes me feel like I am the luckiest lady in the world.

Love you babe and can’t wait for you to get home!

No post is complete without a picture, so here is another shot from Alicia and Skye’s amazing wedding and the beautiful love they share.

Here is a little information about this magical island I gathered from these two sites dedicated to Santorini, here and here.

Santorini is the southern most island of the Cycladic group in the Aegean Sea.  The entire center of the circular island sank into the sea during the tremendous volcanic explosion 3.500 years ago. The eruption caused tidal waves which virtually wiped out the advanced Minoan civilization of Crete 70 miles to the south. Some scholars believe that the island is part of the legendary lost continent of Atlantis which supposedly slipped underwater during the disaster.  What remains today of Santorini is a large crescent-shaped island enclosing a vast bay, the largest caldera on earth (7X14 miles).

The volcanic rock that covers the island is an eerie reminder of just how active this volcano has been.  The colours of the rock it created and the layers you can see almost everywhere are so incredibly beautiful.  Not to mention the insane drops into the sea with homes built right to the edge.  Darren and I had a fun time exploring the island.  We were staying in Imerovigli, but were easily able to walk to some of the neighbouring towns.  I particularly loved Fira.  They had all the cute donkeys, need I say more

Most of these photos were taken on a fairly overcast day and I think they provided a bit of a moody feel.  We ended up having a wild storm that night and we lost power for the whole night and up until noon the next day.  I thought our adorable villa was going to blow right into the sea!

Now on to the photos!

All of the above photos were taken from our hike to this amazing lookout.

I know my last travel post was all about kitties, but here is another cute one I overlooked.

]]> http://www.kimkalynphotographyblog.com/travel-snaps-tuesday-santorini-part-ii/feed/ 7 http://www.kimkalynphotographyblog.com/amber-justin-married/ http://www.kimkalynphotographyblog.com/amber-justin-married/#comments Mon, 16 Aug 2010 21:40:47 +0000 admin http://www.kimkalynphotographyblog.com/?p=2211 I really really can’t wait to share more images from this incredible wedding of my friends Amber and Justin.  But for now just a quick teaser for them to peek at while they relax at the cabin soaking up the sun!

The wedding party was a flipping riot.  Love these guys!  I knew almost everyone in the wedding party which made my job super duper easy and extra fun. These are some of the funniest and sweetest people on the planet.  Here are their lovely faces.

** Huge huge thank you to the lovely people of Orange Blossom Farm for letting us use your amazing property! **

You guys are ridiculously good looking!