Kim Kalyn Photography » Wedding

Claire & Ryan {Married}

admin — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 19:45:51 +0000

Wow, this way overdue. So overdue in fact that there is now EGGNOG in the grocery stores! It’s not even Thanksgiving yet! Darren is one of those people who has to buy eggnog the second it hits stores. I on the other hand prefer to wait until the Christmas season is upon us. I don’t like the novelty to wear off before December even hits. Now I am not saying that because it is now in our fridge that I am going to refrain from drinking it. I would hate for it to go bad

I know that Claire and Ryan had a challenging year with many obstacles, upsets and life changes thrown their way. Now as always in life it is not often what happens to you, but how you react to such events that shape who you truly are. Claire and Ryan chose to focus on the positive and their wedding truly reflected that. It was a gorgeous intimate ceremony at the beautiful Glendale Gardens. This sentimental location was the perfect spot for their lovely garden wedding.

I hope you enjoy the images.

Jen & Erik {Married}

admin — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 05:35:12 +0000

Darren and I travelled throughout Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia for three months back in 2006. It was one of the most incredible experiences of my entire life and not many days go by that I don’t think of a memory related to that trip. One of our stops in Thailand was in Ayutthaya which is a Unesco World Heritage site just 80km north of Bangkok. Darren and I intended on taking the train but missed the departure and were going to have to wait hours for the next one to leave. With everything being ‘slightly’ cheaper than home, we decided to find out how much a taxi would cost to take us there. Well for not much more than the cost of the train tickets we were able to ride in airconditioned comfort all the way there. You can imagine our surprise when we are getting out of our taxi and hear this sweet voice say “Darren Spears?!” It was Jen!! Darren and Jen went to highschool together. Jen was travelling with her maid of honour, Ashley. And if you can believe it this wasn’t the last time we would bump into these two. Yep, in Bangkok, a city with a population of 9,100,100 according to Wikipedia, we ran into them again at the MBK mall. (Sidenote – I also ran into a co-worker of mine at the time in a market in Bangkok as well!) It truly is a small small world.

Ok, getting back to the reason for the post. Jen got married !! Her HUSBAND Erik is such a sweet soul. You know when you can just tell when someone has a good heart? That’s Erik. I am so happy that they chose me as their photographer. Their wedding was so laid back and it honestly never felt like I was working. LOVE that !

They had an amazing team to assist with their day. The amazing Carly Flint did a spectacular job on the ladies make-up. Jen’s make-up was perfection and such a dream to shoot ! Tami Heywood was their officiant. Not gonna lie. She is my favourite! Not only because she was who married Darren and I, but because she absolutely loves what she does, and it shows. Cory Hewko created the gorgeous florals. It was so fabulous to work with her again. She also did the amazing florals for Angie and Aaron.

You can tell I am behind on my blogging as Jen and Erik are already back from their honeymoon in Costa Rica. Every time I think of Costa Rica THIS song pops into my head. Just love it.

Ok now onto the gazillion images. I’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to leave a comment!

Brentwood Bay Lodge | Angie & Aaron {Married}

admin — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 02:51:55 +0000

These two came all the way from Australia to get married on the beautiful west coast that we call home. They picked the fabulous Brentwood Bay Lodge and Spa as their chosen wedding venue as it reflected their personal style and love for west coast design.

This wedding came together with a fantastic team of people. Sharon Rai and her team did an amazing job creating a very vintage hollywood glam look for Angie. She looked just gorgeous. Corey put together incredible florals for this event. She even incorporated native Australian florals which added such a sweet personal touch. She does the stunning arrangements that are always on display at Brentwood Bay Lodge. Last but definitely not least, Jackie May is the fabulous wedding coordinator at the Brentwood Bay Lodge. Jackie is always so wonderful to work with and truly goes the extra mile to ensure that everything is just perfection. Love working with her!

And here are the images. Please feel free to leave a comment for the lovely couple!

First Look … Such sweet emotion

Affinity Guesthouse | Elaine & Chris {Married} Part III

admin — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 20:09:23 +0000

Details, details and details galore !!! This reception was such a treat to photograph. I loved the colour palate that Chris and Elaine chose. Their adorable cake table melted my heart. So sweet.

Enough words. Onto the eye candy !!

Fabulous Florals by: Rook and Rose Floral Design Boutique

Affinity Guesthouse | Elaine & Chris {Married} Part II

admin — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 17:00:16 +0000

My wedding season is winding down. Only 3 more to go unless there are any last minute additions. After I tucked Hayden into his cozy bed tonight I took a few minutes for myself to putter in my garden. I picked a bowl full of plump blackberries with the intention of making Darren his favourite crisp. As we are still getting settled in our new home I am still getting used to our new yard and my gardens which are being somewhat neglected. I wandered around admiring and literally smelling the roses. I picked up the hose and gave our dahlia’s and kiwis a good drink. It was getting dark now, so I got the laundry from the line and came inside. Those few moments to just be still, relax and centred were bliss. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t looking forward to Fall where I can spend more time in my garden and continue to enjoy the simpler things in life. But once wedding season is over I will miss it. Can’t believe it is nearing an end already.

If you missed Part I of Elaine and Chris’ beautiful wedding you can view their images here.

And now for Part II … ENJOY ! Feel free to leave a comment, I’d love to hear from you!

Once again huge thanks to Erica of Rook and Rose Floral Design Boutique for putting together such stunning florals and helping style this amazing wedding. Also to Cortnie Clarke for doing such a fabulous job on Elaine’s make-up. She does amazing work if you’d like to get in touch you can find Cortnie at Crave Beauty in Duncan.

Now onto some pretty portraits.

Jannea & Geoff {Married}

admin — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 04:49:36 +0000

Geoff and Jannea were married on one of the nicest days we have had all summer. It was actually sunny out if you can believe it! These two said “I do” in a beautiful ceremony led by the always wonderful wedding commissioner Bill Smith.

Jannea has one of the cutest laughs I have ever heard and her laughter throughout the ceremony had everyone giggling. Geoff is a kind soul, you can so tell from the moment you meet him. His smile could not have got any bigger during the day if he tried. Jannea looked so stunning in her gorgeous Maggie Sattero gown that I am not surprised Geoff was grinning from ear to ear.

These two are enjoying a fabulous Hawaiian honeymoon. Got to admit that I am a tad jealous. I could use some serious heat, the like four days of summer we have had just aren’t cutting it.

Hope you guys are soaking up some vitamin D and having an amazing time in paradise. It was such a pleasure working with you!

How hot are those shoes ??!

Angela & Oliver {Married}

admin — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 05:57:56 +0000

Angela and Oliver were married on one of the nicer days we’ve had all ‘summer’. I’ll use that word loosely considering I contemplated turning my fireplace on the other day to take the chill off in our house.

It was Canada Day which is always a festive day in Victoria, so it was a perfect day to celebrate their beautiful wedding. I was in looove with Angela’s shoes! And getting ready at the Hotel Grand Pacific provided a fabulous backdrop for some lovely getting ready images.

Thanks to Crystal of Anthem Salon for doing such a wonderful job on the ladies hair! Also a big thanks to the sweetest limo driver, Neil, for being so accommodating and helpful. And last but not least, the gorgeous florals were done by Foxgloves Flowers.

Time for a Starbuck’s break!

As of late …

admin — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 19:31:43 +0000

Here is just a taste as to what has been keeping me busy as of late … besides having a newborn, wedding season and oh yeah selling our house and moving in three weeks!

Lisa & Steven {Married} Part II

admin — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 21:37:07 +0000

She was the girl next door … literally. They met and fell in love. With so much in common it is easy to see why. There is a sweetness between them that I just love. Their love for one another is so obvious and it made taking their photograph a complete piece of cake.

They wanted to arrive at their reception early so that they could greet each one of their guests and take their coat. This gives you a sense of what kind of thoughtful and lovely people they are.

So here are Lisa and Steve-o, as Lisa calls him, are on their wedding day at the beautiful Abkhazi Gardens. Feel free to leave a comment!

A couple after my own heart having a sushi snack before the reception. Love it !

Katelyn & Paul {Married} Part II

admin — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 19:07:01 +0000

Katelyn and Paul’s wedding at the Inn at Laurel Point was so elegant. As I mentioned in their first post (here) they even had a second Vietnamese outfit for them and their entire wedding party. Having two completely different looks to photograph was amazing. Their wedding party was such a fun group too! Melanie Baird did an incredible job on Katelyn’s make-up. Mel it was great working with you again! Also, thank you to Dory with Persona Video for being a pleasure to work with. I had hard time narrowing down the images for this post, so bare with me, there is a lot!

I hope you enjoy. Feel free to leave a comment below. I would love to hear from you.

I had no idea Paul’s fave food is raspberries when I brought them. Guess it was just meant to be

Another ‘meant to be’

Lisa & Steven {Married}

admin — Mon, 30 May 2011 06:17:26 +0000

Lisa and Steven are so beautiful both inside and out. I was honoured to be apart of their intimate wedding at the Abkahzi Gardens. Here are just a quick few with lots more to come.

Lisa you are simply stunning!

Elaine & Chris {Engaged} Part II

admin — Thu, 26 May 2011 03:24:28 +0000

I couldn’t help myself. I had to post more of this adorable couple. If you didn’t catch part I just scroll down below.

Giving Thanks

admin — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 18:53:27 +0000

Darren and I have received so many beautiful gifts over the past few months. Here are snaps of just a few.

I seriously can’t wait till Hayden can fit these uber adorable Padriag wool slippers from Alicia and Skye! Just gorgeous. Thank you SO much!

Our friends Amy and Richard have two of the cutest little pups around. We stopped by to help them out with their pups the other day and they had the sweetest surprise waiting for us. Some cheerful yellow flowers and Darren’s favourite beer of all time, Phillip’s Chocolate Porter. There is a commercial out right now, for Trident I think, when the one friend suggests to the other that if he loves Trident so much why doesn’t he marry it ? That is seriously how much Darren loves this beer. He would marry it if he could.

Siobhan works at one of my favourite wedding venues in town, the Fireside Grill. I may be a bit biased as this is where Darren and I had our wedding reception, but I just LOVE it ! Siobhan heard of Hayden’s birth and sent us a beautiful bouquet to celebrate. Thanks Siobhan!

Colour of the Year

admin — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 18:44:21 +0000

2011 is going to be an amazing wedding year for me. I just know it. I have the best couples to work with and I am so excited to learn the details of their day that make their wedding uniquely ‘theirs’. Although I do have some hands-on grooms who have really been involved in the wedding planning process, for the most part it is the brides I always deal with. Our relationship often develops over the course of the year as they plan their day and I am always so excited to learn little tidbits and sneak peaks about the style and elements of the wedding. It’s a perk! Whether we are chatting about the cutest little garter she found on Etsy (Jenny!), a bouquet that will top all bouquets, or the most fabulous DIY invites I just love seeing it all come together.

Yesterday I had an email from one of my incredible brides, Elaine, that made me squeel. Literally. My cat Dezzy even jumped from his curled up ball on my desk. When Elaine had first emailed me about their wedding, I was smitten. Not only are they a couple who is absolutely the sweetest and so truly in love, but learning about their wedding style and vision for their day made my heart flutter. By the time we actually met for our consult I wanted to book their wedding so bad I am pretty sure I would have broke into the ugly cry if they decided not to book with me. Elaine and I have emailed back and forth throughout their planning and she has kept me all up-to-date on the gorgeous details of their day. Yesterday she told me about the bridesmaid dresses. They are all going to be in various shades of pink, including Pantone’s Honeysuckle colour of the year *love*, and all CHIFFON! How amazing does this sound? I know it will photograph like a dream and this just made me more excited about capturing the gorgeous-ness of their day.

Happy Day of Love !! {Published}

admin — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 22:40:07 +0000

What better way to celebrate love on the blog than with this adorable romantic breakfast Valentine’s Day inspired styled shoot. I am SO excited that it was chosen to be published today on the awesome wedding blog Rock and Roll Bride!! This has been an amazing start to 2011 for wonderful publications and I just can’t wait to see what the rest of the year has in store.

And because this is the day of love. One of my FAVOURITE days of the year I might add. It’s a day when I am almost 100% guaranteed to get flowers from Darren, and I LOVE flowers. I hope he’s reading this And it’s a great excuse for us to have a romantic and fancy night out at one of our fave restaurants before baby is here. Can’t wait for tonight! I am already drooling at the thought of il Terrazzo’s olive tapanade.

I figured that today would also be the perfect day to announce the winner of two tickets to the fabulous Inn Love high-style wedding event on March 5th. Drum roll please! And the winner is ……………. Nikki P !! Congrats Nikki

Here are the rest of the images!

The shots above and below I just love

All these images were edited using Red Leaf Studios actions.

A big thanks again to all the vendors that came together to help create this fun shoot.

Styling & Florals: Rook & Rose

Venue: Fairholme Manor

Hair & Make-Up: Stella Haute Coiffure

Cara’s Wardrobe: Charlie & Lee

Alex’s Wardrobe: Levis

Sweets: Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory

“Leap and the net will appear”

admin — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 00:17:31 +0000

This quote from John Burroughs is one of my favourites. It is something I try to live by. As one of my good friends Kelly is moving and starting an exciting new chapter of her life I was reminded of this quote and how some of the most amazing opportunities are born from taking a risk. Kel, I am going to miss you millions, but I’m excited for what this new chapter will bring for you!

To complete this post I wanted to share just one shot from my latest session with such an amazing couple, Lisa and Steven. This couple is full of so much sweetness and love. Can’t wait to share more and to photograph their wedding in a few short months.

Styled Valentine’s Day Shoot – Published

admin — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 01:02:29 +0000

Shooting just for fun is one of my goals for 2011. I am hoping to do sessions just for me every once in awhile to help keep the inspiration flowing and challenge myself in new and different ways. So I was thrilled when Erica of the FABULOUS Rook and Rose Floral Design Boutique contacted me about teaming up with her to shoot a fun styled Valentine’s Day session. Erica is a creative genius! If you haven’t been into her adorable store on lower Johnson St you just have to check it out. So cute!

In under a week Erica managed to come up with three amazing different Valentine’s inspired themes that we would shoot in one day. Her attention to detail and vision blew me away. Just check out the clock that she MADE below!

I am so happy to say that Part 1 of our shoot was published on the incredible wedding blog The Inspired Bride !!

A huge thanks to the wonderful vendors that helped make this shoot possible. Erica it was truly a pleasure working with you and I can’t wait to do it again.

Models: Cara & Alex

Venue: Fairholme Manor

Floral Design and Styling: Rook and Rose

Hair and Makeup: Stella Haute Coiffure

Cara’s Wardrobe: Charlie & Lee

Sweets: Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory

Here are some more images from the session!

Dana & Adam {Married} – Oahu Destination Wedding

admin — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 03:12:34 +0000

Voted one of the top beaches in the world. Yep, that is where their ceremony took place. The North Shore of Oahu is a treasure. Its white sand beaches, incredible surf (25 ft waves in the winter), and lush jungle provide endless picture perfect opportunities. And there are not enough hours in the day to capture it all. Dana and Adam chose this paradise as the place to share their wedding vows with family and friends. They had taken care of the legalities in a civil ceremony before they left and it’s a good thing they did.

Shortly after the scheduled ceremony start time the marriage officiant was still no where to be found. As guests waited patiently on the beach soaking in the beauty and gentle Hawaiian breeze we learned that the officiant would not be making the ceremony. Now, news like this would cause a wee bit of stress for the calmest of brides. But not Dana. She was cool as a cucumber and brushed off this ‘minor’ detail and quickly came up with a fantastic replacement officiant. One of their friends would perform the ceremony and I have to say he did an amazing job! I would have never guessed this wasn’t his actual profession! He nailed it. Potential crisis averted. I have the best clients and they have awesome friends

We shot until dark and the only light out was the moon. I just couldn’t stop! I had a hard time narrowing down the images for this post, so here are just some of my faves.

Dana and Adam thank you so much for including Darren and I in your fantastic wedding. You treated us like one of your own guests and we truly appreciated it. I hope these images convey the love and beauty of your amazing day.

Dawn & Billy – Mayan Riviera Destination Wedding – Part I

admin — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 23:30:58 +0000

I have gushed about this wedding already in my first post for Dawn’s Trash the Dress session, here and here, but I have to gush some more! Where do I even start with this spectacular couple?! How about how their love for each other just ooooozes out of them in the most sincere and beautiful ways I have ever seen. You can literally feel the love these two share with the incredible energy they have and it is such an honour to be in the presence of it. Or, how they can’t take their eyes off each other, ever. They are so in love that it’s ridiculous! And I love it. Seeing a love like theirs is rare and I know without a doubt in my body that these two souls were meant to share their lives together.

Dawn and Billy were married at the Dreams Resort in Tulum and it was the perfect setting for their elegant sunset wedding and week long celebration. Their wedding was extra special to me as Dawn has been one of my dearest friends for years. So standing with her on that stunning white sand beach photographing her marrying the man of her dreams, meant more to me than words can express. None of this could have been accomplished without Dawn’s amazing mom, Lynne. If you missed the post about our BIG surprise and how we ended up in the Mayan Riviera you can read that here.

Now this post has been a long time coming and there will be more images to come. But for now here is just a taste of the getting ready, some details, and the emotional “first look.” I have never seen someone run so fast to her groom as Dawn did !!

Putting in her “something blue”.

Something Sparkly and Bright

admin — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 15:48:23 +0000

Amber had the most beautiful engagement ring and I was SO happy that I brought along my new 100mm macro lens to get a couple up close and personal shots of this beauty. Careful, the sparkle might hurt your eyes! Well done Jason, it is a breathtaking ring.

If you missed the images from their engagement session you can find them here.