A Love That Can Move Mammoths…I mean Mountains

I bet you’re wondering about the title and thinking “mammoths?!? is this woman crazy?”. The answer is yes, but that’s a whole other story haha. But I promise you, there indeed are mammoths in this post, pinky swear.

Amber and Darrel are two of the sweetest people you will ever meet – and their engagement story is right out of a movie…almost literally! Amber’s favourite movie is Breakfast at Tiffany’s and it will come as no surprise that Tiffany had everything to do with their engagement.

The two took a very romantic trip to New York City and went together to the Tiffany flagship store, the same one that is so prominently featured in the film, and together they picked out the perfect engagement ring. Darrel then hid the box and “officially” proposed to Amber in Central Park later that afternoon. So sweet!

Amber and Darrel are getting married next fall and I cannot wait to photograph their intimate wedding at Signatures Restaurant.

The absolutely stunning engagement ring – I think it’s just beautiful and so unique.

And on the beautiful bride-to-be.

Amber and Darrel really wanted to recreate a famous moment from the Breakfast at Tiffany’s movie. It is one of the last moments of the movie where the couple finds their missing cat and kisses in the rain. While we decided to leave the rain part out, Amber and Darrel have the most adorable cat, Freddy, who was the star of this shot.

Love!

We had the session around the Museum of Nature and it served as the perfect backdrop.

Love the architecture.

We tried a little bit of “Dancing in the Rain” for the shot on the right – again, sans rain.

Dancing in the sunset – I just love these shots.

This little piece of greenery was tucked away in the parking lot and was just perfect.

Some sunset love…

…and more.

A fave.

See I told you there were mammoths! Amber and Darrel used to live in an apartment that faced these sculptures so we thought we’d include some fun ones with them in the session.

Thanks for a great session you two – I had such a blast!

Have a wonderful day,

Liz – Contact Me, I would love to speak with you!

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“Did I tell you how divinely and utterly happy I am?” Holly Golightly

I had a great time with Amber and Darrel at their engagement session last night. Here is a quick sneak peek for them. Amber and Darrel are getting married next year in Ottawa and wanted their engagement photos to have the same fall colours as their wedding photos.

Lots and lots more coming soon! Including a little Tiffany!!! (think beautiful engagement ring)

Have a wonderful day,

Liz – Contact Me, I would love to speak with you!

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The time to relax is when you don’t have time for it

If I think back to the weeks leading up to Thomas and my wedding last year, I remember it going fast…really fast. To be honest it’s all just a blur, that time before our wedding – I can’t really remember specifics, only a feeling.

Even though our wedding was really small, there were still lots of details and things that needed our attention. At some point I realized that we hadn’t actually spent any real quality time with just the two of us in months.

We are both busy people, but we always make a point to connect with each other and spend some time for just the two of us and somehow that got lost in all of the planning. I’m sure it happens to everyone, but it just caught me off guard.

We decided we needed to do something that would relax us, but also allow us to spend time together – and with no talk about the wedding! Our solution was easy: Le Nordik! It’s relaxing and you’re not supposed to talk in the baths area – so that covered off the not talking about the wedding part!

photo from Le Nordik’s website

Le Nordik is a Finnish style spa in nature in Chelsea, Quebec. We had been a few times before and thought it would be perfect.

From Le Nordik’s website:

This relaxation technique is certainly not new; it dates back as far as two thousand years and it originated in Finland.

The concept requires alternating hot, cold and relaxation periods.
First warm up your body by taking a Finnish sauna or steam bath for 10 to 15 minutes; this will open up your pores and toxins can be evacuated through sweat. Then, quickly cool off by submerging yourself under the Nordic waterfall or in one of our cold or temperate pools; this step will help rinse off toxins and tighten up the pores of your skin. Finally, complete the process with a calming period by sitting peacefully for another 10 to 15 minutes in one of our indoor or outdoor relaxation areas. This step will allow your system to find its normal rhythm.

We spent the entire Saturday there the week before the wedding. We even had a great lunch (for such a reasonable price too!) and reconnected and relaxed – it was exactly what both of us needed. We headed into the week before our wedding relaxed and excited!

So now I pass on this wisdom to everyone getting married out there. Don’t overlook time for each other and remember why this great celebration is happening. It’s because you are perfect for each other and love spending time together, just the two of you.

On a side note, you don’t have to be getting married to enjoy Le Nordik!! If I won the lottery I’d buy a season’s pass – I don’t even know if something like that is even available! haha. It’s so relaxing and amazing. If you’d really like to splurge for ultimate relaxation, have a massage! The massage therapists at Le Nordik are registered and you can get a receipt to claim through your insurance as well. Note though that if you are pregnant, they don’t recommend the baths or the massages.

….and now I want to go to Le Nordik again! haha.

Do you have any tips for how to reconnect and relax before a wedding?

Have a wonderful day,

Liz – Contact Me, I would love to speak with you!

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Beauty in Your Own Backyard

I am sure Sarah and Ben had walked through this field a hundred times without thinking about how perfect it was for a portrait session, but as soon as I drove past it on the way to their house, I fell in love. We were scheduled to go to one of my favourite graffiti walls, but we just had to photograph here first. It was perfect and beautiful…and home to the biggest spider I’ve ever seen!! eek. I decided not to document that part of our shoot.

Sarah and Ben have the most adventurous cat I’ve ever met. Her name is Jupiter and she loves being outside. Also in their family is Percy, a lab mix they rescued from a shelter in Kingston a few years ago. She is sweet and probably the best behaved dogs I’ve ever met. I love it when couples or families decide to include their pets in their portrait sessions!

We shot a few with the furkids, then ventured out on our own for some fun couples portraits. Sarah and Ben have been married for over three years now and are still as in love as the day they got married.

Sarah and Ben are also cool because we share a love for Sushi and they recently introduced me to an amazing Sushi Restaurant in Ottawa called Genji. If you love sushi, definitely check them out!

And without further adieu, may I present: Sarah, Ben, Percy and Jupiter.

Have a wonderful day,

Liz – Contact Me, I would love to speak with you!

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BRAND NEW elizabeth&jane photography Website!!

Ok so it’s not brand spanking new, but the website just got revamped and realigned.
MANY MANY MANY thanks to my awesome hubby, Thomas Bradley, for rockin the HTML5 on this one. That’s right folks, no more flash which means that the elizabeth&jane photography website will work on mobile devices such as the iPad, iPhone, etc! Awesomesauce!

Now everyone can see the website, not matter how they are looking at it.

Check out the new digs here.

Have a wonderful day,

Liz – Contact Me, I would love to speak with you!

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