Category Archives: Weddings

They’re Married! Meryl & Bill’s Photo Wall Teasers

September 24th, 2016 was an idyllic day, one filled with love and sunshine and celebration. A week ago, Meryl and Bill said “I do”, and I was honoured to be there at the Toronto Hunt Club to capture the whole day, from early morning mimosas to late night toasts on the dance floor. You can bet that there are an awful lot more photos to come, but for those of you who just can’t wait, here’s a tiny taste of M & B’s big day and the custom photo wall I created just for the occasion. Congratulations, you two!!! xoxo

Emily & Patrick’s Green Wedding Reception at Victoria Park Pavilion

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One hot July day in 2016, two souls were joined in marriage as a plethora of guests from all corners of the globe looked on. After Emily and Patrick’s heartfelt church ceremony, their friends, family, and small wedding party headed for Victoria Park Pavilion in Kitchener where a massive celebration would soon be underway. After the nuptials, the sky opened up for a terrific thunderstorm, but luckily by that point the party had been safely relocated to the Pavilion and dinner was underway.

With many of the groom’s Irish family in attendance, a very green theme made perfect sense for Emily and Pat’s wedding reception. There was plenty of good food and drink on hand as guests took in all the thoughtful little touches that reflected both Emily and Patrick and their mutual loves. From shamrock sugar cookies to family heirlooms and wee bunny rabbit decorations in honour of their pet, Simon, there were plenty of unique things to behold at this wedding.

Then there was the photo wall! After plenty of discussions over the past year, Emily and I agreed that I would attend their reception and photograph some key details of speeches and decor, but my main job would be to create a totally unique customized photo wall that would contribute to their green, green and more green theme. In the end I painted an abstract botanical pattern for the main backdrop, and accented it with handmade giant paper succulents. By setting up a freestanding photo wall on the stage at the Victoria Park Pavilion the day before, I was able to simply walk on set and start photographing the guests the evening of the wedding. As an added bonus for the happy couple, the custom photo backdrop provided extra ambiance to the venue throughout their whole reception.

As usual, the guests took to the photo wall like ducks to water and before long I found myself sorting through hundreds of hilarious group shots. Here are a bunch of my favourites. Emily and Patrick, I hope that as the years stretch on you and all of your friends and family get a real kick out of reliving your fantastic wedding celebration through these images.

Congratulations E & P, I hope you have a wonderful honeymoon and a most excellent life together!!!

xo Emily

Kristen & David’s Intimate Springtime Wedding

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Kristen and David were wed on a romantic misty May afternoon, and I was lucky enough to be there to capture it. I met the bride something like four years ago, when she was a bridesmaid and I was the photographer for her big sister’s wedding. Right away, I felt a connection with this big, warm, fun loving family, so I was thrilled when Kristen contacted me last year and asked if I’d take pictures for a few hours throughout her simple and chic springtime wedding day.

The beautiful couple planned an intimate wedding day that brought their closest friends and family together for a gorgeous casual portrait session at the groom’s parents’ home outside of Cambridge, followed by a short and sweet marriage ceremony at The Charcoal Steakhouse in Kitchener. The groom had his best friend at his side as best man, and the bride chose her 3 sisters to stand up with her as her bridesmaids. After one of the most laid back, relaxed and happy ceremonies I’ve ever participated in, the whole group retired to the bar for some fancy cocktails before a lovely dinner served at one long harvest table. Love and laughter spilled from the private dining room as I left the revelers to their celebrations.

David and Kristen have a beautiful compatibility, and I hope that comes through in the images we captured together.

Thanks so much for selecting me to capture your memories K & D! It was an absolute pleasure to document your big day. Here’s to many happy years together. Cheers!

A Kitchener Waterloo Portrait Photographer’s Top Shots from 2015

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What a year! For me and EBI, 2015 turned out to be a flurry of excitement full of extreme highs and lows, big life changes and unprecedented career opportunities.

The year opened up with elaborate plans for my own “glitter garden party” wedding scheduled for June, escalated with Easter minis, continued with the honour winning a YWCA 2015 Woman of Distinction Award, got complicated when I learned who my true friends were in the spring months, and peaked in June when I vowed (on literally the rainiest, stormiest day in 6 years) to stick with Todd forever. Just our luck.

Me and my business hit the ground running in August and the number of jobs I had on the go steadily increased until holiday minis and then the Christmas rush were upon us. After some personal tragedies and the deaths of 2 family members and my beloved bunny, Todd and I had plenty of opportunities to test the strength of our new marriage. I’m pleased to report that through all the various challenges 2015 presented us with, the two of us have become a stronger team than ever. With his support, I shot and edited more portraits for more clients this holiday season than I would have believed possible in the recent past. For weeks on end I was running on coffee and editing around the clock as Todd delivered photo packages for me all over town. I actually had to turn potential clients away in December because there just weren’t enough hours to fit everybody in before the big deadline on the 25th. I would have liked to help those families out, but I admit it also felt like a bit of a milestone for my business to have reached a point where I can afford to turn people away.

At long last, it feels like I’ve got a substantial client base rooting for me, and what excellent clients they are! In a classic example of Murphy’s law, when my new husband and I finally got a chance to slow down on Christmas day, Santa blessed us with food poisoning and we both rang in the New Year in a rather disgusting state.

It truly was a crazy year, full of far more challenges, joys and sorrows than I ever could have anticipated. These are the images, personal and professional, that stick out for me after the last 365 days of living life and pursuing my dreams at full speed.

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Thanks so much for being here and for taking a few moments from your busy day to glance at my pictures. Wishing you love, peace and joy in 2016.

Becky & Sean’s Geek Chic Rainbow Themed Backyard Wedding in Elora

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The first time I met with Becky and Sean to discuss wedding photography I tried to play it cool… but secretly I REALLY wanted to work for them. Of course it was the rainbow theme that piqued my interest, but getting to know the bride and groom made me even more excited for their summer 2014 backyard wedding in Elora, Ontario. The two of them are always fawning over each other, just two perfectly matched nerds in love. Sean is warmhearted and jovial, and Becky is sweet as can be, soft spoken and very intelligent. We sampled cupcakes and French macaroons at Honey Bakery in Waterloo, and talked about wedding plans while simultaneously bonding over our love for Harry Potter, music, and the great outdoors.

Right away, I could tell these two had a totally fresh take on wedding planning. They knew immediately that the center piece for each table should be a plasma ball, the draping for behind the head table would be colourful mosiac tapestries painted by the bride’s sister and best of all, every member of the wedding party would wear a different hue from the refracted light spectrum. If you ask the groom where you get a formal rainbow striped vest, he will happily tell you, “My mom made it for me!” When asked why they chose a rainbow theme, they will happily shout, “Because rainbows are awesome!”

Well I’ve gotta say, their wedding was even more awesome. Yep, even more awesome than rainbows. Not even the rain could dampen our spirits. It was a day filled with love, laughter, and light sabers. You have to see it to believe it, but at dusk every single guest participated in an epic, once in a lifetime light saber battle.

Sean and Becky, your wedding day was as unique and special as the two of you, and I wish you both a lifetime filled with all kinds of quirky romantic adventures. Thank you for being different, you rock!

Such great night! Thanks to my second shooter, Stephanie Canada, for having my back throughout Sean and Becky’s wedding. Although I’m only sharing my own photos from the wedding here on the blog, Stephanie contributed plenty of great shots to our collection of images from the wedding. Hope you enjoyed these pictures, thanks for visiting!

Kitchener Waterloo Portrait Photography Prices

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Back in March, I did something called the “Lucky Birthday Sale”. I was able to meet and photograph nearly 20 new families in a short period of time, and using their feedback, I’m currently developing my new portrait packages. (Don’t worry, prices aren’t going up!) Need a quote right now? Sure! Just e-mail emily@emilybeatty.com, let me know what you’re looking for, and I’ll write back with a custom quote, usually within 48 hours.

Looking for information on wedding photography? I accept contracts for just a handful of special weddings each year so that I can pour my heart and soul into each one. Download this e-zine with all the details about EBI wedding photography or visit the website pricing page for more downloadable price sheets and details about the collections I offer.

Looking for more sample portraits before proceeding? Visit the portrait galleries on my website.

Want to talk to a real human before you invest in custom photo art? Call 519 568 9819 to make an inquiry or to book a date for your photo session. Don’t worry, I’m not one of those pushy sales people that will try to give you some long winded sales pitch over the phone, but I will happily answer any questions you may have, make suggestions for your shoot, or give you an on the spot estimate for a shoot.

You can also e-mail emily@emilybeatty.com with your inquiry, or just to say hi. It’s pretty common to e-mail back and forth a few times before actually booking a shoot. With all the other options out there these days, I completely understand if you want to shop around and check out other photographers before committing to a session date. Not everybody enjoys my bold portrait style- but if you have been hunting for unique and eye catching photography and you’re drawn to bright colours like a bee is drawn to honey, than this could be the beginning of something beautiful. Clients with unusual tastes, and alternative lifestyles welcome!

Want to see more samples before committing to a shoot? Click here to visit sample galleries.

If you’re ready to book a session, e-mail emily@emilybeatty.com or call 519 568 9819 to set up a photo shoot at my home studio or another location of your choice.

Cicely & Dan’s Christmas Themed Wedding in Cincinnati

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Happy Anniversary Cicely & Dan!!!

It’s hard to convey the excitement and the honour I felt when my dear cousin Cicely asked me to help document the biggest day of her life. It’s even harder to believe that it has already been a whole year since Dan and Cicely were wed in a spectacular holiday gala style wedding.

There were dinner parties and old friends, a ton of cousins, tea parties, fancy outfits, indulgent treats, and a festive wedding atmosphere that brought our holiday cheer to a whole new level. What started out as a winter wedding snowballed into an all out Christmas wedding party extravaganza, and I’m certain no one in attendance will ever forget it. From the festive decor to the groomsmen’s kilts, an ice cream bar and an impromptu photo with a group of bar crawling Santas, this was absolutely a one of a kind wedding.

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My mom and Cicely’s dad are brother and sister. We grew up together, but only a few weekends a year- usually in the summer when the American Merritts would come stay with us on the way to the family cottage in Algonquin Park. Dan and Cicely first eyed each other up on the bus route heading to their university 7 or 8 years ago. Since then, I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know Dan, and even his family pretty well, by sharing drinks, stories, some really good meals, and good times at the lake.

I can clearly recall Cic phoning us at a Canadian family gathering to tell us Dan had finally proposed during the 2010 holiday season. My (fabulous) grandmother said, “Well it will be a Christmas wedding then! The bride should wear red. Why not!?!” At the cottage the following summer, we decided that by working together with Cincinnati photographer Kate Foxbower, I could both document Cicely and Dan’s big day AND party like a guest. Thanks to my photography skills, I got to spend the majority of my cousin’s big day with her– an honour I will relive again and again through these photos.

Thanks to Kate Foxbower and Natalie Merritt for assisting me with these photos. They each took a handful of these shots, but the majority I’ve chosen to display are my own. Together, the three of us captured a plethora of memories from the festivities on December 8th, 2012. Here are a handful (OK, a big handful) of my favourite images from the big day. Check back here soon to see part 2 of 2 for all the fantastic party pictures taken at the reception

Enjoy!

December, Christmas wedding in Cincinnati, Ohio by Emily Beatty Imagery. Happy anniversary you two!

Cheers!

Taylor & Kristen’s May Wedding at Glenerin Inn

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Growing up with my cousin Taylor and the rest of the Merritt cousins, we spent a lot of time in Mem and Papa’s barn jumping around in a tall maze of straw bales and feeding the cows, sharing cottage time in Algonquin park, and at the kid’s table at family functions. We welcomed Kristen into the family a couple years ago after she and Taylor met in university in Waterloo. Their shared class became a friendship, and this May 2013 it finally became a marriage! Kristen brings a joyful presence to every event she attends, and she has been a welcome addition to the Merritt clan from the first moment we met her. She’s endured the full family reunion and several family weddings and let me tell you, this girl is a keeper. I do at Glenerin Inn, Mississauga

Taylor found the perfect bride, and they had a perfect wedding– as far as I could tell, it went off without a hitch. Although it was tempting to shoot their wedding, we decided I would have more fun as a guest than as the working photographer. We are the kind of cousins that actually hang out every month or two, and we will travel for practically a day to attend a Merritt wedding. Our family parties are not to be missed, and Taylor and Kristen’s wedding was no exception. I took this handful (ha) of photos at their wedding. For the official photos from the day, visit the Rowell Photography blog.

The entire event, including the ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner and dancing all happened at the lovely Glenerin Inn in Mississauga. You’d never know you’re in Mississauga, it was a very peaceful and stately property. There were plenty of mature maple trees, a timeless looking stone building, outdoor decks and patios, and a friendly and efficient staff running the event. Each aspect of the wedding happened in a different room of the Inn. The bride’s cousin is a wedding planner and her little touches went a long way. We saw lots of baby’s breath, white lace, a cupcake tower, rustic burlap and twine touches, and beautiful sage green bridesmaid’s dresses.

Welcome to the family Kristen, and congratulations to my little cous, Taylor!

xoxox

Laura & Scott’s New Dundee Wedding

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Laura and Scott met at Sun Life on their first day of training. Card games at lunch soon turned in to a full fledged romance, and one day Scott declared himself “ready to take a wife” and asked Laura to be his bride. I got involved early on because my partner Todd is Scott’s right hand man at Sun Life, and would eventually become “Groomsman #4”.