You may remember Melanie and Chris from their engagement session last summer. We had spent the evening with them at their favourite spots; their home, their family farm, and the beach where they love to paddle board in their spare time. We had great time getting to know them, and since that time have been looking forward to their wedding day!

Melanie and Chris had an absolutely gorgeous (albeit hot) day for their wedding! Their morning had an overall relaxed feel, and after the preparations were complete, hugs were dealt and we headed over to the quaint ceremony that took place in their family’s church, First Baptist Church in Leamington. The service was intimate including a tree planting which represented the coming together of their two lives. 

The couple has shared a million memories at Chris’ family home. Naturally, the well-manicured grounds were a great location to head for some photos of them and the wedding party. The landscaping was perfect for romantic pictures of Chris and Melanie, sneaking shots in between tree branches and leaves. We loved it!

Beach Grove Golf & Country Club hosted the reception where Melanie and Chris greeted their guests with warm hugs and big smiles. The food was fabulous, the speeches were heartwarming, and the party was epic. The Flowershop at Thiessen’s provided unique and beautiful arrangements that were perfectly suited the style and vision for the day. One of the many highlights of the night were the sweets from Sweet Revenge Bake Shop who even made Conner his very own sprinkle cake (it looked delicious)! The night ended with Todd Marchand helping the guests dance the night away with some great tunes.

Melanie and Chris, thank you for choosing us to photograph your engagement session and wedding day! You two are so blessed to have found one another and have wonderful friends and family that surround you. We are so happy for you both, and wish you a lifetime of raised up trucks, adventure, and love.

“Plant smiles. Grow laughter. Harvest love.” – Unknown

“Arica and Josh are amazing at what they do. After seeing how much time and effort they spent on our engagement shoot we knew we made the right choice having them capture our wedding day. They were so much fun to work with and helped us keep our timeline for the day on track. They were even there to rescue our bridal party with wardrobe malfunctions! We couldn’t have been happier with our experience with Manifesto Photography.” -Melanie & Chris
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We had the privilege of photographing Colleen and Demetri’s engagement session in beautiful Lake Louise, Alberta. It was the best spot for their shoot, since Demetri proposed to Colleen on the top of a mountain overlooking the scenic view that is Lake Louise. We knew after their session that the wedding day was going to be just like them, relaxed, fun, and filled with love.

The big day arrived, and we headed to Colleen’s Mom’s house to capture the preparations of Colleen getting ready to marry her love, Demetri. Colleen walked into the house, calm as a cucumber, with her wedding day hair and makeup completely flawless thanks to Dry Parlour. The vibe in the house was relaxed, the perfect setting for any potential wedding day jitters to disappear. Colleen stepped into her Maggie Sottero fit and flare gown from Bridal Couture that was adorned with crystals over a delicate layer of lace. Her gold and sparkly Betsey Johnson shoes accented her rose gold custom jewelry perfectly. 

Demetri’s morning on the other hand was a little more lively, filled with family and friends ready to celebrate the day with family traditions! The tradition called the ‘red scarf blessing’ entails certain members of the family wrapping the groom in a red scarf, to signify a blessing from the family. Once dressed, Demetri wore a classic slim fit black tuxedo, and the groomsmen dressed in sharp looking suits from Moore’s. Demetri was rocking the coolest pair of custom made wingtip brogue shoes by The Left Shoe Company all the way from London, UK. The groomsmen were gifted with custom made superhero socks and Etsy custom cufflinks that polished off their look. These guys looked great!

We soon made our way to Willistead Manor where Colleen and Demetri exchanged vows and became husband and wife during their touching courtyard ceremony. After snapping some intimate moments between the two inside the manor, we were off to the Art Gallery of Windsor for some more photos with the entire wedding party. The reception at St. Clair College Centre for the Arts was decorated splendidly by Swanky Affair for the theme of the day, “Travel.” With luggage tags for each guest waiting at their seat. Family and friends of Colleen and Demetri were in for an evening of teary speeches, great dancing, and lots of laughs.

Colleen and Demetri, when we think about you we can’t help but get a giant smile on our faces. Your two of the most thoughtful, fun, and sweet people we know. It warms our heart to see how you two love and care for each other. You have such a rare gift in each other. Always treasure each other wherever life may take you! Best of luck on your next big move, please stay in touch.

“Here’s to all the places we went. And here’s to all the places we’ll go. And here’s to me, whispering again and again…I love you.”  -John Green

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You may recognize this remarkable power couple from their downtown Detroit engagement session last October. Sandra is a brilliant and beautiful woman that makes the cutest scrunched up nose when she smiles. JP is a highly motivated and dapper man that cherishes his Sandy with all of his heart (just look at how he looks at her throughout the post below – ah!). When they’re not being kick-ass lawyers, JP and Sandra are usually surrounding themselves with friends and family, enjoying a little tequila, or planning their next trip around the globe. 

JP and his groomsmen prepped for the big day by suiting up and shared some laughs over their love for WWE. Sandra and her girls got a little pampering at Lavish Salon and arrived to the house looking fabulous. Before we headed to the ceremony, Sandra’s maid of honour surprised her with a touching gift from JP. He had written her a toast of admiration to be read aloud in front of all of her friends, and arranged for a special bottle of Dom Perigean (vintage 2006 no less!) to be shared among them. With that, they left for the church filled with joy and excitement.

Their heartwarming ceremony took place at Ste. Anne’s Parish in Tecumseh. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house watching JP’s face as his favourite girl walked down the aisle towards him. After some meaning scripture readings and a blessing, we headed to The Art Gallery of Windsor for a clean, modern, and fresh photos.

The reception followed at Fogolar Furlan where Elegance By Design brought the ivory, champagne, and blush wedding theme to life that JP and Sandra had dreamed of. Shelby’s Sweet Shoppe added to the beauty with a stunning desserts table for their guests. Highlights of the night were the speeches made between friends and family. These people love and value each other on such a deep level. Even we were in tears! DJ PJ got the party started with his enthusiastic drumming and ACS Productions set the mood with lighting for an epic dance party.

JP and Sandra, we adore you both, and could not be happier that you have been so lucky in love. Thank you for inviting us into these once in a lifetime moments to share in your joy! We will never forget the love, admiration, and gratitude we felt that day between you and your families. We know you already know how blessed you are! Never forget it. xo

“The first time I saw you, my heart whispered, “that’s the one”.” -Unknown

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