Michelle & Justin | John R. Park Homestead | Essex, Ontario Engagement Photographers

We’re firm believers that the best relationships are built on a foundation of friendship, love, trust and an ability to have fun together. Michelle and Justin check every box. They met through mutual friends in college at a night out to Papa Cheney’s and became closer during a trip with those same friends to Vegas. They’ve been inseparable ever since, and last November, Justin got down on one knee in New Orleans and asked Michelle to be his forever. Since then, they’ve survived a long distance relationship which is soon coming to an end (hallelujah) and they’ve come out of it even stronger.

Michelle is adorable, sincere, and sweet as pie. Justin is a beast with big muscles, but is gentle and kind especially with Michelle. Together they are big into family, enjoy delicious food, and exploring new places. They compliment each other so well and at their session it was all laughs and love.

We all agreed that John R. Park Homestead would be a great spot for their engagement session and a perfect fit for their rustic, modern wedding theme. It was their first photo shoot together but they were calm, relaxed, and absolutely willing to try every silly or serious prompt. They were so kind and welcoming that we felt like instant friends.

Michelle and Justin, I’ve genuinely loved getting to know you both and the times we’ve spent together. It was an honour to capture your first shoot together and I’m so excited to be there as you say ‘I do’ later this year! Thanks for choosing us.

“And so together, they built a life they loved”. | Unknown 

Windsor, Ontario Engagement Photographers | John R. Park Homestead | Manifesto Photography

A REVIEW FROM THE COUPLE

“We are thankful/excited to have chosen Manifesto as our photographers.  They radiate comfort which allowed them to capture the intricate and genuine moments of our engagement session.  Manifesto has been very informative and accommodating from the start and we can’t wait until our wedding day to work with them again.” | Michelle & Justin (more…)

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Crosby Family | Myrtle Beach, South Carolina | Destination Family Photographers

There’s decades between them, countless cities, and more stories together than they can count. They’ve grown up together – their families were friends and they were bound to be too. They spent their childhood sitting in the pews of their church together and as the years passed, friendship turned to teenage crushes, until early adulthood led Joelle to England and Jesse to Yellowknife. Despite the distance, the pull remained and Joelle left her life in England to join Jesse in Yellowknife, where they were married less than a year later.

Today, they’re back in Essex County with a one year old, one more on the way, and 5 foster children. Yes, you read that right. 6 children and 1 on the way. They’ve mastered teamwork and they balance each other out – where Joelle is reserved, Jesse is outgoing – and they interact with an ease, comfort, and confidence that only a lifetime of knowing each other can bring.

Earlier this year, while on vacation in Myrtle Beach, they braved cold temps and an early wakeup call for a sunrise family session on the beach. I don’t know about you, but beaches at sunrises are some of my favourite things. Despite it being FREEZING (literally, we couldn’t feel our limbs), the magic that is sunrise – the foam forming as the waves crashed onto the beach, the sun shining along the water, and the birds flying over the pier – more than made up for it. They spent an hour walking along the shore, cozying up close with the sun shining between them, and tossing their little boy in the air, something that’s always guaranteed to get giggles, and creating memories in yet another city and stage of life.

Jesse & Joelle, the life you live day in and day out and your (not so) little family is an inspiration to so many including all of us here at Manifesto. Your hearts are pure gold. Thank you for allowing me into your lives to capture this very special page in your epic story.

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

A REVIEW FROM THE FAMILY

“Working with the Manifesto team was an amazing experience. We had the privilege to do a destination shoot in South Carolina. They were able to capture natural shots while coaching us along the way. We felt comfortable, confident and had such a fun time! The ocean was cold, but the beauty of the sunrise that was captured was more than worth it. We highly recommend Manifesto and we look forward to working with the team on many more occasions.” | The Crosby Family

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Amy & Steve | Mackenzie Hall Cultural Centre & Windsor Christian Fellowship | Windsor, Ontario Wedding Photographers

We knew from the first time we met Amy and Steve that they were going to be a dream to work with. They are some of the most kind-hearted and fun loving people, and they are absolutely head over heels in love with each other. We were so pumped to kick off our 2018 wedding season photographing their day as they committed themselves to one another.

You know the saying ‘Your vibe attracts your tribe’? That couldn’t be more true for this couple. They spent the morning surrounded by their respective friends and family, and let me tell you – they are seriously just as great as Amy and Steve.

The girls got their hair done as they took turns passing around her bridesmaid’s brand new little girl, Ruby (superhero, right there, standing in a wedding after just giving birth). Amy was relaxed as she handed out gifts to her bridesmaids and stepped into her dress from Bridal Couture that her mom buttoned up for her before her friends and family surrounded her to pray for the momentous step she was about to take. Steve’s morning was much the same. The jokes were nonstop as they helped each other with suspenders and bow ties, and posed for a few pictures of just the guys before heading off for Steve & Amy’s first look.

As much fun as they have, Amy & Steve’s relationship is intentional and filled with faith in every aspect. Amy had wanted nature for their first look and wedding party portraits, but as the day neared and the weather looked grim, they opted for an indoor location instead – Mackenzie Hall Cultural Centre. The location didn’t matter though as she stepped into the room for their first look, tapped on Steve’s shoulder, and shared in a hug and a look that clearly meant they could not be more excited for their day. And once the excitement of their first look had settled, they joined hands and prayed together, thanking God for each other and asking Him for his presence in their marriage.

Their wedding party soon joined them. The cream coloured walls and subtle classic architecture of the room made for a neutral and timeless backdrop that complimented the bridesmaids’ rose dresses. The whole group of them are actually hilarious and good-natured. As you scroll below you’ll see their personalities shining through. Just as we were ending the photos inside, (angels sang hallelujah) the weather cleared up, and we were able to sneak out for some pictures on the grounds surrounding MacKenzie Hall – getting in that nature that Amy had hoped for.

Their ceremony and reception took place at Windsor Christian Fellowship – the church where they had met and where they attended every Sunday together. The front of the room was lit up with dramatic lighting, and Steve stood up front waiting for his bride, as the room filled with those there to support them. Amy entered the room with her dad, walked down the aisle to her groom, and joined hands as they took the first step to becoming husband and wife. It was beautiful.

Their reception soon followed. The hall was decorated with cream linens and light wood centerpieces filled with candles and flowers, and they made their entrance under a tunnel courtesy of their wedding party before they took their seats at the head table to thunderous applause. Their parents and wedding party took to the podium to speak into their marriage and tell stories about them individually and together before they opened up the dance floor with their first dance.

Amy & Steve, it’s been so encouraging to get to know you and see your love and commitment to one another. Your character shines through and is even more evident through the many that came to stand by your side as you became husband and wife. Congratulations, Mr. & Mrs!

“That’s the most beautiful thing in the world, when two people become fluent in choosing one another.” | H.B.

A REVIEW FROM THE COUPLE

“We are so glad we went with Manifesto as our wedding photographers. They went above and beyond, and I will continue to recommend them to anyone needing a photographer.” – Amy & Steve

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Jayde & Rob | White Oaks Conference Resort and Spa | Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario | Windsor, Ontario based Wedding Photographers, Manifesto Photography

Hey It’s been an intense, but beautiful whirlwind of a year for Jayde and Rob. Soon after welcoming their adorable son, Roman, into the world, Rob asked Jayde to marry him, starting the process of planning a wedding, along with raising a new baby, and running their own salon. Thankfully, these two have the most lovely and supportive families who came armed and ready to help make this magical day go off without a hitch. If you’ve read about Jayde and Rob’s love story on their engagement session blog post, you know that they first met at a gym. That gym was located right here at their wedding venue, White Oaks Conference Resort and Spa!

Jayde’s morning began as most of her morning do. She headed into her salon, but this time she was the lucky one getting pampered. Her bestie, visiting from Miami, did an incredible job on her hair! Once her hair was all set in an elegant low bun, Jayde headed up to her room where her Berta gown hung from the bed frame. Her mom helped her into her dress and Jayde slipped into her ‘So Kate” Christian Louboutin heels. She looked radiant and was ready to go downstairs for her first look with Rob.

Rob spent his morning at his parents’ house surrounded by close friends and family who mingled, ate, and raised a glass of champagne to celebrate their big day before Rob headed upstairs to get ready. He suited up in his tailored Isaia suit and put on his badass studded Louboutin shoes. Roman was part of the party, and didn’t want to miss a thing! We just loved seeing his little details displayed right alongside his dad’s.

White Oaks Resort and Spa is a cut above the rest. The staff, the hotel, the venue, and the gardens are outstanding. We started off Rob and Jayde’s photos with a first look by a stairway just to the side of their venue and then made our way to the gardens. Since it is still early spring, and we pretty much had the longest winter ever, the gardens were still pretty green. Even without the usual florals and pops of colour throughout, the greenery made a beautiful background for this black tie theme. We were so grateful that Jayde and Rob trusted our artist vision for a more unusual background. The metal wall with the diagonal siding is situated in the parking lot just outside of the gym where they met. Meaning and style? Yes. Please. Just before the ceremony was about to start, we met up with Roman for a few family pics.

Soon after, the guests gathered for the ceremony, while Rob waited outside for his bride and son, and Jayde peaked out from above the ceremony site. When it was time, she descended down the stairs with her mom, looking like royalty as she waved to her guests and made her to her groom. Once vows were said, rings were exchanged and they celebrated with a kiss amongst falling confetti. It was awesome!

Their reception was gorgeous and as classy as it gets with black linens, green and white florals from VonMar Floral Boutique, and flickering candles across the room. The sweets table not only looked amazing but it had everything you could hope for – Oreos, twinkies, pretzels – covered in white and milk chocolate. Jayde & Rob made their entrance into their reception and went straight into their first dance. From the sidelines Roman was begging to join his parents and once set free, he toddled over to join them. He was determined and it was quite the memorable moment! Everyone was either cheering or crying. The band, Saturday Night Jive, played throughout dinner and speeches and kept the party going all night long. We finished off our time with some night photos outside.

Jayde & Rob – you’ve had quite the year and we are so glad to have been part of it, capturing both your engagement and your wedding day! We hope you will fully relax and enjoy your honeymoon. Thank you for choosing us to document these important milestones. Please keep in touch and give Roman a high five from us. ;)

“The most wonderful thing I ever decided to do was to share my life and heart with you” – Unknown

Niagara-on-the-lake Wedding at White Oaks Resort & Spa | Photographers: Manifesto Photography based in Windsor, Ontario
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Jayde & Rob | Toronto, Ontario Engagement Session | Destination Engagement Photographers

It’s incredible how a chance encounter with someone can alter the very course of your life. Neither Jayde or Rob planned to meet the one they would marry when they signed up for a gym membership, but when Rob spotted Jayde across a crowded gym, he knew the game had changed.

Well… things definitely “worked out” (see what I did there?). Years later, Jayde and Rob co-own a successful salon, Nine Zero Five, and have welcomed their beautiful son, Roman, into their family. This coming weekend, they’re celebrating their love, family, and commitment by getting married in the presence of their closest friends and family.

For their engagement session, we traveled up to Toronto to photograph them in one of their favourite spots, the Yorkdale Shopping District. As a family, they stepped out onto the streets looking cooler than I could ever hope to be and somehow made it look effortless. Their son Roman was all smiles and clearly has a better fashion sense than all of us combined.

Jayde & Rob, we’re so excited for your wedding this weekend and are so happy for you! We’re completely pumped to see how you infuse your signature style into your day and can’t wait to be there to capture the whole day unfold. See you soon!

“And suddenly, you were my everything.” – Unknown

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Gbadamosi Family | University of Windsor Centre for Engineering | Windsor, Ontario Family Photographers

The party starts when the Gbadamosi family arrives. When they came into our studio for their consultation prior to their session, it was all laughs, jokes and story telling. We accomplished what they came to accomplish – plan out their session and pick out their keepsakes, but by the time they left we felt like we had not only made friends (I say that about all my clients, but honestly, we do), we had learned so much about their story, and our sides hurt from laughing.

Their session matched the enthusiasm of their consultation. Within the first 15 minutes, I was bent over aching from laughing so much (I literally had to stop photographing), and I remember quite clearly realizing in that moment how. much. I love my job! I am incredibly lucky to be able to spend time with clients like this family. They’re just good people! They love, cherish, respect, and embrace each other for who they are. When you’re around them, you’re welcomed into that warmth and friendship.

The Gbadamosi’s love with zeal. Shy isn’t in their vocabulary and they are as close as one could hope for their families. The girls modelled with expertise and ease, and the men’s posing skills were just as strong. Mom and dad couldn’t keep a straight face as they took their portraits together, and I admired their ability to have so much fun with one another after so many years of marriage. The images with the entire family were just as full of energy and happiness, just as they had hoped for.

This session was a perfect way to end their season of everyone under the same roof, as each member was soon going their own way. Gbadamosi’s, I think it’s safe to say we had a blast with you and loved getting to meet each one of you. Can’t wait until next time!

Family is not an important thing, it’s everything. – Michael. J Fox.

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A REVIEW FROM THE FAMILY
“We were incredibly excited to work with Manifesto Photography as we’d heard great things about them and perused their work. We had a meet and greet with Kristle to discuss our concept and such, and we were immediately put at ease with her demeanour and humour. It was a relaxing and comfortable atmosphere. We laughed so much that day.
We were aiming for a modern concept and decided on shooting at the CEI. It was our best professional shoot thus far!! Kristle was so creative in directing the shoot and as usual, when the fam gets together, lots of laughs!! Before we knew it, we were done. When it came time to select our photos, we were BLOWN AWAY at the quality of photos. Kristle did such an AMAZING job and definitely exceeded our expectations!! And of course, it was so hard deciding which ones to take home!!
It really was such a great time working with the team at Manifesto and we were so impressed with them. We highly recommend Manifesto Photography if you’re looking for professional, talented, personable, creative, and genuine photographers.
As it’s been said, photographs tell a story of our moments together and become memories we cherish. Memories are the timeless treasures of the heart. Thus, thank you so much, Manifesto Photography, for capturing these timeless treasures and telling our story. We will cherish them for many years to come!!” – Sincerely, The Gbadamosis’

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The Neal Family | Downtown Windsor Maternity Session | In-Home Newborn Session| Windsor, Ontario Maternity & Newborn Photographers

As a newborn photographer, I often get to connect with expectant moms and moms who have just given birth. I hear their plans, their worries, and their excitement before their child arrives. After, I hear their birth stories and watch them love on their babies, tentatively handling them, working as a team with their partner, learning as they go. And every time, whether it’s their first child or their fifth, I am struck by the mother’s resilience and strength, the care that dad’s give towards their wives and new child, and the miracle that is the tiny fresh babies with their miniature features that give off hints of mom’s eyes and dad’s nose. That new baby smell and warm cuddles I sneak in are pretty great too. ;)

Marina & Brandon’s maternity session took place downtown Windsor, outside of the University of Windsor Social Work building, which boasts grand architecture, a view of the Detroit skyline and an alleyway full of character just around the corner. It was so cold I could barely feel my fingers, but Marina & Brandon didn’t complain a bit as we captured their growing baby bump. Marina modelled like a pro, and Brandon tucked Marina’s hair out of her face as they cuddled up together and he glanced lovingly at his wife (um, hello, every. girls. dream). We walked from location to location, taking full advantage of the variety that downtown Windsor has to offer.

After the maternity session, it’s always a waiting game. While the moms to be are maybe just a LITTLE more excited about baby’s arrival than we are, when we receive the news that baby has been born, there’s often an excited ‘YES!’ and a ‘How are they doing?’ and ‘What’s their name?!’ around buzzing around the office here. With a couple meetings and a maternity session under our belts, clients are often more like friends at this point and we get mega excited when our friends have babies!

I get the privilege of being the first of the crew to meet the little ones, and I was just over the moon when the day came for Beckham’s newborn session! When I arrived, Brandon met me at the door as Marina finished nursing Beckham. Nursery’s are my favourite – they are often so fresh and new, and the themes are endless. Beckham’s nursery was decked out with a blue and grey mountain scape (Brandon even hid a tiny 3D printed hiker on those mountains), wildlife theme, and antique airplanes his dad had travelled hours for. Light lit up the room from a large window on the opposite side of the room and Beckham sat snuggled in mom’s arms. After I caught up on their birth story and marvelled at mom for carrying a nearly 11 pound baby, I placed him in his crib where he snoozed away as I began documenting the new family of three.

Marina & Brandon, Beckham is so precious. Thank you for inviting us in to document this life changing transition. You are already amazing parents, and we can’t wait to watch Beckham grow over the months and years ahead.

“The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new.”

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A REVIEW FROM THE FAMILY

“Working with the team at Manifesto has been an incredible experience. I first stumbled upon their work through some friends social media posts and was really impressed with their work. I knew instantly that I wanted to work with Manifesto for our maternity and newborn photo shoots. During our consultation meeting, we felt comfortable and gained confidence that we would be very happy with the results of our photo sessions. Kristle did an amazing job with both the maternity photo shoot and newborn photo shoot. She recommended locations and captured really great details in the photos. The maternity photo shoot experience made us even more excited for the arrival of our baby boy. The newborn photo shoot experience made us fall in love with baby Beckham even more. We want to thank Manifesto for capturing this special moment in our lives and for helping us share it with our family and friends in such a beautiful way. We highly recommend Manifesto and we look forward to working with them again in the future.” – Neal Family

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