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Simple and Elegant Barrie Country Club Wedding

Emily and Matthew hosted the most elegant wedding last summer at the Barrie Country Club. From the moment I met them at our initial consultation, I KNEW this one would be a true highlight of my 2019 wedding season. Both Emily and Matthew have the kindest, most gentle souls and I was excited to spend the day photographing their love as well as meeting their inner circle. People with dispositions like theirs always seem to come from incredible families and friend groups, and my hunch was right! A huge bridal party moved effortlessly with us throughout the day, even when Mother Nature had us running in and out with her cheeky mix of gorgeous sunshine with spots of rain.

Their wedding day was made even more special, when a few months beforehand they found out they were expecting their first child together! With a quick switch of Emily’s dress and some arrangements for mimosas (without the bubbly) were made, their little bump was present for this huge milestone. They have since welcomed a beautiful baby boy into the world and I’ve loved watching their little growing family over the past few months!

I’ve also included some photos of their printed album! I barely ever share photos of these outside of Instagram, so here we are! I absolutely love these printed albums as a way to really enjoy your wedding day memories. It’s so important to me that my couples don’t store their wedding images on a hard-drive forever, and love when they hang them on their walls and keep them within reach in these gorgeous printed albums!

With that said, here is a small little peek at Emily and Matthew’s big day at the stunning Barrie Country Club (check out the sunset photos- what a view!)
Scroll to the bottom of the post to see the list of talented vendors who helped bring this day to life.
Enjoy!
xo Jenn

Wedding Venue: Barrie Country Club
Makeup: Makeup by Carolyn
Hair: Kayla Ward 
Invitations: Bride’s sister!
Car: Lucid Limousines
Cake Artist: Cupcake Barrie 
Florist: Lavender Floral 
DJ: Keep Them Dancing 
Officiant: Beth Foster, All Seasons Weddings
 Wedding Gown: The Modern Bride, Made With Love 
Bridesmaid Dresses: Show Me Your Mumu 
Rings: Michael Smiley Jewellers
Ribbons: Stella Wolfe Co
Chairs: Elite Party Rentals
Backdrop: Art in Bloem

February 26, 2020
Year in Review: 2019

New Years Eve has snuck up on us again, so that means it’s time for my yearly ‘Year in Review’ blog post! This is such a great way to reflect on the year I’ve had. Last year I started off this blog post by saying that I didn’t feel like I did much in 2018, and didn’t really celebrate any milestones. WELL. 2019 is a different story friends! I certainly did get to celebrate a few milestones, the most exciting of which was my engagement! Nick surprised me in February on bended knee (scroll to see!) and then I proceeded to spend the rest of the year taking every photo on his left side. I’m that girl now and I’m okay with it. We welcomed THREE more nephews into our family, we kept on exploring and enjoying everything Hamilton has to offer, and also got to celebrate the engagements of many of our close friends. I read 45 books (10 more than my goal of 35, and 15 more than last year!) and upheld my vow to not purchase any books. I rocked my library holds hard this year and saved a ton of money in the process.

2019 brought me 28 amazing couples who celebrated their wedding days with love. I photographed 15 engagement sessions, and 13 mini sessions. It is SO difficult to choose photos for this, especially choosing just one from each wedding.

This year I worked with many incredible friends and vendors, and occasionally it was documented.

Our TuesdaysTogether Hamilton group met up faithfully on the second Tuesday of the month, and we sometimes remember to take a group photo! I’m super grateful to have this community here.

January’s highlights included: volunteering at the Wed Well Showcase, a now annual wedding show that my pal KJ&Co hosts. I was featured on the Social Project podcast alongside my pal Hattie, where we chatted about biz, cuddled puppies, and make french onion soup together. I hosted my first of many mentor sessions at my house, helping other photographers learn new ways of doing things in their business!

February’s biggest event was our engagement on Valentines Day! It was an amazing weekend- since Valentine’s Day was on a Thursday, Nick and I spent the whole weekend visiting as many friends and family members as we could, sharing our exciting news in person. It was also the Family Day long weekend, AND Nicks birthday, so it was a full weekend indeed! Other highlights this month were attending the Love Actually gallery again, photographing a gorgeous styled shoot at the Art Gallery of Hamilton (and it was featured on Weddingbells!) I did a paint workshop, participated in the CrossFit 2019 Open, Nick passed his carpentry Red Seal exam, and a group of photography pals threw a midweek bachelorette spa day for our pal Kayla Yestal.

March looks like a lot of baking! I made an extremely labour intensive unicorn cake for my niece’s 5th birthday, and my girl Deanne taught me how to make sourdough at home. Oh, and we booked our wedding venue!

April brought along TWO destination weddings, which was incredible and a very welcome escape from a lingering winter. Nick came along to Mexico with me, and my friend Kei (our wedding florist!) accompanied me to the Dominican.

May brought along an epic adventure, which was a bit of a fluke but it all worked out in the end! My friend Tamara hooked me up with an amazing elopement with two of the coolest people around, so Nick and I tacked on a 9 day road trip on top of photographing Kat and Kyle’s elopement in Arizona. If you’ve never been to this state, you have to go. It’s incredible- one of our favourite spots in the US for sure! I celebrated my birthday on this trip, and finally got to go horseback riding, after writing it on my yearly ‘to do’ list for practically the past 10 years. The day after we flew home, we headed up to Algonquin for our annual May long weekend camping trip, and we patiently awaited the arrival of our twin nephews! I joined a gorgeous co-working space at the end of my street, which was fantastic for hosting my client meetings!

June brought the arrival of my sweet twin nephews. I photographed my spring mini sessions and wedding season moved into high gear!

In July, I got to spend Canada Day with my oldest pal who was visiting from the US. Nick and I spent a great weekend in Port Elgin, and I also attended my 4th Rising Tide Leaders retreat, which was hosted in Minneapolis/St Paul, Minnesota.

In August, Nick and I celebrated our 7th anniversary, and we spent the long weekend locally for once! I attended a super sweet floral crown dinner with some amazing women, and we snuck away to Almonte for a weekend to hang out with my sister and her family.

September was our 3rd ‘housiversary’ and if you haven’t noticed by now, I like to celebrate even the smallest of things! We’ve been in Hamilton for three years now and are still loving exploring new places here! Hiking and trying new restaurants are some of our favourite things to do! At the end of the month, we rented a 60 foot houseboat for my Dad’s 60th birthday, and wore nautical stripes and pirate paraphernalia all weekend.

October was a whirlwind of a month, which was full of engagement sessions and tons of wedding editing. We managed to find a day to have our own engagement session done, and we are so thankful to Deanne MacRae for taking the time to make these beautiful photos for us! I photographed my last wedding of the year this month!

November was a month spent editing wedding photos, but also finally having some free time on the weekends to see my friends! Summer gets away from me so quickly while shooting weddings, so November was a great month to resurface. I took a train to Montreal to celebrate my girl Jacqueline’s bachelorette weekend and we had the best time! We headed to the Kawarthas to a friend’s cottage, where we played games and stayed cozy by the fire. Also I put my Christmas tree up extremely early and enjoyed the lights every single day.

December was full of fun and parties! I attended a launch party for a new venue in Hamilton, went to my first drag show, threw a potluck Christmas party at my house for my TuesdaysTogether group and went to our annual Kris Kringle friends Christmas party. Tons of time with family and friends, holiday tunes and warm magical Christmas lights is all I need from this month!

I put this together rather quickly today, as I’m heading out to a New Years Eve party very shortly but wanted to make sure I got this finished before the year was out! Thanks for making it this far along, and I hope your 2019 was one you can look back on fondly. Cheers to 2020!
xo Jenn

December 31, 2019
Honsberger Estate Wedding | Top Six Wedding Planning Tips for Newly Engaged Couples

Devin & Stuart celebrated their big day at Honsberger Estate Winery in Jordan, Ontario and it was their DREAM venue. They told me that as soon as they saw it, they knew it was the one. Devin and Stu planned a gorgeous wedding with blush pink, mauve, and gold accents. They incorporated some natural textures, which overall gave off a very simple, sophisticated and rustic vibe to the day. They had three different music vendors on board (strings, live acoustic, and a DJ!) and they really paid attention to the tiniest of details. Since the holidays are just around the corner, that means it’s engagement season folks! Because plenty of couples will soon be in the early stages of planning, I’ve asked Devin to share her top tips for newly engaged couples, so read on!

Top Six Wedding Planning Tips for Newly Engaged Couples

1. Picking the Venue
The first few days of engagement are exciting and full of celebration. Then, after a week or so, the reality sets in that if you want an engagement that is less than 2 years, you will need to start looking for a venue ASAP. Thinking back to this time, it was one of the most stressful parts about wedding planning – unless you are a couple that has decided on a venue before getting engaged. Personally, we saved all our wedding planning discussions until we were engaged. To start, we made a list of what was important to us. In our case, these were food, music, and some element of nature. Although it was exhausting to visit different venues almost every night for about 2 weeks, the moment we stepped onto the property that we eventually booked, we knew it was the one. Have patience and don’t settle for a venue that isn’t what exactly what you want.

2. Get Advice From Your Vendors
Photographers, florists, musicians, venue coordinators – they have all done this many times! If you are unsure of your itinerary, placement of flowers, when to do your first dance (the list goes on…), just ask the people you have hired to be part of your big day. Most vendors have been a part of various weddings and can give you feedback that will help shape some of your decisions.

3. Creating Ambience
Once you get into wedding planning, you will quickly realize how easy it is to spend a lot of money on flowers. Flowers make the venue personal and beautiful. That being said, be strategic about the flowers you order. If you have a ceremony space that is separate from your reception, make sure that you can re-use all the ceremony flowers in the reception area – especially since the ceremony is usually only 30 minutes. Have a plan with your florist or wedding coordinator on where you want your flowers relocated for cocktails and the reception. If you have a lot and/or large tables, a great way to save money is to have a garland or greenery on the tables instead of floral arrangements. If you decide on garlands, I highly suggest filling the tables with different sizes of candles. Candles give a nice warmth to the room and are beautiful as the sun goes down! Tip: Rent large pillar candles from your florist or decorator. Smaller votive candles can be purchased for a good price from the dollar store and can always be re-used.

4. Plan Ahead
Slowly start working away on wedding details (like venue signage, seating plan drafts, etc.) as soon as possible. Your wedding day will creep up faster than you think and many of the small details take longer than you might expect – especially seating plan! Write your vows, thank you cards to wedding party /parents, and thank you speech at least a month before the wedding. The four weeks before your wedding you will be paying the balance on your vendors and finalizing last minute details. You most likely won’t have the patience or headspace to write something from the heart.

5. Sleep
Try to relax (as much as possible) the days leading up to the wedding. Minimize intense exercise and socializing. Avoid anything that will burn you out. The entire day feels like running a half marathon, so you need all the energy you can get. Most importantly try and get some sleep the night before your big day. Personally, I could not sleep and it made it very tough to stay lively near the end of the night.

6. Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff
This includes details leading up to your wedding, as well as on the actual day of the wedding. You may have multiple opinions from your family and friends throughout the planning process. Pick your battles. You want the day to be perfect, but there are certain elements that are less significant. On the day of the wedding, if decorations aren’t in the exact spot you mapped out or if the itinerary changes slightly, don’t stress. Your guests have no idea what you have planned. Lastly, take multiple moments throughout the day to absorb and appreciate what is going on around you – even if this means stepping away from your guests for a few minutes to breathe!

7. Bonus tip from Jenn!
I wanted to add in another tip, one that really came in handy on Devin and Stuart’s wedding day. Since they opted to not see each other before the ceremony, I knew that afterwards would be a busy time filled with family portraits, wedding party photos, and portraits of the two if then. Knowing this, I recommended to Devin that we try to wrap up hair and makeup about 2 hours before we had to leave their getting ready location, so that I could do ALL of her bridesmaids photos before heading to the ceremony. It meant we had time to get solo portraits of Devin, all the shots of her and her gals, and all the individual ‘bride with each bridesmaid’ photos. I was also able to capture her with her parents, meaning we had a few less family combinations to do post-ceremony. It also means you’ll have more time with your wedding party to pop some champagne! We did the same thing with my second photographer Allison at Stuart’s getting ready spot. All groomsmen photos were done pre-ceremony, and it saved us SO much time afterwards.

Scroll through to view Devin & Stuart’s Honsberger Estate wedding! Vendor team is below!
Enjoy!
xo Jenn

Vendors:
Photography: Jenn Kavanagh Photography A huge thank you to Allison Leigh for shooting with me!
Getting Ready Location: Vineyard Estate House at Cave Spring Vineyard
Wedding Venue: Honsberger Estate Winery
Hair & Makeup: Glow Hair
Cake Artist: Sweet Celebrations
Florist: Lush Florals
Linens: Simply Beautiful Decor
Invitations: Minted
DJ: Liquid Entertainment
Strings: Dou D’Armore
Acoustic: Michael Saracino
Officiant: Belma Vardy, Enduring Promises
Wedding Gown: The Modern Bride
Bridesmaid Dresses: Park & Fifth
Suits: Empire Customs
Rings: Avalon Fine Jewellery

December 1, 2019
June LaSalle Banquet Centre Wedding – Burlington, Ontario

My love affair with LaSalle Banquet Centre continues! I first photographed a wedding here back in 2017 for Danira and Jacob, and I’ve been obsessed ever since. This beautiful pavilion is close to home for me, has endless spots for great photos, and has an awesome covered terrace that is sometimes used for ceremonies, cocktail hour, and even dinner. I love when I have weddings here, because it has a mix of everything I love about venues! The classic French style windows give it such an elegant feel, while the covered pavilion is such a handy back up plan on rainy days. Tons of tall, mature trees make it easy to find great light at any time of day, and their reception room is bright and airy.

I had the pleasure of documenting Melissa and Brodie’s big day at LaSalle on Saturday, and immediately wanted to share some images from it! They had a big wedding party (6 and 8 a side!) that are such an amazing group of people. So welcoming and attentive! You could tell they were all super psyched to be standing along M&B for their special day. When I have a really big group like this, I love trying to organize a group photo that is more than just the standard lineup. We don’t always have time for it, or a great spot to do it, but in this case, Warehouse 84 had set up an amazing lounge area on the terrace. I knew it would be perfect for what I always call the ‘Vogue shot’ or likely more accurately, the ‘Vanity Fair shot’ – which is reminiscent of Vanity Fair’s Hollywood edition layouts, with celebrities laid out across a full page spread in various seated, standing, or on the floor positions. It’s a great way to highlight a lot of people in one photo!

Anyway- onto the photos! Please see below for the group of folks who helped Melissa and Brodie bring their wedding vision to light. Special shoutout to Vivian Lyttle Events, who was running the show and pulled everything off without a hitch!

Enjoy!
xo Jenn

LaSalle Banquet Centre Wedding Vendors for Melissa + Brodie:
Planning/Coordination: Vivian Lyttle Events
Venue: LaSalle Banquet Centre
Beauty: Waking Up Sexy
Florals: Plush Flowers
Decor/Lounge Furniture: Warehouse 84
Gown: The Gown by Justin Alexander
Suits: Indochino
Bridesmaids Gowns: The Gown by Morilee
Video: Sunmoon Media
Officiant: Fun Weddings
Band: Switchbeat

June 18, 2019
Art Gallery of Hamilton Wedding Editorial

I’m so grateful that I was asked to be a part of this stunning Art Gallery of Hamilton wedding editorial, which is featured over on Weddingbells today! Creative photoshoots like this are so fun to be a part of. Sometimes ‘styled shoots’ get a bad rap, because they aren’t exactly a true representation of what weddings are like, which is true. We aren’t dealing with timeline crunches, rarely have to worry about the weather, and have full control of all lighting and setups. But the beauty in these is that they are meant to invoke inspiration for to-be-wed couples. This particular editorial highlights a new and exciting colour palette, with many layers of pinks and peaches, a bold suit colour choice for the groom (which I LOVE) and stunning tabletop ideas (I mean…velvet napkins?!)

The brains behind this whole day was Sue Gallo Designs, who actually put it together for the tasting evening for the Art Gallery of Hamilton’s wedding clients. I love getting to work with local vendors and friends and highlighting their work!

Venue: Art Gallery of Hamilton | Creative Direction, Florals & Styling: Sue Gallo Designs | Coordination & Styling: Vivian Lyttle Events | Stationery: Simply Sealed | Lounge Furniture: Warehouse 84 | Linens & | Tableware: Simply Beautiful Decor | Gown: Willow by Watters via Sash & Bustle | Veils & Accessories: Noon on the Moon | Bridal Shoes: Ted Baker | Suit: RW&CO. | Hair & Make-up: Bespoke Beauty | Cake & Treats: The Dessert Room | Artwork: Cathy Yantsis via Art Gallery of Hamilton Sales | Models: Magna Arnott & Terry Molinaro

Head on over to the Weddingbells feature and leave us some love!
Enjoy!
xo Jenn

March 19, 2019
Wedding Venue Hunting ft. Tralee Wedding Facility

I am currently wedding venue hunting for my own wedding (we’re engaged, in case you missed the announcement!) and I would book the venue in this blog post, Tralee Wedding Facility, in a heartbeat if it weren’t currently for sale. It’s my most favourite venue and it has everything we are looking for in a wedding venue! Lots of outdoor space, beautiful trees and laneways, and great food.

Of course, when Sarah and Dan inquired with me in 2017 for their fall 2018 wedding here, I was over the moon to be spending another day at this beautiful spot in the country. I have loved every wedding so much that I have photographed here, and I’m so excited to have at least one more here this coming September! Without knowing it’s fate past 2019, Nick and I are hesitant to book this property for our own date, knowing it could sell and weddings may not continue to be held here. I hear most of the updates through the grapevine, so if anyone out there has first hand info about the state of this venue, please let me know!

Now onto the good stuff: Sarah and Dan had a beautiful day at Tralee, and I am still so obsessed with the green and gold theme that they pulled off! It was a pretty toasty day but these two and their wedding party were such troopers. Sarah’s beauty team A Glow by Joan stepped in and saved the day after Sarah’s original plan fell through last minute, and they really knocked it out of the park! I love the glam look that they gave Sarah. And Dan rocked his fitted tux like a pro! The boxwood backdrop from Make Your Memories was accented by a gold Straight Laser crest designed by Plume Calligraphy. As always, Crumb & Berry served up the best sweet treats in Caledon. Cedar & Stone pulled together a stunning collection of greenery and dainty white blooms for the florals. See the bottom of the post for the rest of the team that helped Sarah & Dan pull this off!

I hope you enjoy this one!
xo Jenn

Venue: Tralee Wedding Facility, by Rural Roots Catering | Beauty: A Glow by Joan | Florals: Cedar & Stone | Cake: Crumb & Berry | Gown: Rebecca Ingram via Sophie’s Gown Shoppe Tuxedo: Tolo Clothier | Bridesmaids Gowns: Sorella Vita via Elizabeth’s Fashions |DJ: Johnny DJ Service | Boxwood Greenery Backdrop: Make Your Memories | Gold Crest: Designed by Plume Calligraphy, crafted by Straight Laser

March 1, 2019
Lakefront Wedding in Oakville, Ontario

Christine and Joe’s lakefront wedding in Oakville is such a sight for sore eyes in the middle of this long winter. Bright, sunny and full of joy- it truly was a highlight of my 2018 wedding season! They made sure to surround themselves with the best wedding party possible- full of friends, siblings and cousins who were so excited to be celebrating alongside them. There were some very important loved ones who were not physically present, but Christine and Joe found several touching and thoughtful ways to make sure that they were honoured and included.

Harbour Banquet Centre is a beautiful venue on the shores of Lake Ontario in Oakville, but it is currently under construction, and I’m actually not sure what the plan for it is! The harbour was the perfect backdrop for the day, especially since Christine and Joe got engaged while on a sailing trip in the BVI! Another fun part of the day included Joe secretly setting up a large scale ‘icing’ a huge group of guests. Their friend group has kept this tradition going strong, and it made for some hilarious reaction photos!

Enjoy!
xo Jenn

Vendor Team:
Planning + Coordination: Courtney at The Little Things Wedding & Events
Makeup: Peachy Keen Beauty Studio
Hair: Hair by Pea
Florals: The Potting Shed
Decor: All That Jaz
Cake + Favours: Whisked Gluten-Free Bakery
Invite Suite Design: A State of Reverie, printed by St Jacobs Printery
DJ: 586 Event Group
Officiant: The Rev. Canon Dr. Darcey Lazerte of St. Simon’s Anglican Church
Wedding Gown: Made With Love Bridal via Pearl Bridal House
Bridesmaids Gowns: Park & Fifth Co
Suits: RW&CO
Videography: Maple Tree Films
Thank you to Robyn for being a superhero and working with me all day!

February 20, 2019
Two Weeks in Italy: Venice, Florence, Tuscany + Amalfi

Two weeks in Italy, somehow didn’t feel like enough time. The most beautiful country, with the best food and a great philosophy in life. It was a trip that I’d been talking about for a very long time with one of my oldest pals, Jacqueline, and I’m so happy we finally made the trip. I know I’ll be back again!

We went in early spring, right at the end of April and into early May. I’m pretty sure we couldn’t have picked a better time to visit. The weather was so gorgeous (probably too hot already for some travellers, but I love the heat). We were lucky to enjoy 30 degree sun filled days, while at the same time welcoming spring with tons of flowers and beautiful plants spilling over the balconies lining the piazzas and alleyways. We also visited right before the summer tourists were out in full force, although everywhere we went was pretty busy so I can’t imagine going in the heat of the summer with even more tourists. We stayed exclusively in Airbnbs, which I always highly recommend.

I’m not going to post a super detailed itinerary and all the ‘can’t miss spots’, since truthfully, that’s not the kind of traveller I am. But I will share a rough outline of what we did and some cool spots along the way! We practically skipped Rome, in favour of somewhat smaller cities, didn’t wait in line for one tourist spot and didn’t hit up any museums. My favourite way to explore new places is to spend time outside, walking absolutely everywhere, tasting food and drinks along the way. For most the the trip, we were hitting about 30,000 steps a day (close to 20km) and ending the day with sore feet and happy hearts.

You might be surprised to hear that I don’t bring my camera everywhere (I brought it out for one day in each spot). But I thought I’d share just a few of the photos I did take (the rest are cell phone photos of plates of gnocchi).

Rome

Day 1: We flew overnight to Rome and took the first train out of the city, up to Venice.

Venice

Days 2-3: Two days was plenty here. We stayed in the Cannaregio area, which I would recommend. Pack your running shoes- everyone here wears ’em (and somehow manage to make it look cute!) Walking is your only choice, other than paying for water taxis, which we managed to avoid. Hit up the Jewish Ghetto for pre-dinner drinks (a rare find in Italy) and just get lost in the endless alleys.

Florence

Days 4-5: Hopped on a high speed train to Florence and once again, did tons of walking. The duomo in the center of the city is hard to miss and is absolutely beautiful. My fave day here was walking up to the Piazzale Michelangelo, which overlooks the city and surrounding area. Tons of gorgeous gardens and pathways kept us busy for a few hours. We had a great dinner at Osteria Cinghiale Bianco (thanks to Ramon for the recommendation!) which is located just over the famed Ponte Vecchio.

Tuscany

Days 6-8: We rented a car to drive to and from Tuscany (we opted to rent near the Florence airport, to avoid driving through busy downtown Florence. The jury is out if that actually helped or not!) Three things that were lifesavers: spending the extra money to rent an automatic car since neither of us can drive stick shift, making sure the car had a GPS unit (don’t even bother trying to screenshot phone directions or anything like that) and having my passenger paying attention to the drive as well (who doesn’t want an extra confirmation on a roundabout in a foreign country?!) Tuscany was probably my favourite spot. The drives alone are absolutely gorgeous and make the trip worth it, up on top of winding hills with views that stretch as far as the eye can see.

We stayed in Castel San Gimignano, at an Airbnb with an amazing pool and even better views. There was very little English spoken out that way but we got by just fine without it! We checked out the surrounding hill towns, took drives, visited wineries, searched for the perfect row of cypress trees, ate tons of pizza, and enjoyed wine at sunset overlooking the rolling hills. Our hosts had a family restaurant around the corner, and it was the perfect dinner spot!

Amalfi

Days 9-13: Alright, I’m going to just say it. Amalfi was cool to see, but we spent way too much time here and honestly, most of the spots I wouldn’t need to go to again. Before you light your torches and run me out of Italy, hear me out! The Amalfi Coast is not an easy place to get around. We ended up staying right in Amalfi, but there are other spots I would likely pick now to stay (we booked a little late and couldn’t find anything affordable/in a good spot in Positano). However, Amalfi is a bus and ferry hub so it was easier to get to and from here than it would have been from smaller towns. From Amalfi, we took day trips all over the coast and back, and got to know the area pretty well. All of these little towns are suuuuuper touristy- the main stretch of them all sell the same things, all have expensive Americanized restaurants, etc. However- go deeper into the alleys and find the spots serving authentic Italian food (and even better, the seafood!) and spend time on your own exploring, instead of hitting up the overpriced tours.

My favourite day was the hike we did on Jacqueline’s 30th birthday. The Path of the Gods (Sentiero degli Dei, or sometimes called the Walk of the Gods) is SO worth it, however you find your way up to the top. Because of a holiday, buses that are normally tricky to catch up to Bomerano became impossible to concur on our chosen hike day, so we ended up forking up the money for a private ride up to the starting point of the hike. The views are incredible, and it’s all downhill and is quite a manageable hike. You have the option to stop your hike part way down, but we decided to walk all the way down into Positano and were rewarded with the best view of the iconic seaside town (plenty of photos of that below!)

I personally feel like Sorrento would be a skip (we went, you might like it if you’re into shopping) and Capri wasn’t my fave either. Positano is a must see from the coast. My other absolute favourite spot along the coast was Furore beach (or Canyon of Furore), a small secluded beach that is too picturesque to put into words. I found it on Pinterest before our trip and it was so easy to get to and well worth the wait for bus ride home!

Rome (again)

Day 14: We got to Rome after taking a train from Salerno, checked into our Airbnb and did a whirlwind four hour walk to hit up as many of the major spots as we could on our last afternoon, just so we can say we did! The Colosseum, the Roman Forum, Trevi fountain, and the Spanish steps all got a walk by.

Overall: Italy is a wonderful spot and I can’t wait to go back again soon. If you are planning a trip and have any questions please feel free to reach out and I’d be happy to share anything I can remember. Eat a gelato every day, slow down your pace, and enjoy the view!

Enjoy!
xo Jenn

Canals in Venice, by Jenn Kavanagh Photography

Venetian Doorway, by Jenn Kavanagh Photography

Wisteria in Venice by Jenn Kavanagh Photography

Canals in Venice by Jenn Kavanagh Photography

Overlooking Florence, Italy by Jenn Kavanagh Photography

View from Piazzale Michelangelo, Florence, Italy by Jenn Kavanagh Photography

Castel San Gimignano, Tuscany, Italy

Airbnb in Castel San Gimignano, Tuscany

Airbnb in Castel San Gimignano, Tuscany

Airbnb in Castel San Gimignano, Tuscany

Airbnb in Castel San Gimignano, Tuscany

View from Piazzale Michelangelo, Florence

View from Piazzale Michelangelo, Florence, Italy

Piazzale Michelangelo, Florence, Italy

Spring in Italy

San Gimignano, Tuscany

San Gimignano, Tuscany

San Gimignano, Tuscany

San Gimignano, Tuscany

San Gimignano, Tuscany

San Gimignano, Tuscany

Castel San Gimignano, Tuscany

Castel San Gimignano, Tuscany

Perfect Cypress Trees in Tuscany

Cypress Trees in Tuscany

Positano, view from the Path of the Gods

Positano, view from the Path of the Gods

Positano, view from the Path of the Gods

Gorgeous architecture in Capri

Fiordo di Furore, Amalfi Coast

The best beach in Amalfi, Fiordo di Furore, Amalfi Coast

February 12, 2019
Holland Marsh Wineries Wedding in Newmarket, Ontario
Ally + Brent

I’m so pumped to finally share Ally and Brent’s Holland Marsh Wineries wedding from this past summer! I’m slowly working on catching up on posting work from the second half of 2018, please excuse my tardiness and the lack of new posts around here!

Shooting at Holland Marsh Wineries is such a treat- it’s such a beautiful spot with lots of variety for wedding photos! I love the little grove of birch trees, I love the low hanging willow trees, and their vines are quite picturesque (a lot of wineries have to have their lower branches wrapped in black fabric- but not there!) and it makes for the perfect spot for some sunset photos. I also love their indoor space, where there are lots of hanging twinkly lights and big, beautiful windows overlooking the vineyard.

Scrolling through below, you’ll comes across one of my favourite first looks, a very special bond between mother and bride, and the cutest dang set of flower girls ever to grace these pages. I love Ally’s huge smile in these moments- her whole face lights up. Brent’s smooth dance skills are highlighted, as well as the bridesmaids demonstrating how not to lift a groom.

Enjoy!
xo Jenn
- Beauty: Julia Dantas
- Decor: Vintage Bash
- Florist: Country Lane Floral Design
- Officiant: Laura Higgins, Portrait Ceremonies
- Wedding Gown: Sash and Bustle Bridal Boutique, by Theia Couture
- Bridesmaid Dresses: The Dessy Collection
- Rings: Engage Diamond Studio
- Videographer: Dave Tebbutt
- Venue: Holland Marsh Wineries
- Thank you to Hilary for working by my side all day!
February 4, 2019
Year in Review: 2018

I was thinking about this post earlier today and chatting with Nick, saying how it kind of felt like I didn’t do much this year and wasn’t sure if I would even post a year in review. Then I sat down and wrote out all the highlights, the new places I’d been and the celebrations for others that I’d been a part of. I quickly realized that even though I didn’t personally celebrated any major life milestones (other than turning 30!) it was still a very full year and there is a lot to look back on and be grateful for. I’m not the best at posting personal photos online, or even remembering to take them, but luckily others are so between my photos and others’, I’ve put together a little highlight reel from 2018! This is more for myself to look back on year after year, but I thought I’d share it here since I don’t manage to get up many blog posts that are non-wedding related!

My 25 weddings this I photographed this year!

Most of my typical day to day routines involves working from home, heading to CrossFit midday (I managed to get myself there 135 days this year!) cooking dinner with Nick and relaxing with Kitty for the evening. I set a goal of reading 18 books this year but surpassed that by reading 30! We started a vegetable garden and it outgrew our space almost immediately (hehe) and we learned that 4 kale plants is 3 too many. I spent time with my growing family, and hosted TuesdaysTogether every month. Some days are more special than others and these are the ones I want to remember!

January: I kicked the New Year off with a trip to New Orleans for our annual TuesdaysTogether leaders retreat! In other years we have gone to Charleston, SC and San Fran- so it’s always a nice surprise to head somewhere new! I split an amazing Airbnb with my pal Shaunea, ate more beignets than necessary, and literally felt sick listening to creepy stories on a ghost walk. I also got to connect with leaders from all over, soak up inspiration from the many incredible speakers we had, and explore everything this historic city has to offer (including Coconut La Croix).

February: The biggest highlight from this month was my new website launch! This was a huge accomplishment for me and something that had been stuck on the back burner for ages. It feels so good to have an online space now that really reflects myself and my brand. February also brought Nick’s birthday and a very snowy beer fest at Steamwhistle, followed by a 30th birthday dinner for my girl Kayla!

March: I had the pleasure to participate in a styled shoot with many talented bossbabes, and we welcomed yet another nephew into the family, baby Jack!

April: At the beginning of the month, I attended the grand opening of Modern Bride in Guelph, the most beautiful bridal shop there is! But the most exciting part of this month was travelling to Italy with one of my best gal pals Jacqueline. It’s a trip we’ve talked about for years and years and we finally did it. Two full weeks of soaking up the gorgeous views, all the gnocchi possible, and walking 30,000 steps a day. We also celebrated Jack’s 30th birthday here (and celebrated Laura’s over FaceTime!) I still have plans to post my photos from Italy on the blog- hopefully in January!

Photo by: 1486 Photography

May: After coming home from Italy at the beginning of May, I did some laundry and repacked my bags for Nikki and Adam’s wedding in Cancun, Mexico! Another new place to visit! I celebrated my 30th birthday on May 12th with Nick, some bubbly, and reading by pool and soaking up the sun. After we came home, we did repacked our bags again and headed up to Algonquin for our 11th annual May long weekend camping trip. At the end of the month, I photographed my spring mini sessions.

June: June was a busy month with 6 weddings and 6 engagement sessions, but luckily I had the first weekend off and was able to attend the cutest surprise 30th party for my pal Lindsay.

July: To celebrate Canada Day, my sister and brother in law hosted a big pool party and I spent the next day by the pool again with my pal Laura who was visiting from the States. Floaties and cold drinks for the win! The week after, my fave girl Tamara married her love Brent and I was so happy to be there (as a guest!) to witness it. At the end of the month, Nick and I had two more getaways planned. I always keep the last weekend of July off and the August long weekend, as kind of a mid-season break to look forward to. We headed up to Tobermory camping with our pals Iain and Alison, a spot I have somehow never been to!

August: Nick and I celebrated our 6 year anniversary, and then jetted off to Philadelphia for the weekend to hang with my pal Laura. The rest of the month was a whirlwind of editing my summer weddings and shooting 4 more. Nick stood as a groomsmen at the best farm wedding ever, and I was happy to be able to join them later in the evening after photographing another beautiful wedding.

September: My biz bestie buddy Deanne married Rob and I was so happy to photograph the day for them. I also got to witness my gorgeous gal Danielle from The White Book marry her love Carm, on the windiest but most perfect day ever. We snuck away for a midweek cottage break near Perth and met up with my sister and brother in law for lunch! I had 6 weddings this month again and photographed my Fall mini sessions.

October: We celebrated Thanksgiving with our families in London and Lake Erie. I had only one wedding in October to photograph, but it was epic enough to fill me up for the month. We went on a helicopter! A week later, with teary eyes and a full heart, I was watching my future brother-in-law marry his wife, Naomi. We had an awesome dance party and celebrated into the night. The next week I finally got to spend some time with friends after busy season came to a slow, which included a Dwayne Gretzy show and watching some legendary Canadian figure skaters perform on their tour.

Photo by: Sarah Andrews Photography

Once in a while I get to photograph my girl Kei’s ‘leftovers’ from her floral biz, Quill + Oak.

November: I photographed my very last wedding of 2018, and came home to pop some bubbly and celebrate another successful season! I immediately put my newly free weekends to good use and headed up to our friends’ cottage for a weekend of games, hottubbing and cozy hangouts. We caught the Holiday Train as it passed through Hamilton and went to see Nick’s cousin’s band play, the Fast Romantics. I also celebrated 5 years as a full time wedding photographer!

December: This month I was focusing on making sure that all of my couples had their wedding images by the holidays, so they could enjoy and share with their families. I was also looking forward to taking some time off to enjoy the festive season! December was full of plans. We went to see Home Alone with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (again), had dinner out with some of my fave GTA photographers, had friends over in Hamilton, celebrated Christmas earlier in the month with both sides of my family and our 12th Annual Kris Kringle Katastrophe party.

I just posted my Best Nine on Instagram this afternoon. Some of my favourite images of the year were also yours too!

Happy New Year, friends. Hope 2019 is magical!

December 31, 2018