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Tag: Jenn Kavanagh Engagement Photos

Arizona Trip Part 1: Phoenix Engagement Session

As a wedding photographer, I’ve been lucky enough to go on some incredible adventures and travel to new places for destination weddings. One of my absolute faves was this Arizona elopement. Ontario couple Kathryn and Kyle hosted their immediate families (only 6 guests, plus Nick and I!) in a breathtaking Airbnb overlooking Page, Arizona and tied the knot on the ledge of Horseshoe Bend. Nick and I traveled to Arizona about a week beforehand, to do some road tripping and to also meet up with Kathryn and Kyle for their Phoenix engagement session!

Nick and I have done quite a few trips to the States, and we always have the best time! We’ve driven up and down almost all of the west coast, and our favourite way to explore is by hopping in a rental car, and just hitting the road! We’ve found that the best way to road trip is to not try to pack too much distance into one day, and to make sure that your itinerary doesn’t have you driving more than about 4 hours every day. We always stop so much along the way, to hike, sightsee, and check out restaurants, and we know that the feeling of having to ‘make good time’ and get to a new destination by a certain time can be stressful. Arriving at Airbnbs after dark can be challenging for parking and checking in, and I always feel better when I know what our surroundings look and feel like.

For this particular trip, we actually did a loop from Las Vegas because of where we needed to be and when, so we flew in and out of there. We didn’t spend any time in Vegas though, as we’d both been there before and didn’t feel the need to hit it up again. We drove straight to the Grand Canyon from the airport, and got to see it bathed in beautiful golden sunlight before the sun set! Because we were there in late afternoon/early evening on a weekday, we were able to find parking super easily and got to enjoy the views with almost no one around. After a one night stay in Flagstaff, we headed right down towards Phoenix, with a quick detour through Sedona! We hit up a baseball game in the city with Kat and Kyle, and stayed in Old Town Scottsdale, which is where I would definitely recommend staying. Tons of great restaurants and bars, and just a really great vibe overall.

The next day, we headed out to Usery Mountain Regional Park to photograph the session that you’ll see below! I had digitally scouted this place out before we even left home, with the help of Google Maps and Instagram! The mix of huge cacti, sandy trails, and peaks in the distance were exactly what we were all hoping for. To me it felt like such a classic AZ look and I’m so glad it worked out.

After our time in Scottsdale, we headed back up to Sedona where we spent my birthday weekend at the most gorgeous horse ranch. The views were incredible, with the red rocks practically towering over us ! We went horseback riding, and hiked the Devil’s Bridge at sunrise, where we witnessed a proposal! After that, it was time to head up to Page to prepare for Kat and Kyle’s elopement, which I’ll be sharing in my next blog post, Part 2!

Enjoy!
xo Jenn

February 27, 2020
Bronte Creek Engagement Session, Burlington

Bronte Creek ended up being the perfect spot for Sarah and Riley’s engagement session! Riley has spent time here in the past biking and exploring trails, and we got to experience all the highs and lows that nature has to offer (the highs being super cute ponies and donkeys, the lows being a HUGE spider and a squirrel dropping acorn pieces on my head). We had gorgeous sunlight all evening, and I’m so in love with these keepsakes that we created.

It’s been a while since I’ve shared an engagement session on here so thought I would throw one into the mix with all these weddings! I have been shooting so much these last few months and trying to share as much as I can. Every single session that I photograph, whether it’s a wedding or a portrait session, gets shared on Instagram, but truthfully I just don’t have the time to blog every single one. I have a few weddings waiting in line to be blogged, but I’m hoping to keep sprinkling in an engagement session between them every now and then!

Sarah’s beautiful makeup was done by Missy at Costa Chic!

Enjoy!
xo Jenn

September 20, 2018
Lavender Field Engagement Session

I can’t think of a more magical place than a lavender field to have your engagement session done! When they are in bloom, the little rows of lavender are truly a sight to see. We choose Bonnieheath Estate Lavender and Winery for Chanel and Shaun’s engagement session. The staff there were so wonderful to work with, and we even had a little wine tasting afterwards and bought some lavender products! If you are looking at doing your engagement session at a place like this (meaning a place of business and not just a park) you can expect to have to book a photography permit. We felt that the price of the permit at Bonnieheath was more than reasonable, and they were also flexible with us in terms of inclement weather- they would have let us reschedule if it came to that! Some of the other lavender farms we looked into were pretty steep in terms of permit price, and they also had zero rain flexibility and claimed to have almost no availability for the whole summer (on weekday evenings…) so I’m so glad that we stumbled across this gem in Norfolk County! We also had to incorporate their gorgeous pup Willow into a few photos, who is a gentle and magnificent Newfoundlander!

Chanel and Shaun are hosting a boho themed wedding in August, up north on their family property and I’m SO excited to photograph it, and work with some super talented vendors like Lindsay Plank Events and Makeup Worx.

Hair by Pure NV Salon & Spa, Makeup by Missy at Makeup Worx

Enjoy!
xo Jenn

June 25, 2018
Toronto Lakeside Engagement Session

Michelle and Simon are to be wed later this year, in early September at a gorgeous Niagara vineyard. We spent an evening together this week on a trail that runs along Lake Ontario, with beautiful Toronto skyline views and tons of pretty sunlight beaming in! We had a pretty comical ambience surrounding us though, as the lakeside trail runs quite close to the Molson Amphitheatre and while we were shooting our session, a Slayer concert was getting going. It wasn’t exactly the most romantic music to set the tone, but it made for some good laughs and funny interactions with fans. I definitely can’t complain that this job is dull- there’s always somewhere new I get to explore, and new people to get to know!

Enjoy!
xo Jenn

Michelle’s makeup was done by Shauna at Pretty Me.

May 31, 2018
Georgetown Engagement Session ft. the Showstopper Blue Maxi Dress

Leanna and Andrew’s Georgetown engagement session was one of my absolute faves last summer! Now that this brand new website is up and running, I’m hoping to spend some time sharing more sessions that I’ve been coveting all to myself before wedding season kicks off again! I wish I had more time to share everything I photograph for my couples, but you can always keep up to date over on my Instagram!

These two are going to be tying the knot this November (as my second last wedding couple of the year!) and I seriously can’t wait. The thought and effort that they put into their engagement session seems like just a small preview of what is to come! I’ve had SO many people message me on Instagram asking where Leanna got her gorgeous maxi blue dress from, and she even picked up a beautiful bouquet to bring along for the photos. Plus, they’ve been determined to assemble a dream team of vendors to help their vision come to life, one of whom is the incredible Shaw Events! It’s always such a treat when I get to work with some of my pals. The always lovely Taylor Switzer did Leanna’s beautiful makeup for this shoot!

You might recognize this location from a few of my other engagement shoots that I’ve already posted- it’s the ever popular Scotsdale Farm! This place is just magical, I love it so much there. It’s one of the few places in the Greater Toronto Area where there is some semblance of rolling hills and not just flat land, like most of the landscape around here! Tall grass, open fields, and a light coloured pathways are my jam!

Enjoy!
xo Jenn

February 28, 2018
Sweet Summertime Dundurn Castle Engagement Session

Dundurn Castle was the perfect backdrop for Deanne and Rob’s sweet summertime engagement session. The beautiful detailing, gorgeous arches, incredible light peaking through the trees, and white walls are a dream to shoot with. These guys are such a short drive away from here, so it’s practically in their neighbourhood (and it’s only like 10 minutes away for me too!) I popped by their place beforehand, to grab some shots of them with their adopted pup Bernie. He is my BFF and is such a gentle little soul.

Photographing these guys and their September wedding next year is something that is near and dear to my heart. Deanne is a good friend and has accompanied me on many a weddings over the last two years, so I’m pretty stoked to be able to capture these special memories for her and her sweetheart Rob. Deanne’s engagement ring is the most precious vintage looking ring, by Anouk Jewelry. Is it 2018 yet?! I can’t get over how cute these two are together and I’m so excited about how our session went- they are naturals!

Enjoy!
xo Jenn

Dundurn Castle Engagement Session: August 2017

August 10, 2017
Elegant Scarborough Bluffs Engagement Session

I was absolutely gushing while shooting Anna and Mike’s Scarborough Bluffs engagement session this week! You just can’t beat summer evenings; they are my absolute favourite time to photograph engagement sessions! We had THE MOST incredible light during the first 20 minutes of our session, just as the sun was resting above the cliffs and starting to dip below from sight. I can’t wait until Anna and Mike’s wedding day next August- their style is impeccable so I know it’ll be a beautiful day!

I thought this post would be a good time to touch on the aspect of preparing for your engagement session. I was initially going to fully re-do this older one, but my writing style is not concise at all, so I’ll put it super simply this time. Make an effort, dress it up, do some research. Get your wedding makeup trial done on the same day, and hopefully your hair too. You’ll feel like a million bucks and it’ll show. Choose outfits that you feel amazing in and can move in, not ones that require adjusting. Long, flowy dresses and skirts are a dream to photograph. Too tight items don’t show well. Avoid plain black or white cotton t-shirts (literally even a plain shirt that has some buttons is a step up). A blanket to sit on is handy to have. If you’re unsure, bring several extra outfits and I can help you!

Putting effort into your session to make sure that it is a reflection of you as a couple, your tastes and personalities goes a long way. When I can tell that the couple read my blog posts about what to wear, what to bring, and how to prep for the session, it really means a lot and gets me motivated and inspired. When they take the time and put care into choosing outfits carefully, it feels like we are all working hard together to get the most beautiful images possible, and instead of them relying on me to make a too-tight cotton t-shirt and jeans look magical. You don’t have to spend a ton to make this look and feel like you: wear some old faithfuls, borrow a gown from a friend, think outside the box! In the end- this whole experience is not just about what you wear and how you look, but those elements largely contribute to how you’ll feel that day and ultimately, what kind of emotions you have when you look back on these photos in the years to come. If you felt awesome, weren’t stressed about your dress being too short or too tight, and could have a carefree evening with your love all while creating some stunning keepsakes that you’ll have forever, we’ll all have done our job!

xo Jenn

PS Anna’s gorgeous hair and makeup was done by Jen Evoy Makeup Studio!

This place is so magical looking. If you haven’t been before, you should check it out! It does not look like you’re in Toronto!

This is the light I was talking about. SEE?! Just heavenly.

As much as I adore a flowing gown and a suit, a good strong cozy look is also a nice touch! Great way to wrap up your session.

August 3, 2017
Summertime Scotsdale Farm Engagement Session

I’m on a blogging roll this week! It’s been a while since I’ve shared an engagement session but I thought it was about time. Chiara and Peter are getting ready to celebrate their big day in October, so we spent the evening strolling the hills and laneways at Scotsdale Farm to get them used to being in front of the camera, and to create some beautiful images that they’ll be able to enjoy forever. These two have so much magic together in front of the camera, I can’t wait to see what we come up with on their wedding day! I’m so happy we chose Scotsdale Farm as our location for this- it is a beautiful piece of land that actually has a pretty interesting story (check it out on their website!)

Louie, their golden retriever pup also came along, and we had Chiara’s mom there to help us wrangle him when he wasn’t in the photos. This is one little rule I have for these sessions: if your fur baby is coming, you need to have someone else be there to be their babysitter! They aren’t going to be in every photo, so it’s helpful to have someone else with us who can take your dog for a walk, drive them home, etc. I had a bulldog on a leash on my arm during almost an entire session once, and since then I got wise and made the ‘dog sitter’ thing a rule! I always love meeting my couples’ fur babies and they are always welcome at our sessions!

Enjoy!
xo Jenn

This first shot is just one of my absolute favourites! I’m really into classic looking black and whites lately. They just feel so timeless!

King Louie! He was very excited to be in these photos (a.k.a he was running around like a mad man and we could only catch him a few times to pop into a photo!) He’s just the softest little fur ball and I love him!

Anytime I can catch wind in the hair, I get REALLY excited behind the camera. And you can see why!

This is a clever little posing trick for when your groom is a lot taller than your bride (even with her heels on!) The shot on the right was taken in the same sort of position as the one on the left, and it’s great because it allows them to get their faces a lot closer to each other than when they are standing side by side (without Chiara having to really tip her head back and Peter doesn’t have to reach down!)

What I call ‘a sneaky ring shot.’ I grab something along these lines at almost every session.

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June 28, 2017
Summertime Beach Engagement – Port Dalhousie

Ashlee and Mike chose Port Dalhousie for their engagement session and it was the perfect spot for them! These two are self proclaimed beach bums, and this is a spot where they spend a lot of time and I can definitely see why! They have pals with boats in the marina, there is a lively beach and a beautiful boardwalk, and the night we were there was an awesome food truck circle and an outdoor movie under the stars!

Ashlee has been a busy bee over at Ashlee Beesigns making signs and decor for her and Mike’s big day and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with! The past few years have seen such a rise in hand lettering and calligraphy being incorporated into wedding day decor, and it’s always so inspiring when my brides jump in with both feet and do a lot of the details themselves.

These two are so sweet and we had so much fun hanging out at the beach, including post-session ciders while chuckling at a couple of movie watchers who literally had a pig ON a blanket…like a real pig sitting with them on their picnic blanket.

Ashlee + Mike, thank you for bringing me along on this special time in your lives and I obviously can’t wait for your big day in July!
xo Jenn

Ashlee + Mike’s Summertime Beach Engagement

February 7, 2017
Lakeside Engagement Session – Rachel + Ryan

I thought I would share this lakeside engagement session today, because these two are walking down the aisle tomorrow! I had a great time with Rachel and Ryan, hanging out in this beautiful park beside Lake Ontario. They brought along their two pups for a couple of photos, and we ended our evening barefoot in the sand. I’m so excited for their winery wedding tomorrow!

Enjoy!

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August 5, 2016