Jon + Nicole, the talent behind Nicole Ashley Photography, planned an intimate elopement in San Francisco’s spectacular Sutro Forest. We were honoured to help them throw a celebration for friends and family back in Edmonton at The Parlour Italian Kitchen & Bar.

Here’s a look at their gorgeous reception as featured in Blush Magazine Inc.!

Jennifer + Team | Jennifer Bergman Weddings
Edmonton Wedding Planning + Design

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Credits:

• Wedding Planning + Design: Jennifer Bergman Weddings
• Photography: Jill Coursen Photography + Moments in Digital Photography
• Entertainment: Premiere DJs by Urban Metropolis
• Stationery: Justine Ma Design & Hand Lettering
  
• Florist: faBLOOMosity
• Rentals: Special Event Rentals, Look Events
• Lighting: Production Lighting 
• Cake: The Art of Cake
• Hair + Makeup: Behind The Blush
• Gown: WTOO from Novelle Bridal Shop
• Groom’s Suit: Zara
• Jeweler: Hunt Amor

From photographing an event for Grammy award-winning artist David Foster to the Delux Burger Bar Celebrity Chefs, Moments in Digital photographers Bruce and Sarah Clarke bring their experiences capturing unique events to your wedding day. Their mantra? Take beautiful photos while having a whole lot of fun!

We had the pleasure of working with Moments in Digital Photography on Sherena + Clay’s gorgeous wedding last fall. Some images from their day are included at the bottom of this post.

Read on as Bruce and Sarah share their top wedding photography tips and why they love being behind the lens.

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Credit: Pink Sugar Photography

Quick – give us your Tweetography (tell us about Moments in Digital in 140 characters or less)!

We are a fun-loving husband and wife team who love telling people’s stories through our photography. Capturing moments while having fun is what we are all about!

Why did you become photographers?

Photography was something that we both always enjoyed and like most people, our interest in photography began as a hobby. Growing up we were both fortunate to be raised in families who loved to document important moments with a camera. Later in life, it was travel and the desire to to do a better job of documenting our journeys that led us to want to learn more about photography. That eventually evolved into pursuing photography professionally and we realized how much we loved to tell people’s stories with our photography so documenting weddings became a natural evolution for us. We love getting to know our couples and we think that helps us create genuine images that really show off their personalities.

One of the other motivating factors that got us into wedding photography was the experience we had with our own wedding photography. Regretfully, we put budget ahead of the skill and artistic vision of the photographer we chose to photograph our own wedding, and the result was images we weren’t over the moon with. If we could go back in time, we would definitely spend more time finding the right fit of personality, experience and vision and not worry about spending a bit more to get images we’d be happy with for the rest of our lives.

Who have been the biggest influences in your life (photographers or otherwise)?

Our parents were definitely large influences on us although it wasn’t until recently when we started to dig around in their basements looking for vintage cameras to add to our growing collection that we both realized how many cameras our families owned. Even though neither one of us had any professional photographers in our families, photography and photographs were always prevalent in our lives.

In terms of other photographers, we draw a lot of our inspiration from a mixture of old and new photographers including Ansel Adams, Cartier Bresson, Bambi Cantrell, Jesh deRox, Joe McNally, Jerry Ghionis, Kevin Kubota, and many others. We also love movies and get a lot of inspiration for lighting and composition from them.

How would you describe your photography style?

Most people would say our photography style is laid back and fun. We love to laugh and goof around with our couples but we also take what we are doing very seriously. We try to keep our images fun and fresh while at the same time making sure the finished product is clean and timeless. There are many trends in photography and in post production that are here today and gone tomorrow. While we do like to keep up with the trends, we also try not to overdue it with any one trend as we think it will quickly date our clients’ images. We don’t want them looking back on their images in a few years and thinking that they look old and dated. Trends like selective color or applying a vintage wash to an image might look interesting for awhile but quickly lose their appeal. We love bright, bold, and colorful images along with classic black and white photography.

Do you have a favourite wedding or wedding moment that you’ve photographed?

It probably sounds cliché but there has been something special about every wedding we have photographed. Most recently, we had the opportunity to travel to India to photograph a destination wedding at a palace in the middle of a lake so that would probably rank up there with one of our more memorable weddings. Another wedding we really enjoyed was Hunter & Rod’s intimate wedding at Rutherford House. It was a small family affair that was anything but traditional and included a casual dinner with close family and friends followed by parlour games and everyone sharing stories about the happy couple.

What are some wedding day photography tips that couples should keep in mind?

• Relax and have fun. Don’t feel you always have to be looking at the camera. Interact with each other and your friends and family and you’ll wind up with more natural looking images from your wedding day.
• Discuss your schedule with your photographer. Make sure you leave plenty of time for photographs. Often couples underestimate the amount of time they’ll need for photos and forget to plan for things like people being late, traffic snarls, and travel time between locations. Great images take time to create and if you and your photographer are pressed for time, you’ll both be stressed and it will show in the images
• Also, talk to your photographer about what time of day will be best for your wedding photos. Many people think that the middle of the day during a summer wedding would be a great time for photographs because it will be nice and sunny out but that is actually one of the worst time to do your photographs. If it’s a hot summer day, you and your wedding party will be uncomfortable and at that time of day the sun is high in the sky resulting in harsh, unflattering shadows.

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Thanks for sharing, Bruce and Sarah! Head on over to the Moments in Digital blog to view more of their work and to book this fun-loving couple for your wedding day.

Jennifer
Edmonton Wedding Planner + Designer

Music is such an important part of celebrations. The songs you choose for your big day will become lifelong triggers of the emotions you experienced at your wedding.

We’ve had the opportunity to work with a talented local musician at several of our clients’ weddings and it’s been exciting to watch her career take off! Erica Viegas is a singer/songwriter who is available to perform at Edmonton and area weddings. This multi-talented performer released her first EP (Where My Heart Goes) in 2010 and was named one of Avenue Magazine Edmonton’s Top 40 Under 40 in 2011. Read on for Erica’s tips on choosing your wedding music.

Quick – give us your best Tweetography (ie. tell us about yourself in 140 characters or less)!

I’m a singer/songwriter from Edmonton who loves to play my own music at various shows and I also like to lend my voice to weddings!

What kind of music services do you offer for weddings?

Most often, I am asked to play music for the ceremony (along with about 20 minutes when people are being seated beforehand), though reception music can be arranged, which could include the dance or certain parts in the reception. I can play myself (piano, voice, guitar), but usually like to bring in another instrument too if that suits the wedding – the most popular being cello, or another guitar. I love to make wedding music really beautiful, but also relevant and enjoyable. A lot of people picture ceremony music being boring, or older style hymns, and I want music to add something special and meaningful to a wedding — choosing songs that have words and music that can make a difference to the couple and their guests. Though singing is something I enjoy, I have also done receptions of instrumental music as well. Depending on the couple’s vision and budget, I can also play with a full band, although ceremony music usually tends to be quite acoustic and intimate.

Who have been the biggest influences in your life (musicians or otherwise)?

I love folky/pop music and tend to write and record music in that vein — I listen to lots of Canadian music like Sarah Harmer, Kathleen Edwards, Serena Ryder, Sarah Slean….and I’m inspired by people who have managed to have successful and growing careers in the Canadian scene. I’m always inspired by music that tells a story and creates an emotion.

Do you have a repertoire of songs that couples can select from, or will you learn new songs if the bride and groom have something special in mind?

I do have a list of songs that I’ve played in the past or that are often requested. A lot of people have never really thought about music before coming in, so I like to meet the couple by doing a little “mini-concert” of different choices at my place before the wedding and have them say “yes” or “no” based on what I’m playing. This also helps me to suggest songs that match the style they prefer.

I’m usually more than happy to learn a song that is meaningful to the couple if I’m given enough time. It’s also fun to learn new songs I’ve never heard of because chances are that other couples might like them too. Though my own music is more mainstream, I did train classically and can sing some traditional classical music pieces if that is what the couple is looking for.

What are some of your favourite songs to play when the bride walks down the aisle?

Most couples prefer instrumental songs when walking down the aisle so that all attention stays on the beautiful bride. I love doing an instrumental version of “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen on piano with a cellist. The “Forrest Gump Feather Theme” is a gorgeous instrumental and many brides still love “Canon in D,” which is also really pretty. A bride once introduced me to “Sea of Love” by Cat Power, and that was a really cool one to sing down the aisle, as well as Fleetwood Mac/Eva Cassidy’s “Songbird” or “Feels like Home” by Chantal Kreviazuk, which has gorgeous words. Jason Mraz’s “I’m Yours,” Edwin McCain’s “I’ll Be,” David Grey’s “This Year’s Love,” or Jack Johnson’s “Better Together” have been requested a lot in the last little while, as well as “Ave Maria” for church ceremonies.

Any advice or tips for brides and grooms when considering their wedding music?

Music has the ability to create emotions in a really special way. Picking songs that are meaningful to you as a couple is a great way for your energy and style to shine through in the ceremony. Depending on where you choose to get married, you may have to tailor your music accordingly. Certain churches, for instance, have restrictions on what types of songs you can sing and it definitely helps me if the couple can tell me in advance if the person celebrating their service has restrictions — that way I can work within the confines of the place they are celebrating to still find something that suits them. If you have a “special song” as a couple or songs you remember from other weddings, that always helps. I really enjoy meeting couples and getting to know them enough to help them pick the music, even if they are stumped for ideas when we first sit down.

What’s in store this year for Erica Viegas?

My first wedding of 2012 was in the first weekend of the New Year, and I am looking forward to celebrating lots of weddings with great couples. On a personal front, I think I’ve sung at over 200 weddings, but never actually been a bridesmaid (because I’m always singing instead)….so I’m very excited to be a bridesmaid for the first time this summer! I’m also finishing up recording on a new album I’ve written, produced by Mike Lent (Jann Arden’s former musical director), which has really been a labour of love that I can’t wait to share soon, and travel with (at a few festivals) this summer!

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For more information and to hear Erica’s music, visit her website.

Jennifer
Edmonton Wedding Planner

Photo Credit: Moments in Digital Photography.

Amanda + Kelly’s wedding day was filled with love, laughter and a lot of rain – oh, and a little snow too! Both the ceremony and reception were held at the Executive Royal Inn West Edmonton, and the ballroom looked beautiful in purple and gold accentuated by tall dendrobium orchid arrangements.

I had the pleasure of working with two very talented photographers: Tricia from Tricia Moskal Photography and Bruce from Moments in Digital. Tricia and Bruce did a great job of capturing the details of the day and the happy friends and family who were there to celebrate Amanda + Kelly’s love.

Special thanks to my assistant Krista for helping wherever needed, and to Laura and Micheline for assisting with the ceremony setup.

(All photos below are courtesy of Moments in Digital.)

Congratulations Amanda + Kelly! I wish you and your families the very best in the future.

Jennifer