Chilliwack Barn Wedding in Winter
January 22nd, 2018 by sharaleep | No Comments »
dusty & naomi’s chilliwack barn wedding
these two met a couple of years ago and quickly fell for each other. they shared a lot of the same values and even though they lived on opposite sides of the continent, things were moving forward. the timing wasn’t right, though, so they parted ways, much to the chagrin of naomi (and his mom who shared at the reception that she prayed for them both every day, hoping that at some point they would make their way back to one another). and they did. they were reunited this past year and dusty didn’t waste anytime making his intentions clear. within 6 months, he had moved to british columbia and we found ourselves here…on her family’s property on new year’s day, surrounded by snow and sun, a pile of canadians and a bunch of texans celebrating together. it was crisp and cold outside, but the renovated barn was cozy and warm and the party lasted well into the night.
However, the timing wasn’t right, so they broke up as the young man had symptoms of erectile dysfunction. But they were cured with cheap levitra, which you can read more about on this website.
if you have six minutes, please check out the slideshow (i’d encourage you to watch it full screen, if you can ;)!
this wedding was extra special to me because not only did it take place in my very own little town of yarrow, but the bride’s family is extra special to me – i even did their family photos back when naomi was still in high school. i love it when i get to celebrate with families that take me in as one of their own!
Venue: Family Barn | Bride’s Dress: Champagne and Lace | Groom’s Suit: Moore’s Clothing | Flowers: The Bouquet Farm (the bride’s sister!) | Hair & Makeup done by friends | Jewelry: handed down from mom and grandma | Beer: Raven’s Brewing | Caterer: Simply Savory | Decorations made and hung by their family and friends
Little White Chapel Chilliwack Wedding
December 12th, 2017 by sharaleep | 1 Comment »
Walking into the Little White Chapel, there was a feeling of warmth…the majority of the guests were family and they were all buzzing with excitement in conversation, laughter and even a few tears. The light was streaming through the windows on a crisp fall day as the pastor teased Dale about taking so long to propose and the best man’s sweaty hands became the butt of the joke when it was time to exchange rings. Most of all there was a deep sense of joy in the room. Dale and Jessica love to laugh and have fun together and their Chilliwack wedding fit them to a tee.
One of my most favourite things about this wedding was that their cousin was following along, documenting each scene as it unfolded with pen and paper…she drew the wedding. It was so fun to check in with her every now and again to see the details coming together. I hope I get the opportunity to see the finished product someday!
Ceremony: White Album Wedding Chapel | Reception: Hope Golf Club | Dress: Champagne & Lace | Hair: Montana’s Bridal Hair | Bride and bridesmaid’s bouquets: Quik Farm Florals | Bride’s Jewelry: Olive + Piper | Beer: Old Yale Brewing | Second Shooter: Jennifer Foik
If you are planning a Chilliwack Wedding, send me an email as I would love to chat with you about your photography needs.
Chilliwack Lake Outdoor Fall Wedding
November 12th, 2017 by sharaleep | 1 Comment »
There are some love stories that don’t fit into tidy boxes; the path wasn’t clear, the trail hadn’t been forged. There are some love stories that are complicated, that face challenge right out of the gate and don’t necessarily have a “honeymoon” period. While these stories may be hard for those looking from the outside in to understand or relate to, they are the ones that are forced to rely on a solid foundation, the ones where a choice has to be made very early on to stick with it, to look beyond infatuation and romance…to really and truly choose love.
Jesse & Stefanie’s story fits into that category and as we sat in the coffee shop and she shared some of the challenges they were facing only days before their planned wedding, tears streamed down my cheeks hearing the ways they were choosing to honour one another, the people who were sticking by them and even as their future was uncertain, the fact that they were committing to each other…that was not negotiable. Which in my estimation, is cause for celebration and that is exactly what their day was. They had only their closest friends and family gather on the beach of Chilliwack Lake; no wedding party, no flowers, standing on a rug that belonged to her grandparents, they said their vows with their loved ones and the mountains as witnesses.
There are some stories that I can’t believe people would choose me to document and I am daily humbled by their invitation to join in on even a portion of their journey. If you need someone to tell your story, especially if your love might be unconventional or doesn’t fit in a box, please don’t hesitate to contact me – I would love to talk to you and hear more about who you are and who you love.
Chilliwack Lake Provincial Park
Whistler Nita Lake Lodge Wedding
November 7th, 2017 by sharaleep | No Comments »
Some of Ryan and Ashley’s goals were to make their wedding feel like a getaway for people, to highlight the beauty of British Columbia and to have a wicked awesome party. His family was coming in from Ontario and love to ski, so Whistler was a natural choice and Nita Lake Lodge was the most beautiful backdrop for their (OUTDOOR) ceremony (IN MARCH). We might have frozen our bottoms off, but it was totally worth it as the sun shone through light snow while she walked down the aisle. The bond these two have seems to come easily…they can tease one another one moment and be lovey dovey the next. One thing is sure, they know how to have fun together, which I think is a pretty fantastic foundation for marriage.
Last thing – I also (not so secretly anymore) want to be the fourth sister in Ashley’s family. At the very least I’m hoping they will give me a nickname, so…fingers crossed.
Just a quick note: this sword has been passed down through the bride’s family since 1902 and has graduated from being used to fight in the British Royal Horse Guards to…cutting wedding cakes.
Venue: Nita Lake Lodge, Whistler | Planner: Jillian Dickson | Dress: The Dress Theory | Suits: Indochino | Bride’s hair: Natasha Trottier
p.s. I shot Ashley’s sister’s wedding in Kelowna at Summerhill Pyramid Winery in 2015…this may give you a clue as to why I love their family so much.
the mcdonalds: family | sharalee prang photography
October 4th, 2017 by sharaleep | No Comments »
the mcdonalds are a special family. i have been lucky enough to collaborate with jess this year on some beautiful gifts for my wedding couples as she is a crazy talented artist. when i asked her what their priority was in our time taking their family portraits she said, “ryan has been on parental leave for the past five months and he goes back to work on monday. i just want to remember how amazing this time was for us becoming a family of four and having him home”. in preparation for ailsa’s arrival, he fixed up a van so they would have a vehicle to spend the summer exploring and camping in. i love that they will always be able to look back on this year with fondness as they went through growing pains together, brought a new life into this world, watched their toddler turn into a little boy and nurtured and strengthened their bond as a family. what more could you ask for.
childhood unplugged | october edition | sharalee prang photography
October 2nd, 2017 by sharaleep | 1 Comment »
i’m not a big hiker, so i’m not sure what came over me when i suggested a hike to some friends this weekend, but that is just what i did. we piled into a couple 4x4s and headed up a logging road to a mountain new to all of us. i’m pleased to say that aside from some muddy shoes and a brief crying fit (i’ll let you decide which one was me), it was a fairly successful outing and the views were a huge payoff. one of my favorite things about the day, though, was the number of volunteers we passed who were there to clean up and care for the trails. they were dedicated to their work and were so delighted to see us making use of them(especially with a gaggle of children) – it did my heart good.
go see all of the childhood unplugged contributors’ work at www.childhoodunplugged.com.
chilliwack family photographer | childhood unplugged: june 2017
June 1st, 2017 by sharaleep | No Comments »
for easter this year, the kids’ school decided to do an egg drop off of the roof of the building. they were given the challenge and some limitations and my kids got so into it. sadly, we were in ottawa when the drop happened, but the teacher sent a video of allie’s winning design. she was so proud and was determined to keep her parachute to commemorate her big win (simon’s egg stuffed in the centre of a bag of microwave popcorn didn’t fare as well). we had some really windy days this month and a couple weeks ago she came to me asking for “those long sharp toothpicks”. not thinking anything of it i went about my business, only to find her an hour later in the backyard with packing tape, a fistful of skewers and a ball of yarn…making a kite out of her parachute.
see more at childhood unplugged!
childhood unplugged: may 2017
May 1st, 2017 by sharaleep | No Comments »
it was so fun to see my kids jump right into farm life while visiting my husband’s family, wanting to interact with the animals and know how they could help. i may not have grown up on a farm, but i feel like every child should spend some time there – it’s so good for them to understand where our food comes from and to appreciate how hard farmers work.
See more at Childhood Unplugged!
chilliwack family photographer: mariah & chris
April 26th, 2017 by sharaleep | 2 Comments »
My favourite writer, Anne Lamott, says, “one thing about having a baby is that each step of the way you simply cannot imagine loving him any more than you already do, because you are bursting with love, loving as much as you are humanly capable of- and then you do, you love him even more.”
this lamb is on the same feeding schedule as little case, so we thought we should get a pictures with his “sister”.
to book a family session, email me for more information!
childhood unplugged: april 2017
April 3rd, 2017 by sharaleep | No Comments »
we spent a lot of time looking up. at the trees, toward the sound of the rain, at the mountains, to the sun on our face, searching for the evil queen in snow white’s castle. we also spent a lot of time looking down. for lizards and four leaf clovers, for flowers, at the water, at the sand between our toes. we reached one destination just in time to search for another. we drove and drove and drove. and then drove some more. we got to see a thousand year old tree and black sand and crashing waves and surfing goats and city lights and minnie mouse and a beacon of love in the desert and big rocks and small bugs and old friends and new ones. i can’t believe just how much we crammed into two weeks and i now have a list of places we will have to return to.
for those interested, i decided to limit myself to only my 24mm lens. i knew i didn’t want to lug around a bunch of equipment and only having one lens helped me to engage with my family and challenged me to see things in new ways. please go see the rest of my friends’ childhood unplugged posts as well!
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