In our opinion some of the most beautiful bridal portraits and sentimental moments happen during this time and having a good location to enjoy these moments is something that you should consider. This is a time when you are getting ready to see your groom, giving and receiving gifts from family and your bridal party and the time when you appreciate a few quiet moments before the events begin. Having a beautiful, relaxing space takes the stress level down and makes your photographers very, very happy!

When planning on where you’d like to get ready first think about the light in the room. A dark dreary church basement may be convenient, but it usually doesn’t have a nice area to hang your dress, a beautiful mirror for touching up your makeup or a comfy space to relax for a few moments.

When considering your getting ready location consider a room that has at least some natural window light, a mirror, a bathroom close by and at least one piece of great looking furniture. The location could be your home, the bridal suite at your venue, a bridal room at your salon or a hotel room close to your venue. We highly recommend taking some time to consider your getting ready location. You won’t regret it.

And don’t forget about the guys. They may not take as long to get ready, but great pics of your groom is something every bride cherishes.

At the Venue:

Jess & Steve both got ready at their venue.

Becci & her girls were in a large room with beautiful natural light.

Kiersten’s venue was a gorgeous manor that was perfect for getting ready.

In a Hotel Room:

Eileen, her family and her girls got ready at the hotel where their reception was held.

Amanda had a suite at their venue.

Jen’s ceremony & reception venue was also at the hotel where they got married.

In Their Home

Maggie and her girls got ready in her & Pat’s home, which is gorgeous!

Nathan & Brie got ready at Nathan’s parents home.

Here’s the thing, I LOVE to travel. I want to go literally everywhere in the world and whenever I get the opportunity I take it! Thankfully Matt is the same. Unfortunately for him, he sometimes gets left behind…..but I’m sure one day there will be payback! Just over a week ago my sister called me to ask if I’d come celebrate with her this weekend…..in Edmonton AB, which is in Alberta…..Canada. She did extremely well at her job last year and is receiving an award this weekend, so naturally I said YES!! Plane ticket was booked a few hours later and I continued on with my week. Fast forward to Thursday, which is the day before Friday, which is the day I leave. I often start to prepare before I go….but I never quite complete the task until, well seconds before we head out the door!

I literally freak out in the last hours before a trip. Doesn’t matter if it’s for one night or a month…..you will always find me in a panicked state for about 12 hours before the journey. I’m an absolute basket case trying to remember everything I/we need, packing for all of the ‘just in case’ scenarios….and always trying to fit just one more pair of shoes in my suitcase. Now I’m sure you’re imagining my already HUGE suitcase overflowing and much too heavy to be acceptable by now. But you would be wrong, I’m actually quite a light packer. Matt and I traveled throughout Europe for a month back in 2009, with just a carry on suitcase and our camera bag.

So, the question remains….why on earth do I freak out so much?! I honestly have no idea, and I can tell you that almost every time we go somewhere I forget at least one thing. But as soon as I walk out the door it doesn’t matter anymore. What was once stress and anxiety is quickly replaced with excitement and expectancy that this will be a great trip. And from then on, I have a blast!

I’ll leave you with that. Have a fabulous weekend and stay tuned for some photography related posts that we’re working on :)

But Tim Horton & Matt, they mix like peas and peanut butter :s Every single time he has entered one (and believe me, it is forced upon him A LOT whenever we are in Canada) there’s been a problem…..but only with his order. They either don’t have what he wants, mix up his order and completely give him the wrong stuff or it just takes forever. Each time I try to convince him it’s just a coincidence, but it keeps on happening. I’m starting to think it really is a conspiracy!

When he really gave up on Tim’s was on vacation to spend Christmas with my family a couple of years ago. He wanted to get me a gift card so I could catch up with friends and family over coffee (which he HATES by the way). He wanted to do something nice for me because he’s the best husband ever, so when he tries to buy the gift card  they tell him they don’t take Visa. He says, ‘REALLY!? Who doesn’t take Visa?!’. They take MasterCard. But not Visa. So, without any cash in his wallet he tells them he’ll just have to go support an American company and promptly goes to buy me a Starbucks gift card instead.

Matt won’t be joining me this weekend, so I’m planning to enjoy myself some Timmy’s and time with my sister….without the conspiracy :)

On the Other End of the Lens with (mattnnat)

David & Becky were a blast. We laughed… A LOT!

Those sweet bumper stickers were for us. So naturally I forget them right there.

The view of the south western part of the island from Le Chamarel.

Lunch on the mountain.

The colored earth.

Just a few minutes from where my parents live you can watch them gather the salt.

They fill the buckets almost every day.

My husband is a pretty great photographer and this is one of my favorite scenery shots he’s ever taken. It makes me extremely happy :)

Driving along the eastern coast we found the waves and a ton of lava rock.

We watched these waves for quite a long time and just enjoyed the coolness of the water.

Ok, so let’s talk paradise shall we?!

Just.Perfect.

One of the highlights of the trip was going parasailing :)

And this was our view from above.

And then we found one….a single palm tree on the beach, we were excited because most of the trees are pine.

I’m on a boat and….I’m going fast and…….if you know where I’m going with this we’re already friends ;)

Just can’t get enough of this water! I wanted to bottle it up and bring it home.

Nemo! Ok, so this wasn’t taken underwater, he was swimming around in an aquarium. But I have to say that the snorkeling was phenomenal, better than anywhere I have been.

Oh, and here I am snorkeling…..and apparently I’m so crazy about matching I chose my suit to match the water.

The Dolphins.

A little chunk of lava rock jutting out of the water makes for quite the attraction.

And yes we did get some dreary weather, but somehow everything was still beautiful.

We went to a park called Casela and got to interact with a few animals.

The Peacock.

The Tortoise.

The Zebra.

And now for the cats.

The Tiger

‘It’s so hot guys, I’m just gonna take a nap’.

The Lions.

My family :)

Sunsets, I love them but they always make me a little sad that the day is over.

Matt & I had the amazing opportunity to visit my parents in their new home and discover pretty much every part of the island you can access :) My sister was with us for 3 weeks and it was so great to have the whole family in one spot for once! So, here is what we saw and experienced in the far off land of Mauritius. Huge thank you to my parents for having us for four weeks, for driving us around everywhere and introducing us to your new friends. We love you and miss you and are very blessed that we got to be with you at Christmas this year :)

For part 1 we are going to show you the north and the south. Let’s start with the north.

The beaches were so amazing! We had seen a couple of pictures of the island before we went, but it was far more beautiful that we expected!

The water is crystal clear.

Normally you would expect to see palm trees lining the beach in a place like this, but instead there are pine trees everywhere and I for one like the contrast.

In many ways this island reminded us of Hawaii.

The brilliance of the water was so stunning we literally stopped every 5 minutes while driving the southern coast.

I mean seriously, I could literally sit and stare at this scene all day!

I was debating jumping into the water at this point, swimming over to that boat and declaring myself Mauritian.

One of the most southern points of the island.

Matt loved the roads!

A couple more views of the south.

Fishing.

Loving the rocks on this beach. Probably not so conducive for swimming, but perfect for the photographer in me ;)

These boats were way too conveniently placed, I was constantly making the decision between taking another picture or stealing the thing and running away!

Even the vines want to run away into to sea.

Matt saw this church on a postcard and we managed to find it at the perfect time. Just as the fire trees were still in bloom.

The train to nowhere.

After the rain.

Mauritius is known for it’s sugar cane.

And these trees were so vibrant.

Hey, there we are….proof we were actually there.

Pamplemousses botanical garden. Amazonian lilly pads.

But here’s the thing that I love about Shannon’s grandma and the thing that so impressed me with my own grandma before she went: they were ready to go. They had lived their lives and stayed joyful to the end and were ready to leave this world.

And that got me thinking again about what it will be like to be 85. To be nearing the end of my time and to be looking back on what I did with my life. I’m no stranger to retirement homes as both of my grandmothers lived in one for the last years they were with us, but every time I visit someone I can’t help but notice the attitude that each of the residents carry with them. You can see it on their faces, the joy, the anger, the sadness, the loneliness, they carry their life experiences with them.

I am most impressed with those that exude joy and gratefulness. It’s so easy to carry our hardships with us, to let the negative things that happen to us determine how we approach our future. But to look back on your life and be grateful for the journey, that’s something to aim for.

So, when I’m 85, regardless of my health or where this journey has taken me, my goal is to be that joyful old lady that has no fear of death and that can pass on that joyful legacy to those that survive me.

Thanks to these ladies that have been such an encouragement to my life.

After the ceremony a very brave bridal party jumped in the limo and we were off to take some pictures in the snow. Props to all of the girls for venturing out into the snow, even with their open toed shoes. We are so excited about the portraits in the snow!

St Mary’s.

Snow + Rings = one happy photographer :)

Kate’s beautiful gown.

Her jewels.

Her bridesmaids helping her out with the back.

Kate you are beautiful!

The guys.

Eric is pretty excited about his gift!

Cute flower girls and a ring bearer that took his job seriously.

How beautiful is St Mary’s?!

Kissing his Mrs.

See, they are just super cute!

Mr & Mrs :)

This old building is made complete with the train tracks in front.

Love this one, caught right before she nearly tumbled into the snow. Seriously Kate I admire your adventurous spirit on that cold day!

Some reception details.

The best part about having an early ceremony & reception? We got to have some more time with Kate & Eric just before we lost the daylight!

The mink shawl Kate is wearing was her great grandmothers.

The color in her flowers were the perfect contrast to the white day.

It’s that time of year ;)

Congrats Kate & Eric, I’m sure you’re enjoying the warm weather you are in right now!

The reason for the trip was to spend time with my family. My dad took a job in a far off land and part of the deal included plane tickets for his kids to visit (which of course we took advantage of!!). Since he and my mom have been on the small island of Mauritius for about a year, they were itching to travel a bit too, so we met in South Africa.

We all flew in at different times from different parts of the world and started our week in the Cape Town area with a beautiful sunshiny day. Matt and I actually got there a couple of days before my family and rented a mini car to explore, get some groceries and catch up with a new friend. Then, once the family arrived we were touring from 8am-6pm every day….with the nightly drop off point being the harbor…..or let’s be honest the mall :) My poor husband, who despises shopping, was beyond his limit of shopping trips for this week. Props to him for being amazing and letting the girls be girls ;)

The Chapman’s Peak drive brought us to this beautiful beach.

We parked the car and wandered down onto the sand dunes for some pictures and just to enjoy the warm weather.

And then this couple walked into our frame and they were too cute!

I always have to do a double take with this picture….all of a sudden I feel as though I’m in a winter wonderland.

So.Freaking.Gorgeous.

Baboons.

Muizenberg Beach.

We accidentally ended up here, which I was so excited about because I was hoping to have some time get some pics.

These are just change rooms on the beach, but they totally captured my attention and made me instantly happy.

One of our tours took us to Cape Point. It was a blustery day to say the least, but we happened to catch a few moments without rain or hail.

We even stumbled upon some penguins.

This is the beach where they like to hang out, and I can see why!

On our tour through wine country we had a tour of KWV in Paarl.

Each one is carved to tell the story of wine through the ages.

The craftsmanship is incredible!

A bit of the scenery in Stellenbosch. I dream of returning there one day and taking it all in, our time there was much too short.

The clock tower in Cape Town’s Harbor.

The one clear-ish picture we got of Table Mountain.

Our time in Cape Town was wonderful and we look forward to the next time we can visit and discover more. And to my dear friend Shannon….hurry up and get there so we can come visit you!! ;)

And getting back to talking about Mauritius, we’ll be blogging about our time there soon. Enjoy your evening!

As Matt and I were talking about 2012, our goals and (mattnnat) as a business we talked a lot about our blog. I wouldn’t say that Matt & I are known for our writing, but we have always been dedicated to blogging each of our couples weddings and telling the story their day. There’s been bits and pieces of work and our lives placed throughout the blog in between the weddings, but this year we’re aiming for more!

One of my personal goals for this year is to become a better writer. It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a long time, but haven’t really pursued. This year is going to be different! I’m going to write more, I’m looking into writing workshops and I’m following a lot more blogs for inspiration.

On top of expanding our writing skills we would love your input! We know there’s at least a few of you out there that follow us and we’d like to know what you’d like to see on here. You’ll still see all of our weddings, hear some personal stories and see pictures of our journey, but what else would you like us to cover? Feel free to comment on the blog or Facebook or even send us an email.

I want to say thank you for following us! We’re really excited for 2012 and all that it holds :) Here’s to new adventures in blogging and in life.