Residing in Calgary, Courtney , Marat and I’s first encounter was at our Skype consultation, but they are those people you meet and instantly feel like you’ve been friends forever; kindred spirits if you will. Their Autumn Hycroft Manor wedding was one of my last for the 2018 season, so I had long awaited the day they were to wed! It was a beautiful, warm October day (so rare for Raincouver), Courtney and Marat were suiting up to get ready for their first look with each other. But first, Courtney headed down the grand staircase to meet her father for their emotional first look. I love the surprise gift exchanges couples do for each other during these moments, like Court who gave Marat the cutest handmade cross stitch portrait made by Mircat Embroidery. The changing colours of the leaves made for the perfect backdrop for their portraits, and the sun created the glow that photographers are always chasing. Counting our lucky stars for the good weather to allow C+M to hold their ceremony out on the terrace! For the events to follow, they opted to have a casual, cocktail style reception with food stations, drinks, and games all around. My favourite part about this type of reception - aside from the mac ‘n cheese and taco stations - is that during the speeches, everyone gathered around the couple to listen to the sweet words spoken by friends and family, so they were truly surrounded by everyone they loved. Being able to see and capture everyone’s reaction around C+M made my photographer heart sing. That’s what it’s all about, folks!