Lysandre + Iannick; rustic barn and skihill wedding, Quebec

Lysandre + Iannick.. so where to begin? Lysandre is this beautiful, fun-loving, full of life, generous adventurous soul. She and I had never actually met in person, but have been Facebook friends for a few years now. She and Iannick are both from Québec but just a little over a year ago they moved to San Francisco. We tried to get together to meet before they left but our schedules never aligned. We both continued to stay in touch online; following each other's oddly similar stories, watching our kids grow via photographs and to be inspired by one another's adventures.

So when she asked me early this year to photograph their rustic, laid back and crazy fun late July wedding, I told her that I would, without a doubt, be there. Being the generous, giving people that they both are, they also invited Mathieu and the girls to the celebration, and we all gladly accepted.

This day was just gorgeous. Lysandre and the bridesmaids all got ready at Iannick's parents lakefront home in Grandes Piles, QC. The ceremony was in an open field next to a barn in Vallée du Parc, and the reception took place at the Vallée du Parc Ski Station. A little like Lysandre and Iannick, the weather was sort of unpredictable and all over the place! It rained on and off for the first half of the day and then remained mostly cloudy, but just before the ceremony was to begin, the sun came out in full force and the late July heat and humidity that we get in the northeast stuck with us throughout the evening into the night. 

Then there were the kids.. Iannick and Lysandre have two absolutely GORGEOUS boys, Matteo and Charlie who were both possibly the cutest ring bearers I have ever seen. But they weren't the only kids at the wedding; there were over 40 children running wild and free throughout the entire event! They even had a 'candy bar' set up for the kids in a room in the lower area of the ski station complete with arcade games, slush puppies, popcorn AND babysitters!! The entire evening was just pure joy; laughter continuously filled the air and the dance party went on until the very wee hours of the morning.

But I think the most impressive part of the entire event was the people. The friends, the family, those who came from all over Quebec, Ontario and California, friends who would do anything for these two. Throughout the night people would stand to talk about Iannick and Lysandre and everyone said the same things; these people are the most loving, generous, giving, fun, adventurous and loyal people they know. And it showed; so much of the behind the scenes of the wedding was made possible by their friends. From the event planning to decor, from the food to the music, videography, hair and makeup.. it was a compilation of loyal and loving family and friends wanting to do nothing more than to give back to a couple who clearly gives so much to those around them.

Lysandre and Iannick, thank you for having me be a part of this incredible day and for giving me the honor of helping to tell a part of your story together. Vous êtes une couple inspirante, une famille merveilleuse, et des gens de qui on peut tous apprendre la joie de vivre.

xo

Jennifer

venue: Vallée du Parc, Québec
bride: WTOO Watters, from Flares Bridal, CA
bridesmaids: Coeur de Loup, QC
groom: Simons, JC Penney, Tux Gear Inc.
groomsmen + ring bearers: Simons, H+M, Tux Gear Inc.
Rings: Bijouterie Doucet
Flowers: Fleurs + Cie, QC
Hair: Laurence S_D, Saint Laurent Aveda
Wood Bowls and Decor: Yves Lavoie Ébénisterie
Cake: Les Sucreries d'Ely
DJ: Gabriel Comtois
Videographer: Marisol Aubé

visceral summer (the mermaid session)

The days are longer now; light is all around us. Let it in, let it warm your soul and feed your heart, and revive you. 

Spend time in the ocean. In the lake. Connect with the waters that are too cold to let us in in the winter. Get sand in your hair and in your bed. DANCE. SWEAT. LOVE. 

Let you skin get darker and your hair get lighter. Take a walk through the green woods and listen to the sounds of the birds singing. SING with them. 

Sit outside at in a quiet, dark place and watch the fireflies light up the night sky.

And when you're doing a shoot on a beach on Sunday morning in front of hundreds of people, dance like no one is watching.

Don't hide from it, embrace it; all of it. This is the season of light and energy. This is your summer vacation. Every moment of it.

full post on Visceral Dance Co. coming soon!

this is what happens when you let the magic in.

This post is long overdue. But I am one who functions on feeling and energy and the universe's directions, and the universe hadn't directed me to do it until now. This shoot happened at the end of August in Connecticut with my amazingly creative and inspirational sister-in-law, Ally Davis. Ally is a graduate of the New School in New York City. She studied dance, and is currently in the process of building her very own dance company, Visceral Movement. I asked Ally if she wanted to do this shoot with me, as I had been developing an idea for a photography project called 'The Beautiful Woman Project' which is a project focused on exposing the raw, undecorated beauty of women by photographing them without makeup on. I had this whole beautiful end of summer scenario in mind, and her being a dancer just added to the wild, imaginative, dream-like surrealism of the story; what happens when two creative mommies who have such limited time to themselves, leave the house at 7 am on a sunday morning to get into a field as the sun is rising with flowy dresses and dew drops on the grass??? Well, magic of course. I mean, it couldn't have been a more perfect shoot for launching my project.

But then what you ask? Well, life. A major lack of personal time. Finding out that our home was contaminated with mold and we had to move out. It has now been over 6 months and we are still not back.. (although we will be able to get back in within the next couple of weeks!! woo hoooo!). So I was waiting. I was waiting for the perfect time, the perfect moment, the perfect platform to share this project that is very very dear to my heart. The thing is though, sometimes that perfect time we are waiting for doesn't come.

I have always had the intention of sharing these beautiful images, but it wasn't until this past week when Ally shared one of them on her instagram, that she and I started talking about our next collaboration and I remembered how incredibly liberating and creatively invigorating that morning was this past August with her. We were free as birds, wild children.. not another soul in sight. It was just her and me and my camera and the warm warm sunrise. I remember her thanking me after we finished, because she had been feeling a lack of inspiration recently and she just felt so good afterwards. And of course, I thanked her because I was feeling the very same way.

I was asked recently by my friend, Allie O'Conner(co-blogger at Little Red's Well), my thoughts on creativity, as they are in the process of doing a 50 day creativity challenge (#scratchfor50). This thing that we are all blessed with, creativity, it's a gift. It's a delicate gift that needs to be acknowledged, nurtured, and respected. And when we give it these things, what it gives back to us is nothing short of magic.

So, I have been waiting to post these images to my blog talking about the beautiful woman project, but in the last twenty-four hours, I have realized that instead, I want to share them as what they are to me today, which is a reminder of what can happen if you let the magic in.

the first beach day.

It has been months. I mean months since you have been on the glorious beach. But today is the day. It's the beginning of May, and the sun has decided to give you a sneak peek at what's to come in the summer months. You pull up into the empty parking lot, and step out onto the asphalt. A brisk ocean breeze hits your exposed skin, which has been comfortably hidden under jeans and sweaters all winter long. But this feels good. It is waking you up. You can feel the life seeping back into your hibernating veins. You get the kids out of the car, and grab the cooler and towels and you throw everything into the oversized bike stroller(which doubles as the beach cart). You begin walking toward the dunes where, just on the other side, lies the big, blue, beautiful Atlantic Ocean.

Your reach the sand, and the kids are running now, as fast as they can to get to the top of the dune. The wind has picked up, and you can actually feel the sea-salt hitting your face. You have arrived. And at this very moment, life is just the way it should be.

I came across these images today while working on my website, and I was reminded of what a special day this was. So I had to share. AND, the fact that I am in some of them(thanks to my lovely and talented husband) was a plus.

Josephine: the urban gardener

This is my Josephine. She is a firecracker. She is determined. She is strong and brave and one of the most loving little souls I have ever known. I sometimes can't believe she is my baby, that I was so lucky to have been given this little spirit. Every day she, and her big sister, teach me something new about love, forgiveness, the importance of dreams, and the importance of appreciating this life. This is not a dress-rehearsal. This is it. And it is beautiful. xo