Vancouver Wedding Photographer: Lyndsay London

I’m so nervous… this is my first official wedding!!! My first!

Nioka is absolutely stunning. From the moment she opened the door to her beautiful Nelson home she glowed. I swear, jaws dropped all day long when folks saw her.

It was evident from her smile and exuding confidence that this day would be the most amazing day of her life. Very. Evident. Getting ready also are her gorgeous and loveable bridesmaids, Tina, Norann and Amber, as well as her sweetheart Mom! I loved them all to bits.

See, I first met Nioka when I was in grade 1 – we grew up in Nelson together! In grade 6, her grade 5 class was split and she was placed in my grade 6 class! Obviously because she was so darn smart. Naturally, we made fast friends that year and we had crazy fun climbing trees and teasing boys until we then went to different schools. Her sister, and bridesmaid, Norann and I later worked in the same social psychology lab at SFU. Whhhaat?? Yeah I know. Strange. Well, I know now that somehow Nioka and I were supposed to meet way back when so that I could photograph her wedding day. When she asked if I would be in Nelson on her wedding day I said “No. But I can be”. I know now that not a single soul can say no to Nioka. Because she is truly one of the kindest and most loving hearts in the universe.  I am so thrilled she asked and so darn happy that I could be a part of it – seeing my old childhood friend all grown up and marrying the love of her life. Priceless. Absolutely priceless.

The ceremony took place at the lovely Prestige Inn – a local hotel and well sought after wedding venue  – on the dock. Surrounded by Kootney Lake and the lush mountains, the stage was set.

Just as Nioka stepped foot outside the car to ready herself for the walk down the aisle to meet Pat, the sun popped out to shine. See, this is uh-mazing because not an hour earlier it had been pouring rain and booming thunder. No joke. The rain droplets were like giant blobs – the shirt soaking type – of which Adam’s blue dress shirt became it’s number one victim (Adam = second shooting). One blob even shot down the back of my pants. Hot. I mean, cold.

Anyhow, Pat was smiling ear to ear as Nioka made her way to him. Such a great moment. The family and friends that looked on were overjoyed to watch. I was too, and had to choke back a few tears so I could see!

Pat and Nioka first met when Nioka applied for a job working with Pat’s company. Pat was interested in her resume, obviously because of her fine work experience, but also when he saw her name. As the story goes, he thought that she was Japanese and therefore, would be an excellently efficient, organized and detail oriented person. He found out soon that she isn’t at all Japanese, but that her mom and dad simply liked the name. More importantly, he also found out soon enough that she was the girl for him. The story of how they got together continues on in a hilarious round about way. After Nioka was hired, she tried to hook her MOH, Tina, with Pat so that she could get Tina to move to Nelson. In hindsight, I’m sure Nioka is thrilled that Tina didn’t take the bait. Eventually, the two saw something in each other that neither of them expected in the beginning. Something WAY better.

We went to a nearby park for the portraits :).

Here is the final set! Full disclosure here people… It’s a big one… So go make a tea and come back in a minute if you just can’t handle waiting for a sec for the page to load. It’s fun. So it will be worth the wait.

The reception was an absolute blast! Everyone had soooooo much fun. The speeches were so so good, the food was super yummy, and the dancing that followed was even better! That, my friends, is a recipe for perfection.

Nioka and Patrick have wonderful friends that compliment their own wonderfulness. The guests were so sweet and welcoming to me and Adam. Thanks everyone :).