I knew right away that Marina was the perfect photographer for capturing our special day – her knowledge and love for photography was apparent, and her positive energy was absolutely contagious. From day one she was very hands on, supportive, and intuitive. She brightened my days in the busy, and often overwhelming, wedding planning and was an absolute breath of fresh air.
Marina’s calm yet passionate demeanor helped make the days leading up to the wedding enthusing and manageable as she was very cooperative, communicative, and accommodating with the little details that Bryton and I wanted incorporated into our day. At the same time, Marina was always so gracious. She never said no to meeting up during her busy schedule and always voiced how ecstatic she was for us and how much she was looking forward to the big day. There were many times where she braved the natural elements with us while we scoped out the University of Alberta Botanical Garden where she helped Bryton and I see many more breath-taking angles to the venue. When it came time for our engagement photos, I had never been one for liking photos taken of myself, so I was nervous and apprehensive of the experience. However, that was changed within minutes of being with Marina. She completely blew me away with the locations she had chosen for our photos (completely capturing my vision and then some) and helped make the photoshoot a very natural and fun experience for me. She helped provide me with my own self-confidence while also managing to make it feel as though it was just Bryton and I in a dream-like, romantic fairytale.
Moreover, she was extremely informative about procedures and details that we had not known previously which in turn allowed us to wake up on the day of the wedding with an added sense of confidence that everything was going to be just fine!
When it came to the big day, she beamed with love while maintaining a strong sense of professionalism. Marina absolutely went above and beyond our expectations. Seeing her in her natural element was so heart-warming and added to the magnificence of our special day.
She captured moments that Bryton and I hadn’t even known that we wanted while managing to soar throughout the day undetected. She maintained composure and confidence with the many small photo requests by the wedding guests and offered a strong sense of leadership in moving our large (sixteen) wedding party around our even larger wedding venue.
In the days following, Marina’s continued patience and accommodations aided unexpected hiccups that Bryton and I experienced, and we are so very thankful for her incredibly understanding personality. Additionally, she delivered our photos (digitally and even took the time to print off her favorite photos) personally in a wooden book shaped box that she had decorated (my theme was Pride and Prejudice, so I instantly cried). The unexpected gift spoke to our hearts and remains to be one of the most precious gifts we’ve ever received.
In conclusion, Marina became a part of our family that day, and I will be forever grateful for the special bond that we now share. She was able to capture the immense beauty and love of our wedding day, and I will forever cherish those moments elegantly frozen in time.
These moments, and the lovely unforeseen friendship, have left imprints on our hearts along with the passion, love, care, and time she spent on making our day one of the best and most treasured days of our lives.
~ Rebecca