Everglow photography shares Vickie and Nicholas’s intimate, elegant Berkeley Church wedding.

How do you establish your unique points of view throughout the day to create visually stunning images?

I always listen to my couples. I want to know the vision for their wedding day, what moments are important, and how they want their guests to remember it. When I photograph, I have their answers in mind. I love to mix different photography styles: documentary, candid, and artistic, with a sprinkle of traditional images. I look for emotions and gestures. Of course, I always ensure that I use all the advantages of the venue where I shoot: the light, texture, and surroundings.

Emotional storytelling is what I would call my approach to wedding photography.

When you started processing the images from this stunning wedding day what about it were you the most excited about to show your couple?

I love every moment of this wedding. Vickie and Nick wanted their wedding day to be as relaxed as possible, and this approach works best with how I photograph weddings. A wedding day is not a photo shoot. To me, it’s a celebration of people’s love with their close ones. That’s why I always divide a couple’s session into smaller sessions, to allow my couples to have time to enjoy themselves.

When I started going over the images, I knew I wanted to showcase all the candid moments, but I also wanted to work on all of the more artistic photos I took, especially inside the Berkeley Church. I love the venue for its uniqueness. I played a lot with the available light and angles that the venue allows using.

If you chose three words to describe the feeling, style and atmosphere you captured in the wedding day album what would they be?

Intimate, elegant yet simple, and warm storytelling.

How did you source and set up the unique locations in the neighbourhood for the day of portraits and how do they add to the overall ability of the album to archive the unique moment in the couples lives?

I always choose the locations for the images based on the light, the surroundings, and what kind of atmosphere I want to create. The wedding happened on a cold November day, so we took most of the photos inside. I’m familiar with Berkeley Church, and I knew that even if the weather didn’t cooperate, we would still be able to capture plenty of beautiful images.

The Berkeley Church courtyard is a great location for a quick outdoor session. I also wanted to showcase more of a downtown vibe; that’s why the couple and I went for a quick stroll during the reception to capture a few street and night photos.

How do you direct and work with your couples to bring out such a dynamic range of photos, from playful to striking editorial style to communicate the personalities of your couples.

My main goal as a photographer is to always ensure that my couples feel relaxed on their wedding day. That’s why it’s so important for me to get to know them beforehand. Every couple, every wedding is different. I listen to them talk about their needs and vision before I even pick up my camera. All the work we do beforehand pays off on the big day. I establish a relationship and build trust by getting to know my couples. Trust is key. It is what allows me to capture those intimate, warm-hearted and creative images.

“Our ideas may be grand, but it is eventually the smaller details, the tiny moments of serendipity that make photography such a joyride.” Dinesh Khan. How do you balance getting all the key moments of the day while still staying open to the spontaneous unexpected opportunities.

I love the quote! To me, photography is all about observing what’s happening around us. Small gestures, smiles, moments that will be gone in a second. In my opinion, photography requires a lot of emotional sensitivity. Wedding photography is an art that captures powerful feelings on one of the most important days of people’s lives. Being emotionally sensitive allows us to see more than other people can see. I always capture all the key moments, but I never forget the serendipity that makes photography a joyride.

Why did your couple pick the Berkeley Church as their venue and how did you showcase what they liked best about the venue in their album?

Couple’s answer:

We chose the Berkeley Church as our wedding venue because we were drawn to it’s historical charm and stunning architectural features. Additionally, the versatility of the space was ideal for throwing an intimate event with our closest friends and family. The staff at the Berkeley Church were welcoming and friendly and went above and beyond to make our wedding a truly memorable experience. Our day-of coordinator, Julia, in particular was an unbelievable asset. She was very knowledgeable and professional, yet down to earth, approachable, and fun. We couldn’t have asked for anything more!

Photographer’s answer:

I knew that Vickie and Nicholas wanted their wedding to be intimate, and they chose it because of the versatility of the space. While photographing their wedding day, I wanted to include everything the venue offers: stunning architecture mixed with beautiful, funky light. Berkeley Church allows me to capture images from different angles, and I made sure to take advantage of the venue’s creative aspects.

How would you describe the atmosphere of the wedding ceremony and how did you align your process to capture it so beautifully?

The atmosphere of this wedding ceremony was intimate, elegant, and simple. I made sure to focus, not only on the couple, but also on their guests, plus their cute dog Rex, the ring bearer. I captured many close-up photos to showcase some intimate moments. I also shot a variety of wide-angle images to showcase the venue’s historical charm and stunning architecture.

What choices did your couple make that you feel paid off the most in the enjoyment of the day for themselves and their guests?

It was very important for Vickie and Nicholas to spend as much time as possible with their wedding guests during the reception and cocktail hour. That’s why they decided to do the “first look,” so we could take some images before the ceremony. That way, they had more time to mingle with their guests. Also, I always like to keep the family photos simple and, ideally, take them right after the wedding ceremony, as close to the location as possible. Vickie and Nicholas decided to not have a big bridal party; they only had a best man and maid of honour. By keeping their wedding day simple, they saved a lot of time and could spend it enjoying themselves with their loved ones.