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Month: September 2011

Leigh & Russ – Vernon Outback Resort and Sparkling Hill Wedding

I loved so many things about Leigh and Russ’s wedding but Leigh and Russ topped the list. I cannot say enough what sweet, sincere and fun individuals these two are. And together they are one big collision of awesomeness. The whole day was one big fun-sandwich.

Leigh and Russ had their ceremony at Outback Resort in Vernon and then went on to have their intimate reception at Sparkling Hill Resort. The Outback Resort was such an awesome place! I had never seen it before. Beautiful, modern cabins on Okanagan lake in Vernon. There was an awesome cave on the property where Leigh and Russ did their “First Look.” How cool is that! They chose a really cute place on the boardwalk to have their ceremony and walked each other down the aisle. : )

After the ceremony, my second shooter, Carley, and I, along with the 3 videographer magicians (Desy, Kyle and Jeremy) behind RF Productions, stole Leigh and Russ away to take photos on our way to Sparkling Hill. It was such a fun collaborative atmosphere for Carley and I, working alongside RF Productions. Leigh and Russ had chosen great spots and it just felt like having one big photo party with friends. Desy and Jeremy filmed while Kyle edited and they showed the video later at the reception. Amazing! I was so impressed. You can see the fantastic video they did here.

I loved every inch and speck of this wedding and the warm, upbeat feeling that surrounded the whole day. I’m so happy and grateful I get to be a part of days like these. Leigh and Russ, let’s do it all over again! ; D

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Mascara wand mustache! ; )LR_0065-copyI thought it was so sweet how Russ included his pet dog while he got ready.My second shooter Carley’s angle on the left, my angle on the right.When Russ said, “I do,” Leigh said, “Are you sure?” and burst out laughing. haha. Pretty cute.The dog was the ring bearer. I love how inclusive Leigh and Russ were with their dog.My angle on the left and my second shooter Carley’s angle on the right.Fist bump! Yes!We had a little impromptu “trash the bouquet” moment for fun. haha.Leigh and Russ got fake knuckle tattoos for the day. Love it!

Tattooed_bride_groomI really loved Leigh’s sister’s vintage dress.

 

San Gimignano, Italy and more.

I’m slowly but surely getting these last few Italy posts up in between weddings. : ) I have a few more to come as well!

My Dad and I’s next stop after staying in southern Tuscany was to stay at Romitorio di Serelle, a 17th century monastery that has been completely refurbished into a villa. It was actually my second time staying at Romitorio di Serelle. I stayed there on my last trip to Italy in 2007 and I couldn’t wait to go back! It’s an absolutely beautiful place to stay with sweeping winery views, friendly staff, and a couple of friendly cats roaming the premises.

This was such a great home base to explore some stunning surrounding places such as Pienza and Val d’Orcia.
You can also take a stroll through all my Italy adventures here.

One of the day trips my Dad and I did while to staying at Romitorio di Serelle, was to San Gimignano. A hilltop town famous for it’s 5 tall towers. Although San Gimignano has gotten more and more touristy over the years, it’s still an amazing town and it’s really cool when you hear all 5 towers chime their bells together.

After San Gimignano, the sun was starting to go down but we decided to drive to the nearby town of Volterra (famous for being the setting in New Moon book and movie). We only had a short window in Volterra before the sun disappeared but we got to poke our heads in the town a little bit and really enjoyed the beautiful scenery of the area on our drive to and from.We also made a quick stop to the small town of Radda in Chianti another day. I love how the rolling wineries and olive tree orchards in Italy look like patchwork quilts draped over the hills.Radda in Chianti main square.Radda in Chianti was a really cute town but it was so manicured that it almost looked like a movie set of an Italian town, rather than the real thing.