Ok, so this one was pretty special.
Paul and Tyra are both from Cornwall. Paul’s a good friend of mine and also an incredible wedding photographer so pressure was on from the go! When Paul asked me if I would shoot his wedding to Tyra I was over the moon. And then when he told me it was going to be in Canada!! Well, my bag was already packed. Yes mate! I’m in!
I have been lucky enough to photograph a few destination weddings now, but this one was always going to be awesome. The thing is, as well as being the photographer for the day, I was pretty much the only guest, and also the witness! Apart from the registrar and the helicopter pilot (I’ll get to that bit shortly!) it was just me. As you can imagine, I felt just a little added pressure there, but I have to say, it was a real privilege.
Anyway enough about the pressure, this wedding was epic. Fair play to Paul and Tyra, who made it their day from start to finish, no compromising. The wedding was very much all about them, and I can tell you now, it was bloody awesome!
So, the exact location was in Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada. I travelled out a few days before the wedding day to explore the location and see a bit of Banff myself. Needless to say, I was overwhelmed with the place. The drive from Calgary airport to Banff was an epic start – windows down, Eddie Vedder on the radio, the long highway into the Rocky Mountains. This is definitely my kinda place!
The day before the wedding I spent some time with Paul and Tyra discovering more of Banff and its beautiful National park. We explored many of the amazing landmarks, including Lake Victoria and Sulphur Mountain. I knew Tyra was a little concerned about having her picture taken – which is a common feeling, and not a problem, so to help things along I took few snaps of the two of them throughout the day. Not only did this help Tyra but it also gave Paul a little bit of time on the other side of the lens. We took some epic shots on that day, and I will share these in a separate blog post soon.
On the day of wedding, Tyra booked herself into the local spa in Canmore for a luxurious morning of relaxation and pampering, while Paul decided he wanted to get out and about for the morning. He booked to go kayaking in Banff and I tagged along to take a few extra snaps for the album. What a great start to the day!
Afterwards, both Paul and Tyra got ready at their apartment in Canmore, and from here on I stood back, my camera ready, and my wedding photographer head firmly on.
Paul and Tyra planned some really lovely moments into their day, including an exchange of wedding gifts with each other in the morning, and then Paul’s first look at Tyra in her beautiful wedding dress! I think the photos tell the story here.
The wedding ceremony took place on a mountain top on the border between Alberta and British Columbia. We took a helicopter ride to his point, and were joined by Rick Kunelius, the registrar. The incredible scenery on the flight there and at the wedding location itself was simply mind blowing.
As we were high up in the mountains, the weather was a little mixed, but I found this created some epic light for the photographs, both of the marriage ceremony and also for the portraits. After the couple were pronounced husband and wife, it did begin to rain a little, but this didn’t dampen anyone’s spirits at all. Paul and Tyra were away in their own special moment, loving every part of it.
After the ceremony, we headed back down to Canmore in the helicopter, and after a quick beer with the newlyweds, I left them to go off and celebrate together at a local restaurant in the town.
Paul and Tyra, thank you so much for entrusting me to document your wedding. It was simply epic, and I feel very privileged to have been part of your day. See you both soon.
