The Gunn’s Wedding at The Sheraton Cavalier

The Gunn’s Wedding at The Sheraton Cavalier in Calgary

A Colourful Late Autumn Wedding

Kevin and Mercedes Getting Ready

We started our day at the Sheraton Cavalier Hotel in Calgary, where both the ceremony and reception took place. We met the guys first, in the McKnight ballroom at the back of the hotel. Kevin, the groom, was joined by his groomsmen Dave and Kelly and his best man Houston. They were all dressed up in the traditional sporran and kilt, and they all looked sharp in their outfits.

While they were getting ready Kevin seemed a little nervous. Apparently, he is not the biggest fan of big groups and crowds, but his groomsmen were there to remind him to keep breathing and to get him through it all!

We then moved upstairs to rendezvous with the bride Mercedes, her maid of honour Alex, and her bridesmaids, Katrina and Mellissa. Mercedes is a talented hat maker, so she made her own custom feather hairpiece for the wedding! It looked incredible in her bright fuchsia hair. And the colour of her hair really popped against the white of her beautiful gown. The bridesmaids all wore shades of peach, and they each had unique and gorgeous hairstyles as well.

After meeting the girls, we went downstairs to get set up for the ceremony.

Their Ceremony in the Sheraton Cavalier’s McKnight Room

The bride and groom entered in, and what followed was a short and sweet ceremony. The groomsmen and bridesmaids entered, followed by Kevin and his mother Peggy. Then, Mercedes’s dad Alexis walked her down the aisle.

The couple, who have been together for thirteen years, each wrote their own touching personal vows. Then they said their ‘I do’s’, kissed, signed, and were pronounced husband and wife!
For their married life, Mercedes and Kevin decided to choose a new last name. Her surname was Smolensk, and his was Billingsley, so they wanted to go with something a little simpler. They decided to peer back in the family history to find a name they both liked. They stumbled on the surname ‘Gunn’ on his mother’s side of the family, and it was settled. With that Mercedes and Kevin became Mr. and Mrs. Gunn!

After the ceremony, the newlyweds took a little breather while the family gathered for photos. Mercedes’ lifelong friend Cameron, donning a cool Pac-Man inspired suit, was instrumental in organizing the family for the photos. He was such a great help all day. He made sure everything ran smoothly throughout the wedding and even watched the bags for a while!

We took the family photos outside of the lobby, inside a nice grove of trees. The shoot there ran very smoothly and we wrapped them up quickly.

The Gunn Creative Formals at the Sheraton Cavalier

We stayed outside for the creative formals and found a nice ridge overlooking the nearby Shaw building. The afternoon sun hit the glass building just right, and the resulting reflections made a beautiful backdrop. We headed into a nearby circle of tall spruce trees with the newlyweds before including the rest of the wedding party.

After wrapping up outside, we headed back into the beautiful lobby of the Sheraton Cavalier. Because the holiday season is drawing near, the lobby was lit up with beautiful golden Christmas lights. There were several Christmas trees and festive decorations that we were able to use in the shoot. We shot the guys in front of a large wreath in the lobby, and some of the girls in front of the sparkling lights. We even did our close-ups of the wedding rings against the beautiful golden decor.
We spent the rest of the creative formal session in the lobby. The group relaxed on the couches set throughout the space. It was a nice, casual shoot, with smiles all around.

We finished our part of the day with a group shot of the whole wedding party up against the bar in the hotel.

Accessing the Photos from Mercedes and Kevin’s Wedding

An online gallery of all their images will be available once they are finished. If you click on the link below you will be able to sign up to receive an email notification once the photos are ready. From the online gallery you are able to favourite images, order prints and share the gallery with your family and friends.

https://JMphotosCA.shootproof.com/GunnWED

Mercedes and Kevin’s Photos Posted to Social Media

I have also created a gallery of some of the best images from the day on both our Facebook and Google+ accounts. I invite you to visit your preferred stream and share your favourites with your family and friends.
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Want to share in the experience? Contact us today for a free consultation or to book a portrait session!

Some of my Favourite Photos from Mercedes and Kevin’s Wedding

The Gunn Wedding Credits

Date | 11.12.16
Ceremony & Reception Location – Sheraton Cavalier
Photography by Jeremy Martel

Learn more about our studio

JM Photography offers Calgary families the very best in portrait and wedding photography! Our unique style and best in class experience is one of a kind. Each session is treated with the greatest of care and creativity, resulting in breathtaking imagery. We also offer Calgary newborn photography, capture maternity sessions, portraits and Calgary Wedding Photography.

We are one of the top studios in Western Canada, servicing the Calgary area, including but not limited to, Canmore, Banff, Cochrane, Chestermere, Airdrie, Lethbridge, and Red Deer. We also offer coverage in Edmonton, Vancouver and to destinations worldwide.

Jeremy Martel

A Calgary based wedding, family and event photographer that specializes in capturing the real moments of a couples story or event. He runs JM Studios and they offer couples, families, companies, corporations and brands the very best in modern photography. He began taking photos at 17 and has been captivated by mastering this art form ever since.