The Cunningham’s Wedding at Calgary’s Hotel Blackfoot

A Fun Filled Wedding Day Along the Shores of Midnapore Lake

Caitlin and Drew’s Getting Ready

The Guys Getting Ready at the Couple’s Home

We started the day of the Cunningham Wedding at their home in Midnapore, a beautiful lake community in southwest Calgary.  Caitlin and Drew had the house sectioned off, with the guys in one and the girls in the other. His best man Shawn and groomsman Joel accompanied Drew. We started photographing the guys with a few standard getting ready shots: ties being tied and cufflinks being fastened.

When we were finished with the guys they headed out into the gorgeous shady backyard to wait for the first look.

The Girls Getting Ready in the Room Next to the Guys

We then started into the getting ready shots with the bride, her maid of honor Heather, and her bridesmaid Tianna. A few of the girls with Arbonne came over to do hair and makeup. We took some shots of Caitlin’s beautiful ring while they were getting ready. Then we made sure to get a few photographs of Caitlin with Tianna and Shawn’s daughters, who were both serving as flower girls.  Caitlin’s parents joined in for the getting ready shots, and her mom helped her into her dress from Echo Evenings & Bridal. After she was in the dress and sandals, we took her out into the backyard for the first look.

Caitlin and Drew’s First Look

Caitlin entered the backyard through a sliding door that opens onto the deck, which overlooks the beautiful backyard and the large trees. Drew stood among the trees with the family in the background. This is where he saw her for the first time. It was a moving moment, and it was touching that they included their family in the first look. Afterwards, Shawn and Tianna’s dog sauntered between the couple, flopped onto the ground, and demanded tummy rubs from everyone.

After the first look a picnic was prepared, so everyone sat around and had something to eat before heading out for family formals. It was a very intimate lunch, and photos were done quickly, as the group was small. Both Caitlin and Drew’s grandparents made the trek to take the outdoor family photos at Midnapore Lake. The lake is an amazing space that residents of the community can use. We stuck around here for the creative formals too.

The Creative Formals at Midnapore Lake

So, we started the creative formals off with the whole wedding party and the flower girls. The girls are quite young, and that means they have a lot of energy. While we were doing the session they were playing around us, and this gave us some really neat moments to shoot. The photos with the girls were more like lifestyle photography, with the two of them running around the couple.

At the lake we found an incredible waterfall, and we used the whole water feature for some incredible wide shots. The waterfall runs from the top of the hill all the way down to the lake, and it was incredibly beautiful and dramatic. We rounded out the creative formals on top of a bridge that spans a creek, which feeds into the lake.

Their Ceremony at Hotel Blackfoot

After the creative formals, we were off to Hotel Blackfoot, a contemporary hotel just off of Blackfoot Trail. Officiant Judy Walker with Ceremonies by Design began the ceremony: a short and sweet affair at only 20 minutes. Caitlin’s piano playing Aunt with Occasional Notes provided the music. Caitlin had always hoped that her aunt would play for her wedding, so this was a dream come true. Tianna the bridesmaid also sang a beautiful song.

Caitlin and Drew incorporated a wine box ceremony into their day. The rules are simple: On the wedding day they place two notes and a bottle of wine in the box. Five years from now, on their anniversary, they will open the box, read the letters, and drink the wine. Then, they will replace the letters and wine and repeat this every five years. It is a very beautiful time capsule of their love. They wrapped up with the signing and recession, where they were finally announced as Mr. and Mrs. Cunningham.

The Cunningham’s Reception at Hotel Blackfoot

The upstairs Sundance Room at Hotel Blackfoot held the reception. The Cunningham’s wedding colors were navy and white, and these colors could be seen everywhere, from chair covers to the flower girls’ dresses. The guestbook was actually a large plinko board with wooden hearts. Guests wrote their names on the hearts and dropped them down through the plexiglass, where they all stacked together. Shawn the best man also served as emcee, and he did a wonderful job.

The Dinner provided by the talented culinary staff at Hotel Blackfoot

Dinner was served. The hotel put on a delicious buffet style meal of pork loin, mashed potatoes, ravioli, steamed veggies, and salads, followed by dessert.

Speeches came next, followed by a slideshow, and then the dance by Brent Darling with All Play DJ.
Many fun moments filled the night. The Cunningham’s had a photo booth set up that provided entertainment for the guests. The kissing menu provided plenty of laughs, because instead of clinking glasses, guests could do pushups, sing, or give an example kiss. The best man Shawn and his wife Tianna decided to give an example of a kiss that the newlyweds had to follow. They really upped the game. Shawn did a headstand while Tianna kissed him! Drew was adamant that he couldn’t possibly follow suit, but with some help from his groomsmen he was able to do a handstand and kiss his new bride upside-down!

Cutting the cake created by Hotel Blackfoot

The cake cutting was also turned into a bit of a game. Two donation bins were set up, one with the bride’s name and one with the groom’s. By the time cake cutting came around, whoever’s jar had the most money in it would have the cake smashed in their face. It was no surprise that Drew’s bin had the most money, since the groomsmen dumped the bride’s bin into his. Therefore, Caitlin got to smash the cake in Drew’s face.  It was a hilarious moment.

Online Gallery

An online gallery of all their images is available for the next 30 days. From the online gallery you are able to favourite images, order prints and share the gallery with your family and friends. The gallery can be accessed via the link below and you can contact Caitlin and Drew directly for their secure password.

https://JMphotosCA.shootproof.com/CunninghamWED

The Cunningham Wedding Day Slideshow

Above is the beautiful Wedding Slideshow that came with Caitlin and Drew’s wedding package. It was created from a selection of their best photos captured on their special day, mixed to their wedding song Better Together by Jack Johnson.

We are so fortunate to have had the opportunity to share Caitlin and Drew’s special day with them and we wish them many years of happiness together.

Want to share in the experience? Contact us today for a free consultation or to book a portrait session!

Calgary Wedding Photographers – JM Photography © 2016
http://dev.jmweddings.ca

Some of my Favourite Photos from Caitlin and Drew’s Wedding

The Cunningham Wedding Credits

Date | 8.13.16
Officiant – Judy Walker with Ceremonies by Design
Ceremony and Reception Venue – Hotel Blackfoot
Makeup – Samantha Lees
Wedding Cake – Hotel Blackfoot
Florist – Calgary Silk Plant Warehouse
DJ – Brent Darling with All Play DJ
Photography by Jeremy Martel & Amy Cheng

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

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