The McMillan’s Engagement Session at Calgary’s Bowness Park

A Wonderful Wintery Session

Amy and Tim’s Story

Amy and Tim met years and years ago in ECS when they were only 5 years old. In their ECS class photo, Tim is sitting directly behind Amy! They went through school together as casual friends. It wasn’t until they chatted at a party that they realized they had a spark. Shortly after, he asked her out on a movie date, and now, ten years later, they are getting married!

The Paris Proposal

Tim and Amy ended up moving abroad to the UK for a while. While they were there, they spent a short span apart when Tim went home for 5 months. Little did she know, while he was home he was doing a little ring shopping. Upon their reunion, they took a trip to Paris for a quick holiday. At this point, they’d been together for eight years. When their train pulled into Paris, Tim suggested they go to the Eiffel Tower straight away. The ring in his pocket was feeling heavy! He was hiding it in a bag the jeweller had given him, in case Amy spied the box.

Amy, unaware of his plans, suggested that instead they grab some food and check into their Airbnb. So finally, after groceries and dropping off their things, they headed to the Eiffel Tower. They headed all the way to the very top of the tower, up to the third observation level, before he was ready. They walked around the top a few times, Tim building up his courage. But as he was about to pop the question, the guy beside him got down on one knee and proposed to his girlfriend! Talk about stealing his thunder! Amy and Tim ended up walking around the observation deck a few more times. Amy leaned in and gave him a kiss, and when she stepped back, he seized the opportunity to get down on one knee! “Of course I will!” She answered.

Because they love the zoo, Tim and Amy are going to get married at the Calgary Zoo in March. Amy is a teacher, and when she isn’t teaching in a classroom, she’s teaching kids about animals at the booths in the zoo!

Their Engagement Session at Bowness Park

It was pretty cold on the day of their engagement session. A blizzard had rolled through Calgary and left a tonne of snow. Normally, that would have been for concern. But Amy and Tim wanted a Winter Wonderland themed shoot, so the snowfall was perfectly timed! We called them in the morning to prep them for the weather. Christina Kemp with Modern Makeovers did a beautiful job on Amy’s makeup before we met them down at Bowness Park.

After being severely damaged in the 2012 floods, Bowness Park has reopened after much redevelopment. This was the first time we had been back since it reopened, and we were all pleasantly surprised with the beauty of the space. They have a new teahouse, benches, and fire pits, and are currently developing a wading pool, which will be open in the spring of this year.

We began the shoot down at the edge of the Bow River, under snow-covered trees. Amy and Tim shuffled onto some of the frozen portions of the river, and we shot them with the sun setting through the trees. They brought hot chocolate out, along with two personalized mugs that Tim’s mom gave them for Christmas. With the A&T mugs, we sat them in a snow covered picnic area and got some shots of them pouring cocoa for each other.

Then it was time to strap on the skates. They skated around the ice, holding hands and giving us some cute shots. Out by the boat rental shop lies a little pond, which made the perfect rink. We finished the skating part of the shoot with a hockey stop, the spray from their skates puffing out in a fine mist. No winter wonderland shoot would be complete without snow angels. We found some shade, underneath which was a fresh fluffy pile of snow. The snow angels complete, it was time for a good old-fashioned snowball fight. We got some great pictures of them all covered in the misty snow.

We warmed up back in the car, but before we headed out we grabbed their rings and placed them on a pinecone in the snow. Then we set the rings right in the snow itself. The shadowy blues of the winter really made the silver and gold in their rings stand out. Those shots capped off an excellent winter session.

View the Online Gallery

There is an online gallery of all their images that will be available for the next 14 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 Amy and Tim directly for their secure password.

http://JMphotosCA.shootproof.com/McMillanENG

We are so fortunate to have had the opportunity to photograph Amy and Tim’s engagement photos and we are really looking forward to joining them on their wedding day.

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 McMillan Session

The McMillan Engagement Session Credits

Date | 02.07.17
Location | Bowness Park
Photography by Jeremy Martel
Hair and Makeup by Christina Kemp with Modern Makeovers

Learn more about our studio

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.

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.