Tea time at the Empress - Fairmont Empress Victoria BC

It's a Sunday, a day for pretty dresses, church and family. My mother always dressed me in these dresses that made me look like a little pastry. Colours of pinks, purples and blues with floral designs all over them. My favourite dresses however were always white to my mother's dismay - she dreaded washing white clothing from a child. We would get out from church and hop in our car and drive home and have family Brunch after church. Sunday was our lazy family day. And on good days (when my parent's were feeling okay) we would go for a 'passeio' (Portuguese for "outing") which meant we would go for a drive in downtown Victoria past the harbour front. If I was 'good' that usually meant a stop at dairy queen for some ice cream afterwards.

I loved our Sunday 'passeio' they were my favourite part of being out with my parents - just driving around in the family car. Not much has changed. I still love driving in the car, and exploring. I love getting in the car and seeing where we end up. Verlon and I constantly take drives out into the valley to explore or down in Washington. Sometimes I feel like I was meant to be a dog, and stick my head out the window since I'm always just so excited to go for "car rides". Yikes, my future kids are totally going to only get to sleep by riding in the car!

I always remembered when we would go for our drives downtown looking at the Empress and wanting to go for Tea so badly, or to even stay at the Empress. Well, at this point I have done both. And I finally had a chance to get my mother to go with me for Tea at the Empress before my birthday. These photos below are from our trip to the Empress and tea time. I'm such a sucker for nice tea porcelain! 

This past weekend I was working on the island and had a lovely Wedding and Engagement sessions. - Today my mother and I went for a car drive out to Sooke and had ice tea's on a patio at a special spot on the island. I was glad to make up for my absence yesterday to hang out with her today. Even though she drives me crazy sometimes with mothering (too much love!) I appreciate and value her so much. Love you mom!

Adrienne & Nathan's Sneak PeakWedding | Victoria, BC Wedding Photographer

They said their vows on the beautiful back terrace garden overlooking the Esquimalt ocean innlet in Victoria BC on July 2, 2011. More photos to come from that beautiful day, but for now a sneak peak! I had always wondered what a real life Cinderella would look like and I'm pretty sure it would be Adrienne! Adrienne and Nathan are one of the sweetest couples I had ever met, I felt truly blessed to be apart of their wedding day. I had this feeling as if I already knew them both were so much longer and beyond being their wedding photographer. Adrienne and Nathan even manage to make me shed a tear at the end of the night when she said she was so happy to have myself and Dayne there to capture the day! 

The way these two were together was so intoxicating to watch (and obviously photograph). The way Nathan looked at Adrienne, and the way she would touch or kiss him back said it all without words. Yet again the never ending proof that True-Love does exist. I felt like I was watching a fairytale unfold with these two the whole day. And I know if Adrienne's reading this she's probably having a little laugh because of a few 'bumps' in the road that switched up the day - but those now are funny, unique memories and apart of the story. More to come from their wedding, enjoy their sneak peak!

Thanks again!

 did I not say Cinderella!!

 the back terrace of the Delta Hotel, where they had their 'First Look'

I just loved this, it wasn't posed or anything -- just Nathan being a true gentlemen helping Adrienne down the stairs.