2011 Giveaway

To my amazing Brides who have already booked and future Brides for 2011 you will be entered in a draw to win a purchased piece from Tiffany & Co. in the spirit of Valentine’s Day. But that’s not all -- a lucky follower will also win a Tiffany & Co. piece and a photo-session! -- To be eligiable simply “Like” the page on Facebook & Comment on the Blog for the week of February 7th – 14th.
Comment daily to increase your chances of winning. Tell a friend, and have them mention your name in their comment post to have both your names entered again! So Ladies tell your girl friends and help spread the love!


The 2011 Bride winner will be announced next Valentine's Day (February 14th, 2012) - and then the giveaway will continue for 2012 Brides that have booked!


The lucky follower draw will take place February 28, 2011, and all names that have commented will be collected and 1 lucky name will be pulled. The winner to be announced March 1, 2011!


So Ladies, let the giveaway begin tomorrow!

I do - someday!

January has been such a busy month, two very amazing weddings, and many a meeting with new couples for 2011 and 2012 weddings. This past weekend - Verlon (my best mate) & I went down to Bellingham and had a small shopping trip while tending to getting new tires put on my Saab. We were walking around Barnes & Noble and it just clicked - I love, "love"... that's right, I'm a total sapp for Valentines. Not so much the consumerism of the day, or the fact that boyfriends, and husbands feel obligated to do something for it - but something different. 

February, not valentines day so much - everything fills up about couples, love and sweet things involving anything shaped hearts. Okay, a lot of it is incredibly commercial - but deep down you don't need to spend a dime on the materialism. I kind of feel that with busy lives, love is often forgotten or placed by the way side. Those sweet notes left to find when no one is around, or surprises left in your car -- sometimes we forget to keep up with surprises. Love changes through time, and relationships mature - the way we show love changes. We musn't forget to always cherish the love we have. I kind of feel that we/I have in the past gone through the year and February is just that reminder "hey you have a great man or family etc - make sure they know you love and care about them!!"

I was given a book a couple years back called "The 5 Love Languages" it's a Christian author, talking about relationships and how to make them work and why sometimes we feel like something is missing and your partner doesn't. It's an amazing book - seriously read it, instant clarity! Discovering how we need to communicate love to a partner, or receive it - so important so that your "love" cup is always full.

I'm a hopeless romantic, and believe in an old fashioned love - and truly believe it does exist. The kind of love that, they make you want to be better and strive for more (okay sometimes we need that swift kick). All I'm saying is, ladies & gents - try to not forget or procrastinate... tell her/him you love them on a regular basis - life is short, make sure they know you cherish them.

I'll finish my ramblings with a photo from Erin & Larence's wedding. Their holding their niece Celina.

What I'm working on...

Just thought I'd share an image from Erin & Lawrence's January 14, 2011 wedding - working on the images, atm. Just thought I'd share how beautiful this bride is :)

How perspectives change

This past weekend started out just like every other weekend, breakfast with friends at a local restaurant (this week was iHop, I regretted not getting pancakes), and I even won $50 on a lottery ticket. Saturday afternoon was brimming with promise as the plan was to go bowling later that night -- alright it's cold outside, needed an "indoor" activity.... and then I was washing the dishes and a mason jar shattered on my wrist. Yup, it was deep and it was gross. My first thought was "what should i do?" oh right! pressure! So I made sure (while trying to drip on my t-shirt) to grab the dark towel and wrap it around my wrist, off we went to the emergency to get stitches. 

I had remembered getting stitches as a kid, and remembered it being horrifically painful... so i was a little nervous. It wasn't that bad. The worst part was blacking out in the waiting room when the nurse swapped my towel for a real bandage/gauze. Needless to say it made the wait at the Langley Emergency half the time! Score! Mind you when I wouldn't wake up, the nurse pinched me so hard --- i just remember waking up to a crazy pain in my hand. My BPM were low as were my blood pressure, and they were threatening I would need IV if it didn't change.. I did my best to perk up. 

I had a great dr, who stitched me up good as new, and the finally today I can type again without pain in my right hand! Thanks doc! 

And then Sunday Night... (insert "dun, dun dun" - terror sequel music) and the flu hit hard! I had a lack of a hand and the flu. Lucky for me the flu passed yesterday and now I'm good as new, and my hand is back in order without much pain! 

Sometimes I feel I need to be reminded of the little things. Like how much I'm missing out on my little niece growing up in Victoria, I miss her the most now... alright she doesn't know it yet, but I do. It's so hard to be far away from family sometimes and feel out of the loop on their get-togethers. Sometimes it feels so odd going home since your not really there all that often, or hearing about all the fun adventures they have while your gone. But then I plunk myself in my mom's lap and get a back massage and think "oh man, i've been missing out" and I feel right at home! 

Sometimes life gets hectic and over whelming and I feel that I really forget about the little things and get caught up in silly things. This year I'm going to try and make more time for family, because I really want to be there for my little niece as she grows up.

Sneak Peak - Erin & Lawrence

These were already posted onto Facebook but I wanted to repost them to the blog :)

The reception venue was Darvonda Nurseries - Lawrence Jansen, along with the family run this amazing spot. Those Pointsetta's you've seen over the holidays are from the local Langley Greenhouse.

Lawrence is a well known musician and he decided to play "Josh Groban's - You Raise Me up" for Erin

These were the take home - a latest in the Darvonda product, baby cucumbers!

Lawrence's Proud Parents Mr & Mrs. Jansen

Mental Blogging - Note to Self!

Remember that last blog post where I said I was going to update, and post new photos? Alright, so it got postponed. But ta dah! Here it is. I've got some down time while I wait//try and figure out why I'm having issues with the servers I'm using to upload galleries. If your waiting for Kerry & Andrew's January 2, 2011 Wedding Gallery - it should be up shortly!


In other news January has been a very busy month, and very exciting! I had the chance to photograph the first wedding of 2011 on January 2nd -- How cool is that? Bring in New Year's Day and then I get to photograph Kerry & Andrew's Wedding. 


We actually did their "Pre-Wedding" Photos on December 28th, we had some fun and went around downtown Victoria stopping off at various locations the couple had chosen. And the last stop was "Big Bad John's Pub" a small pub in downtown Victoria, well known for it's character.


The sun came out, the clouds parted and off I went to meet Kerry at the Laurell Inn in Victoria, BC. I'm being serious, the clouds really did part - it was a beautiful winter's day. Kerry & her sister had stayed up in the suite watching movies the night previous and were full of smiles when I saw them that afternoon. As always Kerry's make up looked simply stunning, and I adored her pink moccasin slippers she toated around the suite as she was getting ready. 


With much anticipation and after a few family photos we made our way to the ceremony at St. Michael's University School Chapel. It was my first time there and the ambiance was so movie like. Kerry and Andrew had a friend make jars with tea lights inside them with decorative ribbons that gave a warm glow to the inside of the chapel. It was five o'clock when the ceremony commenced - it was dark outside, and warm inside. The chapel was filled on both sides of friends and family.


Andrew stood charmingly at the end of the aisle awaiting Kerry as she made her way into the chapel and down the never-ending aisle (it was really long). After a lovely ceremony and following some family photos inside the chapel the reception was now underway at the Fernwood Inn. 


The Fernwood Inn was such a neat venue, it was my first time there and it fit so perfectly. It was like being first of all in Europe, in a small time- family pub/restaurant. It was still glittered up with christmas lights, and various christmas decor along with the tower of Candy Stand that the couple had made. The highlight was defiantely the cats ontop of the wedding cake.


Thank you both for letting me be apart of your day. I wish you both the best!

To View the Larger Versions of the photos, simply click on them!

I am so very excited finally blogger has fixed the way photos upload! I'm not going to lie, It really ruined my blogging having to go through and code each photo for a blog post... so then I slacked off and decided -- hmm facebook! So today was trial  day. There's more to come, as now I can blog with ease *big thanks to the blogger crew!!!*

Cheers for now,

Ashley

Living for the Weekend

Test Test

September, where did summer go? | Vancouver, Langley, Surrey, Abbotsford BC, Photographers

It seems like the summer just drifted off to quickly! The past couple of days have been rainy and cloudy its a true reminder of what the BC weather is like the rest of the year (I truly didn't mind forgetting for the last couple of months). Yesterday, while we went for breakfast, I found myself singing in my head "Rain, rain go away" and getting jealous at California photographers, who don't really even know what rain is. It's not that I don't like the rain, I just prefer awesome sunshine in a late summer days and being warm versus cold and wet-however for wedding photography rainy weather is the best weather. I was asked recently have I photographed in rainy weather. Yes, I've photographed quite a bit in Rainy weather and honnestly even though it's not often preffered, you get the best shots! It's real, romantic and umbrellas always look so vintage in photos.

Below are photos from Josh & Alicia's Engagement Session this past August, enjoy.

Cheers,

Ashley

September, where did summer go? 7

Alicia and Josh's Engagement | Vancouver, BC Wedding Photographer Ashley Ferreira Dragonflight Photography

Had an amazing evening with Josh and Alicia in downtown Vancouver, had to post this awesome slideshow :) I'm so excited to photograph their wedding in 2011. I wish you both nothing but the Best!

Alicia & James' Backyard Wedding | Whiterock, BC Wedding Photographer

Alicia & James had one of the most amazing back-yard weddings I have been to this summer. July 14, 2010 was the date of their wedding, included with some of the most memorable vows I’ve heard including “I vow to throw amazing parties with you” and some other funny moments making all of us smile and laugh while they read off their vows to each other. A circle of friends and family gathered around the enormous tree in the Clark’s back yard forest where Alicia and James' initials were carved in the tree.

A large white tent sat in the fresh green backyard; while a Air streamer trailer was set up as a great bar and shade for all the guests to enjoy and sip ice-tea. Speeches of James' birth were told in awkward detail to all the guests, but hey it was hilarious moment, sorry James – seeing you blush was completely photo-worthy (sorry!).

Anyway, these two are an amazing couple, and I had a completely blast at their wedding, and hope in the future I can take photos of Alicia trashing her dress (hint hint, jk!). A great bunch of friends and guest that I had the pleasure of meeting, and even another couple that I had the chance to photograph their wedding (Shilo & Josh). I wish you both nothing but the best, and good luck on your kitchen renovations!!!

Enjoy some photos.

Cheers,

Ashley

Jen & Garrett

I've fallen into a bad habit of not updating my blog with the latest photos since posting on Facebook is one click away... You don't hear about how amazing awesome the couple I photograph are, nor their love story. Well, today that changes, I want to share with you the relationships I've been a pleasure of documenting and new friendships I've made!

I photographed this amazing couple at Swan-e-set in Pitt Meadows not far from their new home in Langley, a few months back. Jen and Garrett's wedding was definately memorable! From the grandious stair cases to the deck out ballroom this wedding was one straight out of the movies especially since the couple looked like movie stars. Jen and Garrett met over a couple of drinks and the rest was history. The weather was truly a miracle, it went from pouring rain to golden sunshine just in time for their out-door ceremony and photos leaving behind some clouds of contrast far off into the distance.