2020 was a year none of us could have predicted. This year was our first year officially as Tim + Court Photo and Film and it was going to be our biggest year yet. We made the decision to cap how many bookings we took, due to burn out last season. We bought new gear, hired out new services, and we were ready for a year of massive growth in our business. What we ended up experiencing was nothing we could have prepared for.
Instead of shooting every single weekend (sometimes twice) from May through September, we shot maybe every few weeks, sometimes going a month without a session. Our clients had to make the difficult choice between going forward with their weddings with elements and people missing, or postpone it until things got better again. We mourned the loss of business and connection. We were worried if our business would even survive. We cried - a lot. Despite all the difficulties, we also found a lot of joy in the midst of it all.
We shot more elopements than actual weddings - which is something we’ve been dreaming of for a long time. We were given more time to pour into the projects we did have. We checked a couple places off our photography bucket list. We learned more about our craft. We explored our province a little more, out of pure boredom. We started new hobbies. We learnt a lot about ourselves and each other. We experienced so much support and grace from our incredible clients, for which we are so grateful for. Best of all, we witnessed our clients chose love over and over again. We’re so lucky that our job was literally capturing all the joy and goodness that did come out of this year. We’re really really lucky.
We cannot wait to finally celebrate all our couples that didn’t get to this year, and we’re so thrilled for all those that did. Most of all, thank you for including us.
Here's a few of our favourite moments from this year. ❤
It's crazy to look back on sessions pre-covid and how different everything felt. Back in February, Lindsay and Dave invited us into their home for their engagement session and it was so cozy and fun to see them in their own space loving on each other.
One of our all time favourite elopements actually happened pre-covid in February! On a chilly Thursday morning, Joelle and Barret decided to scrap tradition and exchange vows at their favourite local ice cream shop, Village Ice Cream. The shop opened an hour early for them so they could have the place to themselves. After some ice cream (obviously), we adventured around East Village, drank Phil & Sebastian coffee, and they ended the night off with dinner with their two close friends. Now that's what we call a wedding day.
Riley and Madison was our only full wedding day this year not affected by covid. We're so grateful these two could have the wedding day of their dreams, when only a few short weeks later wouldn't have been possible. They celebrated with their closest friends and family at the Hangar Museum in northern Calgary. Twinkle lights hung from the ceiling and the guests threw paper airplanes as they walked down the aisle as husband and wife. It was perfect.
Back in March, out of a desire to simply create for fun, we put together a creative shoot with our close friends in a C-Train station. We wanted to convey every day love, like the couples you see cuddled up together on a train ride home. It was a weekday and we had the station almost entirely to ourselves. It felt so good to shoot just for fun and exercise some creative ideas. Considering this happened only days before the first lockdown, I'm so grateful we had this opportunity to create freely.
Stacey and Michael are long time clients of ours. We've captured their engagement session, their wedding, their maternity photos, and now their newborn session. We were fortunate enough to be welcomed into their home and document those precious first few weeks of their babies life. So so grateful for clients that invite us to capture each milestone.
We feel so deeply for all our clients that had to change plans this year. Janine and Jaron were one of those couples that had to completely re-plan everything. Even up to the last week before, they were building and making decorations. Incredibly, they even had their caterer offer up their property when they couldn't find a reception venue. Nothing could stop this day from happening and it was incredible to watch their resiliency and trust in God through all the obstacles. The day came together perfectly and we're so grateful we got to document it.
Ashley and Shaun were eager to start their lives together, but with covid forcing them to postpone their big wedding plans, they decided to elope instead. Within a few weeks of their date, Ashley reached out asking for some ideas on where we could go, so we suggested a place that had been on our bucket list for a while - Bow Lake. It's the most stunning crystal blue lake with towering mountain peaks and a gorgeous waterfall in the distance. With the roaring wind, birds chirping, and waves crashing as background noise, they committed their lives to each other. It was the most beautiful day and we're so excited to celebrate them all over again with their family and friends in 2021.
Lindsay and Dave planned to celebrate with their friends and family on a warm summer day at a local restaurant in Calgary. Instead, they snuck away to a lookout in Dave's hometown, Millarville, to elope privately. The sun set behind the hills and gave us the most beautiful cotton candy sky and the grass waved in the wind. It wasn't what they originally planned, but we think it turned out so much better.
Like many others, Taylor and Andrew couldn't wait to begin their lives together. They cancelled their original wedding plans and on a Friday morning they had breakfast with their families and got legally married in their living room. Later that day, we met them in the middle of Kananaskis Country at Mount Engadine Lodge where they got dressed up, exchanged vows, and drank champagne. They always knew they wanted a more intimate wedding day, so having to change their plans actually gave them the unique opportunity to plan a truly authentic day. The best part was leaving at the end of the night and their grinning faces saying "this was an amazing day."
Colin and Cheyanne met at a family camp called Camp Harmatten nine years ago. Five years later, they fell in love there. A few years after that, they got engaged there. When planning their wedding day, it made perfect sense to return to the camp that held so many memories. When we chatted over FaceTime, they told us they just wanted a simple day exploring the place that meant so much to them. So after exchanging vows in front of their friends and families, we ventured around the camp as they recounted their favourite moments and stories from over the years.
As the covid cases started to die down a bit, larger weddings began to seem like a possibility again. While they didn't get to invite everyone they had planned, we're so glad Brenna and Orin got to have a slice of the wedding they had dreamed of. Elopements hold a special place in our hearts, but there really is something so great about a room full of people who love you. We love the toasts, the dancing, the mingling. Here's a couple photos from their sparkler exit! The sparklers lasted longer than we thought so we got them to run through a couple times. Our favourite moment was Orin finally having enough and running off eagerly with his new bride ;)
Chrissy and Matt's Fernie wedding was a day we'll never forget. It was a weekend full of laughs, tears, drinks, late nights, dancing, and all their closest friends and family rallying together to bring their vision to life. Some wedding days, you'll see guests and you can guess that they're likely a distant relative or maybe a friend of the parents. Not these two. Every single person there that day LOVED these two and wanted nothing but the best for them.
There was something so special and intimate about Jaclyn and Adam's wedding day, it was such a joy to witness after a season of disconnection. For a while, it seemed like their dream of celebrating with their people might not be possible, but by a stroke of luck they found a new ceremony venue and it all fell together perfectly. There may have been a few extra feet between people and masks covering smiles, but it was a perfect day nonetheless.
We met with Stephanee and Byron for coffee earlier this year before covid and we instantly knew we loved them and couldn't wait to document their day. What felt like a lifetime later in September, we finally captured their engagement session in one of the most beautiful locations we know. Here's a couple favourites from that day.
One of our favourite days this year was R and R's wedding day. We don't always get the chance to shoot in urban locations with cityscapes since we're usually out in the mountains. This was a wonderful opportunity to stretch our skills and we're really proud of the images. R inquired with us only a few months before their big day and somehow last minute bookings always end up being our favourites. They were such a joy to work with and we're just so dang happy for them.
September was a packed full month for us with numerous engagement sessions every week. We were blessed with an extra long fall this year and the colours were incredible to shoot in. One of our favourite sessions was Hilary and Daniel's hiking session in Kananaskis with their new puppy! PLEASE please always bring your dogs to sessions.
Another adorable puppy at an engagement shoot. Obviously we had to share.
The greatest blessing that came out of this year was the love and support we received from our clients. It wasn't easy running a business this year and Chrissy was a serious RAY OF LIGHT. She constantly reached out to make sure we were doing ok and we just want her to know how much that meant to us. We feel so lucky to have such incredible clients. We wanted to share a few favourites from their intimate Banff wedding this fall. Chrissy got ready at the Fairmont Banff Springs with her immediate family before meeting Joel for their first look at Vermillion Lakes. Ironically, they planned a fall wedding in hopes of having cooler weather, but instead it was one of the hottest fall days we've ever seen. With a stunning mountain backdrop, they exchanged vows in front of their immediate families and it was the sweetest (also sweatiest lol) day.
To cap off the year, we got to document the most stunning Banff elopement for Irena and Arcady. Irena had always wanted to elope but it was also important to include Arcady's family so they opted for a larger wedding day. When covid forced them to change their plans, they began to realize that their elopement dreams might be a possibility after all. They traded their summer wedding day to a December elopement and while it was bittersweet not having their families present, having their dream intimate wedding was quite the silver lining. We're so grateful they chose to include us on their beautiful day.
Thanks for reading, we can't wait for 2021!