Melissa Johnston Photography

It seems as though everyone wants pictures in the fall when the leaves are changing colors, but my favorite time of year to shoot is the end of autum when the trees are completely bare, the ground is crisp, and the plants have all turned brown and gone to sleep… I find nature beautiful in so many ways, even when the colours and warm weather have been stripped away to await the inevitible snowy days.

I’m currently shooting my last few sessions of the year and I am loving it because of the dull colors out there (it seems strange to say I guess). With the sun low in the sky, the light is also gorgeous this time of year (when the sun actually decides to peak out of the clouds from time to time).

Last weekend I had the pleasure of shooting Tania and Frank. Lately we’ve been blessed with some unusually warmer then normal weather for this time of year, which is great for shooting! Not only did the pleasant weather make for an easy shoot, Tania and Frank were so easy to work with! I practically never had to pose them, it’s almost like they just knew what to do! Perhaps there’s some modelling experience in there somewhere? Well whatever it is, their pictures turned out amazing! Check it out:

I’ve been to quite a few weddings (obviously) and have noticed that the ultimate best ones are those that had personal touches to them and that are different from any other wedding event. I find it is extremely important for a bride and groom to feel comfortable on their wedding day which is why I am writing this post.

Your wedding is supposed to be all about YOU! Don’t plan your wedding thinking ‘hmmm…I wonder if the guests will like this?’  or ‘is that normal on a wedding day?’. People seem to be so caught up in tradition and what is common now a days that every wedding turns out to be the exact same. Don’t you want your guests to arrive at the venue and notice the effort you put into it all?

The reason why I am writing this is because I want all of my future bride and grooms to take a step back and really try and invision what you’ve always wanted your wedding day to be like. Don’t skip out on some important details because you think that others won’t like them. What’s important is what YOU want on YOUR day. Think about it , your guests are happy – they’ve been invited. But, they are there to celebrate the love that YOU share between one another and YOUR special day!

The smallest details can make a wedding day that much more special. So I am asking all of my brides-to-be to think outside of the box. MAKE YOUR DAY ONE TO REMEMBER!

At first, you need to have a vision or an inspiration. Even if it’s just a colour that you fancy then start building off of that. Once you have a base that you can build off of, everything will flow into that direction and people will start to see a pattern and a taste of what your wedding day will be like. Then if you continue to follow that pattern, your wedding day will be unique and everyone will notice the effort, thought and those true touches that represent you and your hunny! I had a friend build her whole wedding around a piece of birch bark, and let me tell you – it was one of the most gorgeous weddings I’ve ever attended!

There are many vendors out there who are willing to help you make your day as unique and different as you want it. They are there for that and ecstatic to be able to do something out of the norm!

Here are a couple local or Canadian vendors that might help you:

My Stylish Weddings offer an assortment of details from cake toppers to favor boxes.

The Girl With the Most Cake and Cucina Dolce offer some yummy treats! Or why settle with a cake when you can offer cupcakes by Isobel.

PaperStudio or One Cat Squared Artistic Design offer anything ‘paper’. 

We all know how expensive weddings could end up being which is why there are MANY do-it-yourself wedding websites out there for those creative brides!

http://diy.wed-central.com/

http://greylikesweddings.wordpress.com

http://www.stylemepretty.com/category/wedding-resources/diy-projects/

On a different note, I am totally digging these awesome hair pieces. Whether it be for your big day or just for casual wear, you NEED to go out and purchase one! Here are a few links to get you started:

Kaang Accessories

Ban.do (These ones are great for weddings!)

LaBoheme

I was excited when Natasha suggested we do their engagement session inside their home. Having pictures taken in your home makes it that much more personal and its a good way to help you feel more comfortable when it comes to a camera being shoved in your face! It certainly helped that Nat and Chris have a beautiful home that they are justly proud of, I would be too! Its easy to see that they live a very comfortable life and getting married next September will make their humble life together that much more official. I’m really looking forward to photographing them again next summer.

LOVE this next shot! So passionate!

I’m still alive! Sorry I haven’t blogged in a while but I have been hard at work on a few different projects and trying to finally finish all of my editing. Anyway, onto the real reason for this post…

I got such an amazing amount of feedback regarding Melissa Johnston Photography starting boudoir sessions! On that note, I am proud to announce that I will be offering boudoir marathons.

I recently set up a boudoir test session in order for you all to view some samples of my boudoir work. Again, these are tasteful, sophisticated boudoir shots. My goal is to not only capture the physical beauty of a woman but to capture the essence of her being, the strength and inner allure that each and every lady holds.

Here is a slideshow of some awesome shots that I was able to capture.

This slideshow is for mature eyes ONLY. Don’t say I didn’t warn ya!

** Click Here **

*Some of these shots will be featured on my site for you all to view as well.

Thank you to all of my girls who accepted to pose for me. You all did a FANTASTIC job and I am THRILLED with the results! You are all SO beautiful inside and out A HUGE thank you to Dee Dee, my wonderful makeup artist for doing such an incredible job at beautifying the girls (although they were already beautiful). Also, thank you to my mom and aunt Diane for helping me out with things here and there including making food and bringing props! I love you!

This is just to let everyone know that my phone is broken and I won’t be getting it back for 2 weeks. If you have tried to reach me, I am so sorry but it’s taking me a little longer to respond back. Email is better for me at this time. If you have called me, be patient! I will be in touch soon!