EXPLORING OUR SECOND HOME | JAPAN TRAVEL PHOTOGRPAHY /  by Lindsay Naito

During the fall & winter of 2015, we were extremely fortunate to be able to spend some quality time in Japan, our home away from home. Not only did we get to work on some really cool projects -- an awesome wedding, a video for a local sake brewery, some shots for a food magazine, and commercial work for some very special people to name a few! -- but we also set aside some time to travel. None of these places were new to us, but that's exactly why we chose them! After such a wildly busy year, it felt so great to relax and play tourists in places we know so well. 

The following are just a few shots from our wanderings in the Kansai Area, Ishikawa Prefecture, and, the place nearest and dearest to our hearts, the Echizen Coast of Fukui Prefecture. 

KANSAI

ISHIKAWA

FUKUI

ANRI & NAM | JAPAN WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY /  by Lindsay Naito

We've been so fortunate to have lived in different countries, and every day we're grateful for the people and experiences that helped us grow personally, as a couple, and as photographers. There are, however, some downsides to having lived an expat life, and one of them is that, despite how much we love Vancouver, we're often pretty homesick. This is especially true when it comes to Japan, so you can imagine how thrilled we were when Anri & Nam asked us to be a part of their wedding in Fukui!

We started the day off at La La Prima Donna, the wedding boutique where both the bride and groom were getting ready.  We always love this part of the day, but it was especially cool to see the process of dressing the bride in her wedding ceremony kimono. This is a huge job that requires two people, endless clips, layers, and ties, and an enormous amount of skill. It also requires a lot of time, but trust us when we say it's well worth the wait -- these kimono are absolutely stunning! 

From there, we met the guests -- including the groom's family and friends who had flown in from Australia -- at the beautiful Asuwa Shrine for a traditional Shinto wedding ceremony. The ceremony was followed by an afternoon reception at Yours Hotel, and the "Nijikai", or second party, was held at Asuwayama Deck, a super hip venue overlooking the entire city. 

It was a dream come true to shoot such a beautiful event in our Japanese "hometown", and we're so grateful that we were able to be a part of such a special day! 

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2015 - A LOOK BACK /  by Lindsay Naito

We're currently in Japan getting some much needed R&R, eating way too much delicious food, and reflecting on the past year. With our first wedding season in the Vancouver industry and jobs that took us around the world, 2015 has been insanely busy and absolutely amazing! All of this has also meant that we've got some catching up to do on our blog, so we decided to put together a bit of a highlight post to celebrate the past year. 

To ALL of our 2015 clients, from the bottom of our hearts, thank you for making our first season in Vancouver so memorable -- we'll be forever grateful for the opportunities you gave us and for being such a blast to hang out with! To our 2016 clients, we can't tell you how excited we are for the coming year! Is it wedding season yet?!

We've still got some end of the year photo & video editing to wrap up (and we promise to blog it!), but, in the meantime, here's a small sample of what we've been up to in 2015. A big 良いお年を (Have a good New Year!) from Japan! 

Lindsay & Aaron


BRETTON & CHRIS | VANCOUVER ISLAND WEDDING VIDEO /  by Lindsay Naito

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Bretton and Chis's video is now up! To check out all the magic, head over to our video page! Their day was too much fun, and we think it shows.

We also need to give some serious credit to the amazing vendors that helped make this day so glorious -- check them out below. 

Planning: French Kiss Events
Photography: Kristyn Harder Photography
Flowers: Verbena Floral Design
Catering: Custom Gourmet Catering
Oyster Bar: The Wandering Mollusk
Makeup: Belle Amour
Hair: Andrea Williams

LUCKY & MARK | VANCOUVER WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY /  by Lindsay Naito

Lucky and Mark got in touch with me way back when I was still living in HK, and I spent the next year counting down the days until their wedding!  They're two of the loveliest people I've ever met, and being a part of their day was nothing short of amazing. 

Here are a few shots from Lucky & Mark's beautiful UBC Boathouse wedding. 

DESK TO GLORY | PHOTOS & VIDEO /  by Lindsay Naito

We all define home in different ways. To a lot of people it's a specific city; for others, it's their parents' house. But, for some, home is a red Toyota pickup and the person sitting next to you. 

Ashley & Richard are the overlanding duo that make up Desk to Glory. They hail from Vancouver, but you'll currently find them on the road, somewhere between Panama and Patagonia. That's all we'll say for now... for more of their story, check out the video below! 

Working with Desk to Glory was nothing short of inspiring. They pushed us creatively, and simply being around them was a great reminder of how contagious enthusiasm can be. If we were able to capture even a fraction of their passion and drive, then we've done our job. 

You can follow Ashley & Richard's travels at www.desktoglory.com. 

CINDY | HONG KONG PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY /  by Lindsay Naito

Hebe Haven is such a unique place, and Cindy was so much fun to work with. We're looking forward to uploading some of our new work from Vancouver in the coming weeks, but that doesn't mean we're not missing all of the wonderful people and dynamic locations in Hong Kong!

MING & ZOEY - ENGAGED! I HONG KONG ENGAGEMENT PHOTOGRAPHY /  by Lindsay Naito

This shoot was really special for a couple of reasons. To start, it was our last major project in Hong Kong. After a year of exploring and being surrounded by some amazingly talented and creative people, it was so great to finish off the year with such a fun shoot. More importantly, however, we were so happy to be working with Ming and Zoey. These two are so many things to us; they're fellow photographers, loyal friends, and amazing mentors. We have so much respect for these two and the work they do, and we were incredibly honoured to be behind the camera for their engagement/pre-wedding photos and video. 

Congratulations, M&Z! We love and miss you!