Matthew and Kate met while going to school at Western University and as Matt puts it, their meeting touches on a theme threaded through his entire life – he considered himself the luckiest person on earth. Both Kate and Matt are generous, loving people with a lot of beautiful family support. Their wedding took place on gorgeous property out in Whistler, British Columbia with many friends and family members. In meeting Kate, Matt could not pass on the opportunity of getting to know her better and introduced himself by first starting with the line “I think I know you from somewhere.” Matt continued pursuing Kate and they found out they had a lot in common; living in the same building, going to the same school, and even knew some of the same people. One night, Matt made the best bet of his life – betting on The Seahawks vs The Steelers when The Steelers won (something they were both hoping for). The best part was Matt would later have to meet up with Kate to settle the bet and the rest was history.
Tag: Paperback Films
Motown Wedding
We found it really inspiring that Samantha and Adam decided that they wanted to have a unique and personal wedding for themselves and for their guests. Sometimes its hard to incorporate this during a hectic day like a wedding, but this was exactly what they did. It was calling for rain that day, but for some reason the clouds cleared up and they were able to have a beautiful outdoor wedding. Perhaps someone was looking over them that day :). The band that played during their reception (Ronn Easton’s All Star Soul Review) had been seen by them in Minneapolis 5 years prior. When they heard them they had just started dating and said to themselves “one day we wanted them to play at our wedding”. Some how, it worked out perfectly.
We should also mention it was also a pleasure working with Izabela Rachwal for the day! Good times…
Please enjoy the absolutely amazing couple, Adam & Samantha. Their wedding was spectacular, genuine and personal.
Tale of two cities
Lainey and Paul grew up down the street from each other in the city of Winnipeg, went to the same elementary school and attended the same summer camp only to meet and fall in love in the city of Toronto. Let’s add one more point, the connection took place on Facebook with the help of some friends and family hoping that this match was meant to be. With the past bringing them so close together you would think they would have many things in common, yet their differences make them the wonderful and engaging couple they are. We wish them the most joyous and adventurous marriage possible!
We had an incredible time filming their wedding which took place at the Fort Garry Hotel and worked along side Curtis Moore Photography, which is always a highlight for us.
A Gift from Heaven
Like the title says, it was the way these two came together. It was really interesting to listen to the pastor go through the history of how Ashely and Ryan’s parents met as couples which lead to the story of how Ashley & Ryan finally met. Its not every day you hear the path that people take to eventually find each other. Ashley & Ryan are a very special couple who were destined to meet. It was a pleasure to spend the day with Ryan, the enthusiastic happy guy. Ashley was just the same, her sweet smile and positive demeanour created a perfect recipe for everyone around them. You could feel the connection they had with each other and their family and friends. It created an atmosphere of celebration and appreciation.
We were blessed to have been a part of this day. We don’t take it for granted one bit. Couple trust us to create a memory of the day that will live with them for a very long time. We wish them all the best in their lives together. They are truly each others soul mates. Thanks to Lucky Girl Photography, we love working with you, what else can we say :). Enjoy the film!
It’s Anna, Right?
Anna was described by her sister as being brilliant, kind hearted, athletic, driven, determined, well travelled and at times extremely excitable. A fitting description, we can assure you. Meeting Anna the first time over coffee and again the morning of her wedding, she was so excited about her wedding. And so were we. Her parents were so happy to see Anna and Barak come together as a couple; they both have a great appreciation for family which meant so much.
Barak is a practical & friendly person and it was said that he has a gift for friendship. He’s the one who would get things organized when they all went on camping trips. Barak has Hebrew significance meaning “lightning”, “to give light” and “to be visible”. At the reception, his father had established that the heroic side of that name’s meaning relates to his position as a teacher. He’d coached the students at his school into having a championship volleyball team.
Anna & Barak are both a joy to be around; they’re extremely fun. It was also great working with Moore Photography, Aspire Studios, & Soiree Event Planning.
The Döner
The first time we met with Nada & John they were set on hosting their wedding day in the Rocky Mountains. Their idea of a perfect wedding was being surrounded by the beauty and majestic landscape along with their closest family and friends. The Paintbox Lodge is a cozy boutique hotel in the heart of Canmore, Alberta which the entire family could enjoy together. Having the newly joined families relaxing and dinning together at the lodge was the perfect way to seal this bond.
Nada & John’s story is filled with adventure and includes a group of hilarious friends that set up their first meeting. Jessie & Henry saw the potential the two had together and didn’t stop laying down hints that the two of them should meet. With the Calgary Stampede coming up it was a perfect time to arrange a meet up. And, as they say, the rest is history. With their mutual love of the mountains and outdoor lifestyle they quickly became a couple that sent a lot of time in Canmore. The ceremony was held at the Alpine Club of Canada over looking the treed valley and mountain tops. The Tavern 1883‘s log cabin style restaurant was a great way to incorporate the love of the outdoors for the reception.
We had an incredible time working with Jenn from Open Images and her images of the wedding are gorgeous!
I’m So Lucky
It’s easy, “All You Need Is Love”! This line from the famous Beatle’s song sets the tone for Melanie + Dean’s Feature. They ultimately met online as so many of our couples do, and they have built an inspiring relationship on trust and commitment. That being said, these two have so much fun together! They make each other laugh constantly and you will see from their film that joy and laughter is a significant part of their lives. Melanie + Dean consider themselves “lucky”, that they get to be together and experience the rich blessings of companionship and love. Hearing from their friends and family it is clear they have been shown what it means to love unconditionally, and triumph over adversity, so their “luck” will serve them well into the future.
It was a pleasure working with this all-star line up: BLF photography, Soiree Event Planning, Hotel Fort Garry, Planned Perfectly, and the Danny Kramer Band.
Mia Principessa
In this quaint town of Lorette, located just outside of Winnipeg is the Parish of Notre Dame where Christa and Jeffrey were married. The bell tower stands tall above the fabric of the land and the architectural painting on the ceiling speaks of it’s grandness. At the end of the ceremony they walked out to the sound of bagpipes bellowing out from the upper balcony; the church rumbled under it’s resounding power and the truth is it made us jump as we were not expecting it. It was a nice surprise.
Christa and Jeffrey’s highlight film is a vibrant reflection of their relationship. Together they experienced a long distant relationship while Jeffrey was studying in Boston and they also had their engagement in Italy. With adventures and travels like these it was also fitting that their priest, Alan Forgarty, their long time friend resides in Rome. Christa and Jeffrey expressed powerful tokens of affection through their letters, gifts, and their vows, all of which we could use to carry their film along. We encourage our couples to include the people that mean so much to them. Christa and Jeffrey chose their Grandmother to perform a special reading in the ceremony, adding a very personal touch to the film.
We hope you enjoy their film as much as we had crafting it together!
Thanks again to Joel Ross of Joel Ross Photography for making the day so enjoyable and to Emma Singn of Events by Emma for the incredible design and event planning. We also love working with Dale and Melissa from The Gates because of their premium food and service.
A Wedding Planner’s Wedding
We’ve always find a couple scenarios that could potentially make us get really nervous when filming. Things like bad weather; it can really change the look and feel of the day. It was something else for this wedding. It was filming someone whom you deeply respect and know as a friend. You always want to make the story perfect. The butterfly’s where of plenty.
We have known Andrea for a long time, both personal and professionally. We usually have the great privilege of working with her event planning company, Soiree Event Planning. She has literately seen us in every scenario possible, especially during same day edit. So naturally, when she asked us to film her wedding, we were thrilled! We also had the privilege of working along side our friend Jeremy Hiebert.
What we love about this film is its such a simple, timeless story. Andrea could have done anything she wanted. She has seen it all. But she kept everything meaningful and elegant for herself and her husband Ryan. A simple expression of exactly who they are. It was a privilege to be apart of this day. We were able to once again, not only work along side Andrea, a friend, but were also a witness of their commitment and celebration.
Who’s the Unicorn?
Heather and Chris’s eyelash trick was all a ploy to sneak in a kiss.. it didn’t work but the attempt spoke for itself, the message was clear. But wait, this also meant Heather was not an ordinary woman.. she was special. Chris and his fellow men had a test to see weigh in on the character of a woman pending the right timing of coarse and Chris went for it while at Rushing River while on a camping trip. Love can blossom in so many ways and naturally it can happen over normal day to day events. We love to hear stories like this that bring out the full scope of who these two people are. The moment of truth came when Heather was not swayed by the fake eyelash question and figured out what was about to happen before Chris could follow through. Thus she was a true unicorn as per Chris and his friends had determined what that character would look like. Love stories…. we don’t grow weary of them and in fact it spurs us on to tell them as best we can.
Evening Delight
Jess and Jake are two people deeply in love. So much so that Jake surprised Jess with a five year wedding anniversary vow renewal on their patio with 35 guests. Being there to witness their exchange and account of what they mean to each other was emotional and inspiring and hearing how much they cherish each other is a true testament of what a thriving marriage can look like. Jake did a heck of a job planning everything for the surprise and pulled off an amazing celebration. The weather was gorgeous and evening light was magical. The dancing continued as the sun went down and it was a close and intimate time, just beautiful. Being the amazing photographers they are (Kamp Photography) it was a privilege to capture this time in their lives that will be so meaningful to them in the years ahead. Hearing Jakes account of his planning and surprising is a must read as well.
Pièce De Résistance
Our goal is always to capture people’s personalities and their characteristics in a film. It’s a challenge to fit everything into a same day edit (given the time constraint), but we’re always up for a good challenge. As colourful (planning by Soiree, flowers by Academy) and detailed (check out those cards by OnePlusOne and photography by Lani Elias) as everything was that day, for us – a story is everything.
Dena and Dustin are an amazing couple. What really stood out to us was their ceremony. It was so personal and sincere. They sealed a time capsule during their ceremony containing wine, glasses, the day’s newspaper, a dress Dena wore on their first date and their vows. Sealed for 10 years, being opened again 2023. Imagine when they both look through these things again? It’s a whole other way to experience the wedding day again.
Weddings are generally full of suprises. Dena and Dustin’s biggest suprise (next to the full custome chicken dance at the reception) was during their ceremony when they decided to take time after their vows to honour their close family sitting in the first two rows. They brought each of them roses and hugs and as they went down the isles, you could feel the warmth and awe everyone had for this newly married couple. It was a powerful moment and it spoke so well of their character.
Eyelashes Light the Fire
Heather and Chris’s spark started with a question, “do you have fake eyelashes?” Seems like a reasonable question if the circumstances were different, for instance not on a camping trip. Well these two made a connection that day that will forever be their story. We got to know Heather and Chris really well during their portraiture session which you will see pieces of in the Same Day Edit. Each of the them walked us through their first meeting story and how the progression lead them to their wedding day, which is always interesting and fun to hear two sides of the same story. And then on the wedding day this first meeting story came out in several versions. So from our perspective we have a pretty good idea of how this all came about, hearing it from them, and their close friends tying it altogether. We’ll be later sharing their Feature on our blog, which ties their films and completes their story.
When we first met with them back in 2011 they were so excited about having a film to capture their day and decided on adding a Same Day Edit to allow their guests to experience it with them. The upbeat nature of their personalities and outlook on life shone through in each of their films and it was a huge highlight for us to play their Same Day Edit. The Gates as always was a beautiful backdrop to have their wedding and their service and staff are impeccable. We were also very lucky to work with Jack & Ruby Photography who are always fun to work with. Of course there were many more very talented people working behind the scenes who we appreciate working with, cheers to everyone who made the day look and flow so smoothly.
Eyelashes Light the Fire
Heather and Chris’s spark started with a question, “do you have fake eyelashes?” Seems like a reasonable question if the circumstances were different, for instance not on a camping trip. Well these two made a connection that day that will forever be their story. We got to know Heather and Chris really well during their portraiture session which you will see pieces of in their Same Day Edit.
Each of the them walked us through their first meeting story and how the progression lead them to their wedding day, which is always interesting and fun to hear two sides of the same story.
“Do you love me?”… “Why?… “Because I do”…
When we heard Ben’s speech to Tran we couldn’t help but get excited because, little did he know, he had just given us a core narrative piece for this film. We sat back after the wedding and started storyboarding their adventure. No one forced these two together… it just worked out. There was something special about Ben and Tran’s first dance. Something seemed familiar. To their guests, it was something new. To us, Ben and Tran carried out every turn throughout their day as they kept celebrating. Rehearsing their carefully thought-out steps and twirls. That dance became a major thread in their story; it was exhilarating to see how they all just fit together – almost flawlessly.
As always, the day flew by so fast and there was truly special moments for us. After dinner, we accompanied Curtis Moore to the river bank at the Gates on Roblyn during sunset. These two lost themselves in the moment. It could not have been a more perfect cap to the day (it did get better). The water was still and the air was filled with tiny dandelion seeds dancing around, giving us a a beautiful canvas as they continued dancing. We feel so fortunate to have been part of their special day. They truly made us feel apart of their family. Thank to Curtis Moore of Moore Photography and Melissa from the Gates on Roblyn. It’s always a pleasure working with a great team.
Text Messages and a Wedding
This day was very much anticipated by Isanne and Jordan (us too!). One thing we quickly understood about Jordan is that he loves both Isanne and his phone. During his introduction in the film, the footage has a bit more movement than usual; it was impossible not to laugh with them ;). We were so impressed with how Isanne showed her love for Jordan. From giving each other cards, gifts, little winks and smiles throughout the day, they showed the imense love and emotional connection they both had which helps us recreate the feeling in their story. They both looked like a match made in Heaven.
When putting together their Feature, we took a lot of care in evaluating what kind of couple we are filming; Jordan and Isanne made the job fairly easy. When we sat down and discusses what the story was going to be and how it should feel, we soon decided on building the film to a cinematic soundtrack. Listening to what the Rabbi had to say, it was a very meaningful, well thought out message which acted as a cornerstone narration to their film. His message was powerful and it was able to sustain. It set the expectation perfectly, which we were able to build off of. To compliment how the film would look and feel, we decided when lighting our speeches we wanted to capture the dramatic mood at the reception. The room was huge; filled with friends and family. But it wasn’t just any room – it was the hotel his mother worked at for years and we wanted to highlight how fantastic and unique layout in the room was.
As always, we are very happy to have worked with Andrea Mancini from Soiree Event Planning. She is such a help during the day not only to the Jordan and Isanne but also to us. No detail goes unoticed and we are always lucky to work with her. Rachel and Brian of Lucky Girl Photography are a blast as always. We always appreciate the warm workflow and comrodery we have. Over the years, we have been able to work with them and we are lucky to be able to call them our friends!
Destined to Meet
Krista and Chris both met later in their lives, but they both agreed, they found each-other to be well worth the wait.
Chris might very well be the nicest guy we’ve ever worked with. Not only could he beat us in any arm wrestling match, but his amazing journey into the body building world is a story anyone would enjoy. His dedication to diet, exercise and good living is something the Paperback boys could learn from :) Krista and Chris’s gifts for each-other were both so genuine, creative and thoughtful. Between an inside joke from Chris to Krista and a handcrafted book of their journey together through photographs, these were special moments we were so happy to capture and share.
Krista got to the point where she didn’t know if she could trust her own judgement anymore. It was then, in 2009, where she gave it to God. It’s funny how life works when you give up a little control. They both gave an online system a chance, just to try it out. A little magic, and typically on points of personality people are matched with 100, 200. Krista got 7. It only took one and coincidentally, we found out at their reception that they would have met through a friend if that hadn’t worked out. Small world. But when you’re destined to meet, it just works out. Life is like a puzzle and each piece serves a purpose and fits into life’s picture, as Krista put it. We hope you enjoy the way we configured their day’s pieces in their film!
Icelandic Scenics
Driving out to Gimli (Manitoba’s Icelandic community) early in morning had us excited for a water front cottage feel to Heather and Timothy’s same day edit. There was one thing that we were nervous about and that was the dark clouds that threatened the outdoor picturesque filming we would be able to do. And we are so thankful to say it couldn’t have turned out much better than it did for the entire day’s schedule. The ceremony and reception took place at the Waterfront Center which had fabulous lighting and the atmosphere fit so well for their celebration. We were so thankful that their first look on the pier turned out beautifully with the sun shining down. They were both so ecstatic to see each other that Timothy bolted as soon as he could hear that Heather was close behind and they were so ready to get married. This location is particularly meaningful for the family with its history of spending time together at the lake. And now having been married here it will forever hold deep meaning with them.
Thanks to Photographer Rebecca Croft for a day of fun. Always good to work with you!
Music licensed through themusicbed
Acts of love
Everything about Jennifer and Stephane’s wedding felt like a fairytale. The weather, location, the atmosphere and the obvious match that they are for each other all had a part to play in their story. They’re both young, passionate individuals who both devote a lot of their time lifting each other up. If the stories we heard at the reception were any indication of their character, they’re both incredible people.
One moment that particularly stood to us was the first time they saw each other. Earlier in the morning, Jennifer formulated how she felt about Steph in a note. The excitement they equally shared in seeing one another was complimented with this intimate moment, reading through the letter. We saw how grounded and led by faith they are. All of this had played a major part in their same-day-edit and we’re happy we can share their story with everyone.
Music licensed through themusicbed
In The Clouds
Being world travellers and adventure enthusiasts, Kasia and Piotr both decided to host their wedding day at Kicking Horse Resort in British Columbia. They expressed their commitment to each other on an open patio with all of their close family and friends gathered around at 8,033 feet in the air (shouting from the mountain top). When we first met these two over Skype, we immediately knew they were a match for us. They’re full of energy and have a passion for life and intoxicating love for each other. Not only did we get a chance to film in the mountains (being a prairie boy, any elevation in landscape can be exciting), it also allowed us to work on a product we introduced last year; The Feature. Add a road trip in there, rain, snow, sunshine, lower amounts of oxygen and we have the perfect mix of an adventure for all of us. The long drive in the car eating nothing but junk food, and what made it so special is the memories and bonding experiences we had along the way and the connection we had with Kasia & Piotr. They made us feel like family. We have never felt so at home while filming abroad and it was breathtaking experience.
Working with Andrea Nicole Photography made for a great experience. Thank you Kasia and Piotr for allowing us to partake in your adventure and letting us into your close circle of family and friends.