sarinadarlenephotography

5 Things to Consider When Postponing Your Wedding Due to COVID-19

Tue, 24 Mar 2020 19:16:45 GMT

Here are a few options to help you if you are postponing your wedding

1. Consider Off Season Months

Since this virus has hit us during the spring season many couple are moving their wedding to the fall which is already a busy season for the wedding industry. Consider moving your wedding to either November, December, January, February or March. All of these months are classed as the off season and service providers in the wedding industry are more likely to have availability.

2. Weekday or Sunday Wedding

Just like off season months, having a weekday or Sunday wedding is also an option. If you are looking to move your wedding to the fall this is most likely going to be the best chance at being able to keep all of the vendors you have already booked.

3. Downsize Your Plans

Instead of having a large wedding you may have planned consider downsizing your guest list. Although this isn't Ideal it would still allow for immediate family to attend. You could even live stream the ceremony for extended family to watch.

4. Elope Now, Have a Larger Wedding Later

If you and your partner want to get married right away and don't want to wait you could always elope. Later in the year or even next year you could have a big celebration with all of your family friends.

5. Move it to the Same Time Next Year

If your wedding is this spring or early summer and you are postponing it, but you have always wanted to have it at that time of year consider moving it to next year. Some venues and vendors may still have openings for next spring on a Saturday. If not consider having your wedding on a Friday or Sunday like mentioned above.

Why Engagement Photos are a Great Idea

Thu, 16 Jan 2020 18:21:40 GMT

If you are still on the fence, give this a read

You might be wondering whether or not you should have engagement photos done. I am here to give you a few ideas why you should have them done to help you in your decision.

A Great Way to Get Comfortable in Front of the Camera

There might be a chance that you and your partner have never had professional photos done; guess what, that is totally ok! That is why is it important to have an engagement session. This gives an opportunity to have a "test run" before your wedding day. It gives you a chance to let loose, be comfortable and less tense in front of the camera.

You'll Get to know Your Photographer

Establishing a relationship with your photographer before your wedding is also important. Since you will be spending about an hour with them, this will give you a chance to see how they work and how they connect with the two of you. This will also give the photographer a chance to get to know you and what makes your relationship unique. This will help your photographer make your wedding day special to the both of you.

A Unique Way to Celebrate Your Love

An engagement session is a great way to reconnect. Since it will just be the two of you and your photographer it will allow you to be intimate and have time to laugh together. Also having photos taken at a location that is meaningful to the both of you will make your photos even more special.

You'll Get to See Professional Photos of Yourselves Before the Wedding

The advantage of seeing professional photos before your wedding gives you the chance to see which angles you like or don't like. Communication with your photographer is always key. Also once you see your photos it will make you even more excited for your wedding. You also, won't be dreading your photos on your wedding day since the nerves are already gone.

You Will Have Beautiful Photos to Use Before Your Wedding

Engagement photos can be used for so many different things before and at your wedding. They are great to use for "save the date" cards or on your wedding website and they make great gifts to give to your family. At your wedding they can be used in your guestbook or even on each table. They are also great to share on social media so all of your friends and family can enjoy them as well.

What to Expect for your Engagement Session

Fri, 29 Nov 2019 19:28:31 GMT

Tips and Tricks

The time has come to take engagement photos and you may be thinking HOLY CRAP I'm super awkward for photos or I have no clue what my fiancé and I should wear or maybe even where the photos should be taken. Don't you worry I am here to to help you with all of the information and tips and tricks you need to have an amazing and fun engagement session.

Location

Picking a location can be one of those things that can really stump people. Here are some ideas to consider when thinking of a great location.

Is there a spot that is special to you and your fiancé? This could be a place where you enjoy spending time together, where you got engaged, family property or even your home.
Is there a hobby or activity you enjoy doing together? This could be anything from drinking coffee at your favourite coffee shop to enjoying a boat ride.
What is your favourite season? The time of year can contribute a lot to where you would like your photos.

I will also of course help you in this process and if you and your fiancé can't decide on a location I always have a few ideas up my sleeve.

What to Wear

What you are going to wear is totally up to and might depend on what time of year it is. Here are some suggestions to think about when putting outfits together.

Wear something you are comfortable in. If you are a jeans and t-shirt type of person I wouldn't recommend wearing a super fancy dress or a suit.
Try to avoid really bright colours and large logos on clothing. Neutral clothing is a good go to.
Consider an outfit change during your session. If you like to be casual but also fancy, half of your session could be in one outfit and the other half in a different one.
Dress for your surroundings. If it's winter consider wearing a jacket or a nice sweater.
Getting your hair and makeup professionally done is also an option.

Your Session

Your engagement session is a great opportunity to become comfortable in front of the camera before your wedding day. It gives the chance to shake off those nerves and get an idea of what to expect when it comes to taking pictures at your wedding. It is totally ok if you are nervous or awkward in front of the camera; I am here to make you feel comfortable. Think of it as you're enjoying time at your favourite place or doing your favourite activity and I'm there to capture those memories. I may even get the two of you to whisper silly things into each others ear, that always brings out a laugh. Along with those candid moments I do like a couple of intimate poses and pictures of your ring.

Gennavive + Charles Turn One

sarina@sarinadarlenephotography.com (Sarina Goodfellow) — Mon, 12 Nov 2018 22:15:26 GMT

This past year has completely flown by! On September 7th, my niece and nephew turned one and it definitely doesn’t feel like it has been a year. A couple weeks before their actual birthday their parents threw them a Thing 1 and Thing 2 themed birthday party. Close family and friends spoiled these two with their love and some special presents. Gennavive and Charles also got to try cake for the first time. At first, they were a little hesitant but as they started to taste it they dove right in. On a side note red icing stains skin, poor Gennavive had a red tinge to her face for the rest of the day. By the end of the day they were pretty tired out!

Later on, in September I got the chance to do their one year old photoshoot. Let’s just say taking pictures of twins that don’t want to sit still is almost impossible! Throughout most of it Gennavive wasn’t the happiest camper but with a little help from some milk and crackers she got through it. On the other hand, Charles absolutely loved the camera. I hope you all enjoy these adorable photos!

Brandon + Kristina

sarina@sarinadarlenephotography.com (Sarina Goodfellow) — Mon, 01 Oct 2018 20:43:15 GMT

High School Sweethearts

Kristina and Brandon were married on August 25th surrounded by many loving family and friends. The morning of the wedding as everyone one was running around getting ready, I found Kristina sitting quietly by a window doing her makeup and sipping on a mimosa. I asked her if she was nervous and her response was that she was excited but still a little nervous.

Kristina and Brandon are high school sweethearts and even before high school they were great friends living just down the road from each other. Before Kristina even walked down the aisle, Brandon was at the front with tears already welling up in his eyes and it was the sweetest thing. Kristina walked down the aisle to Perfect by Ed Sheeran, this song perfectly represented their relationship. Even with a couple of hiccups along the way including having to change picture locations due to some crazy wind, all that mattered was that Kristina and Brandon were husband and wife.

Dress: Lovebird Bridal Boutique

Dress Designer: Allure

Ceremony Venue: St. Mary Magdalene Anglican Church

Reception Venue: South Fred Hall

DJ: DJ Max – Doug Maxwell

Cake and Cupcakes: Lauren's Buttercream Dreams

Flowers: Costco

Groom and Groomsmen: Stars for Men

Ashley + Tyrell

sarina@sarinadarlenephotography.com (Sarina Goodfellow) — Tue, 11 Sep 2018 20:17:36 GMT

Unique Park Wedding

On August 18th, Ashley and Tyrell were married outside at Spring Side Park on a beautiful summers day right by the falls. They shared their special day with many family and friends and especially their adorable son Bentley.

Ashley and Tyrell incorporated a unique unity ceremony into their wedding. It included them locking two lock together on a special wooden board and then they threw the keys into the falls. Also, another special touch included customized glasses for the entire wedding party that had their name on it and the wedding date. During the reception they also played the Newlywed game, where they hold up the correct shoe for who they think best suits the question. The love between these two and their son was undeniable.

Kaitlyn + Jon

sarina@sarinadarlenephotography.com (Sarina Goodfellow) — Wed, 29 Aug 2018 22:31:32 GMT

Stunning Outdoor Wedding

On August 4th, Kaitlyn and Jon were married on a hot summers day at the beautiful Loyalist Golf & Country Club. Their wedding was filled with so much raw emotion, there were many tears of joy shed by family and friends.

Kaitlyn and Jon share a love of baseball and their dog Moe. Throughout the entire day love was in the air. Kaitlyn attached a special locket to her bouquet that enclosed a picture of her grandfather, who had passed away and it was simply touching. The reception included some fun kissing games instead of the classic clinking of the glasses; the guests definitely had fun with it!

Dress: Lily’s Bridal

Florist: Janet’s Wedding Flowers

Ceremony, Reception Venue + Catering: Loyalist Golf & Country Club

DJ: Future Vibes Entertainment

Cake: Lauren’s Buttercream Dreams

Bridesmaid Dresses: Lily’s Bridal

Groom + Groomsmen Attire: Bridal Creations & Murano's Formalwear

Dress Alterations: Rufina Bridal Alteration Center

Decoration: MDS Signature Events

The Face Behind Sarina Darlene Photography

sarina@sarinadarlenephotography.com (Sarina Goodfellow) — Tue, 31 Jul 2018 23:41:59 GMT

Hey friends, one of my goals this year is to share some more of my personal life and what I get up to on a daily basis. So, this blog is going to be some insight on who I am and some of my favourite things!

I actually never thought I would be a photographer. I attended the University of Guelph for agriculture with my major being equine management. Growing up I always loved visiting my grandparents farm; seeing cows and riding horses. As I got older I started to show cows and become heavily involved in 4-H and my love for agriculture grew. My high school job was milking cows then I worked at a feed and farm supply store then in feed sales for a large agriculture feed company. But throughout this time, I always had a camera by my side and I honestly never thought I would be able to turn by hobby into a business. Once I finished school in 2017, it was time to give it a shot and I have never looked back!

I come from a family of five, I have two sisters and I am the middle child; yes, my dad had to deal with four women being in the house! Unfortunately, in 2010 my mom passed away suddenly in a bus accident. I strongly believe in the saying “everything happens for a reason”. After this big change in my life I realized I was taking life for granted more often than not. Growing up my family members were always my biggest supporters. I danced for 14 years, learned to play the piano, flute and saxophone, played rugby and did cheerleading in high school. It was definitely never a dull moment.

My life is still crazy and I love every minute of it! Last year I became an aunt to twins; Charles and Gennavive. Hanging out with friends is a must, along with pizza, cheesecake and tea. If I could live anywhere it would be by a body of water with enough land to have a farm. I absolutely love the water whether it’s swimming, boating, fishing or just relaxing. Of course, fall is my favourite season, but summer nights and bonfires are also pretty awesome!

I hope you enjoyed this little sneak peek into my life! I will be sharing more soon.

Kaitlyn + Jacob – Beautiful Church Wedding

Wed, 11 Jul 2018 00:03:00 GMT

On May 26 th, probably one of the hottest days that month, Kaitlyn and Jacob were married in a beautiful church surrounded by their closest family and friends.

Kaitlyn’s dress and hair piece were both absolutely stunning. Their décor included beautiful pink peonies, baseball memorabilia and a big hot air popcorn machine. They picked out the most perfect spot for photos; at her uncle’s house on the beautiful Salmon River in Forest Mills. Their day was filled with compassion and love.

Dress: Lovebird Bridal Boutique
Flowers: Janets Wedding Flowers
Decorating: Pritchards Decorating
Videographer: Anna Murphy
Catering: Mamma Mia Pizza Napanee
Ceremony Venue: St. Patrick’s Catholic Church
Reception Venue: Selby Community Hall

The post Kaitlyn + Jacob – Beautiful Church Wedding appeared first on Sarina Darlene Photography .

Real Talk: Being an Entrepreneur

Mon, 07 May 2018 21:14:00 GMT

If you were to ask me five years ago what my career choice would be, the answer would not have been an entrepreneur or photographer. I went to school for agriculture which is another passion of mine and I always thought that was the industry for me. After working a summer job as a sales rep for a feed company I realized that I didn’t enjoy as much as I thought I would. After that I knew I had to continue with my photography business. I completed my fourth year of university and moved home to focus on my business.

Over the past year, I have invested money and loads of time into growing my business. I have loved the process but with that process comes struggles. I have met so many new likeminded people along the way, which has been so inspiring. Also, being able to service amazing clients who appreciate and love my work is so heartwarming. Being my own boss is also a rewarding and exciting experience. I have learned so many things over the past year from how to run a business to new camera techniques and how to navigate the crazy social media world. I absolutely love my job and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

The struggles I have had to overcome have been challenging. I find many people don’t share their struggles in the business world but a lot of the time we are all going through the same things. One of my biggest struggles was comparing myself to others! I would go on Instagram and see everyone’s perfect curated page and I would get really discouraged that mine didn’t look like that. But I have learned that everyone is in a different stage of their business and I took the energy that I was putting into comparing myself and put it into finding my style and building my brand.

In the end, I encourage you to do the thing that makes your heart beat faster. It might be one of the scariest things you do but it will most likely but the most rewarding. I love my job, I love connecting with people, I embrace the triumphs and struggles. I have come so far and I know I have so far to go.

Sarina

The post Real Talk: Being an Entrepreneur appeared first on Sarina Darlene Photography .

Being an Aunt to Twins

Wed, 18 Apr 2018 20:08:00 GMT

I became an aunt to twins on September 7 ^th , 2017. Charles and Gennavive were born during early hours of the morning, both weighing just over 5lbs. Luckily Charles did not have to visit the NICU but Gennavive stayed there for 24 hours, then they were good to go home at 4 days old. I was never one to hold babies growing up, but holding them for the first time was so exciting yet natural. Guess what, I love holding babies now!

I am not too sure where the time has gone but they turned 7 months old on April 7 ^th . Over the past 7 months I have gotten the chance to see them grow and turn into tiny humans with personalities. Gennavive gets crazy FOMO when she can’t see what’s going on and is very schedule orientated. Charles just goes with the flow and loves to giggle and make silly faces. They rarely get upset which is bonus, unless it’s feeding time then they sometimes get hangry (I know the feeling)!

They have also had their first Thanksgiving, Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day and Easter. Both of them can roll and can almost sit up by themselves. They nap like champs (especially in the car) and enjoy eating pureed carrots. Currently Gennavive is not so keen about the bath but Charles doesn’t seem to mind it. Charles also loves his blanky at nap time and Gennavive prefers a stuffed animal and she also loves dogs, like the real ones.

As a photographer, I love to take pictures of them, plus they love to actually look at the camera so it’s not hard to take cute pictures. I am so fortunate that I only live 20 minutes away from them and get to see and spend time with them on a weekly basis. Sometimes it’s just a visit and sometimes it’s babysitting duty and with twins it’s never a dull moment. But their smiles and giggles could make any bad day good. I am so thankful I am an aunt and I cannot wait to spoil them as they grow up.

Sarina

The post Being an Aunt to Twins appeared first on Sarina Darlene Photography .

Passion, a Camera and a Dream

Wed, 14 Jun 2017 14:46:00 GMT

I am a big believer that everyone should follow their dreams. I would have never thought I would have wanted to be a full-time photographer, but life has a way to surprise us and keep us on our toes. From the time, I was young I always had trouble being creative or thinking outside of the box for projects during school but I could be creative through photography and always find the beauty in everything.

I have always been a lover of animals and nature and that’s where it all started. I would pretty much take pictures of anything and everything whether that was sunsets, dragonflies or cows. Throughout the years, I came to realize that I really enjoyed talking pictures, so I decided to take photography in high school and I got to learn so many cool tips and tricks. For the rest of high school and into university I slowly grew away from photography to focus on my education. Around Christmas time of my second year of university I saw that Best Buy had a sale on nice cameras and it came with two different lens (it was really a great deal) and totally out of nowhere I decided to buy it… even though I probably should have been saving money.

After that I started to take pictures of animals, landscapes and slowly started into people (thank you to all of my friends and family that I forced into being models). It wasn’t until the summer of 2016 that I realized that I wanted to be a full-time photographer and I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. In university, I didn’t take any sort of photography courses or classes but my degree was actually in agriculture which in my other passion. All I knew is that I wanted to be a photographer and I was the happiest behind the lens and nothing was going to stop me. Here we are a year later and I am growing my business and I couldn’t be happier.

I would encourage anyone that has a dream that seems crazy to go after it. Do what you love every day and never give up. I honestly can’t wait to see what the future brings and to see where this journey will take me.

The post Passion, a Camera and a Dream appeared first on Sarina Darlene Photography .