Jeff Cooke Photography » Weddings

A Lakeside Wedding – Robyn & Egist

Jeff Cooke — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 16:09:11 +0000

A few weeks ago Jenn and I got up at 5 am and drove to the Inverary Resort, located along the waterfront of Baddeck in Cape Breton, to capture Robyn and Egist’s wedding. Perfect timing for a wedding as, what started as a rainy day, ended up as a gorgeous Cape Breton evening with an amazing sunset and full moon over the Bras d’Or lake. A lot of their day brought me back to my dad’s time as a Halifax police officer, especially when I heard the stories shared by Egist’s fellow officers at their reception. It was an amazing day with a tight-knit group that welcomed Jenn and I like family. But driving up and back to Cape Breton in one day with a wedding in between definitely makes for a long day, especially after having another wedding the night before. Thankfully I had Jenn (and several stops at Tim Horton’s) with me to help navigate through thick fog and the thrill seeking foxes that darted in front of us.

The Following Day …

Jeff Cooke — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 19:47:04 +0000

Alyssa and Chris travelled from Calgary for their wedding set on a perfect day at Chris’s home along the shores of the beautiful St. Margarets Bay in Nova Scotia. We had a blast, and I’m excited to share a few of the images from their special day, but this post isn’t specifically about their actual wedding day. A few months ago, Alyssa mentioned that she’d like to get a few creative photos taken within the city, and since we were unable to make into Halifax on their wedding day, we met up following day for a sort of trash the dress / rock the dress creative session. And besides, a wedding day shouldn’t be the only time a bride gets to wear her dress…right? Here are a few of my favourites from our session set in the beautiful city of Halifax … more to come.

And I have to give credit to Jenn … she’s worked with me enough to know how my brain works and came up with an idea that totally rocked. The result was this next shot (Jenn was the one who actually pushed the button). It’s another example of why I love having her on board …

Adele & Jim

Jeff Cooke — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 13:04:50 +0000

Jim & Adele had a perfect maritime wedding with close family and friends on board the Tall Ship Silva – some were visiting Nova Scotia for the first time from Scotland. It was a beautiful sail around Halifax Harbour and into the Northwest Arm, which provided guests with another fabulous view of a sunset that set the Arm aglow with amazing sunlight. When the time was right, without any formal announcement, the two simply began dancing on the deck of the Silva as they were serenaded by their brother who played a beautiful acoustic with a traditional fiddle accompanying him. You can’t get more romantic or maritime than that – I’m pretty sure that their visitors from across the pond got a really true sense of how amazing Nova Scotia is!

Pauline & Ives

Jeff Cooke — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 20:42:03 +0000

I took a drive towards the South Shore for Ives & Pauline’s wedding at the beautiful Oak Island Resort and Spa near Chester, NS. The setting and weather were a big contrast from their very chilly engagement session in downtown Halifax this past February. I found myself staying a bit later than usual – but it’s easy to lose track of time when you’re in good company …

Kim & Dan

Jeff Cooke — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 21:30:58 +0000

I always enjoy making so many new friends while capturing their special moments, and Kim and Dan are the perfect example. Working with this amazing couple on both their engagement session as well as Kim’s trash the dress shoot, I’ve had the opportunity to get to know them quite well. It was an honour to be part of their big day, a perfect wedding on a beautiful evening sailing the Halifax harbour on board the Tall Ship Silva, which included an incredible sunset to act as their backdrop. I was able to get to know the bridal party as well, as the couple welcomed me to join them while they toured this fine city in their limo after the wedding. It was a wonderful day spent with a wonderful couple, and I look forward to sharing many more memories with them in the years to come.

Let’s Hear It For The Girls

Jeff Cooke — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 17:02:15 +0000

Let’s face it ladies, you deserve to be treated like a celebrity on your wedding day. Your hair, make-up and nails are perfectly done and, to top it all off, you are surrounded by friends and family in those moments leading up to your wedding. I really enjoy starting the day off with the bride and her favorite gals to break the ice and have some fun in those hours leading up to the wedding as there are lots of fun, impromptu moments. You and the girls will have a blast being treated like models for a day and we’ll have some fun creating your own personal version of the “Americas Next Top Model” pose (don’t be surprised if you hear me use the word “smize”!). I’m sure most will agree that these recent photos from Kim & Dan’s wedding make the old, cliche “dress shot” and “getting ready” pictures a lot more interesting (a big thanks to Kim for letting me share her images):

In all seriousness though, my shots leading up to the wedding don’t necessarily mean bridal boudoir, or just “the dress”, or “the shoes”, but are meant to be pictures with your unique spin on things to help tell the entire story of your wedding day.

Westward Bound

Jeff Cooke — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 20:05:52 +0000

A couple of weeks ago, a very cloudy Halifax day broke up just in time for Brett & Andrew’s wedding at the St. Mary’s Boat Club. As only Avril Mulholland of Update Events can do, each and every wedding detail was perfectly planned and reflected Brett & Andrew’s style. The St. Mary’s Boat Club was transformed into a hip, contemporary feel for the night and the Mellotones definitely knew how to keep everyone on their feet in the fun, upbeat atmosphere. I saw lots of great moments throughout the night and I really enjoyed learning more about Brett and Andrew while capturing their big day. It was also a perfect send-off for the couple as they will soon be leaving the Maritimes to start off their new life together. Best of luck in Calgary!

Tall Ships Ahoy!

Jeff Cooke — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 15:58:59 +0000

This past weekend I happened to have two great weddings with a unique maritime twist on board the Tall Ship Silva in Halifax. The weather was perfect on both days, and although they were in the exact same setting, Kim & Dan and Adele & Jim’s weddings each had a totally different feel while sailing in the harbour with Halifax as the backdrop. Thankfully, I managed to keep my sea legs and neither myself or my gear ended up in harbour (but I think I made a few of the guests gasp while leaning over the side for a different perspective). I can’t wait to share more of their stories!

THE Dress … with a Wedding Teaser

Jeff Cooke — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 13:26:10 +0000

I wanted to share a few photos of Brett who just tied the knot this past week-end. You always hear brides talking about finding the perfect dress – THE dress, and Brett definitely found hers – an incredible dress by Demetrios – at Felicity Bridal. I stopped by in the weeks leading up to her big day to snap a few shots as Christa, Mickey and the rest of the staff were helping with her fitting.

I’ve had a couple of chances to work with Brett and Andrew in the months leading up to their wedding, including a chilly engagement session earlier this winter. This helped me to get a feel for the couple’s personalities and style before their big day which made for a fun, friendly dynamic with the couple when it finally came time to say their “I DOs”.

There will definitely be more to come on Brett & Andrews nuptials – the wonderfully talented Avril Mulholland of Update Events transformed the St. Mary’s Boat Club into Halifax’s hottest spot for the night and the music of the Mellowtones definitely kept the party alive. More to come …

Felicity Bridal is located at 5150 Salter Street, in downtown Halifax.
(902) 420-8888

Anna & Jack’s Lake Banook Wedding

Jeff Cooke — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 14:08:25 +0000

The Wedding season has officially arrived with Anna and Jack’s wedding at the Mic Mac Aquatic club on Lake Banook in Dartmouth, N.S. You may remember the two from our recent engagement session. It was obvious that they put in a lot of time to add a personal touch to their wedding, from the setting to the colors, everything was perfect and all of the planning paid off as their day unfolded on a perfect Nova Scotia afternoon. And I have to say that Anna looked absolutely stunning in her dress from Felicity Bridal. Here are a few of the many wonderful photos from their wedding …

And if you’re looking for something different for your wedding reception, why not try a photo booth? Anna and Jack came up with some great props for the photo booth we set up at their wedding reception … and their guests definitely were creative. A photo booth is a great place for wedding guests to let loose and send the bride and groom fun messages. As you can see, we had a lot of fun taking the pictures too, some too wild and crazy to share.

Back To Where It All Began

Jeff Cooke — Fri, 21 May 2010 19:17:46 +0000

Jeff & Jennah’s wedding reception was supposed to be at Saege Bistro on Spring Garden road, but a fire the night before threw a wrench into things. After a few phone calls, the wonderful staff at the Cheapside Cafe, located in the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, came through and no delays were necessary. I met up with the couple after their reception for family portraits in downtown Halifax and then we took a drive out to Bedford where Jeff proposed to Jennah. Congrats guys!

Beachy Keen

Jeff Cooke — Wed, 19 May 2010 18:40:42 +0000

With summer right around the corner, I’ll be getting a chance to visit more and more of Nova Scotia’s amazing beaches. I can’t complain since pretty much any spot along Nova Scotia’s coastline makes for stunning photographs. I recently visited Lawrencetown beach with Robyn & Egist who will be married next month at the Inverary Resort in Cape Breton. We pretty much had the place to ourselves and the two had a lot of fun letting lose in front of the camera before their big day.

Hay … Smile!

Jeff Cooke — Mon, 17 May 2010 13:32:57 +0000

I headed out to Middleton, NS last week to meet up with Shannon and two of her favorite guys: Steven, her groom to be, and Tom, her beautiful horse. I was happy to incorporate Tom into their photos and had so much fun reflecting their country roots into things. We scheduled our engagement shoot hoping for a Nova Scotia sunset – and the vast view we had of the Middleton skyline did not disappoint. Nova Scotia just continues to amaze me with all of its beautiful places! I look forward to continuing with this theme at their wedding this summer at the beautiful Hatfield farms!

Alyson & Darryl Engaged!

Jeff Cooke — Wed, 12 May 2010 17:16:28 +0000

Meeting Alyson and Darryl at the Dingle in Halifax for an early morning engagement session brought back memories of catching crabs and starfishes there as a kid (although this time I wasn’t scared of running into any ghosts or witches in the Dingle tower). We all managed to stay dry, although their dog Wedge eventually decided to chase a few ducks and take a dip! I’m looking forward to working with them again this September at their wedding, which will be held at the Noggins Corner Farm Market just outside Wolfville, Nova Scotia.

Bon Voyage!

Jeff Cooke — Sun, 09 May 2010 12:45:13 +0000

Photographing this newly engaged couple was quite special as everything had a sort of “see you soon” feel to it. In a few days, Dave will be saying goodbye to Crystal when he deploys to Afghanistan for 8 months with the Provincial Reconstruction Team for the Kandahar province. He’ll be working to help facilitate infrastructure improvements which makes for a generally better quality of life for locals in the area and, in turn, improves security for everyone. Coming from a family with a naval background, I have the utmost respect and am forever grateful for what our men and women in uniform do for our country and the rest of the world … safe travels Dave!