Kamil & Anyqa's Romantic Blenheim Palace Proposal

Kamil's plan to pop the question to Anyqa might have been the proposal to end all proposals. Boyfriends, get your notepads out. (I know notepads are retro but that is beside the point). 

Kamil's plan was to surprise his girlfriend with a private tour at Blenheim Palace, and when they arrived at the end in the famous Long Library, get down on one knee and propose. Afterwards they would walk outside to find a beautiful horse-drawn carriage waiting to take them on a ride around the grounds. I was so excited to capture this epic moment. 

What I didn't anticipate was quite how nerve-wracking it would be (and I wasn't even the one proposing)! Kamil and I met at the palace earlier and liaised with the staff to come up with our master plan; Kamil would meet Anyqa at the front gates and bring her into the palace where Doug, the tour guide, would greet them and take them through. While this was happening, I was to hide in the Long Library like a bit of a weirdo (my modus operandi), pretending to be a tourist, but also trying to peek down the hallway to see when they were approaching. When they got to the next room over from the Library, two other staff members were instructed to unroll a large banner that Kamil made asking Anqya to marry him -- goosebumps! 

When the time came, they entered the Library and immediately started looking all around. I don't know what came over me but I think I might deserve an Oscar for my "unsuspecting solo tourist" bit that I did at this very moment. I am pretty sure she had no idea. But there is also a good chance I might have just been standing there staring at them. We will never know. Then, Doug, the tour guide, directed their attention to a statue at the end of the library so we could all take our positions. 

It all went completely according to plan. Anyqa was surprised and overjoyed. The emotion in the moment was enough to make my hairs stand and my eyes well up - it was such a beautiful gesture and what an amazing job I have that I get to witness these moments. After the proposal, we wandered outside and rode around on the carriage to scope out the palace grounds.

This was definitely one of my favorite shoots so far - thank you so much to Kamil & Anyqa for inviting me to be a fly on the wall :)

Enjoy! 

Em x

Bridal Shoot at the Great Hall in Toronto

I am so excited to finally share some photos from this beautiful Bridal editorial shoot back in March. This was one of those shoots where everything ties together so nicely - gorgeous, flowing gowns, perfect flowers, delicate details, a bright airy space, and some lovely humans to top it all off. We had a whole afternoon in the Great Hall to experiment with different locations, light, dresses, hair and make up, and the result was a handful of beautiful bridal looks. 

I can't take credit for much ( or any of it )  - I have the lovely Jessica at Charuk Studios to thank for styling and art direction, and my friend Corynn from Corynn Fowler Photography for inviting me to tag along and shoot with her. There were loads of talented women and vendors involved, and I've included their details below for you to check out. It was all so beautifully done that I swear it was impossible to take a bad picture in there (but of course, I managed to do it). 

This is one of the only styled shoots that I have done, but I am really keen to collaborate on some more. If you know any vendors looking for photography, please put them in touch! 

While I could go on forever, the sun is shining and I can hear the birds chirping outside my window, so I am going to head out and do some exploring.

Enjoy the pictures!

Em x

Styling & Art Direction: @charukstudios
Photography: @corynnfowlerphotography
Dresses: @ferresposa & @maureenpatriciabridal
Jewellery: @luvytshop
Hair: @unojo
Makeup: @prerna.co
Flowers: @mimi_and_ry
Model Agency: @peggilepage_models
Models: @kateleannemoore & @paeytonlilly
Location: @thegreathall

Easter Weekend in Appledore

The last few weeks have been craaaaazy busy! Between moving into a new place, travelling to London for meetings and shoots, and catching up on edits, Easter weekend with my boyfriend's family down in Devon was a much needed break. Ollie's family are serious repeat offenders when it comes to Devon. They have been travelling down there for holidays for almost 20 years now - and I don't blame them, it is so beautiful!
 

Appledore is a tiny town nestled into the North coast. It is set on a steep hill overlooking a quay and is full of tiny, winding streets lined with pastel coloured houses. During the day there are kids crabbing off the quay, families walking dogs, and people lining up at the ice cream van for a scoop. The birds chip, the tides roll in and out. It feels like something out of a book. 
 

Over on the other side of the peninsula is Westward Ho! beach. (Yes, there really is an exclamation mark at the end of the name?). This is where we spend the majority of our time during our holidays, as Ollie's family are big surfers. Waves or no waves, these guys are in the water everyday, sometimes twice a day. For me, this means flailing around in the whitewash and occasionally catching a microscopic wave. Still, there is nothing like getting in the cold sea water to clear your head and make you feel refreshed!

It was so nice to be back in Devon with my camera in tow - I hope you like the shots!

Em x