ben and valerie. married. a slovanian hall wedding in edmonton, alberta.

Ben and Valerie's wedding was so pumped full of love, laughs, (flasks) and shenanigans.  Over and over during our formals Ben kept asking me "Oh Cheryl, turn around and take pictures of those guys (the bridal party)!  Man, we love those guys so much!"  And that love was mega-evident.  After the formals we headed back to Ben and Val's house where Ben surprised Val big time.  No, they weren't going to Kelowna for their honeymoon like she thought.  Instead, they were going on a tropical cruise and stopping off to see their favorite team play along the way <3
These two.  Their love.  My heart.  All the feels.  Check out a few of my favorites from their wedding day.  Looking for your own wedding photographer and think we may be a good fit?  Head on over to my contact form and shoot me a message :)

Bride's Dress: Bridal House (Designer: Watters)

Bridesmaid Dresses: Bridal House; Designer-Dessy

Groom Tux: Hugo Boss

Groomsmen Suits: Raymonds Menswear  

Hair: Tanyia Lehune

Makeup: Jayne Crothers

Jewelry: Ben Moss, Joanna Bisley (bought at Bridal House), Swarovski

Flowers: Khulmanns

jessica and jerry. married. edmonton photography.

These two. THESE TWO!!! I'm not sure I've ever photographed a couple that were so laid back yet so energetic and up for anything! It was chilly but Jessica and Jerry were so excited to have us start the day with photos in the gorgeous place that Jessica runs most mornings. What a gem hidden in our city!! She was also excited to do a few photos in the playground near her house where she "plays" (aka does pull-ups like a boss) after her workouts. This couple laughs LARGE and, from all the people there to support them on their wedding day, love even larger <3 Thank you, Jessica and Jerry, for inviting me into this incredible day in your lives. It was such an honor. You two are the reason I love my job so very much <3

Have a look at a few of my favorites from Jessica and Jerry's wedding day and, if you're looking for someone to capture YOUR love, shoot me an email via my contact form or at cheryl@aeris-photography.com!

You can also check out more of my weddings here!

Edmonton Photography.  Aeris Photography.

nathanael and melissa. married. a devonian gardens wedding.

I've known Nathanael for just over 10 years - we met through my brother-in-law and became friends. In recent years, he's been the tech wizard who's helped with my websites, invested his time and energy solving some of my electronic woes while I stress-cry in a corner and is generally just a calming online presence when I have no idea what I'm doing in computer-land (who am I kidding...actually it's been ever since I met him ;) ). We hadn't seen each other in person in quite some time when I got a text telling me that Nathanael had met someone and had proposed!! Melissa lived out of town in Athabasca and it never quite worked for us to all get together prior to their wedding so I was really curious and excited to meet her on their wedding day. The woman is lovely. As soon as I met her it made sense why they had clicked and why Nathanael had chosen her to spend his life with. She is beautiful and radiant. Good snag, Sir! They got married at the Meadowlands Baptist Church in South Edmonton and then we headed out to the Devonian Gardens for a few hours a photos and had a great time.

Congrats, Nathanael and Melissa! I am honored to have been there at your wedding both as a friend as your photographer. I hope you treasure this day as the beginning of a lifetime together <3

Check out more of my wedding work here!  To schedule a session or chat about your wedding shoot me an email at cheryl@aeris-photography.com or visit my contact form :)

things that rock my world. blush magazine. an alberta lifestyle and wedding magazine.

I recently messaged Najla, the owner and editor of Blush Magazine and asked if she'd allow me to photograph her for my "things that rock my world" blog series. She obliged and I was stoked!! What a cool opportunity to meet with another small business owner, entrepreneur and dreamer! Blush, local to Alberta, features gorgeous Real-Life weddings, styled inspirational bridals with stunning details, and highlights hundreds of the best wedding vendors Alberta has to offer (See that gorgeous magazine cover below?  It was shot by local photographer Jill Coursen!  The bouquet?  Tickled Floral!  The gown?  From Delica Bridal!  Local awesome hardworking lady folk!). During the shoot Najla shared a bit of her journey to get her vision for Blush Magazine off the ground and then, once it had come to fruition, how hard she worked (for YEARS!!) to get it into mainstream stores. Blush is now published bi-annually and is stocked in Chapters and Indigo stores throughout Alberta. Be sure to check out Blush magazine next time you're wandering the aisles of those stores as well as the creative content that fill its pages!

Props to Jack'd Up Beauty Boutique for Najla's beautiful hair and makeup!

Noticed that gorgeous backdrop behind Najla? It's from the genius mind of The Paper Wedding by Carmen (Yes, it's made completely of paper!). She does work for tons of weddings and events so be sure to check out her work, too!

Know what else rocks my world? Check it out:

YEG Wed/POP Jukebox (A wedding blogger AND a killer DJ?? What?!!)

Eliasz and Ella (Banging bracelets and more from right here in Edmonton)

Beautygram (Don't send flowers! Send a Beautygram!!)

Lottie Da Designs (No joke - the most stunning bridal jewelry you have EVER seen)

Dani Press (Greeting Cards for this decade. Dani is da bomb.)

And hey, I shoot weddings, too!  Check my work out here and shoot me an email if you're looking for someone to capture your love!

christine and jeff. in love. edmonton photographers.

I'm always itching to shoot more weddings as winter drags on here in Edmonton so I was so happy that Christine, an old friend from high school, and her husband Jeff said they'd get dressed up for me so I could photograph them. Christine's family owns and runs Still Meadows Ranch east of the city which gave me the awesome chance to photograph Christine with her horses. Plus, it was snowing buckets and FREEZING outside so the arena gave us a bit of respite when our bodies turned to ice. I also received a new light from my husband for Christmas (Promaster Vari-Temp Camera/Camcorder LED light) and have been dying to play around with it! Although I'm used to using flashes on and off-camera at my weddings, I definitely crave natural light and will always tend to use it if it's available. This shoot gave me the chance to force myself out of my comfort zone, depend only on artificial light indoors, and push me into new areas of learning and growth!

Kudos to Christine and Jeff for letting me play, freezing their butts off, and looking at me when I asked them to in spite of ice flying in their eyes <3

Check out more of my actual wedding work here and shoot me a message if you're looking for someone to capture YOUR wedding!

Cheryl.  Aeris Photography.  Edmonton Photographers.

things that rock my world. eLiasz and eLLa. photography edmonton.

It's no secret that I've become a sucker for an awesome entrepreneurial story. I can appreciate how tough it is to start and grow a successful business so when I come across people who have the drive, vision and strong work ethic (and awesome product) to make their dreams come true I LOVE meeting and networking with them. Enter eLiasz and eLLa. I first learned about this fantastic jewelry company a few years back when my dear friend and fellow photographer, Alora Marie, gifted me one of their pieces. I was reconnected with their company this year after meeting and photographing the owner/creator/mastermind behind Beautygram. Jenn from Beautygram offers eLiasz and eLLa jewelry in her custom gift boxes and had mentioned that the owners of this cool jewelry line were 1) local and 2) awesome. That's all I needed.

It was an absolute honor to meet up with Kristen and Martin, the husband and wife team behind eLiasz and eLLa! We chose to meet up and collaborate on their new collection and the rumors were true: They're good peeps.

Have a peek below at this awesome duo, their booming company and their killer product. I'm personally a big fan of the stackable stone bracelets with custom charms (one of mine has a little camera charm!! Cute!!!!).

PS: Like the clothes these models are wearing?  Wardrobe and styling courtesy of Miss Boss!

Photography Edmonton

Hey!  There are more things that rock my world, too!  Check 'em out here!

lisa and johnathan. married. edmonton wedding photographers,

I had the incredible honor and privilege of photographing Lisa and Johnathan's wedding a few weeks ago.  I was contacted by them after being referred by one of my previous couple's, Rachel and Connor, whose wedding I photographed last summer (check it out here!), and connected with Lisa and John the moment we met - they both are so sweet, open and are so romantically head-over-heels for each other.  It was beautiful to witness.  Love like this changes people, including those of use fortunate enough to see it in action. Have a look at just a few of my favorites from their wedding day. Should you feel so inclined, grab a coffee and check out more of my work here, too :)

Edmonton Wedding Photographers

lana and jeff. married. wedding photographers edmonton.

I had such an incredible time photographing Lana and Jeff's wedding a few weeks ago! We started off at Lana's apartment to capture her and her bridesmaids getting ready and then headed off to the Royal Glenora where Lana was getting into her dress and for the ceremony. We knew the World Triathalon was taking place that weekend and specifically, that the biking course ran right by the Royal Glenora but we had the understanding that they'd at least let the wedding party through to get ready.... Not the case! Although Lana was graciously escorted across the race course courtesy of one of our city's finest - the rest of us, bridal party, photographers and guests included weren't allowed to cross!! It was crazy! Thankfully, we were all in pretty awesome spirits, watched some bikers race by, and were able to get through with a bit of time to spare :) The sunshine, this beautiful couple's love for each other and an awesome bridal party made this day incredible. Have a look at just a few of my favorite shots from Lana and Jeff's special day.

Feel free to check out more of my wedding work here (because why not?).

wedding photographers edmonton

robin and jesse. married. edmonton wedding photography.

I had a lovely time photographing Robin and Jesse's super-sweet (literally!) wedding a few weeks ago! Robin had told me that her wedding was rainbow and candy themed back when she booked me but I was definitely not expecting such incredible attention to detail! Candy bouquets, edible centrepieces and a multi-coloured candy bar that doubled as their ceremony backdrop - It was scrumptious! Check out just a few of my favorite shots from their wedding day!

You can check out more of my wedding work here and shoot me an email if you're looking for someone to photography YOUR love!

lauren and alvin. married. edmonton wedding photography.

I once again had the privilege of photographing this beautiful couple in love (check out their engagement photos here). Lauren and Alvin's wedding day was incredible. A gorgeous dress, a surprise gift from Alvin to Lauren (note the sleep mask that came along with the music box...apparently Lauren naps A LOT), an incredible bridal party and an AMAZING Lion Dance at the reception - It was amazing. Have a look at a few of my favorite shots from our time together. If you're looking for someone to photograph YOUR love you can check out more of my work here and shoot me an email so we can chat!

nicola and matthew. engaged. edmonton engagement photography.

Nicola and Matthew are getting married next month and I LOVED getting to know them more at their engagement session. We went to Hermitage Park on that day not so long ago that tricked us into thinking the weather would be gorgeous from there on out. The sun was shining and we took full advantage of its warmth <3 Have a look at some of my favorites from our time together. Check out more of my engagement sessions here and then shoot me an email if you're looking for someone to capture YOUR love :)

pamela and dustin. engaged. edmonton engagement photography.

Although my wedding season is just kicking off now I've thoroughly enjoyed being able to connect with some of my 2014 couples during their engagement sessions. Pamela and Dustin are one of those gorgeous couples; beautiful, kind and in love. Awesome. I can't wait to photograph their wedding in June. Check out a few of my favorites from our time together. You can also check out more of my engagement work here and my weddings here. Feel free to shoot me a message if you're looking for someone to capture YOUR love <3

things that rock my world. lottie-da designs...and a killer giveaway.

Being a small business owner myself, I've become a pretty big fan of promoting small businesses, specifically the business owners themselves - people whom I've met, whose work ethic I've seen, whose character speaks just as loud as their product. Enter Jaymie from LottieDa Designs. Okay, okay, I have a side motivation for being stoked about this small business - Jaymie is my sister in law. Not only have I fallen in love with my new sister (HUGS!!) but I couldn't believe what I was seeing when I first learned that Jaymie made bridal jewelry. Jaymie started LottieDa after she couldn't find anything for her own wedding that fit the style and quality that she was looking for in bridal accessories. I've looked around in my own fair share of bridal shops in the last 10 years and I have yet to see ANYTHING that matches the quality and all-around gorgeousness that LottieDa offers.

I've been singing Jaymie's praises for a while now and have been thinking that I wanted to do something to help more of the world know of her awesomeness. Hence, this blog post about another thing that rocks my world :) PLUS.....Jaymie gave me a pair of earrings to GIVE AWAY!!! In order to enter to win these earrings you need to comment on this blog post! That's it!! I'll be randomly selecting the winner from everyone who comments in early March so go ahead, share and comment!

These are the earrings up for grabs:

Check this out, too: All of my 2014 brides will be recieving a coupon code for a discount on anything in the LottieDa Designs Etsy shop! I happen to have a fair bit of availability left for 2014, too, so shoot me an email if you're looking for your own wedding photographer and think we might be a good fit. You can check out more of my wedding work here :)

Have a look at a few more selections of Jaymie's work below and then check out her entire shop here!

Gorgeous Drop Earrings:

Stunning hair combs and pins:

One of a kind hairpieces:

Beautiful and unique necklaces:

things that rock my world. dani press.

I've been debating for some time adding a section to my blog for things that rock and so voila! Here's edition one! Since I started my own business I have come to have a new, fairly profound respect for small business owners. Owning and running a business is hard. Making a living from your own business takes a long time. Putting a service and/or product out into the world is daunting and incredibly personal and so, when I see a small business/small business owner working their butt off - pouring their blood, sweat and tears into their dream - and then seeing that they have the drive and work ethic to commit and see it through well then, I get excited. I want these people to see success because not only are they awesome people in their own right but their products are amazing as well!

Meet Dani. I went to school/church with Dani growing up although I'm a bit older than her so we weren't in the same circles. Regardless, we know each other. She's one of those people that I've had the privilege of creeping on via facebook for the last few years and I found it super cool when I found out she started her own stationary business, dani press (and here she is applying her hustle to the best darn indigogo campaign in her efforts to raise $10,000 to get dani press spread around the world - check it out!!).

Dani's a globe-trotter with a dream to keep people connected, inspired and motivated all through the power of words and getting that little something special in the mail.  Her cards are amazing and I can guarantee you they'll make you truly think and stir up memories about each exact person you could envision sending her cards to. If you love sentiment, thoughtfulness, non-cheesiness and most of all, people, then you should consider investing in dani and her kick-butt business. As if her work doesn't stand on it's own dani press also sends a percentage of every card sold to support These Numbers Have Faces, a charity organization that promotes leadership and entrepreneurship training and gives university scholarships to students in Africa.

Have a look at just a few samples of Dani's awesome work below and then head on over to danipress.com to stock up on some cards of your own. Own a shop? Contact Dani here to see how you can get her awesomeness in your store!

*all photos courtesy of danipress.com :)

Since you're here you're probably thinking that both dani press AND Aeris Photography are awesome so check out some more of my own work here and shoot me an email if you're also awesome and think our awesomeness should combine at your wedding! :) :)

my WHY. part one of my reflections on "the art of authentic posing" workshop by justin and mary.

If you follow me at all here on my blog or on my Aeris facebook page you know that my heart and brain are bursting with new and exciting information after having attended 2 workshops hosted by photography duo Justin and Mary in Cannon Beach, Oregon. I previously blogged some tidbits that I learned about off-camera flash and today I'm moving on to some of what I learned from the second workshop, "The Art of Authentic Posing." There are many things I learned from taking this class (I'm pretty sure I'll be digesting that information for quite some time) but the HUGEST thing I took away from this class is actually a challenge to identify and understand my way of thinking; the way and reason I photograph couples. My "Why."

At the beginning of the day Mary asked us to think of our own "Why": Why do we do photography in the first place? Why do we shoot What we do and How we do? My first reaction requires a bit of back story so bear with me if you're interested:

I wasn't someone who starting playing with a camera when I was 3, nor someone who recognized some "calling" after participating in photography classes in high school. Yes, I played around with my dad's old film camera with some friends during a few get togethers in junior high but that was more about playing around with fashion (90's fashion... :/) and makeup. After high school, with no clue what I wanted to do, I applied, was accepted, and went to work at a Mexico orphanage for 6 months. I loved my time there and fell in love with caring for infants (which had been my assignment in the orphange nursery). When I came home I thought about possibly pursuing neonatal nursing - long story short - as much as I love babies I didn't actually want to pursue that. I ended up taking general, university-transfer classes at a local Bible school hoping that along the way I'd have some clue what other program I could apply those classes to when I made up my mind. I'm a pretty empathetic (read: emotional) person so I ended up choosing Social Work, thinking/hoping it would be a good fit. I graduated two years later with a Social Work diploma, got my RSW designation, applied for some jobs, interviewed for one then immediately proceeded to get in my car and cry, terrified that they'd call and offer me the job. I should have known that social work wasn't for me - I really struggled with (aka pretty much hated) my practicums in the field - but I wanted to feel like I had FOUND something, you know??

Fast forward a bit: I was desperate for SOMETHING to be passionate about - a hobby, an interest, ANYTHING. I was venting my frustrations to a friend one day who challenged me to think about what I liked playing around with when I was young - before life decisions came into the picture. I recalled those few times that my friends and I dressed up in junior high - how I took their photos and actually liked them enough to frame them and put them up on my wall. I figured "Why not?" and went out that day, on a whim, and bought my first camera. There's a lot more to this story but again, long story short, I taught myself how to shoot in manual and the love story, and my WHY, began.

It is my personal belief that photography, this crazy thing that I love, is a gift from God JUST FOR ME. I believe God had photography in mind for me my whole life and waited until I as ready as can be to open up and reveal it. I think God DELIGHTS to pour out on his kids and that He has a rich inheritance for each of us to receive THROUGHOUT our lives! The name “Aeris” actually came from my belief that God gave me part of my inheritance early and I’m an “heiress” (get it? Aeris!) of the good things he has for me!

So my WHY? Why do I do photography? The only word that came to me was DELIGHT :)

Have a look at some images I took during the hands-on portion of "The Art of Authentic Posing." All of these images are taken from poses set-up by Mary Marantz (literally, I'm shooting right beside her). All credit for posing goes to her. After her demonstrations we had time to practice what we had learned and set up our own posing but I'll blog those separately.

south edmonton engagement | ashley and brad. engaged. edmonton engagement photography.

Ashley and Brad are the sweetest.  Their recent engagement session was complete with pinterest-worthy outfits, a cute and cozy blanket, a sweet-as-can-be dog and, the best part - themselves!  I even got a hug at the end of our time together <3  I can't wait to shoot their wedding next October! Check out some of my favorite shots of this gorgeous couple!  If you're in the market for your own photographer check out more of my work here then feel free to shoot me an email!

hotel macdonald weddings | michael and alicia got married. second shooting for picture that photography.

A few months back I was privileged to shoot for Picture That Photography. Susan from Picture That actually taught a photography class that I took back when I was first starting my photography journey so I was elated when she asked if I'd second shoot for her <3 <3 Have a look at some of my favorite shots from Michael and Alicia's wedding! You can also check out more of my work here!

Shoot me an email if you're looking for your own wedding photographer by clicking here or by messaging me at cheryl@aeris-photography.com :)

mariah and jake. married. edmonton wedding photography.

I had a great time this past Saturday photographing Mariah and Jake and their gorgeous wedding party. I love when my couples are so in love and so excited to marry each other that everything else during the day seems to just fall into place.  No stress, no worrying about the weather - they just enjoy each other and their wedding day. Mariah and Jake were like that and I loved it <3 Check out a few of my favorite shots from their special day!

You can also check out their engagement photos here as well as more of my wedding portfolio here!

While you're at it you should shoot me a message if you're looking for your own wedding photographer :)

jacob and amber got married. second shooting for erin walker photography.

I recently had the privilege of once again second shooting for my good friend and fellow photographer Erin from Erin Walker Photography. It was a stunning day with the cutest flower girl (so in love with her princess dress) who was so excited she just couldn't stand still and a gorgeous bride (and bridal party)! Check out some of my favorite shots from the day :) Check out more of my work here and feel free to contact me if you're looking for a photographer for your own wedding!

friends. edmonton photography.

I have long wanted to photograph all of my girlfriends in one big crazy cluster simply for my own selfish reasons (I love them and thought it would be awesome). Of course, it's immensely difficult to get weather and people's schedules to line up perfectly so several of my beautiful friends were unable to make it but, alas, we made it work with those that could come. I typically reserve my blog posts for weddings and engagements (as they're my favorite thing to photograph and the main focus of my business) but it's impossible to photograph these beautiful women and not share it :)

Here goes:

Alora. My gorgeous, young (she's 18!) friend whom I've come to know and love since I met her 2 years ago when she agreed to second shoot a wedding with me. She's been my partner in photography-crime ever since.

Katie. We met in a church small group years ago and have enjoyed getting to know each other ever since. Katie's one of those girls who mails you a card just to say something encouraging. I'm a lucky lady to have her in my life.

Shelley. Shelley's older brother works with my husband. Little did I know my life would change for the better when I met her <3

Colette. First I met Shelley's older brother, Matt, then her other brother, Tom. Then Tom met Colette and my heart just keeps filling up with how awesome that is. I'm glad you married her, Tom :)

Kate. Shelley's brother, Matt, met Kate, married her and therefore added her into my life of awesome women. Love.

And the gorgeous sister-in-laws all together :)

Claire. Words aren't enough. Claire blows my mind with her true and honest friendship. There's a lot of love in my heart for her. Plus, she introduced me to my hubs <3 <3

Crazy girls.

Rebekah. Bekah and I go to the same church and her and her husband have come to mean a lot to Noel and I. Bekah is someone I can share my deepest "stuff" with and, not only can she relate, she radiates a lovely heart that makes me feel warm and fuzzy.

Wendy. My sister. Wendy is incredible, resilient, beautiful and so much more. I love her more than words. Wend also brought out her daughters (my nieces), Bridget and Kelsey. I can't believe how grown up they are. My heart is full <3 <3 <3

My ladies <3