Old Clayburn Schoolhouse wedding

A gorgeous, GORGEOUS day for an Old Clayburn Schoolhouse wedding in Abbotsford BC. I absolutely love to travel for weddings, and heading into the lush green landscape of the Fraser Valley is always a welcome change of pace for this desert photographer! The rainy weather gave us a huge break and we had the most amazing weather all day.

This spectacular wedding was an extra special one… Brittany is family and I’ve know her since she was born. Her mama, my Auntie, has always been someone I looked up to (okay, idolized when I was a kid) and we’ve always been super close to these guys. When Luke proposed to Brittany at Harrison Hot Springs he arranged for me to be (literally) hiding in the bushes when he popped the question. It was amazing to witness that!!!

Brittany had a very specific vision for her wedding, and when she saw the Old Clayburn Schoolhouse she fell in love with it and knew she had to have her wedding there. Seriously, the whole area is gorgeous, all our photos were within a couple square blocks of the schoolhouse. Because the schoolhouse is a beautifully restored heritage building she wanted to keep the decor simple so the natural elements could take center stage. I think she was hugely successful… it looked light and airy and super pretty!

The girls started their day at the Old Clayburn Bed and Breakfast, just around the corner from the schoolhouse. I love it when the day starts off so super chill and happy! When I got to where the guys were they were almost ready to go, and were admiring the gorgeous Chevy Nova sitting in the driveway. This car has a LOT of precious family history attached to it (my Uncle and I may have shed a few tears together while he talked and finished shining it up. It’s restoration process was finished just for the wedding, and it was seriously an absolutely incredible addition to the day. xo

So many little touches made the day beautiful and unique and so totally Brittany and Luke. Little bits of lavender were everywhere… in the super pretty floral crown in her hair, the purple roses, heather and lavender in the bouquets, even the purple hydrangeas fresh picked from the garden. So pretty!!

As a photographer, I really enjoyed seeing the wedding through the camera when I’m so close to the people… I “get” the stories unfolding in front of my lens, I know the history, and I understand the incredible value in some of the little things that would never have occurred to me if I wasn’t family. It’s made me more aware of these same little things at every other wedding since.

There had been a LOT of rain during the spring and summer, but we were gifted with the most incredible weather. Lightly overcast during the ceremony, the sun came out just in time for the bridal portraits later on and it was gorgeous. I was most definitely in my happy place 🙂 We made great use of the immediate neighborhood, making our way to a few places that were on Brittany’s hit list, and then chasing the late afternoon sunshine.

A sparkler shot in an alley (yes, you read that right, it was SO cool!) was the perfect grand finale to an awesome day!!!