July 1, 2017 / Engagement
Francois + Sarah's Infectiously Fun Vancouver Engagement Session
Francois and Sarah’s Vancouver engagement session was absolutely amazing. Quite frankly, Francois and Sarah are two of the kindest souls you’ll ever meet. As a destination wedding photographer, my primary job is to connect and create for my couples. And, part of that connection process, is connecting with my couples’ family and friends as well. It’s a joy every weekend, and many times, I learn how to better capture my couple based on their friends and family’s stories they share with me. And, in some instances, I have the utmost honor of connecting on a deeper level with guests, who then ask me to photograph them when they get engaged…which is the case with Francois and Sarah and how this Vancouver engagement session came about! And oh, how excited and honored I was to get that call!
Francois, Sarah, and I met in Verona, Italy, at Sarah’s friend, Robyn’s wedding. It was a wedding that still sticks with me, not because of the location, but because of how genuinely kind everyone was, and the unique factor of having a few days prior to the wedding to truly get to know the guests. In that time, Sarah and I connected, as well as a few others, and we’ve remained in contact, working together for their amazing non-profit organization, Girls 4 Girls. Since then, Sarah and Francois became engaged, and I secretly hoped I would hear from them about photographing their Vancouver engagement session. When Sarah reached out, I was beyond thrilled, because I already knew what a great time it would be. And yet somehow, they still managed to amaze me with their warm, compassionate welcome, and their insatiable sense of adventure.
Francois and Sarah have a unique love story, as they met in South Africa when Sarah traveled there for a Girls 4 Girls trip. With Sarah from Canada and Francois a South African native, they pursued their relationship long distance, and the wedding of Robyn and Brendon, where I met them, was one of the times they were able to be together, which when they told me that, made it even more special to meet them there. Through the long distance, they decided it was worth pursuing the relationship, and wound up traveling to China, where they were both able to live and be together. It’s truly an amazing story to hear them tell, and it really puts into perspective how truly in love these two are. Now they have moved back to Vancouver, Canada to start their lives together, which is where I met up with them for their engagement session!
There are many times when I travel to locations that I’ll crash with my couples, if they are native to the area. This was an instance of that, and from the moment I arrived to Francois and Sarah, I was greeted with so much love, that it was really impossible not to smile. Francois and I scouted the first day, taking out the drone and peeking at all the beautiful places that the two of them love around Vancouver. And, when we went out the next day, Sarah and I had joked that Francois would be the first to cave and call the session a wrap — and he proved us so wrong! He had a fantastic spot picked out from sunrise at Lynn Canyon, to a picnic in the afternoon at Deep Cove, a walk in the lovely Gastown, to sunset in front of Pacific Central, and everywhere in between, Sarah and I hunted spots to capture their lives in the places they loved the most. We hiked, drove, had ice cream, coffee, wore fuzzy animal onesies in public, and above all, an absolutely wonderful time — and that’s what engagement sessions should be all about!
Francois and Sarah are seriously two of the loveliest people, and every time I’ve had the honor to spend time with them, I’m always reminded of their kindness and generosity, and how they truly love on everyone they meet. I’m so thankful to have crossed paths with them in Italy, and I’m so excited to see where their love story continues to adventure! Thank you, you two, for entrusting me with your Vancouver engagement session and capturing the amazing connection you two have, and I can’t wait to capture your wedding next year!
We love you, Megan! What a fun day this was! Thank you for sharing our story and capturing our relationship so perfectly. Can’t wait for the wedding and your return to the Great Big North! ❤