My top tips for a meaningful engagement session:

Take some time to consider what life feels like in this season for you. When you spend time together, what does it feel like? Is it cozy, playful, adventurous? Let that set the mood as you think about what you’d like to do for your engagement session or couple session, and you will have photos to look back on that document this season in a way that is true to you.

Sometimes, the most memorable experiences come from slowing down and letting a day unfold naturally.

For Annika and Matt, we took a ferry out to a small islands—a place with wild meadows, iconic local eats, and cliffs that stretch dramatically over the water. Just the kind of environment that feels alive without feeling staged.

We spent the day exploring together: walking along windswept cliffs, soaking up the spring sunlight, and listening to the wind and waves. Every moment was a chance to pause, laugh, and simply enjoy the moment.

Documentary Family Sessions give you the space to naturally engage and spend time together, where there is no forced posing or tricking the kids into smiling for the camera. They are free to explore and create, and to create memories together as a family.

K+D’s gorgeous day was so full of love and connection and deeply intentional details that made every moment so special. Tips for planning an Intentional Wedding in BC There are so many ways a wedding can look and feel. My biggest advice for couples is to take a moment to forget everything you’ve ever known […]

Documentary wedding photography gallery from an intimate celebration at Terre Restaurant dinner party wedding featuring long tables, candlelight, exquisite food, and quality time with their people.

It was spring, Poor Things had just come out, I was listening to a lot of Feist, I was eyeing flights to Palermo. So what did I do about it? I reached out to some creatives I admire and we got to work. It was so deeply inspiring to create this bridal shoot with so […]

A rehearsal dinner at a historic home in BC on 35 mm film + digital by Vancouver Island documentary wedding photographer Heather Nolan.

Not every wedding needs to be a big, social experience.

For some couples, the most meaningful way to get married is in a way that feels calm, private, and fully their own.

These two wanted a wedding day that felt comfortable from start to finish—something quiet, intentional, and free from pressure. They chose one of their favourite trails and invited just two of their closest people (and their two dogs) to join them.

The day began with a slow wander, taking their time as they made their way to a spot they love by the ocean. No rush, no audience—just a small circle of people who know them well.

Some weddings don’t need a grand setting to feel meaningful—just a place that already holds a history.

For D + D, that place was the lake where they’ve spent countless summer days. A familiar shoreline, warm evenings, and the kind of ease that comes from returning somewhere you love.

They chose to keep their wedding close to home, gathering only their immediate circle for a simple, intentional ceremony by the water. A few chairs set out for family. Their baby held close in his grandmother’s arms. Their dogs moving freely, in and out of the moment, as they always do.

Nothing about the day felt staged—just gently held.

There’s something grounding about choosing a place that already holds meaning.

For these two, it wasn’t about finding the most dramatic landscape or planning an elaborate production—it was about returning to one of their favourite trails. A place they had walked together before. A place that already felt like theirs.

They invited a small group of their closest people and hiked in together, carrying only what they needed for a simple, intentional ceremony. No rush, no rigid timeline—just a day that unfolded slowly.

They exchanged vows in a seaside clearing, surrounded by the hills and the people who know them best. It was quiet in the way that lets you actually take things in—the wind in the trees, a few tears, laughter, long pauses. Nothing performative, just honest, fully present connection.