Michael Buescher Photography offers boutique photography and videography services for couples interested in elopement and destination weddings in Vancouver and Vienna and the surrounding areas. Surprised? Don’t be! Both countries offer exciting and enviable opportunities, for elopements, and small weddings. Wether you are travelling from abroad or already a local couple I am able to provide a wealth of insights and tips to help navigate the process of planning your elopement in ways you never dreamed of.  I can provide location ideas vendor options that suit your budget taste and style, what ever that is to you.

Like many photographers I got started by shooting smaller weddings except in my case I was doing it long before it was fashionable and practical. Couples eloped for strategic and personal reasons.

In this way, I want to share my most memorable and remarkable experience.

A man and woman contacted me from California. They were coming to Vancouver for 3 days to get married. They were scant on details but were wanting privacy and still an authentic outdoor experience without too much travel from the city. So I scouted what I thought would be the best location, which at the time was Queen Elizabeth Park. Since intimacy was the premium quality and I looked for many placements not sure what we were going to get on the actually day. (Queen Elizabeth was a good choice at this time because it was still a relatively quiet park 15 years ago). There were no friends or family in attendance, for their elopement so as is required by law I went to find two strangers who would bear witness to their union. About 50 meters away I found a young couple and told them of our situation. They agreed to take part.

So with the legal matter arranged, we commenced with the ceremony. It was both a profound and vulnerable experience like nothing I have ever seen before. The groom was strong very strong and resolute filled with pride and strength. The bride open hearted and filled with tears of joy that streamed down her face without pause onto her wedding dress for the entire ceremony.

Within a few short minutes all the words had been spoken and the signatures completed. All of us gave the newly married couple time to be alone and I photographed them from a distance with a long unobtrusive lens. CN400, FUJI Provia. There was a brief and polite congratulations then for our couples photo session we met at Lost Lagoon, Stanley Park. I photographed in the shade of a willow tree for half an hour, with two swans hanging around behind the couple. This was no coincidence. When you have spent a lot of time in nature you notice that animals will take an interest in strong feelings from humans. They floated and twirled around…. Specifically then I moved in close with my 50 mm at shallow aperture, and the swans with necks entwined gently blurred out like a line drawing in a perfect symbolic metaphor of the love that I captured in the foreground. Its said often, but in this case it truly looked like a painting by design.

Then that was the end of our day. 🙂

I never printed our shared this couples images with anyone and to this day I know nothing of their real story or motivations but I felt grateful to have gained  the experience and trust of strangers. And that can be enough for a photographer though. The real human connection. And doing that well with kindness and grace is just sometimes your work and why the work is your reward.

Do you ever think about what your elopement is all about to the two of you? What its all about to you and your family and friends? Every elopement is different and listening carefully to your story is what I all about….

Are you ready to share your story with me? I am ready to listen! 🙂