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Melissa Furst Photography, Kelowna, BC (2026)

05/12/2023

Grab your favorite drinks and snuggle up, go for a hike and picnic or out to your favorite restaurant and dive in.

This week is an easy one: 🤩

Share a significant life experience that you feel changed your life or that you feel shaped who you are today.

I'm not into just selling the dream... I'm into helping you CREATE the dream. So you're in love... Maybe you're dating... Maybe you just got engaged or are in a committed common-law relationship... Maybe you're newlyweds or have been married for a while. No matter where you are in your life together or what kind of relationship you have, there is always room to learn more about each other and room to grow. But HOW can you deep dive into getting to know each other? Relationships are hard. Commitment is hard... Marriage is hard... So how can you know if you're really compatible? (I know... Super taboo, but if you're thinking long and hard about this before you say I Do or committing more deeply or long into your relationship you're wondering if it's gone stale, you're not alone... And it doesn't mean you're making the wrong decision or that your relationships is doomed). Every week I'm going to share a deep dive question or topic you and your boo can use to learn more about each other and to bring you closer. Compatibility isn't about sameness, it's about identifying core values and beliefs and seeing how they work together. If you feel comfortable to share some of your conversations or insights, I'd love to hear about them in the comments.

05/11/2023

I never limit the images you get in your gallery and here's why: the time I spend shooting some of your most special moments are yours... And to be honest, I get SO excited to show you that I don't want to pick a favorite... And I don't want you to have to either. This means you will always get your full, high resolution digital gallery no matter what investment package you choose. That includes personal use and printing rights with the ability to save and share right from your online gallery.

What this does NOT mean it's that you will get all the RAW images - I may shoot thousands of frames during your event and narrow them down during my editing process. You don't need, nor want, thousands of photos that include all the closed eyes, looking the wrong way, people walking through the frame and double chin shots. This is why I'm a professional and why you hired me.

What you WILL get are a mix of gently guided, minimally posed and candid photos that DO capture each moment and memory. I promise you, I won't miss a single thing.

05/10/2023

WRITING VOWSConfession: I wrote my vows the night before our wedding because I'm a terrible procrastinator and I do my best work under pressure (totally a unique butterfly, I know. Lol!). I realized I'd been writting them in my head since the day we went on our first date, but it was daunting to actually write it out. If you're feeling stuck on what to say in your vows, here are some tips to help:
· Make it a date! You don't have to share them, but sometimes knowing you're both working on them at the same time helps to get started.

· Look at old pictures, cards or notes to get into the right headspace. Reflecting on your relationship brings up those inspirational feelings of love and admiration.

· Free write what qualities you love most about your partner, memories of first meeting them or when you knew they were the one. Once you've written it all out, pick a couple highlights and try to limit it to 2-3 sentences - a few of your favorite qualities that made you fall in love with them, a favorite memory or a time you worked through something hard that brought you closer together.

· Most important, vows are promises and commitments to each other for your marriage. Focus the majority of your vows on the things you promise them in your life together - these can be vague ("I promise to cherish you always") or specific ("I promise to always make enough coffee for two.")

· Vary the words you use: I vow... I commit... I promise... I will... I pledge...

· Finally, speak to your future together - goals, dreams, aspirations.

· An easy way to end them is to say "and it with all of these things in my heart, I take you as my husband/wife/spouse today and for always."

05/09/2023

I wrote a story. To remember. To know. That we were meant to be.

The Meeting

The advertisement read “MOTU 2018 hosted by - registration ending soon”. Why was an advertisement for a Masters of the Universe He-man fan-club conference coming up on Melissa’s Instagram feed? But she clicked on it anyway (who can resist the algorithms?). Looks like Siri was right. It was a conference about human connection and conquering ourselves to create more meaningful relationships – never mind the poorly chosen conference title, this was something Melissa felt compelled to attend. She vaguely remembered seeing advertisements for this conference the year before, but couldn’t be bothered. This year she was looking for new ways to meet people in Vancouver and the best summer of her life was just beginning.

She looked at her schedule for the weekend of the conference: Thursday, sailing club; Friday night, a friend’s opening at the art gallery; Saturday evening, Symphony in the Park; Sunday, Chasing Sunrise hike. Could she fit in in? Absolutely! This was the summer she was going to explore ALL the things she felt she’d been missing the last decade since starting nursing. Three years in school, training her and her colleagues to live and die for nothing other than the grind of the hospital. Day, day, night, night. Sleep. Repeat.

What did she even enjoy doing before all that? She made a list: hiking, sailing, live music, deep friendships, meaningful conversations, kayaking, travelling, learning and reading, visual arts, photography. She quit her job in the ICU and started teaching at UBC 2-3 days a week. She called it “my semi-retired life” and proceeded to plan her work days around her life instead of her life (or lack of it) around her work days. She filled in the registration form and pressed send just under the wire. Registration confirmed!
**Continued in comments
📷

05/08/2023

Remember why you’re doing this. Getting married is a big commitment and once the excitement of the engagement melds into the stress of planning a wedding, things CAN get tense. There are so many possibilities and ideas and everyone has an opinion. Your partner may have some emotional ties to certain traditions or parts of the wedding that differ from yours. Just remember to take a step back, and remember why you’re doing this. When things get stressful, it’s ok to take a break from the planning and just go on a date where you don’t even mention the wedding plans. Take a deep breath together, grab hands and remember you’re in this as a team and no matter what, your day will be beautiful.

05/05/2023

Why consider a first look? + You can get the emotions and jitters out of the way and hold it just between the two of you. This can be an intimate moment where you share vows written only for you or just revel in how stunning the two of you look in your wedding attire. This is also a time when you can let your guard down which lets your photographer get some of the most raw, candid and real photos of the day. Both of you can experience the bigger emotions privately together and still have time to touch up make-up and straighten your suit before you walk down the aisle.

+ We can get some of your portraits done during this time which gives you more time to spend with family and friends during cocktail hour or reception. We also can do the wedding party photos and some family photos at the end of your first look time to get everyone looking their best and most fresh – especially in the hot Okanagan summers! And after the ceremony, everyone can head straight to the bar, including you!

+ This time offers a purposeful point in your day that you can just slow down and enjoy the beauty of your day and the chapter you are about to begin together. Getting caught up in all the events of the day often leaves bride and groom feeling like they forgot to connect with each other and each moment at the end of the day. Adding in purposeful time for YOUR connection is important.

If you ARE more traditional and want to see each other for the first time walking down the aisle, that’s ok too! There are benefits and ways to do either option and your day will be absolutely wonderful no matter what you choose.

05/05/2023

Turns out I like you more than I originally planned...

05/04/2023

Let’s talk timelines. While there are some standard ones out there, there are SO many options especially if you are doing an unconventional elopement or micro-wedding. Without all the traditional pressure, you can make your day what you want. The ONLY things that HAVE to be done are the exchanging of vows and the signing of the wedding certificate… Let that sink in. That is all that is required to get married! Everything else is open to interpretation and artistic license! You definitely still want to plan though so that the day flows and you don’t feel rushed and flustered. Here are some things to consider when planning your timeline: + Figure out the last moment you want photography coverage for and work your way backwards.+ Be sure to allow for travel time between different locations (and taking into account the time your guests will need to get from place to place too – the more people, the more time you’ll need)

+ Different times of day have different types of natural lighting – take into consideration the type of lighting in your venues and time of day. Bright overhead noon-day sun is fairly harsh and difficult to work with while early morning or early evening are best for a bit of a softer light. Natural light is best so venues with lots of windows are helpful.

+ Size of your wedding party and family you want in photos. The more people, the more time it takes to get through these important photos.

+ Are you doing a first look or an aisle look? Do you want to sneak away after the ceremony or during your reception for more photos?

Most of my photo collections include personalized timelines that I support you in working through and creating. I’m here to answer questions and work with you from booking to reception exit. I want to be sure to get all the moments that matter to you most.

05/03/2023

Let’s talk timelines. While there are some standard ones out there, there are SO many options especially if you are doing an unconventional elopement or micro-wedding. Without all the traditional pressure, you can make your day what you want. The ONLY things that HAVE to be done are the exchanging of vows and the signing of the wedding certificate… Let that sink in. That is all that is required to get married! Everything else is open to interpretation and artistic license! You definitely still want to plan though so that the day flows and you don’t feel rushed and flustered. Here are some things to consider when planning your timeline: + Figure out the last moment you want photography coverage for and work your way backwards.

+ Be sure to allow for travel time between different locations (and taking into account the time your guests will need to get from place to place too – the more people, the more time you’ll need)

+ Different times of day have different types of natural lighting – take into consideration the type of lighting in your venues and time of day. Bright overhead noon-day sun is fairly harsh and difficult to work with while early morning or early evening are best for a bit of a softer light. Natural light is best so venues with lots of windows are helpful.

+ Size of your wedding party and family you want in photos. The more people, the more time it takes to get through these important photos.

+ Are you doing a first look or an aisle look? Do you want to sneak away after the ceremony or during your reception for more photos?

Most of my photo collections include personalized timelines that I support you in working through and creating. I’m here to answer questions and work with you from booking to reception exit. I want to be sure to get all the moments that matter to you most.

05/02/2023

“I dreamed that I was a rose
That grew beside a lonely way,Close by a path none ever chose,
And there I lingered day by day.
Beneath the sunshine and the show’r
I grew and waited there apart,
Gathering perfume hour by hour,
And storing it within my heart,
Yet, never knew,
Just why I waited there and grew.
I dreamed that you were a bee
That one day gaily flew along,
You came across the hedge of me,
And sang a soft, love-burdened song.
You brushed my petals with a kiss,
I woke to gladness with a start,
And yielded up to you in bliss
The treasured fragrance of my heart;
And then I knew
That I had waited there for you.”

~ The Awakening by James Weldon Johnson

05/01/2023

I am grateful to be alive
I am grateful for the good people in my life
I am grateful for the lessons I learned
I am grateful for that painful situation
I am grateful for my awareness
I am grateful for my awkwardness
I am grateful for making it this far
I am grateful for empathy
I am grateful for music
I am grateful for the beauty of nature
I am grateful for good conversations
I am grateful for my mind and memory
I am grateful for my resilience
I am grateful for laughter
I am grateful for transformation and change
I am grateful for new experiences
I am grateful for quiet moments
I am grateful for listening to my heart in the quiet moments
I am grateful

04/28/2023

With elopements the possibilities are endless! You can share your vows in any place you can imagine, surrounded by friends and family or just the two of you. You can have a sweet and slow morning or get up at dawn to adventure to a remote place for the sun to rise on your hearts' promises... A new day just for you to start the next chapter in your life together. I'm here to help you plan your perfect day and to capture every memory from start to finish. Working with me means hiring someone who is invested in YOU! I'm going to take the time to get to know you as one of my closests friends so that when I photograph your day you can look back at the pictures and say "Yes! That's us!". We won't be doing awkward photos standing in lines like little chicklets... My photos are candid documentary style to tell your story for generations to come.

I've still got limited weekend availability for 2023 and books are open for 2024! Let's get to know each other and plan your most epic elopement or wedding day.

Melissa Furst Photography

05/12/2023

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04/28/2023

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