Jenny + Kyle: Summer Lovin'

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I am so excited to share this wedding with you today. This is the very first wedding of my 2017 season and the first time I was a second shooter!

This wedding was with Danielle from Danielle Mahoney Photography for the celebration of Jenny + Kyle. I started my day with the eight gentlemen, you heard me, eight groomsmen that were there to support Kyle on his big day! I met Kyle at his parents home. Everyone started with a delicious home cooked meal, some photos, trying to get the family bird from the cage and a pre-wedding toast to the groom. Every single on of them were so kind and funny, and an overall pleasure to be around. Before I knew it, it was time to head to the ceremony venue to meet Danielle and the beautiful bride Jenny. 

I met Danielle at Jenny's family's property where she grew up, located just outside of London. As farmers, Jenny grew up climbing trees, swimming and learning there; it was the perfect spot for their beautiful and intimate outdoor wedding. After some bridal party pictures, it was time for the ceremony. Earlier in the day, London received a Severe Thunder Storm Warning and my radio was interrupted by an emergency weather alert calling for a tornado. Thankfully, the rain held off and the weather was perfect for Jenny + Kyle's day.

Then we were off to the reception at the Ukrainian Hall in London, ON to celebrate. After a delicious dinner, beautiful words spoken (and sung!) by the bridal party, and a flash mob, the energetic crowd spent the rest of the night on their feet dancing. It was a beautiful wedding, bursting with love and I feel so honoured to have been in attendance. I also learnt so much from Danielle throughout the day like how to utilize my memory cards best, tips for using my new flash and new posing techniques. I am so excited to work with her again in August! 

Here are my favourites from this incredible day. I love them and I know you will too. 

Until next time, 

Emily xo

 

 

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All photos by Emily Soti Photography Second Shooting for Danielle Mahoney Photography. Visit Danielle's website here.

Rachelle + Dylan

I met Rachelle recently at Studio Chic London and instantly knew we would get along. When she asked me to photograph her and her long term partner, Dylan, I obviously agreed! This session was full of giggles and silliness and I enjoyed every minute of it. These two are high school sweethearts who met through their mutual love of theatre (this is how my hubby and I met too!) so I have a particular soft spot for their story. 

For their session, we visited Civic Gardens in London, ON in the spring, near the tail end of bloom season. Thankfully, we found ourselves a gorgeous tree with thousands of white petals. It made for the perfect background for these two to laugh and unwind. 

I love how this collection turned out. Here are some of my favourites:

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I hope you smiled as much as I did when picking these out. Every image just oozes of love and fun.

I still have availability this summer for couples sessions. Let's get you booked; fall will be here before you know it. Book now.

Until next time,

Emily xo

Jessica + Tim: Rustic Spring Engagement

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Hey everyone!

I am super excited to share my latest engagement session with you because Jessica + Tim actually attended our wedding almost one year ago and Jessica has been a close family friends of John's for many, many years. These two will be tying the knot on NYE 2018 and we are so honoured to be there to document the day!

Since the wedding day will be during the winter this year, Jessica + Tim wanted a warm spring engagement session and chose the Arva Flour Mill as their location. They wanted a rustic vibe for their portraits and they could not have picked a better location.

I loved the red details on all of the buildings and the abundance of photo ops throughout the grounds. From the river, to the big red door, there was no shortage of beautiful backgrounds to show off this adorable pair.

I am so pleased with how this set turned out; I hope you enjoy it too!

Until next time,

Emily

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6 Reasons You Should Consider a Custom Wedding Gown

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John and I are coming up on our 1 year wedding anniversary - and I frankly cannot believe this much time as passed since we tied the knot! (Can time slow down please?) Our wedding day was honestly the best day ever but if I am being truthful with you all, I am thankful the planning part is over.

One of my favourite parts however, as I am sure is common for a lot of brides, was picking my dress. I have always considered my fashion sense to be a projection of my personality and a way for me to express myself in the world, so I knew from day one I did not want an ordinary dress.

I started with looking at gowns online for inspiration, from Pinterest, Google, Designer websites and more with no avail. For me, too many of the dresses were built for taller women and did not offer the fairy-tale look I was going for when planning my wedding. Many were way out of my price range for something I did not love and others simply were too generic.

That's when I decided to contact Kaitlyn Mae Bridal about quoting a custom gown.

Crazy, I know right? But not really.

From the first moment I contacted her, Kaitlyn was incredibly professional and easy to work with. She assured me that she could design the dress of my dreams and I was sold. Having my gown custom made was one of the best decisions I made in regards to my wedding (other than marrying John of course, haha!) Benefits included but are not limited to:

1) The dress was made to fit me and only me. This meant I had no issues with finding a gown that I did not drown in. So many of the gown styles were not made with someone like me in mind. Standing only 5' was making dress shopping shockingly difficult and would have resulted in a lot of money being spent on altering any gown I did end up choosing.

I also found that although I could get the hem brought up, this would not have addressed the issue of balance and proportion. Due to the fact my legs are shorter than my torso, in combination with the height problem, most dresses I tried on simply looked wrong. In getting my gown designed to fit me, I avoided all of these issues.

2) Pockets. Seriously. Though I have seen it as a trend on many bridal websites and magazines, actually finding a dress with pockets was nearing impossible while I was looking. I know it seems unconventional to have pockets in your wedding dress, but for me it was a really big want and Kaitlyn included this detail for me without question.

3) Uniqueness. There literally is not another dress in the world like mine. There may be some that are similar, but in essence, my dress is a snowflake. The most common compliment I have received about my dress is how "me" it is. My wedding dress screams "Emily" whenever someone looks at it. To me, it's a representation of my princess attitude, unconventional style and a dash of innocent bad-assery. If the dresses in the stores do not speak to your personal style, I highly recommend you consider having one designed for you.

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4) The process. For many, dress shopping is the highlight of wedding planning. I know for others, it can become the bane of their existence. One of the things I enjoyed most about my experience of having my gown made was the process. From the initial consultation and brainstorming, to design finalizations, mock dresses, dress fittings, anticipation and seeing the final product; there were so many amazing parts of Kaitlyn's service experience. If you love the feeling of being taken care of and getting exactly what you want; having your gown designed might be for you. It was truly so fun.

5) The Final Product. I mean, the gown really speaks for itself. From the surprise pearl buttons that matched my grandmother's necklace, to the details in the hem, it was very obvious from the moment I laid eyes on my finished gown that a great deal of care and work went into the final product. Worth every penny. Cinderella can eat her heart out, 'cuz she ain't got nothing on me!

6) You get exactly what you want. For me this was the biggie. I am normally an incredibly frugal person. Couponing, canning, DIY, budgets, thrifting and generally obsessing over my bank account are my jam. Therefore whenever I make financial decisions, they are not made lightly. If I am going to be dishing out the dollars, I want to make sure my investment is in something I am 100% sure on. As an accountant, John is the same way which is one of the many reasons we make such an awesome team. (For example, this is the reason we chose Sophie from @rawfootagephotography to be our photographer!) So, when it came to my dress, the best part of having a custom gown was the assurance I was getting something that was exactly what I wanted, and being able to have a say every step of the way.

Kaitlyn was so accommodating with all of my requests, such as adding a second skirt for the reception and creating a full skirt with as few layers as possible. She made sure I was clear and constantly informed on the process and progress of my gown. You can tell that she puts a lot of time, creativity and consideration into each piece she makes. She wanted to make sure I was satisfied and excited at every point in the process. (Can you tell I am a big fan of Kaitlyn? 10/10, would recommend!)

So there you go. My thoughts on why you should consider having a custom gown made. It may not be for everyone but it worked out wonderfully for me. Looks are not number one in my life, but it was important to me to look and feel my best on our wedding day. John entering my life was seriously like Prince Charming riding in on his noble steed and Kaitlyn Mae Bridal ensured all my dreams came true while we celebrated our fairy-tale.

Until next time,

xo Emily

Gown: Kaitlyn Mae Bridal

Photographer: Sophie Sheldrick from Raw Footage Photography

MUA: Alex MacKay

Hair: Christie Murray

Michelle + Gio: Love will keep us warm

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Now that spring is officially here, I wanted to share this beautiful engagement session with you all to remind you of the cold! Just kidding!

For Michelle & Gio's shoot on Boxing Day, we were freezing, but these two had their love to keep them warm (with some help from an early morning Starbucks stop!)

These two met during their undergrads here in London, ON at Western University at the locally famous restaurant/bar Joe Kool's; the rest is history. Michelle & Gio will be celebrating their wedding this spring in Italy! It was wonderful to see these two again and I wish them nothing but the best during this exciting next chapter of their lives. Check out some of my favourites below!

  • Emily
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Stop me if I'm DRONE-ING on...

Oh hey friends,

John and I have some exciting news! (No we are not expecting) Recently we chose to invest in a drone for Emily Soti Photography and start a sub-company called Canadian Drone. Woo! We are so confident in this business decision and are anxious to begin incorporating this technology into our packages in the near future.

Aware that we started flying in Feburary, the weather has been record breakingly warm so we have been fortunate to have a few opportunities for practice. John is officially the drone guy, so for now, he is going to be the main operator and I could not be more happy to have my partner in life become my partner in business! We have so many plans and we cannot wait to share them with you all. Check out some of his test shots below!

A post shared by John Cabral (@canadian_drone) on

A post shared by John Cabral (@canadian_drone) on

A post shared by John Cabral (@canadian_drone) on

A post shared by John Cabral (@canadian_drone) on

Oh hey, handsome ^^

 

Until next time, 

Emily & John

Suzy + Kiel: A Vegas Love Story

Suzy + Kiel got married on a gorgeous, sunny September day in the heat of the Nevada sun, surrounded by their closest friends and family. The couple's wedding ceremony was held in a traditional Greek Orthodox Church, and their reception was held at a restaurant called Stripsteak where we enjoyed the most increidble steak I have ever had in my life. It is a day I will never forget and I am proud to share the collection with you.

Suzy + Kiel did not have your stereotypical Vegas wedding, although we did spend a lot of time out on the strip, we mostly spent our time laughing, eating and celebrating the night away! It was so fun being able to explore the famous Las Vegas strip with them throughout their special day.

Las Vegas offered a unique challenge as a photographer due to the sheer volume of people everywhere we went. However, it also allowed for some of the most unique ladnscapes and interesting backdrops such as the jungle waterfalls at the Mirage Hotel & Casino, the architecture at the Venetian Hotel, and the shark aquarium at Mandalay Bay; there was always something interesting to see.

John, my husband, acted as my second shooter during our day and did a wonderful job. (We make a pretty great team if I do say so myself!) With the help of our portable LED panel we were able to shoot both inside and out, daytime and nighttime! Thank you to the beautiful couple for trusting us with their big day - it was simply wonderful.

Enjoy! xo

Emily

** Currently booking for 2017/2018 Weddings & Engagements. Let's talk!

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Styled Bridal Shoot with Kaitlyn Mae Bridal

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Recently I teamed up with a very talented local bridal designer Kaitlyn Mae Bridal to work on a styled bridal shoot. Kaitlyn designs Bespoke Bridal Gowns that are handmade in Canada, including my wedding dress! Check her out on Instagram here.

Kaitlyn's unique and edgy style pairs perfectly with mine, so when I came up with the idea for this styled shoot I jumped at the opportunity for us to collaborate! You can check out the photos in the gallery below featuring Kaitlyn's designs on our beautiful model, Quinn.

I love supporting local businesses and collaborating, so if you'd ever like to team up and work together, get in touch with me here. I am also currently booking for 2017/2018 Weddings and would be honoured to capture your big day. Let's talk!

Andrea: A Baby Shower

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A few Sundays ago I was a gracious guest (and photographer) at Andrea's baby shower at her buisiness Studio Chic, a beautiful boutique fitness and pole dancing studio. Andrea is expecting her bundle soon and everyone in attendance was thrilled to celebrate his upcoming arrival.

It was a lovely day with fun games, good food and wonderful company. I am over the moon for Andrea and Will and I can't wait to meet little Lincoln :) 

- Emily