Government House Portrait Photography Archives - Documentary Photographer Lara Eichhorn

Karen and Chris are Engaged

November 7, 2016 by Lara Eichhorn Leave a Comment

I met up with Karen and Chris at Government House in mid-September. I got there early and it started pouring, so I texted them to ask if they wanted to reschedule. They wanted to wait a few minutes and see if it cleared. When they arrived, we grabbed a couple of umbrellas and hid under a tree for five minutes until the rain slowed. It actually turned out to be a nice day for a shoot, though there was no sunset light in sight as I’d hoped for. We ended the shoot with me climbing into the wet bushes and trying to get a photo of a plastic dinosaur attacking them.

Julia and Chris are Engaged

May 14, 2016 by Lara Eichhorn 1 Comment

Looking at these photos, you can tell it’s spring here. Everything is so green at Government House and the flowers are starting to bloom. Julia and Chris were in town to organize some wedding details and I’m glad I finally got to meet them in person. They were full of smiles, nervous but cute. Her mother came along to help wrangle their dog, which was really helpful because dogs and portrait sessions can be a crazy mix. We did manage to get a couple of shots of all three of them looking at the camera, which is more than I can say for my cat.

Ashley and Travis are Married

April 25, 2015 by Lara Eichhorn Leave a Comment

Ashely and Travis had a small family wedding at Abigail’s Hotel a couple of weeks ago, on one of the sunniest days in April. For them, this is a prelude to a larger wedding in the fall, but for me, it was an awesome little wedding.

Ashley and Travis were getting ready together when I arrived, and they ended up in the lobby with all their family and friends before the ceremony. They ended up going out to the garden for the ceremony first, and their guests were standing near the edges taking photos and unsure whether they should sit down. It was pretty cute.

I was trying to take a nice walking photo of them and Ashley goes “can we walk like zombies?” and I said, “you can walk however you like.”

Shannon and Sean are Married

January 12, 2015 by Lara Eichhorn Leave a Comment

Shannon and Sean would win the award for funniest couple of the year, though maybe it should be amended to include the wedding party and their families. Shannon spent the morning making faces at the camera, while all of the girls danced around and laughed like crazy. The boys spent a fair bit of time riding around on a scooter in Sean’s parents’ backyard. Once they got together for the first look, Shannon and Sean couldn’t stop talking to each other. I imagine that it’s never quiet in their house, but always full of fun and love.

I quickly learned that the couple’s family are just as spirited as they are, through taking some silly family photos, a lively receiving line before dinner, emotional speeches, and lots of great dancing. We ended the night with some photos of Shannon doing tequila shots with her mom and sister, and the couple showing off their blue tongues from the cake frosting.

Ceremony Venue: Coast Hotel
Reception Venue/Caterer: The Union Club
Florist: bridesmaid Dee and her mother
Hair and Makeup: Rebecca Fishburne from Piccadilly Salon and Belle Amour
Cake: The Little Cakery
Officiant: Cathy Lavoie
Bride’s ress: Alfred Angelo from Shades of White
Suit: Outlooks
Engagement ring: Ann Louise Jewelers
Bride’s wedding band: Lugaro Jewelers

Shannon and Eric are Married

January 3, 2015 by Lara Eichhorn Leave a Comment

Shannon and Eric were married at Sea Cider in early August. Shannon is an artist and clearly put a lot of effort and care into every detail of their wedding. Verbena Floral Design‘s amazing flowers were the perfect complement to the DIY details, along with many items by individual artisans.

I loved that Eric had so many groomsmen – a group of guys he’s been close to since high school (or earlier). They also had a lot of family involved in the day. It was lovely to see so many long lasting friendships and it showed during the toasts and trivia (they had tables compete at answering trivia about the couple in order to get them to kiss). The reception was full of tears and laughter in equal measure (or nearly equal), and lots of love all around.

Venue: Sea Cider
Band: Paul Smith
Caterer: Food for Thought Catering
Florist: Verbena Floral Design
Hair: Conscious Hair by Elena
Makeup: Melanie Baird
Cake: Ooh La La Cupcakes
Officiant: Joanne Pitzel
Button favours: made by Shannon – her shop The Otter and the Owl
Bride’s Dress: Robert Bullock from The White Peony
Bride’s accessories:
Veil: Jennifer Leigh Couture Veil Design
Sash: Sara Gabriel Veiling and Accessories
Shoes: Modcloth and BHLDN
Pearl bracelet: Emma Glover Designs
Earrings: Virginia Geiger Jewels
Groom’s suit and groomsmen’s pants: Indochino
Bridesmaid’s dresses: J. Crew
Groom and groomsmen’s ties: Cyberoptix Tie Lab
Wedding Dress Hanger: Just Beachy Décor
Cake plate: Jeanette Zeis Ceramics
Mr. and Mrs. Dessert forks: For Such a Time Designs
Mr. and Mrs. teacups: Yvonne Ellen Unique Homewares
Stationary: designed by the bride

Jeff and Veronica are Married

October 15, 2013 by Lara Eichhorn Leave a Comment

Jeff and Veronica had an intimate wedding at Abkhazi Garden in late September. Luckily, the sun came out a bit in time for an outdoor ceremony. I love that Veronica wore a gorgeous green dress instead of the traditional white, and Jeff wore a shirt to match. They had an adorable flower girl who carried the rings on a floral basket that Veronica put together. After the ceremony they headed out for lunch and cake and we met up later for portraits at Government House. They even saved me some cake.

Find out more about having an intimate wedding or elopement in Victoria, BC.

Erin and Bob are Married

September 7, 2012 by Lara Eichhorn 1 Comment

Erin called me about a last minute elopement in August. She said she wanted to go into the ocean in her dress, which set my mind whirring with ideas. I finally got to meet her just before the wedding at Abigail’s Hotel and she was adorable and fun, as expected. Then I met Bob and saw how perfect they were together, especially at the portrait session where neither of them could stop laughing. After a few photos at Government House, we headed to a mostly-secluded beach to get some ocean shots. This was when I realized that I’d never been in the ocean with my bare feet. It was one of the hottest days of the year, but the water was freezing. And the rocks at this beach were very sharp. Alternating between laughing and wincing made for some fun photos, including them laughing at me and my sore feet. I had an awesome time.

Randal and Sarah are Engaged

February 14, 2012 by Lara Eichhorn Leave a Comment

Randal and Sarah came to Victoria for New Year’s Eve and we had a fun evening portrait session. We went to Government House and wandered around for a bit and somehow managed to miss the sunset, finishing with some night photos at the lovely Abigail’s Hotel. She’s a yoga instructor and he works in media – I just love working with people who also love what they do. We had such a fun time walking around, talking about our respective cities, and checking out the always gorgeous gardens and ocean view at Government House. I did a bit of experimenting with my tilt-shift lens, the Brenizer method, and my flashes.

Susan and Tyler are Married

October 3, 2011 by Lara Eichhorn 3 Comments

Susan and Tyler eloped at Abigail’s Hotel in Victoria, travelling with their daughter, parents, and Susan’s friend from Regina. I loved hanging out with them for a few hours and witnessing Susan’s excitement at seeing the gardens at Government House. She was in such a great mood, and for good reason. Though the champagne might have had a little bit to do with it. They took photos with their iPhones and sent them out to their friends and family after the ceremony, as they kept their elopement a secret from almost everyone.