Mandy Blake Photography

Chris + Kelly had the cutest lakeside wedding last weekend at Conestoga Lake. All their guests socially-distance on boats and got to witness the whole thing from the water!! Such a perfect way to celebrate safely during these weird and wonderful times.

A baby with watermelon...could anything be more summery? Pretty light didn’t hurt either. I’m going to share a bit more here (when I remember), but you can also follow me on Instagram at https://instagram.com/mandyblakephotography!

Summer sessions are well underway and I'm going to be sharing both here and on my Instagram (@mandyblakephotography), so stay tuned! I'm starting with this fave of my main squeeze and her little human. Love these smiles so so much.

A little behind-the-scenes of me back to work and doing a very rare cake smash session for a friend! Stay tuned, new work will be hitting the page soon!! Thank you to all of my amazing clients who have reached out and are booking summer and fall sessions - you have no idea how much it means to me.

As a business, and as a mixed race person, I stand as an ally to BIPOC and support the tearing down of institutionalized racism. I’m listening, I’m learning, and I’m leaving space for bipoc voices to be amplified. I’m sharing resources and food for thought mainly in my personal Instagram stories (@mandyblake), but wanted make my position clear as a business owner as well.... Thank you all for being here.

I'm (tentatively) opening my calendar for June and beyond for family outdoor session bookings! Session dates may be subject to change, based on government guidelines as they shift and change over the coming weeks, but I'm confident that when the time comes we will be able to capture memories again together with all of the proper precautions in place. Thank you to everyone who has reached out already to inquire as to when bookings may reopen and for the support of all of my amazing clients through the crazy COVID-19 rollercoaster!

One morning a couple of weeks ago, ONE FOR THE WALL photography was getting ready for another isolation day and she was talking to me about how good it felt when someone messaged to say they want to book as soon as she is able to reopen. SAME! Inquiry messages had stopped for the first couple of weeks and then they started to trickle in, here and there. Weddings that were changing to elopements, families who found out they had new additions coming. Moments of hope. Moments o...f excitement. People were looking forward to those moments again. She said to me that we should share our "after-isolation-ends dreams" with the businesses and people that we love or have discovered during this time. I blurted out, "Quarantine dreaming." It stuck. Today we ask to all of you to spread some Quarantine Dreaming love over our region and beyond!! Tag and leave a nice message for your favourite businesses under this post, share this post as a story and tag, or save this card and share on your personal or biz page! Basically just share the love however you can! Happy Quarantine Dreaming Day! Mandy + Hil xo

Well, quarantine productivity kicked in today (might be gone again tomorrow so let's ride the wave while I can, methinks LOL)! Nathan + Lisa are on the blog!! Go look at it and pretend it's warm and summery right now.

As the days go by, I’m more and more grateful to essential services workers (the ones listed and all the others not shown)! I’m so fortunate to be able to stay home and not have to make the sacrifices and tough choices these people do on a daily basis. Also a big shout out to the teachers who are working hard to prepare lessons and assignments for distance learning. You are seen and appreciated! ... THANK YOU ALL!

Hilary shared with me the brilliant inspiration to create a place to act as a global diary on thoughts and spaces during isolation in the 2020 pandemic and of course I came on board immediately to help get the project launched and running. Join us on Instagram to hear thoughts and see images of people from all over the world as we face this pandemic together. Send in submissions with a photo of your space or something that’s keeping you grounded in the chaos, with a few wor...ds of how isolation has impacted your daily life. And add the number of days you’ve been isolating, your city and instagram handle if you have one!!! Open to all ages! https://instagram.com/my.four.walls/

A handy guide to work-from-home fashion options, shared by me, a veteran work-from-homer. I’m personally mostly a top-right-corner kinda gal... I’m doing my best to keep busy and stay focused on the good that will surely come what I hope is the very the near future. We’re in this together, hang in there peeps! (Illustration by https://instagram.com/tylerfeder/)

I love this little graphic which gives anyone looking to support local small businesses some great ideas (especially until whatever government solutions are in the works come to fruition)! I’m hunkered down and using this time to reflect on my business, do some online learning, prep blog posts for your viewing pleasure when you’re sick of Netflix! I’m sincerely hopeful and have faith that I will be back to working non-stop before I know it, but until then wash your hands, g...et outside for some fresh air and stay healthy everyone! M xo

I'm on a damn roll. WHOOT! Sean + Linette are the cutest and you should go and see how their art gallery wedding went down. Also, it's winter...being reminded of a warm summer evening is never terrible. ;)

I. Actually. Blogged. *Gasp* And also posting here for the first time in months, so I fully expect to hear crickets, but if you have a few minutes go and look at Alex + Michael’s wedding goodness.

I have a new email address! You can now hit me up at [email protected]. Or as always at 519-503-9266! If you’ve been trying to reach me (and maybe gotten a bounce back), I’m still here and everything is awesome! Here’s a pretty iPhone photo of my kiddo heading to the lake at the cottage with her pineapple floaty, just because it’s pretty...and I want you to read this post.

Just in time for March Break! Whether you’re taking a trip or just sticking around home to hang out with your family, this is a great opportunity to learn the basics of better phone photography. Join me for an hour or two at a studio near DTK on Wednesday, March 6th to get a few tips and tricks on using your phone to capture the moments as they happen. Touch base at [email protected] to grab a seat!

I finally finished getting my website updated with some new work and a new tab for mentoring for up-and-coming photographers. I am forever grateful to you, my clients, for trusting me to photograph the moments and memories of your lives. And I'm always humbled when you choose to tell your friends, neighbours, family, co-workers and even random strangers to work with me too. Thank you. It means more than you will ever know when you refer me with confidence. <3

So cool to keep seeing my images pop up in Apple promos!

Ad + Nikki are on the blog today and these two babes are unmissable!! The lipstick series at the end gives me all the good vibes.

Some frames from Julia + Mike’s wedding at Whistle Bear Golf Club are on the blog today. They had the perfect fall day to say I do!

Another blog post! I’m so productive when it’s freezing outside and I don’t want to leave my house. Kevin + Ashlee’s love-soaked Steckle wedding is up today!

Next up for your review: Sam + Ashley’s wedding in Drayton! Keep your eye out for a tractor as big as a house!

Jen +Brad's sweet Uptown Waterloo wedding is on the blog today! I'm just gonna keep 'em coming, so keep on looking people!

Up next: Jesika + Jamie's awesome wedding at Steckle Heritage Farm!

Simon + Matt are on the blog tonight!! Go and see their fab summer city hall wedding!

After nearly 4 months of just keeping my head down and delivering galleries and only looking up to eat, sleep and hug my kids, I'm finallllllly getting around to doing some updates! First up, Diego + Nicole are on the blog!

I promised I would share more family photos here. So I am. Fall family season is in full swing now as we have moved into the cooler temps and I'm loving every second of it! But these photos make me miss that summer glow just a tiny bit...

I’ve not been posting here as much but I’m still alive! I’ve been posting a lot more over on Instagram, so if you want to keep up with what’s been happening, head over there! https://www.instagram.com/mandyblakeweddings/ As for family work, I am still photograph lots and lots of families! In fact, my fall season is booking like crazy, so if you want a prime spot, make sure you touch base sooner rather than later. ... Just so you know what I’ve been up to though, I will post a few here over the next couple of days, starting with Ashley + Sam’s wedding this past weekend!

When your photos end up on local news because the bride gave her groom the best gift EVER!

I've been so fortunate to again have an image among the Honorable Mentions in the Children category in the recent IPPAWARDS - iPhone Photography Awards! Please take a few minutes to look through all of the galleries - the work is incredibly beautiful. And every single image made with a cell phone camera!

CBC has some great tips for using your phone to capture fireworks this Canada Day weekend!

Srusht + Shazan’s intimate, heartfelt and endearing wedding at Guelph Lake Conservation Area is on the blog today! Happy Canada Day long weekend, everyone!!

Today is National Selfie Day. For me, selfies are a way to exist in photos with my girls. As you might imagine, photographers are not known for getting out from behind the camera and as a result are sometimes missing from the moments and events that we lovingly record for our families. So I take many, many shameless selfies with my girls, mostly silly ones with crazy faces, to prove that I was there too, loving them fiercely and enjoying their lives along with them. And for that I will never feel self-absorbed. #existinphotos

These two were married yesterday, surrounded by a handful of friends and family and a major amount of love. This photo looks peaceful, but believe me, this wedding had enough energy and fun to rival any wedding I’ve ever photographed!

Gareth + Michelle got married this past March. And it was good. And it's on the blog right now. Go and fill your eyes with some goodness.

Showing solidarity with and love for all of my LGBTQ+ community, not only during Pride, but all through the year. In light of the verdict today in the US, allowing vendors to refuse service to same-sex couples if it infringes on the vendors’ religious freedoms, it’s more important than ever that allies and community members who welcome lgbtq+ couples/families/people let them know. My profile photo will stay this way for the duration of Pride Month - I love all my fellow LGBTQ+ peeps!

I have so many people out there who could make my most recent cell phone course! Your prayers have been answered people - another date is set! June 20 | 7:00 pm | $60 plus tax Grab a spot now! [email protected]

I've had a few people asking if I have any dates left for family sessions between weddings this year: the answer is most definitely YES! Family photography is where I started and I love all of my amazing clients, OG and new clients alike! So if you were hoping to snag a spot (and do it before the summer hits full force and the kids are lost in the land of no routines), send me a message and we can get something on the books!... [email protected]

It's been a little quiet around here but I'm back!! Wedding season is kicking off and summer is just around the corner. I thought I would offer my cell phone course again before summer adventures begin! May 28th in Kitchener, $60 plus HST, 7:00 pm Hit me up at [email protected] to join me!

In honour of World Down Syndrome Day, take a minute to watch the behind the scenes of my dear friend ONE FOR THE WALL photography’s Better with You Project.

Sealed with a kiss under the spotlights. A moment when love and lighting come together is my favourite.

Amy + Lucas had the most beautiful little wedding at the University of Guelph Arboretum. Check out some images from the day on my blog!

Despite the shenanigans that are going on with my domain/website right now, I am still blogging! Hannah + Charles are on the blog now!

I have had a few emails that my website is down but I’m actually launching a new site and it is just finishing up the last few stages of getting ready... Until then, you can find me temporarily at: https://mandyblake.squarespace.com/

Another wall gallery share! This time it happens to be some of my own very special extended family. Thanks for sharing Aunt Debbie! xo (All my images except for the far right middle )

I love when I get to see how clients have displayed their images at home. A collection of engagement and wedding photos, along with some personal snaps, make this wall gallery so so awesome! Thanks for sharing, Anwyn & Kevin! xo

Mandy is an award-winning photographer based in Kitchener, Ontario. Now offering a FREE engagement session when you book remaining 2018 + 2019 wedding dates! Reach out now to see if your date is still available!... [email protected] See more

Due to some technical issues on the back end of my blog, it is currently inaccessible (including my investment pages) so if you want to book a wedding or session, shoot me an email at [email protected] to get all the info! I wish this Grandma was here to offer me a little sip right now - I could use it more than that kid!

So many lovers out there who got engaged over the holidays! I love seeing happy faces and sparkling rings all over my feeds. I’m still booking remaining dates for 2018 and into 2019, so if you are planning your wedding, pop an email into my inbox to get the party started! [email protected]... Meanwhile, stop by my IG to check out some faves from my wedding season in 2017. https://www.instagram.com/mandyblakeweddings

Happy New Year from Laurie + Darryl! Oh, and from me too! Had a blast celebrating with these two tonight, now off to the couch to try to stay awake to watch the ball drop in NYC. 2017 is officially a WRAP! ... Thank you to all my amazing clients, those kind people who refer clients to me, and my phenomenal support network of fellow photogs, friends and family for helping me to make this year another successful one. M xo

Second-last wedding of the year and I capped the night with an impromptu selfie with the groom and some of his family. NYE wedding tomorrow and the 2017 wedding season will be a wrap!

Earlier this year I was contacted by Rafiq Elmansy, an Adobe Certified Expert, to contribute iPhone images for his latest book on professional iPhone photography. So cool! Link in the comments, if you are interested in picking up a copy - can’t wait for mine to arrive.

It is always a thrill to see my work hanging on someone’s wall. This piece is a 30x40 print from my iPhone wave series hanging in a home in Lyon, France - so cool!!!

Registration is now OPEN for the once-a-year camera workshop with Hilary (ONE FOR THE WALL photography) and I! [email protected] to register or to purchase as a great last-minute gift for the photographer in your life!

Once we have the one for grandma's fridge, all bets are off. Attack!

So thrilled to have had one of my fave images from Anwyn and Kevin's wedding selected to be included in this year's VOICE Collection! That Dragon, he is always the star of every show!

It the time of the season when I get to see the familiar faces and smiles of the people who trust me to photograph the moments and memories of their lives for another year. And it is so, so good.

We braved the winds (and the toddlers) to update the family photos for the gallery wall. High-five, Robertsons!

Sunshine and snuggles are on my list of favourite things.

Country roads, take me home.

Every year for the last six years, this family has trusted me to document their moments. That kind of trust is what makes this job the most amazing in the world. One day, when their boys are taller than us all and chasing them constantly throughout the session will be a faded memory, we will remember (no doubt with much laughter) how much we all sweated through their sessions. But for now, this is them. <3

On the eve of their move to a new home this week, I had to hold back tears photographing this family on their front porch. The place they walked as they brought home new babies, stood for photos on the first day of school and every little moment in between. So happy (and also sentimentally sad) for you all. And glad that I could be there for these last few cherished memories. <3

I was honoured to be asked to photograph beautiful August as part of this year’s campaign for AboutFace, The Craniofacial Family Society. The theme of 2017 is See Beyond My Face see the person beyond the facial difference, and recognize that they deserve to be treated just like everyone else. Our goal is to help create an inclusive society where people with facial differences are accepted and valued. It is time we stopped judging people for the way they look. Please go and give August and all of the other wonderful people featured as part of the campaign lots of love on the AboutFace page!

Making sure his bride makes it safely across. Such a gentleman.