Stormy Sooke Wedding - French Beach Group Campsite
Ever since moving to Victoria, BC when I was 18, I’ve dreamed of photographing a stormy Vancouver Island wedding along the west coast of the island. I was lucky enough to spend almost a decade living on and exploring this magical part of Canada and I do have a bit of advice for you. If you’re planning a west coast wedding or adventurous elopement, especially around Port Renfrew, Ucluelet, Tofino or on any of the beaches along the Juan de Fuca trail (Sombrio is my fave!), you should definitely be prepared for rain. And if I’m being totally honest… probably a LOT of rain. But have no fear! Rain on your wedding day, in my humble opinion as an experienced wedding photographer, is one of the best things that can happen to you! As long as you embrace whatever mother nature throws your way, the day (and your photos) can turn out even better than you imagined!
If we haven’t met yet, hi! I’m Bree and I LOVE RAINY WEST COAST WEATHER. So when I arrived at Point No Point Resort in Sooke to photograph R & J’s Sooke wedding and French Beach group campsite wedding reception, with the sky looking perfectly grey and moody, and the ocean waves crashing dramatically against the rocks… well, I knew that I was about to photograph my dream Sooke wedding. As I walked up to the cute oceanside cabins where Ryanna was getting ready with her friends, I couldn’t help but soak in a few moments with just me, the old growth trees and the rain-covered ferns. When I met Ryanna one of the first things she said to me was “If there’s no sunset tonight then me and Jon would totally go in the ocean in our wedding gear”. And although I’ve seen my fair share of incredible sunsets at Sombrio Beach after a day of rain, this wasn’t the day for that. So into the ocean they went! I don’t think I could have asked for more epic clients, haha. Everything about this rainy beach wedding was perfect. The covered group campsite shelter at French Beach was taken over by the catering team and guests were able to set up their tents and trailers for the entire weekend. I really love when weddings are a full weekend event. It really gives you so much more quality time with your guests and takes some of the pressure off your wedding day.
From the oceanside, laid back Sooke wedding ceremony at French Beach to R & J getting surprised by a wave crashing onto the rocks during their first look at Point No Point to all the guests embracing the rain and getting absolutely SOAKED on the dance floor at the end of the night - this day was nothing short of magical. I can’t wait to be back on the island in winter & spring of 2022 to photograph some more incredible Tofino & Vancouver Island weddings! I’m dreaming of being your Sooke wedding photographer!
xo Bree
