“During the first two poses Cam complained of his sock being bunched up in his cowboy boot, and by the third he excused himself to fix it, leaving the photographer to take a solo shot of me. In the corner of my eye I think I maybe see Cam on one knee and I have instant butterflies, and when I turned around, I was right. “
Cassidy says she knew since she was 16 that this was the man she was going to marry (and in 2025, she will!)
Cassidy and Cameron are high school sweethearts, and 10 years later, here they are planning their dream wedding day and exploring the beautiful Ontario forest for their engagement photos
They became best friends in 10th and 11th grade, and through a year of growing and and learning about each other, they knew there was more there that had space to grow
They gave themselves the summer to try things out in a relationship, and knew there was no looking back
A month after their 10 year anniversary, Cameron planned a casual date night close to home that was sure to avoid any of Cassidy’s suspicions
Their reservation was supposed to be at 6:00pm, but when they arrived, they were told that it was at 6:30. Conveniently, they were near a beach they’d gone to many times in life but not in ages, so they decided to check it out
At the beach, Cassidy and Cameron found a friend’s mother, who also so happened to be a photographer by hobby. She let them know she’d been taking family photos surrounded by the stunning fall colours in Calabogie, and offered to grab a few photos of the two of them
Within the first few photos, Cameron kept complaining that his sock was bunched up in his cowboy boot, and by the third he excused himself to fix it, leaving the photographer to take a solo shot of Cassidy. Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she could see Cameron on his knee, and she instantly had butterflies in her stomach! When she turned around, she was right!
"We met as kids and grew up together. I feel we need to show ourselves in the mature and intimate ways for sure but I also feel we need to show the goofy and best friend vibes that we hold so close in our relationship."
Cameron’s proposal was perfect down to the tee, with a fairytale ring that was made with a diamond he’d been given by Cassidy’s mum that had been apart of her great grand mother’s collection.
Cameron had made sure to involve her entire family, which she learned upon returning to the restaurant and finding that it was full of their loved ones and glorious applause. Cassidy says it was utterly perfect and truly embodies Cameron's spirit as the most thoughtful person who thinks of everything.
When it came time for Cassidy and Cameron to celebrate their engagement and tell their love story through photos, I was delighted Cassidy reached out to me! These lovebirds are located just outside of Ottawa, but Cassidy said she had a very specific vision in mind for their photos as she wanted to capture their earthy and nature-loving spirits. Upon chatting, she knew that the earthy vibes of my work were exactly what they were looking for, regardless of location (yeah, I might have teared up a bit hearing that LOL)
We got to planning, and knew we had to find the perfect spot where their personalities could shine, where we could have fun and get creative with their photos, and of course, someplace with a gorgeous natural element to it
After searching and evaluating, Cassidy and Cameron decided on the Warsaw Caves, just a half hour outside of Peterborough. When the day came, we both had a little road trip ahead of us to meet up, but it was absolutely worth every minute of the drive!
The Warsaw Caves Conservation Area is the perfect spot to explore if you love the outdoors and viewing all the stunning landscapes Ontario has to offer. With multiple trails leading through the beautiful hardwood forest and the Indian River winding its' way through the conservation area, you truly could spend a whole weekend exploring!
Cassidy, Cameron and I made sure to take a walk exploring the forest, enjoying the mossy overgrowth over the rocks and pine trees, the open river view with a few leaves still clinging on to trees even though it was November, and of course, the caves!
Exploring Warsaw Caves' namesake is exhilarating and exciting, and very, very dark. These are complete and ancient caves that you can explore fully through spelunking, or wandering into open ones with lanterns like we did.
As soon as you enter the caves, you're pitched into a deep darkness that starkly contrasts the vibrant and warm golden hour we had been experiencing out in the forest. Some of the caves required scrambling over huge boulders and squeezing through tiny openings just to get in, while others were more open-concept and accessible with camera gear and high heels. The conservation area offers an interactive map of the cave system so you can explore the entirety of it if you so choose, as well as a brief history lesson on the geological information of the area
Underground, the caves were chilly, and we even found a spot of ice, later learning that some of the caves maintain such a cold temperature year-round that the ice within is always present, and has been for approximately 12,000 years since the last Ice Age!!! How cool is that??
While we couldn't fully explore the cave system given our purpose, Cassidy and Cameron's nice outfits, and the setting sun, we did make sure to have some fun exploring, and they got their chance to cozy up with a vintage lantern for their engagement. How many people can say they've kissed the love of their life in a 12,000 year old cave? That's bragging rights if you ask me
With the sun quickly setting behind us, the three of us knew we needed 1 more shot before it was time to make the long drive home and warm up with much-appreciated seat heaters in the car. It was time for them to officially commemorate their engagement with an engagement gift from me: a bottle of champagne!
We set them up in the perfect spot on the rocks, with the stunning forest behind them, and counted down from 3... 2...1...
At the time of their engagement, Cassidy and Cameron were still deciding between venues for their 2025 wedding - I can't wait to see how all of their wedding planning comes and how gorgeous their wedding will be!
