vendor reviews: photographers

Brian Wiebe brings a casual attitude and subjective portrait-style to wedding photography

Reviewing Brian Wiebe, Owner of Brian Wiebe Photography

Brian Wiebe, Owner and Photographer at Brian Wiebe Photography, takes a casual, no pressure approach to working with and photographing his clients. That's why he loves working with laid back and relaxed couples who are ready to enjoy their wedding day. Trained by another Ring favourite, Stan Switalski, Brian has mastered the art of what he describes as comfortable, subjective portraiture - a style that allows him to focus more on the people, their expressions and the natural lighting that surrounds them rather than posed shots. 

All of Brian's wedding packages include an engagement shoot so he can build a relationship with each couple and rehearse for the big day. Plus, he doesn't place any time, location or shot limits on your photo shoot, which is awesome considering the affordability of his packages. Local brides already seem to love Brian for his focus on the couple, his ability to make people comfortable during their shoot and his friendly, casual attitude. We met with Brian to find out more about why brides love and recommend Brian Wiebe Photography. Here's what we discovered...

Personally speaking...

Brian describes himself as "a nice guy to hang out with on your wedding day" and says he thinks that he is best known for his casual, no pressure attitude.

While he graduated from Fanshawe College with a Diploma in Photography, Brian says that his real training came from assisting Stan of Stan Switalski Photography for several years. Under Stan's wing Brian assisted with photographing a countless number of weddings. Then he ventured out on his own and opened Brian Wiebe Photography in 1998, which is when he shot his first wedding on his own.

For eight years Brian's main focus was Portrait Photography while he shot a few weddings on the side. He noticed that many of his portrait clients were asking him to shoot their weddings too; that's why, in 2007 he took the plunge and decided to promote himself as a wedding and portrait photographer.

Now, Brian shoots an average of fifteen weddings per year (and counting, as weddings have become his main focus). Having recently been married himself, Brian says, "I have a pretty good idea of what couples are looking for." He told The Ring that his favourite part about shooting weddings is "getting to know and photograph new people. The rush you get during and after a great shoot is addictive... It just keeps you wanting to create more and better work."

Subjective portraiture...

A casual and approachable photo style is something that Brian thinks is one of his biggest selling points. "I take a subjective approach to photography," Brian told us. "My photos are all about people, rather than trendy techniques and elaborate backgrounds. Lighting and expression are the most important things to me."

Because Brian is an expert at portrait photography, he says that he is very comfortable with people and lighting just comes naturally to him - a fact that is evident by his vibrant photos that seem to truly capture the people and surroundings in them, whether they're taken inside or out.

Craig and Anita Langlois had Brian photograph their October 2006 wedding and loved him so much that they’ve since been back for baby and family photos. Anita told us, "Brian is very good at making you feel very comfortable and it comes from his personality. You can tell that he’s just a very friendly and patient person..."

Brian describes his style as "comfortable, subjective portraiture" that's all about the couple. "My photos are controlled without being overly posed," explains Brian. "The bride and groom should always look like they are truly enjoying themselves."

"Brian was exceptional to work with. He is so relaxed and really made the experience fun for my husband and I," says Jen Rose. Jen and Jarrett hired Brian to shoot their engagement and September 2008 wedding photos and told The Ring, "We loved that we got very natural looking pictures" that were creative and unique.

When Lisa and Hank Fletcher first saw Brian’s portfolio they say that they could tell he took "great photos that looked very natural and not staged." And they were happy to see that this style held true for the photos Brian took of their May 2008 wedding, "Brian was really easy to work with... and listened to what we wanted. When it came down to the wedding day, he was there from the beginning to the end and took the kind of pictures that we asked him to take." Lisa and Hank loved all of their photos so much that they had a hard time deciding which ones to print.

A fun-loving photographer...

Brides who typically choose Brian Wiebe for their wedding day photos, according to Brian, are laid back and casual, much like himself. "They're not looking for shocking, or overly-dramatic photos. They're looking for a photographer they can have fun with and end up with great photos that show it," says Brian.

Siobhan and Matt found Brian to be just that and say that working with him was like hanging out with one of their best friends. They add that he made both their engagement and November 2008 wedding photo shoots a lot of fun. "He's got a great eye and knows how to make people feel comfortable."

"Brian is very dedicated and concerned with getting the best shots... Everything looks very natural and he finds some unique ways of showing the same picture," says Anita.

Lisa and Hank told us that they loved that Brian took a lot of shots throughout the day that weren't just of them, but were also fantastic candid shots of their wedding guests.

What you want is what you get...

All wedding packages at Brian Wiebe Photography include an engagement photo session (with edited proofs). Brian told The Ring, "It is a great way for me to build a relationship with my couples, and an excellent rehearsal for the big day."

Brian's patience and his ability to go with the flow were some things that Craig and Anita say they liked best about him. "He runs a 'what you want is what you get' business, which is extremely hard to find," they added. "He caters to your needs and prices things accordingly."

The most popular service that Brian says he offers to brides and grooms is the Full Coverage wedding package, which is $2400 - a rare find for an all-inclusive package. "Couples like that I am there most of the night to really capture the feel of their reception." On top of that (and an engagement shoot), this package also includes an edited hi-resolution disc and a leather bound album with thirty-six 8x10 prints (which Brian also tells us are very popular).

A Partial Coverage package is also available for $1900 and includes the same as the Full Coverage, except Brian is only with you up until the reception and the album has twenty-four prints.

"Brian was very well priced and was willing to go the extra mile for us," Siobhan and Matt told The Ring.

Brian says that all packages are flexible and other options can be added to them, like a Parent Album for $250, a set of fifty Thank You Cards with wallet sized prints for $100, an engagement photo matted and framed for signing for $150, and various other sizes of prints.

"The packages that Brian offered were, for the quality of his images, a great price that fit well with our budget," Lisa and Hank told us, who highly recommend Brian to other couples searching for a wedding photographer.

"The prices were great!" say Jen and Jarrett. "They were in our budget and quite competitive compared to others we were looking at." Jen adds that Brian was flexible, professional, easy going and accommodating, which is why they would definitely recommend him to other couples planning their wedding.

Walking you through it...

Booking an appointment with Brian is required to meet with him at his home studio. He, and often his wife, Jamie, meet with brides and grooms to discuss their wedding day photography needs. Brian recommends booking him approximately four to twelve months ahead of your wedding date.

Brian says that there are no limits with him. "I meet and talk with couples as often as they like before and after the wedding day," he explains. There are also no time, location, or shot limits, which means your options and photos are pretty much endless and only limited by your imagination.

Brian is the main photographer at his studio. "I also do just about everything else that is needed." But he does often use an assistant on the wedding day, "Depending on what the day calls for, sometimes the assistant is a secondary shooter, sometimes they only assist me," Brian told us.

On the actual wedding day, Brian says it usually starts out with him capturing the bride getting ready and then goes from there. "If I cover the reception, I am usually there until ten or eleven at night," says Brian. After the wedding day, Brian edits your photos for the best expressions and you receive a disc of high resolution, printable files.

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• The Full Coverage package with Brian Weibe is $2400, and the Partial Coverage is $1900.

• All packages include an engagement shoot, a hi-resolution disc, and a leather bound album.

• An appointment is required to meet with Brian.

• Brian recommends booking with him 4 to 12 months ahead of your wedding date.

• Your disc of images is ready to be picked up about 2 weeks after the wedding.

• Once you've decided which photos you'd like to include in your album, they take approximately 4 weeks to be ready.

• A deposit of 50% is due when booking Brian Wiebe Photography for your wedding day.

• Your remaining balance is due when you pick-up your disc.

More from Brian
Book an appointment to meet with Brian Wiebe at his home studio in Cambridge. He can be reached by phone at 519-241-2610 or email at brian@brianwiebe.com to set up an appointment. More great photos by Brian Wiebe Photography can be viewed online at www.brianwiebe.com.