Welcome to my blog! My name is Melanie Galbrand-Chen and I am the owner and creative force behind Verve Photo Co.

Verve is a boutique wedding and lifestyle photography company based out of Toronto, but available internationally. What this means is I only take a limited amount of weddings per year to give my clients the support and service they deserve. The relationships I build with my clients mean more to me then any accolade or award. Nothing is more rewarding then continuing to share the lives of my clients by documenting their milestones through maternity, baby and family photos years after their nuptials.

Each wedding, milestone or event I shoot is a new and exciting venture, and regardless of race, religion, or orientation, I promise to capture your day with artistry, honor and respect.

Please be sure to check back often, and feel free to comment or share any of my posts with your family and friends. Thanks for stopping by.

--Melanie

grace + ryan | one year anniversary & full moon celebration | trump hotel

Monday, September 17, 2012

Grace and Ryan were married a year ago, and if you picked up the Winter/Spring 2012 issue of WedLuxe Magazine, you will know that there aren’t words to adequately describe their lavish celebration. If you missed out on the magazine, you can view some of the gorgeousness here. Fast forward a year later, and the couple is now proud parents to their second baby, Dylan. In Dylan’s honour, and in celebration of their first year together as a married couple, Grace and Ryan decided to throw another blinged-out bash, this time at The Trump Hotel. Thanks to wedding-planner-extraordinaire, Cindy Johnson, everyone had an amazing time, including us! The food was incredible, the atmosphere was gorgeous (a result of the beautiful work of our friends, Fuscia Designs), and the party was hopping (how could it not be, there were about 7 guys behind the DJ table at all times!). It was quite the event, with its fair share of entertaining moments, ie, when Grace got stuck in the elevator for an hour and a half, after her 2-year-old son pulled the fire alarm. We can’t imagine how stressful that would have been, but they rolled with it – Ryan continued to keep the cognac flowing, Grace exited the elevator laughing, and the night was a huge success despite the hostess being absent for a good part of it, and the fire alarm continuing to ding for what seemed like forever. These types of moments are what make the memories stick!

Here are some images from the night. If I didn’t know better, I would say that there is some distant relation to the Kardashians – check out the poses on the stairs.

K + M

Check out this cake! Cindy surprised the couple with this amazing replication of an Hermes Kelly handbag, made into a diaper bag, and crafted by Lisa of Flour Confections. It looks too pretty to eat, but Lisa’s cakes are De-licious!Step aside, Kardashians!