When staff at The Ring first sat down with Jennifer Partington four years ago, we knew right away that brides would love her. She has the education, hands-on training and portfolio that make it easy to picture her shooting your wedding. But it was more than that.

Jennifer Partington seems to have always worked with a strong, authentic passion for her photography. Using her own artistic vision, Jennifer says she aims to capture memories in a distinctively different style at each event, paying close attention to the bride and groom and who they are, all making it possible to "never lose the passion for each and every shot taken."

Taking on an average of thirty to thirty-five weddings per year, Jennifer tells a lot of love stories with her digital camera. Her reputation speaks for itself and her brides have nothing but incredible things to say about her. Jennifer attributes her success to her ability to capture the real moment, "You don't have to be a photography expert to spot a good photo. A good photo will have life to it. It will grab your attention and either make you think or make you feel something. And a truly great photo will tell a story. A truly great photo is unforgettable." Let us explain...

Personally speaking...

Jennifer is happily married to her husband Paul of nine years. Jennifer and Paul have two young, active boys - Mitch (who smiled and flirted non-stop during our interview) and Sam (the youngest, and a total cutie). After speaking with Jennifer in person, we could see why people say that Jennifer's kids get their happy and easy-going attitude from their mom!

Training with the best

Jennifer has been preserving wedding memories with a storytelling approach for thirteen years in total, with seven years on her own under Photography by Jennifer Partington. She has a diploma in photography from Fanshawe College and started off her career with five years spent shooting alongside and learning from some of London’s most well known photographers.

Over the years, Jennifer says she's seen many different styles of wedding photography, but when she went out on her own, her goal was to make her work her own. "I wanted to offer coverage that was inventive, never static and always representing each couple as they truly portrayed themselves." She says that looking back on her work, she can honestly admit that she's done just that. "... and I'll continue to do so as long as I’m photographing weddings."

Her style

Jennifer Partington's style of photography falls outside of many of the familiar photography terms - and that's just the way she likes it. For most brides, it's important that their wedding album doesn't look like anyone else's in the world. And for Jennifer Partington, the same is true. Her style, which she often refers to as 'distinctively different' strives to tell the story of your day using an editorial and photojournalistic style, though portraits will always be an essential element in the product she gives to her brides as well.

Nicole Galanopoulos, loved Jennifer's photojournalistic approach, which is just one reason she hired her for engagement and wedding photos for her September 2009 wedding. " I liked the fact that Jen captured moments during our wedding that at the time I didn’t even realize were important," she told us. "Now, looking back at the photos, I can see that Jen was always one step ahead. She has a way to see emotion and capture it within a photograph… We just had fun; we took our time and in the end got great photos."

August 30, 2008 couple, Angela and Shannon hired Photography by Jennifer Partington because "her pictures were candid and very creative... Not the typical wedding photos." They said they felt comfortable with Jennifer. "She always made us laugh... which got us excellent photos." Angela couldn't believe the poses Jennifer had them do. "The shots looked awesome!" Angela and Shannon told The Ring that there isn't a single photo they received that they didn't like.

Jennifer admits that she sees herself first and foremost as an artist who enjoys many mediums like painting and pottery, but that her biggest passion is photography - wedding photography. "I view wedding photography as an art form that allows me to reveal human nature in a creative way. I'm a photographer who is looking for clients who appreciate good art." In 2008, one of Jennifer's pieces placed top ten in a WPJA photo contest, making it apparent that many - on the international level as well as locally - appreciate good art!

For August 23, 2008 bride, Kate, it was Jennifer's "fabulous eye for capturing those Kodak moments" that she liked best. And she admits that she did quite a bit of shopping around before choosing Jennifer. "After meeting her and going through a sample of her work in person, I was convinced she was the right choice. Jennifer's prices were the best for the quality and professionalism she offered."

Jennifer offers creative portraits along side her editorial photography and has her own ways of making sure that each couple's personalities come out in their photos. I often guide the bride and groom into a position or place that is aesthetically pleasing, then I just step back and let them be themselves. Some couples will kiss, or make faces at the camera, some couples will pose like models. This way I’m capturing them... If you looked back on your photos ten years from now and all they showed was how you looked smiling blankly into the camera, wouldn’t you be disappointed?"

For Kate, disappointment certainly wasn't the issue. "There are so many pictures I love, it is hard to choose which ones will make the album cut... Plus, they all look so professional!"

More than photographs...

Jennifer sees herself as an observer as well as a participant on your wedding day. She manages the task of being a fly on the wall to capture the true story of your wedding day well. But she also knows when to switch gears and participate in creating some beautiful portraits. The whole process is relaxed and natural. Sandra and Todd Morris were married on July 19, 2008 and hired Jen for their wedding. Sandra explained to us, "Jennifer is an incredible photographer. And also a wonderful human being... She carried an air of calm that was refreshing." Kate agreed, "She makes a photo shoot fun."

Jennifer says she wants couples to have fun on their wedding day "... and enjoy the portrait photography, but also be able to get back to their friends and family and the celebration. They should enjoy this day they slaved over for months." Leave the details of lighting, angles and snapping the great shot to Jennifer and just enjoy your wedding.

Kudos to Jennifer Partington, whose work placed top ten in a 2008 WPJA photography contest, turning this already popular, talented London photographer into an International Award Winning photographer as well.

Double coverage

Jennifer is always open to new ideas and suggestions. If you have any special requests, be sure to let her know. She says that if a particular shot is important to you, then it’s important to her. Mark Hoogkamp and Minh-Doan Nguyen-Hoogkamp were married June 28, 2008 in a wedding which included a Vietnamese tea ceremony. "Jennifer adapted very well to our cultural ceremony. She honoured - and went above and beyond - every request we listed..."

In order to be sure that all of the moments are captured forever in photographs, Jennifer always has her second shooter, Corynne, along to offer more complete coverage. Corynne has an extensive background in photography, both practical and educational. "There is too much going on for one person. I don't want the happy couple to miss a moment."

When we asked Sandra and Todd what they loved best about their photo shoots with Jennifer, they first said it was her candid shots. "They were wonderful." The second thing they loved was their double coverage. "Corynne was amazing and was constantly taking different shots of the same photo that Jennifer was taking, but at different angles."

Documenting the details

Jennifer says she makes sure that between herself and her second shooter, all the important details shots are captured - meaning you'll have gorgeous, artsy shots of your flowers, centrepieces, invitations, cake and much more. "Your pictures will tell the story of your wedding day. It’s important that we get all the details." For this reason, Jennifer doesn’t limit the number of pictures that she takes. She’ll take as many as she needs to get every minute on 'film'. She offers a minimum number of shots in each package, but always shoots more and often includes them as extras. Sandra and Todd ordered two albums. "Not to sound conceited but we showed them to our family and friends and have yet to get sick of them. They seem to tell a story...."

Nicole had nothing but good things to say about working with Jennifer, telling us that during her engagement shoot, Jennifer made her and her fiancé feel very comfortable. "By the time the wedding came I felt like Jen was my friend on top of being my photographer." She adds that what she thinks Jennifer's advantage over other photographers is is her "passion, creativity and the way she connects wiht her clients."

Pricing and your options

Whether you’re looking for all the extras or just the bare essentials, Jennifer offers custom packaging and pricing to meet your personal expectations and budget. To give you a guideline, Jennifer has a Sample Package offering six hours of coverage, two photographers, high resolution files for all of your images, online galleries, and a bridal album showcasing fifty of your favourite shots, all for $2300. You can build one of your own based on Jennifer's 'a la carte' options or choose the Sample Package if it's right for you.

In addition to great photography, Jennifer offers beautifully custom designed flush mount albums as well as hardcover (storybook style) bridal books. This can be a wonderful way to complete your collection.

Details, details, details

• There is a deposit of 30% of your custom package price required to book Photography by Jennifer Partington for your wedding.
• Jennifer recommends that you book approximately 7 to 12 months in advance of your wedding, but she'll do her best to accommodate you.
• Coverage is available at $250 per hour (includes Jennifer and Corynne), and then $100 per additional hour starting after the first dance; the average bride spends about $2000 with Jennifer.
• Jennifer offers a 10% discount (off the final total) for weddings on weekdays, Sundays and off-season weddings between January and March, as well as in November.

In other words...

"We love our wedding photos. The portrait shots were great, but most of all, we love the shots that capture the special element of our day – the wedding veil around the two of us as we kissed, the boys blowing bubbles, my flower girls being girls, our elegant silhouettes and our golf excursion - Yes! Those shots speak volumes about us, our family and friends. We spent hours planning everything and you captured it all - brilliant! The day was over so quickly but I'm so happy we have the photos there to remind us of all the wonderful little details we worked so hard to plan and of all the wonderful memories you were able to capture for us." - Sarah & Jeff

"Jen was a natural at making us feel very comfortable and very relaxed. We were thrilled with the photos she took from both our engagement session and the wedding. We also received a number of comments from friends and family on how the quality of our photos resembled those found in a magazine or greeting cards. Jen brilliantly captured on film exactly how we remembered our wedding." - Brandon & Deanna

"We had a wonderful experience with Jennifer as our wedding photographer. She has the perfect mix of professionalism and fun, it really made taking the photographs an exciting part of the day. We would recommend her to anyone. Her results, along with her presence, were something that we cherish." - Terri & Jon

"We did our research through The Wedding Ring. We booked a bunch of appointments but Jennifer was the first one we met with and we really loved the work she showed us.... Working with her was amazing. We loved how relaxed she was throughout the day. Fun and charismatic personality... We loved her photos from first glance so it was the right choice for us. High quality at a reasonable price." - Mark Hoogkamp and Minh-Doan Nguyen-Hoogkamp

Finding out more...

Jennifer's studio is located at 154 Deborah Drive in Strathroy. You can reach her by phone at 519-245-1128 or email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to set up an appointment or to find out her availability. She is also available online at www.jpartingtonphoto.com with many more samples of her recent work.