about Havie

I truly believe I have the best “job” in the world. I love what I do and the people I get to work with, what a gift.

I want you to truly feel the images I give you. My approach is rooted in documentary storytelling, focused on telling and capturing your unique story. My goal is to craft a gallery of images that reflect the true essence of your day—the things that matter most to you. By getting to know you and understanding your priorities, I aim to photograph your day in a way that feels deeply personal and genuine. When you look back at these photos years from now, I want you to not only see the moments but feel them—to relive the emotions, the connections, the people that make up your story. The essence of life “back then.” These aren’t just pictures—they’re powerful memories that will always hold deep meaning. I want to preserve these milestones in your life, whether that’s your wedding day or a different kind of shoot.

Photography has taken me all over the world, from destination weddings in Switzerland, Greece, and Italy, to Hawaii and other parts of the US, Ireland, Germany, and beyond. Canada is home—I’m based near Banff, in the breathtaking Canadian Rockies, where I have the privilege of working with couples from around the globe.

A quick peek into my life:

Family is everything to me. When I’m not working you can find me in the company of my people—my family, and my chosen family. Ultimately, life’s richness is found in the relationships we cultivate, wouldn’t you agree?

As you have probably gathered from my website, my name is Havilah, though I go by Havie (I love nicknames and if you have one, please let me call you by it!). My husband, Stephen, and I are childhood sweethearts—we met at 12 and 13 back in middle school. Both of us were raised abroad in the foothills of the Himalayas, and travel has been a central theme in our lives since childhood. After nearly 10 years of being besties, we married in June of 2019! In early 2024, we welcomed our daughter into the world, and she has become the center of our universe—our newest best friend. She is everything and more.

Our love for travel and experiencing different cultures runs deep, and we are huge foodies (and yes, our daughter is already following in our footsteps, and is a big foodie herself!). Stephen does wedding videography alongside me, and we absolutely love working side-by-side.

Some more fun facts about me:

• I love making a latte first thing in the morning. It’s… therapeutic? Music is almost always playing in the background of our house. My all time new favourite word is ‘hygge’ (a Danish cultural concept that’s associated with feelings of coziness, contentment, and well-being. It’s often associated with spending time with loved ones in a cozy environment). How cute right? I will always have my camera near me, capturing bits of my own life, and memories of everything I hold dear–it’s all about preserving moments. The spicier my food is, the better. Late-night heart-to-heart talks always.

A photo-peek into my life:

AS SEEN IN

What my sweet clients say

Kind words

“Working with Havilah was a dream! We did an elopement style ceremony with our immediate family and friends, and wanted someone who would capture the intimacy of the day. Havilah truly exceeded our expectations! She made us so comfortable and was able to capture who we are in the photos. The process felt relaxed and natural and it shows in Havilah’s work. She made it feel like we were hanging out with a friend and that we could just be ourselves. We both don’t love having our picture taken, but we both agreed that the time we spent in the woods and in the rain with Havilah was one of the highlights of our day. We are absolutely in love with our photos and have received so many compliments on them. We cannot recommend Havilah enough!”

“We could not have asked for a better photographer! Havilah was absolutely amazing at making us feel comfortable as well as giving us the most beautiful pictures that truly captured our day, they really are so STUNNING! Her photos honestly speak for themselves. We didn’t have a single moment that wasn’t filled with love, joy, and peace as she was around! When I look at our photos they are so full of movement and life you can feel our love through each one. We had so much fun getting to do both our wedding and engagement photos with Havilah, she has such a genuine and authentic heart and love for people. She was so creative and able to capture every moment throughout our day and we will treasure our photos for the rest of our lives! If you need a wedding photographer you NEED to make sure that you can have Havilah there because she is amazing and you will LOVE her just and me and my husband do!”

If you are looking for a wedding photographer or a photographer in general that has it all I cannot recommend Havilah enough! She has everything you could hope for and more in a photographer. Her creativity gives her an eye for fostering those authentic moments and making them beautiful. Bryce and I never felt uncomfortable or worried about how the photos would turn out because Havi is so knowledgeable and talented but also relaxed and relational. She is willing to do almost the impossible to get you the memories you want. She braved the frigid -35 degree weather for us! It felt very natural and easy even despite the cold! She’s one of the best out there. In the end Bryce and I felt so lucky to have so many beautiful photos that really captured who we are as a couple. We are so thankful 🙂