Last summer, Steve and I went to go see the very last Harry Potter movie.  We sat in a very questionable theater in South Western Ontario with one other person as we watched the much anticipated series finally come to an end.

And I’m not going to lie…it was heartbreaking in a way.

I started reading the entire series during the summer of 2007…the same year that the last novel had been published.  Over the course of six months, I had read all of the books and seen whatever movies had been released by that time.  It was – without a doubt – the beginning of a very beautiful friendship!  I had continued to read some of the novels a second time and as the final movies began to be released…I felt a slight tinge of pain for the literary love inside of me.  I tend to grow quite attached to characters that I love…they endear themselves to me and become lasting memories of where and who I was at the time of their presence.  I began to realize that pretty soon, it was all going to be over.  No more books.  No more movies.  No more Harry and Ron.  What was my magical self going to do?!?!

I felt the same way as I roamed around the Distillery District with Erin and Chris for their engagement session.  The warm, morning sunshine had a similar bitter sweetness to it because in a very short while, it was all going to be over…my visit to Toronto…my season…my time behind the camera for 2011.  Erin and Chris were my very last session for the entire year.  My car was parked a few blocks away, packed with all of my luggage…and when I said goodbye to them, I was saying goodbye to a season that had truly endeared itself to me.  Just like Hogwarts…it was magical.  Just like Hermione…it was feisty.  Just like all great literature…it left its mark.

Thankfully though, it was Erin and Chris…two of the greatest people you’ll ever meet.  They also happen to be my opening act for 2012 as one of my first weddings for the coming year.  Having the two of them be my book ends makes saying goodbye a little bit easier…a little bit softer…a little bit gentler on the soul.

And so 2011, I leave you with this…a gorgeous couple who make a perfect pair; A gorgeous couple who make beautiful pictures; A gorgeous couple who make the best finale a girl could ever ask for…