Name: Corina Van Sluytman
Occupation: Owner/Photographer for Corina V. Photography and Owner/Creative Director for Bella Invites – Couture Event Stationery
Who is your role model/mentor:
I have quite a few:
1. For Photography: Patrick Demarchelier, he is a legend and takes gorgeous photos.
2. For Inspiration: My two daughters Bianca (age 4) and Adriana (age 2) for their never-ending natural curiosity about the world around them.
3. For Style: Audrey Hepburn, she was such a classic and loved her elegant fashion-sense and poise.
4. For Life: My Mother, she raised 3 kids, sewed most of our clothes, made home-made play-doh, would bake bread and find time to create beautiful oil paintings. She is the most loving, creative and multi-tasking person I know!
What do you like most about your job:
I love being my own boss, it’s such an amazing sense of freedom where your successes are all your own as well as your failures (aka “Learning Lessons”).
At times it can be tough to try to be disciplined and not waste the afternoon surfing the web and checking out Facebook. It’s all about prioritizing that long “To-Do” List and working through it.
Daily ritual:
Get the girls ready and off to Kindergarten & Day Care, shower, read emails, check out Facebook and my favourite blogs, tackle my “To-Do” List, work on photography edits and invitation designs, write some blog postings, meet with clients, then work some more once the girls are in bed….then sleep!
The best event I’ve been to and am most excited to go to again:
I love the band Depeche Mode (ever since I was 16), whenever they are in town I’m there for sure…I can’t wait until they come back!
Is there an event you didn’t get to go to but wish you had:
I wished I could have attended Weddingbells Magazine’s 25th Anniversary Party, but I had the worst sore throat ever!
The one that I designed for the beautiful wedding of Jasmin & Sean, their invitation was a handmade silk gate-fold box with Midori ribbon bellyband and crystal closure. All in shades of lilac and gold, the calligraphy was amazing as well – done by Calligraphy by Diane.
Favourite photograph and why:
Besides every one that I take of my kids – my favourite right now is the one of a bride in a gorgeous bridal gown holding pink balloons taken at Paletta Mansion in Burlington, Ontario.
Memorable celebrity encounter:
I had the honour of meeting celebrity/activist Erin Brockovich a couple of months ago and she is such an amazingly inspiring woman. She truly cares about the impact of industry and pollution on the health and environment of the world, she receives about 1200 emails a day regarding health issues and tries to respond and help every single one!
Favourite hangout:
In my bed, with my kids and husband snuggled under the covers and reading books on a Sunday morning.
Which designer do you like to wear for an evening out?
Banana Republic and DKNY, my fantasy outfit would be anything from Marchesa or Chanel.
Favourite childhood memory:
Creating “couture gowns” for Barbie by wrapping tissue around them and securing it with tape.
If there was more time in the day you would:
Spend it hugging my girls, being surrounded by nature and watching the clouds go by.
Favourite social network: Facebook
Favourite Blog:
http://www.stylemepretty.com/
Last website you visited:
http://www.sampsonstudio.com/ I love his paintings, he was my first “Big Artwork Purchase” a few years ago, it’s a huge 4'x4' painting of ocean waves crashing onto a beach, it’s the first thing I see when I wake up in the morning – I LOVE it!
Any other comments/thoughts you’d like to add:
I’m so honoured to be able to be a part of someone’s wedding either by being able to photograph all the emotions and events on their special day or with the couture wedding invitation that I create especially for them.
We're lucky to have a talent like Corina in this industry. You can find Corina on Facebook and checkout her photography and Bella Invites blog for more inspiration.
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