My first encounter with Chris & Sarah actually happened a few years ago when I photographed Meg & Aaron’s wedding at the Rocky Crest Resort in Muskoka. Sarah is one of Meg’s longtime friends and was a bridesmaid at the wedding. I remember her jokingly tell me that whenever the time comes to hire a wedding photographer for her own wedding that I’d be hearing from her. Well she wasn’t lying. Within the first month of their engagement I received an exciting email that Sarah and Chris were engaged and they wanted to lock us in for their backyard cottage wedding on Sarah’s family property in the Muskokas. Although the wedding wasn’t scheduled to happened for another 2 years, I was beyond thrilled to be working with them over that time period which included a fun lifestyle engagement session with their two pups at the Cherry Beach dog park.
When discussing their wedding plans with me, I realized just how important having the wedding at Sarah’s family cottage was for the core of the wedding celebration. Although it was a place where Sarah and her family created some of their fondest memories during the good old days, it was also a place where Sarah and Chris’ relationship evolved and eventually blossomed. It’s where two families became one, and to do so symbolically with a wedding brings that much more to the overall emotional context of the wedding day.
The wedding day began with low-key hangouts between friends and family (dogs included) while the bride and groom shook of a few last minute nerves and shared in some laughs before getting dressed. The usual chaos of the boys at the hotel was replaced with a much more mellow atmosphere, it mostly had to do with Chris’s contagious excitement, but I’m sure the weed helped a little too. On the other end, the bride slipped into her dress with the help of her best friend, Meg, as they shared in an emotional and candid moment together when Meg was overcome with emotion at the sight of the stunning bride. A full-circle moment that was deeply cherished in that very moment in time.
The first look was light hearted and sincere. Sarah stood among trees with their two well-dressed dogs at her side as the three of them shared in some excitement at the sight of Chris as he approached. Being a dog owner myself I couldn’t help but appreciate and understand the importance of having their pets there with them for this special moment, they are truly part of the family and there’s no denying it.
Lake Simcoe made for a stunning backdrop for the wedding ceremony as a summer storm rolled in and filled the sky with beautiful light. The ceremony provided several laughs as the bride and groom reminisced over the journey of their relationship before exchanging their vows and sharing in their first kiss beneath the beautiful chuppah. Something that stood out to me however was Chris and Sarah’s ability to stay present with one another, locking eyes throughout the entire ceremony and even taking time after their first kiss to share in a quiet moment with one another and the sun peeked through the clouds.
The reception space utilized the beautiful grounds of the cottage prompting the bride and groom to opt for a clear-top tent, which was beyond worth it, as it allowed everyone to appreciate the surreal sunset light and eventually the star-studded evening sky. The vintage wood chairs and family style tables worked so well with all the subtle Mexican-themed accessories. The late-night taco bar was my personal favourite homage to the bride’s Mexican heritage, but Ryanne really loved the cinnamon bun wedding cake, and I can’t blame her, who doesn’t like cinnamon buns, and for a wedding cake? Winning combination and a trend I hope to see going into 2020.
As the sun began to slowly set in the distant storm, their friends and family gathered around the backyard and clear-top tent to share in some cocktails and chit chat. We took the opportunity to chase a bit of golden hour light and did a few portraits in the bride and groom’s favourite locations around the cottage before settling down on the dock to enjoy the blood orange sunset. I could see that Chris and Sarah felt at home and nostalgic, it probably seemed all too familiar for them to be by that water in that exact spot with locked arms and serene feelings.
Dinner was accompanied by a few heart-felt speeches, a lot of jokes and roasting of the bride and groom with some fond memories thanks to a few giant printed photos. My favourite candid moment and photo from the night however is Chris and Sarah’s hilarious reaction of finding out they’ve been gifted a trip to the Galapagos Islands, their jaws literally hit the floor and I couldn’t stop laughing at the stunned look on their faces. The bride and groom then shared in a beautiful first-dance as the night’s sky cleared up and provided a sea of stars that rained over them as they held one another and sang softly to each other as they danced.
This wedding wasn’t short on moments including the kick-off to the dance party which featured a few piñatas and a baseball bat in questionable hands. After the kids took a few stabs at cracking the piñata, Chris stepped in once and for all with home run swing that nearly sent Ryanne’s camera into Lake Simcoe had she been 6 inches closer. Once the children got their sugar high crash it was time for the adults to play thanks to the bride and groom’s forward-thinking and soon-to-be wedding trend of WEED bars. The carefully curated cannabis was a selection of pre-rolled joints of varying strengths for tokers of all experience. With Canada’s progressive laws and views on marijuana I fully suspect to see this become much more of a common thing at alternative weddings, like canoes filled with craft beer, which Sarah & Chris also had might I add. I loved seeing the small groups of people engaging some good times and laugh as they shared a joint before rushing off to the dance floor to bust a few moves.
From head to toe the bride and groomed planned out and executed a beautiful DYI backyard cottage wedding with actual meaning. After getting to know Sarah more personally it became strikingly obvious that she was the perfect archetype for any bride with the aspiration and ambition of planning her own DYI cottage wedding. Sarah gets things done, more so than any other person I’ve ever met. Her passion is without a doubt inspiring but equally matched by Chris’ humble attitude and pure kindness. I mean, two people who go out of their way on their own wedding day to surprise TWO separate people with birthday cakes is enough to tell you what kind of people I’m lucky to work for. This herculean tag-team rose to the occasion and I can say confidently, executed their wedding vision to utter-perfection.
