Right before Christmas we had the privilege of celebrating the wedding of Jamie and Chris at the gorgeous Cambridge Mill. It had to be the best way to kick off the holiday season! There is something so magical about winter weddings. The crisp winter air, a beautiful white dress against a snowy backdrop (which practically glistens against the sun) – I mean how dreamy!
If this doesn’t make you fall in love with winter I don’t know what will.
Jamie and Chris’ love story began in the summer before Jamie began her last year of undergraduate studies at Western University. They were both at a summer barbecue. Not necessarily your cliche ‘love at first sight’ (which may have been because of the huge gauze patch covering Chris’ forehead from running into a ladder earlier that day #tallproblems) Chris won Jamie over with his sense of humour and has kept her smiling ever since.
Originally unsure about doing a first look, Jamie and Chris decided to trust our recommendations and not only have a first look but move the bridal portraits and bridal party portraits to before the ceremony. We are definitely huge fans of first looks; but for this particular wedding it was almost essential as Jamie and Chris happened to get married on the shortest day of the year!
“We are SO happy we followed your advice and did a first look during the day while the sun was shining! We really could not have asked for better weather. It was sunny and 3 degrees on the first official day of winter! It was warm enough to do our outdoor shots without our winter coats, yet there was still snow on the ground- it was perfect! The first look allowed for us to have a few moments alone to take everything in before all of the excitement/craziness began. The balcony shots also turned out beautifully!” – Jamie & Chris
We couldn’t agree more!
Had we not been able to take advantage of this daylight than all of their wedding portraits would have been taken in the dark. Now they are able to look back on their special day and enjoy a variety of photos using daylight, sunset and the romantic evening glow.
Everything about the day was very winter wedding appropriate and echoed this beautiful couple and everyone they hold dear flawlessly. From the music played – ‘O Holy Night’ for the wedding party in honour of Jamie’s late Nana and the bride herself walking down the aisle to Elvis’ ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’ which was the same song Chris’ Aunt and Uncle used for their first dance – to the officiant (Martti Pajunen) including a few words about the significance of the Winter Solstice; this couple proved that it’s the personal touches that make every picture that much more special.
After a four year stint of long distance, including many cross-Canada moves (Quebec, Alberta and BC), we are so happy that the emotional airport goodbyes are a thing of the past. Oh and we should also note that with all the places they’ve lived throughout their relationship it’s pretty clear that a winter wedding was the perfect choice (I mean brrrr winters in all of those places are no joke)!
Jamie and Chris, you proved that sometimes to appreciate the beauty of love you have to stand out in the cold.
– Stay Lovely
Vendor Love:
Venue – Cambridge Mill, Pearle Weddings
Venue Coordinator – Danielle Sfara, Cambridge Mill Special Events Consultant
Officiant – Martti Pajunen
Wedding Dress – Oleg Cassini (David’s Bridal)
Hair & Makeup – UBU Hair + Body
Grooms Suit – Custom Suit (Collins Formal Wear)
Groomsmen Suits – Moores
Florist – From the Potting Shed
Baker – Stacked Wedding Cakes
DJ – DJ Copeland
I’m captivated by the unique style and narrative of these images. This post is a testament to your artistic talent. Well done! Warm regards, Anja.