One thing was very clear when talking to Lauren and Jonas about their wedding plans - their wedding day would be about connecting with their favourite humans and that is what they wanted me to capture. Knowing your wedding day priorities is probably the most helpful thing as your wedding photographer. I want to know what is most important to YOU!
Having clear priorities can also help you figure out your budget and where you should spend your money. The best advice I can give to a couple diving into wedding planning is to decide on the few most important things you'd like to happen at your event, prioritize your budget in those areas, and allow room to compromise on the rest of the event details. Are you a foodie? Spend your money on the best caterer you can find! Have you spent days dreaming about how you will look in your wedding photos? Buy that custom gown or suit and hire stylists you love. Want to spend a day reconnecting with lovely people? Spend your time and money into creating an atmosphere where you can do just that. This was Lauren and Jonas's goal, and they made sure to let me know.
Lauren's dress was purchased from Plato's Closet, a simple, knee length, white, lace dress accompanied by navy flats. Jonas's attire was also purchased secondhand, apart from the ties for himself and his attendants, which were from Le Chateau. The boutonnieres and bouquets were grown and created by Sweet Petals Farm. For their ceremony the couple read a story to some of their favourite tiny guests, the book "The Missing Piece Meets The Big O" by Shel Silverstein. For the reception, hosted at Marpeck Commons on the Canadian Mennonite University campus, dinner was an epic buffet taco bar by Heather Fast.
Many hugs were given and received the entire day, and tears were shed over toasts. Lauren and Jonas's wedding was over all lovely and I was honoured to capture these precious moments for them.
Ceremony Venue Bethel Mennonite Church | Reception Venue Marpeck Commons, Canadian Mennonite University | Catering by Heather Fast | Flowers by Sweet Petals Farm | Photography by Christina W. Kroeker Creative |