This summer, I travelled up to Pickle Lake, Ontario - a tiny town in the north (population of 425 people) that is basically at the end of the road (as in, there's no road access further north besides the ice roads in the wintertime), to photograph the wedding of Armand & Betsy. It was approximately a 4 hour drive on roads with absolutely no cell coverage. I was delighted to have a new friend and fellow photographer, Nikki, accompany me for the two day adventure up north AND work as my second shooter!!
Here are several of my personal favourites from long-time couple Armand & Betsy's wedding celebrated with family & friends on Saturday, July 30, 2016.
Getting ready...
Armand & Betsy's wedding day began with a traditional smudging ceremony, which took place on the lake shore behind the Pickle Lake Hotel, of which Armand is partial owner. The bride and groom, as well as their families, all got ready in the apartment inside the hotel. Betsy looked so beautiful in her red wedding dress (sorry that you can't tell she's wearing a red dress from the black & white photos - I'm in love with these photos in black & white!) accompanied by intricate hand beaded jewelry and a beaded sash.
The ceremony...
The ceremony took place in the same location as the earlier smudging. Family & friends from all over gathered to celebrate with the couple. Betsy was escorted down the aisle in by her eldest son. Her youngest girls were the flower girls, and they dropped daisies as they walked. The officiant is a long time Pickle Lake resident and Justice of the Peace for the region, and she has known Armand since he was a little boy.
Some close family & friends...
Both the bride and groom have beautiful mothers who were gracious enough to allow us to capture them on camera. Their maid of honour and best man joined in for some photos, as did other family members.
Bride & groom portraits...
Having never met Armand or Betsy prior to their wedding day, I didn't know what to expect in terms of how they would interact with each other. Well, they were incredibly adorable together, and I think these photographs reflect the love they share. They completely nailed their bridal portraits, and I think they'll be so happy to see the love that all their wedding guests witnessed that day!
Reception...
Armand & Betsy's reception was held in the community centre in town, which is probably the only indoor location for a celebration like theirs! They decorated with handpicked wildflowers, fresh and fragrant cedar sprigs, and birch bark with things like "Armand + Betsy" wood burned onto it. The menu included fried fish that came straight from the neighbouring lake (sorry, I'm a vegetarian and therefore cannot really recall the type of fish served, but everyone else LOVED it!). The cupcakes were brought in from Thunder Bay, I believe, and they were so delicious. One of the things I remember Betsy telling me prior to her wedding was that they really wanted photographs of them celebrating with so many close family members and friends, and that it was important for us to capture the people they loved in photographs, so that's just what we did!
Sunset portraits...
The couple's adorable daughter joined us for a walk to the lake for some sunset portraits at the end of the day.
Thank you so much, Armand & Betsy, for allowing us to visually document your special day!! The love between you was such an amazing thing to witness! Best wishes as you continue your journey together...
P.S. One more shout out to my second shooter, Nikki, who took some of these amazing images and totally rocked at second shooting this wedding!! Follow her at www.instagram.com/nctholt and you'll be directed to her photography website soon!