Kim + Nolan’s wedding day is what happens when you just focus on enjoying and celebrating with your favourite people. Held on family property outdoors with gorgeous views of Thunder Bay’s mountains, their day was so full of love and connection. 

For those of you that might not know, i’m originally from Thunder Bay! I grew up riding and showing horses, and have so many wonderful friends because of it. It wasn’t until I showed up at Kim and Nolan’s wedding that I realized I knew about half of their guests already! We had either shown horses together or rode together at some point or another and it just made their wedding that much more fun.

The Groom’s getting ready part of the day is always a blast! Just the guys all hanging around, usually drinking beer and listening to music (also goofing off); quality time before he finally ties the knot. Nolan and his friends were no different, getting ready at this gorgeous cabin just outside Thunder Bay, Ontario.

My number one tip to ensure the groom’s getting ready photos go smoothly is to choose a tidier space (or embrace real life!) and have the groom details set out ahead of time.

We took some time towards the end of our hour together to take photos of the groom’s side of the wedding party as well as some one on one shots! If you aren’t opting for a first look, this is a great way to break up photos for the day and lessen the time spent on photos after the ceremony (ya know, the part when you just want to celebrate!?).

I think its often a misconception that the Getting Ready portion of the wedding day is just for photos of you putting your clothes on. This is SO not the case! It can be whatever you want it to be. You and your girls hanging out, drinking champagne, or time spent with family. This is the time for candids and capturing all the “before the big moment” excitement, and one of my favourite parts of the day!

I spent the next hour with Kim and her hilarious wedding party, and had an absolute blast. She had her big dress reveal with her wedding party, a first look with her dad, we tackled their side of wedding party photos, bridal portraits, and of course, got a little goofy with some flask photos too!

Luckily the ceremony was only a short drive away so once we finished up our hour, we headed over to our next space. One thing to keep in mind when planning your wedding timeline is drive time! If you’re hoping to hit a few locations for photos, or if you have separate getting ready locations, factor in driving and possible traffic (or wrong turns!).

Kim and Nolan had set up a beautiful ceremony space on a family member’s property with gorgeous views of the small mountains in Thunder Bay! Their reception was held in a tent, with a custom bar and inviting atmosphere. This wedding was just so full of family, love, and intention.

It might be hard to remember but it is SO worth it to pause half way down the aisle and kiss again! More photos, and its honestly just so special to be able to see all your guests clapping behind you!

We immediately hopped into family photos (about 20 minutes long) and spent some time with our full wedding party to get photos now that Kim and Nolan were officially husband and wife! These two opted out of the first look, wanting to see each other first when Kim walked down the aisle and have that special moment. This is a decision that is completely person and up to YOU! It leaves us a little less time for photos but make sure you’re choosing moments over photos if that’s what you really want.

While we were waiting for our wedding party to be wrangled (trust me its hard!) after the family photos, I snagged a few candids of Kim and Nolan just enjoying finally being husband and wife. And honestly? They’re some of my favourites of the whole day.

We set the wedding party free and spent a little bit more time just the three of us in the field. Kim and Nolan chose to split their portraits between these pre-reception shots and some sunset photos later on. I highly recommend this for two reasons: 1. If you chose to forgo a first look, it decreases the time you’re away from your guests in one block and 2. the first set often occurs during more harsh light so the feel of your photos will be a bit different. There is seriously nothing like that sunset glow and it is a must do on any wedding day! Scroll down to the sunset portraits if you don’t believe me!

When hosting a tent wedding it can be tough to keep your guests inside during any lulls or transition periods. With the beautiful summer weather people love to wander outside, which is a huge perk of a tent wedding, but can also be a little tricky for timelines! Luckily we had a great group of guests who happily came back inside every time we called them back (also a great DJ who made announcements for me!).

We ducked out before first dances to catch the sunset – remember that sunset photos take place about 15-20 minutes before sunset. If you plan for the sunset time you see on the weather app, for example, we’ll probably be shooting in blue hour (aka the golden glow is gone!).

I recommend keeping me for dancing photos if you have an energetic group of guests – they are seriously some of the most fun memories you’ll see when going through your gallery. The best part about them is you didn’t even know half of it happened! I love dancing with your guests and capturing these for you, and I will ALWAYS stay for dancing photos if they are imminent. Plan to keep your wedding photographer for at least 15 minutes of dancing, and play your best music to get everyone on the dance floor!

Everyone made me feel so welcome, at times I felt like more of a guest than their photographer! The atmosphere was truly so inviting and open.

Kim + Nolan did exactly what they wanted, and the day felt so true to them from start to finish. From the fireball in the bridesmaid flasks to the epic dance party that finished off the night, and everything in between.

Thanks K+N for having me out to capture and celebrate your day, and get to know your favourite people!