Ashley & Jesse 09.01.23
Jesse and Ashley’s wedding took place at The Woven Willow, a beautiful country venue an hour south of Edmonton, Alberta, in the small town of Mulhurst. The weather was absolutely perfect, with barely a cloud in the sky. September has always been my favourite month for weddings because the weather (in my option) is always the best. I absolutely loved everything about this day; it was so relaxed and intimate. Jesse and Ashley did a great job of making their wedding day unique, filled with exciting experiences for them and their guests. Traveling outside of Ontario for a wedding has always been the dream, but to be here in Alberta photographing a dear friend’s wedding is beyond a dream. I share my history with Ashley in her and Jesse's their engagement blog post, so if you haven’t read it already, I highly suggest you do! You can find it here.
Out in the country, The Woven Willow’s beautiful property has everything you need for your rustic Alberta wedding. They offer a cabin to get ready in, a ceremony location, space for all the portraits, a beautiful wooden barn for your reception and a dance floor under the stars. There are a couple of different venues in Ontario that keep keepsakes from each of their couples (that I’ve seen), but I’ve never seen a keepsake that the couple physically creates themselves. Following the ceremony, the couple walks over to the back fence and burns their name and wedding date into the wood. How cool is that?!
Jesse saw Ashley for the first time when the big barn doors opened to reveal her and her dad. Ashley’s entrance was exactly what I think the bride's entrance to the ceremony should be. Grand, and loud (and I don’t mean that within the definition of sound), because it is THE moment. If you are someone who hates being the centre of attention, I promise you in this moment all you see is your person waiting for you at the end of the aisle.
Jesse and Ashley took part in one of the most unique unity ceremonies I’ve ever seen. The making of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Those these two spreads are very different, but when put together, they complement each other perfectly.
We interrupt this portrait session to allow the guys a minute to check out what this truck’s got under the hood. i think i see a theme here.
And, we’re back
Jesse and Ashley’s unique wedding activities didn’t start and end at their PB&J. Their reception was anything but boring. The MC’s had a bucket of goodies (a literal metal bucket). I got a sneak peek into said bucket, and something caught my eye: a few pairs of bras and boxers. Interesting, but before we get to the underwear, let’s talk about the mason jar. If you’ve been to a wedding within the last 5 years, you’ve probably noticed that the clanking of the glasses to get the couple to kiss is no longer a thing (glass breaks, broken glasses cost money, and also who wants a broken glass all over their plate?). Instead, couples come up with fun and unique ways for guests to still get the couple to kiss. For their honeymoon, J&A are road tripping along the Sunshine Coast, so for a little extra pocket money, you see where I am going with this. (And if you don't see - the amount of money put in the jar diktats, the kiss the couple gives eachother.) Though the jar isn’t necessarily unique, how their guests reacted to it was. They had so much fun with it! Jesse’s best man came up with a handful of coins, then a family member popped in a crisp $100 bill, which caused Jesse and Ashley to make a prompt exit. Too funny.
So the bras and the boxers... I want you to think about the traditional shoe game. Now add in a bra and a boxer brief instead of shoes, and add in the parents of the bride and groom. An absolute classic. There wasn’t a person in the room who wasn’t laughing. I loved J&A’s twist on the traditional shoe game, not to mention including their parents in on the fun.
The light is calling, and we must answer! J&A and I all hopped into Jesse’s truck and went down to the lake to soak up the last moments of sunshine. If there is a sunset on your wedding day, I highly recommend sneaking away for a few minutes and taking advantage of that gorgeous light; they may end up being some of your favourite photos and memories. Plus, it's more alone time with your love on your wedding day. Who could say no to that?!
We made it back to the venue at the perfect time for J&A’s slideshow and first dances under the stars. You don’t often see slideshows anymore, but I realized it’s a really intentional moment to share with your partner. You get to look back through the photos of your lives, reflect on what a wonderful life you’ve had so far, and then you look over to your partner, whom you just married, ready for the next chapter. I think that’s a really beautiful thing.
Jesse and Ashley, thank you so much for trusting me with your wedding day. I will forever cherish the memories of this day. I am so grateful for this incredible job I have and love. I have to pinch myself every so often because I can’t believe it’s real.
The Creative Team:
Venue:
Hair:
Makeup:
Flowers:
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The Dress:
Mens Accessories:
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