Winter Temple's Sugar Bush Wedding: Shannon + Erin

Temples-Sugar-Bush-Winter-Wedding-Ottawa-Perth-Stephanie-Beach-Photography Oh my goodness guys – Shannon + Erin’s wedding was freaking AMAZING!! Honestly, everything about it made me so deliriously happy! And it did so in the windchill-filled, -40 degree, winter weather, it was just that good!

But in case you don’t believe me, you should definitely keep reading because this wedding day just got better and better as the day went along.

Shannon + Erin’s day started at as many our of our wedding days do, prep photos. After dropping me off at the Brookstreet Hotel, Dave headed over to Erin and his guys to capture all their details and hilarity while I got to play around with all sorts of pretty things and just generally hang out with some of the funniest, nicest people ever! But what I remember most about Shannon’s prep is that veil! I walked into the room and after some hellos and whatnot, I literally squealed because not only was there a veil for the day, but it was a beautiful, classic, FLOOR LENGTH, veil! If you are a veil fan, a photographer, or just a lover of pretty things blowing in the wind, then you understand how truly amazing that is and why I was so incredibly excited about it! My head started spinning (nearly out of control) with all the photo possibilities, especially since I already knew how great Shannon + Erin were in front of my camera thanks to their super engagement session. And after all the details were captured and everyone was dressed and ready to go, there was a very heartwarming Daddy-Daughter first look. These things always get to me and I love having them be a part of the wedding day.

Then things got even better, because we headed to one of our all-time favourite venues: Temple’s Sugar Bush. We were greeted by the handsome groom himself and the stellar venue team and started working on our game plan for the day. We had an indoor ceremony (thank goodness), but first we had a first look to set up, and portrait and wedding party photos to capture. Luckily everyone seemed game for getting the bride + groom what they wanted and what they wanted was outdoor photos. Yes folks, these were brave souls who were prepared to venture out into that freezing storm!

And for anyone wondering how people manage to get those Canadian Winter Outdoor Wedding Photos – it is a combination of a great plan, and sheer perseverance and determination by everyone involved! Dave and I decided to short bursts of photos lasting no longer than 5-7 minutes was our best bet. And warming up inside between rounds kept everyone alive and as comfortable as humanly possible given the conditions.

But honestly, the photos, as gorgeous as they are (although I may be a little biased on that one) and as fantastic a job everyone did standing outside to get them, they are nothing compared to the truly delightful people we got to spend the day with. The entire wedding party really was prepared to stand outside in that bitter wind to get Shannon + Erin their dream photos, the venue went above & beyond in making sure everyone was having a great time (and delicious food), DJ Grimm kept everyone entertained throughout the evening, and there was even a fantastic dance party in the middle of family portraits – does it get much better than that?! And of course, the couple themselves were an absolute dream to work with, once again.

If you haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Shannon + Erin, they truly are nothing less than amazing. They are kind and thoughtful, compassionate and down-to-earth, and to top it all off, so funny! I can’t think of a better couple to have kicked off our 2019 weddings! Thanks so much to you both for letting us be a part of your wedding day and for trusting our vision while standing out in the cold.

Also, a special shout-out to Temple’s, who, in the midst of a power outage that started shortly after we arrived at the venue for the first look and didn’t end until shortly before we were to leave, managed to keep the venue as warm and welcoming as possible (the fireplace was a very popular place to chill — or not chill as the case may be), and provided blankets for a bit of extra warmth when needed. It is really great when all us vendors come together in what could have been an awful turn of events to make sure the couple and their guests have a wonderful time. Thanks to everyone’s hard work, that power outage will be a funny story, instead of a wedding day gone wrong.

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