Confession: I’m scared to share this post.

For months now I’ve been wanting to post about the small, intimate weddings I’ve been photographing in 2020, but I’ve had no idea how to do it. In fact, I’m down right afraid to do it. I’ve been carefully selecting the images I post on social media because what if someone notices that I’ve made a mistake? What if I get called out for capturing a moment that they claim shouldn’t have happened? What if someone is encouraged to go forward with their plans for a COVID wedding because this one that I’m showcasing ended up okay, but then theirs doesn’t? What if this leads to my clients being shamed for not doing absolutely everything by the book? Also, where is this book? Can you share it because it seems to me like we’re all just making it up as we go along.

So please, as you continue, be gracious. Remember that this was a joyous moment for these families to come together and celebrate the union of two of their favourite people. Remember that we’re all just doing our best to live and love. Remember that every single situation is different and take that into consideration when viewing this event and planning your own.

Was everyone at the wedding 6 feet apart at all times? No. Was there hugging and dancing and singing? Yes. Was everyone wearing masks? No. Did they follow laws and guidelines set out by the provincial government and balance the risks to create a memorable and safe celebration? Absolutely.

To clarify, as someone not in their extended family units and who had just been at my own sister’s wedding in Winnipeg the week prior, I was sure to wear a mask the entire day and kept physically distanced from everyone as much as possible.

Now to the good stuff. Monica and Ben’s wedding was scheduled for the beginning of June at a big, beautiful new venue outside of Saskatoon. They bounced around with rescheduling ideas a couple of times before settling on a Friday backyard ceremony in Monica’s hometown of La Ronge.

Monica’s parents’ home is located in the industrial area of town, and they’ve got a huge yard to go with the big shops and garages housing their excavation and landscaping business. To help minimize risks associated with staying in hotels, they filled a portion of their yard with camper trailers and motorhomes. This allowed all of their dozen or so out of town guests to have their own space and amenities. This also minimized their interactions with residents of the small northern community. La Ronge is a remote town with limited health facilities and while access to the region was closed for a significant time at the start of the Pandemic, it reopened early in the summer. At the time of Monica and Ben’s wedding, there had been under 5 cases of COVID-19 in the region and their plan was to keep it that way.

I arrived the morning of the big day and was impressed by every little detail they had considered. There was hand sanitizer available everywhere you looked, and bug spray to help with the black flies and mosquitos. The caterers cooked in one of the shops and carried the food over to be served outdoors. Even in the bathroom there was a basket of individual face cloths to dry your hands with. They held the event outside, making use of their large covered patio and a big event tent when it rained. Even in my trailer Monica left a welcome basket of essentials I may have forgotten.

Monica and her bridesmaids got ready upstairs in her parent’s home, while Ben and his groomsmen were in the basement. This was perfect for me as I could run back and forth between the two groups as I pleased - though a little tricky catching my breath through the mask after a couple flights of stairs.

The ceremony was in the cutest spot behind the house. I was told parts of the landscaping had been there before, but other items were built and put in place just for the wedding. Ben and his family have rich Scottish roots, so he chose to dress in a traditional kilt and have his brother play the bagpipes at the beginning of the ceremony. Initially his plan was to have his groomsmen in kilts as well, but ended up keeping things a bit more casual. That’s probably my favourite thing about weddings during this pandemic - everyone is just a little more relaxed. Ceremonies include more jokes and laughter, as it’s less of a show on a stage and more of a group of friends gathered together like for a backyard barbecue. And the heartfelt vows and joyful tears are all the sweeter somehow. It really is more intimate.

After the ceremony we took time for photos around the yard and man, mother nature was not making it easy on us. The rain came and went and the black flies were terrible, but we found moments to make and document memories all the same. As we finished up photos and the rain began again, we joined the rest of the group on the deck for cocktails. Now’s a good time to mention that Ben and I actually went to high school together and were close friends for a number of years. Though we’ve seen one another less and less since, it was wonderful to catch up with him and his family again, as well as to get to know his new bride and hers. It was special to not be an outsider as the photographer at such an intimate gathering and filled the day with extra meaning for me. It was a blessing to see an old friend in such a wonderful place in his life and to get to celebrate alongside him as I documented the day.

Before dinner the group popped inside for a surprise for Ben and Monica - they had made up a video montage of well wishes from friends and family who couldn’t be there in person. It was a precious reminder of just how much these two are loved and supported.

Supper was enjoyed in a large white tent as the rain continued. Just like the ceremony, speeches were noticeably more stress-free as laughter filled the air like a big family dinner. Leading up to her wedding day, I asked Monica what would need to happen to classify it in “best day ever” territory. She indicated that the biggest thing she wanted was a relaxed and stress free day. Looking around the tent as she and Ben were saying their thank-you’s it was clear that she was in the middle of just that.

The rain died down sometime around dessert and I was itching for some sunset photos - except it was totally overcast with no hope for golden hour light. Taking matters into my own hands I set up a couple flashes in some cattails and we made our own sunset before the first dance. By the time everyone was ready for that, however, the sunlight was totally gone. I set up lights to combat the darkness and we made out with some beautiful keepsakes.

By this point in the night everyone had enjoyed a drink or two (or six) and was ready to party. The younger generation was taking turns picking songs to sing and dance to on the deck while the others chatted, watched, and applauded while occasionally joined in the fun.

My last job for the night was to photograph Ben and Monica as they kissed under a sky of fireworks. They had their first kiss in this yard a few New Year’s Eve’s ago as fireworks filled the sky and were excited to re-create that moment. For the record, a portrait in the pitch dark with fireworks in the background and a limited amount of time to get it right is not a simple task. Luckily I had done some planning ahead of time and the videographer agreed to help me out a bit with light tests before the show started. It was a slightly stressful couple minutes for me, but this is the kind of thing I live for. I love a good lighting challenge and I’d say we nailed it.

I packed up my gear, accepted a drink from the groom, and celebrated with the rest of them. It was a beautiful day and I am so thankful to have been a part of it.

And I was thankful once more, two weeks later, when it was clear that no coronavirus was spread because of it.

Continue below to enjoy more of Ben and Monica’s wedding day.