Alexis + Donald – A small backyard affair in Cochrane, Alberta

It’s quite an honour when a fellow wedding photographer asks you to photograph their wedding!. On August long weekend this summer, we travelled to Cochrane, Alberta for Alexis & Donald’s big day, having not yet even met them in person! When we pulled up to her beautiful family house, the house she grew up in, there were horses to greet us at the gate, blue skies, and wide, rolling, green hills for miles. No shortage of incredible scenery. One of her bridesmaids greeted us at the door and led us into the prettiest room where Alexis & the girls were getting ready. A clothing rack in the corner hung her amazing bridesmaid dresses, all of which were completely different in colour, style, & fabric, and Alexis’ dress….An absolutely to-die-for lace & tulle wedding dress by Grace Loves Lace. ( I knew this dress straight away because I obsess over it every time I see a bride wearing it!) Needless to say, it was the prettiest of sights and we knew she would look stunning in it! Downstairs, Alexis’ friend Kelsey sat amongst a sea of beautiful flowers and carefully arranged them in to some seriously dreamy bridal bouquets, while Donald & his groomsmen milled about and dressed for the day.

In the backyard of the family home was an enormous white tent which held perfectly decorated tables and a great dance floor in the centre. There were strands of twinkle lights above, and vintage records on each table to mark the seating arrangement.With a small island of trees as the backdrop, and pretty lace bows on all the wooden chairs, the quaint backyard ceremony was perfect.

After some amazing wedding party photos in a forested area behind the house, Alexis & Donald took us to one of their favourite locations a short drive away,  to an old abandoned homestead. There were so many perfect spots here, that I swear we could have stayed there & shot for hours!

And lets talk about the dinner for a minute. A family style dinner catered by Our Daily Brett, located in Calgary, We were both absolutely blown away by the food that came out of that little tent in the yard (I think everyone was). This was the best meal we’ve both had in a long time, and we will most definitely be heading back there for lunch next time we’re in the city! Dessert was a smorgasboard of tasty little treats made by family, as well as homemade chocolates by the caterers, and the PRETTIEST cake made my Alexis’ mother, Wanda.

After dinner we stole Alexis away to a field in the backyard, away from the crowd, to capture the last of the evening light with those beautiful Alberta skies. Magic happened. We returned her to a warmly lit tent full of her favourite people, for an evening full of laughter & dancing.  This Cochrane Alberta Wedding was absolutely perfect, and we are so grateful that we got the opportunity to be a part of it!