There is something extra special about a wedding day held in a place that already has a connection to your family, and for Kaitlin and Scott, The Red Barn Market in Kenosee was the perfect place to celebrate the beginning of this next chapter together.
Their wedding day arrived on a beautiful, although definitely chilly, September afternoon, with the first hints of fall beginning to show in the trees and the prettiest warm autumn colours woven throughout all of the details of their day.
Kaitlin and Scott exchanged their vows during an outdoor ceremony beside the Red Barn, surrounded by their family, friends, and their adorable daughters. With the barn beside them, their loved ones gathered around, and pops of orange, rust and yellow everywhere you looked, it felt exactly like a September prairie wedding should.
After officially becoming husband and wife, we spent some time capturing family photos and their wedding party before sending everyone off for a little break and stealing Kaitlin and Scott away for ourselves.
And this is always one of my favourite parts of a wedding day.
We wandered into the trees around the property, where September had already started painting everything in those beautiful fall tones. Between the changing leaves, a little sunshine peeking through the trees, and these two finally having a few quiet moments together, we created some absolutely beautiful portraits before heading back to the Red Barn.
After a few more photos with extended family and friends on the porch, it was time to head inside and celebrate!
The reception was warm, cozy and full of all those little details that make a wedding feel personal. Everyone enjoyed a wonderful meal from Maid Marien's Catering, followed by an incredible assortment of desserts, although we still had one very important dessert waiting for later in the evening!
Before the speeches began, Kaitlin, Scott and I snuck away one more time to take advantage of the gorgeous September golden hour.
I will ALWAYS advocate for sneaking away for golden-hour photos when a wedding timeline allows it. Not only is the light beautiful, but these few minutes often end up being some of the first moments a bride and groom have truly had alone together all day. By this point, the ceremony is over, family photos are finished, everyone has been fed, and suddenly there is nothing left that they have to do.
They can breathe.
They can soak in the fact that they are actually married.
And they can simply enjoy each other for a few minutes.
We found the most beautiful little spot surrounded by fall colour, and Kaitlin and Scott did exactly that. We laughed, wandered through the trees, soaked up the last of the evening light and created some of my favourite portraits from their entire day.
Back inside, the evening continued with heartfelt speeches filled with plenty of laughter and a few sentimental moments before Kaitlin and Scott cut into Nana's famous carrot cake. They spent some time visiting with the people who had come to celebrate them before gathering everyone around the dance floor for their first dance and parent dances.
And then it was officially time to party!
Technically, that was where my coverage for the day was supposed to end.
Technically. 😂
But all day I had been looking at those big Red Barn doors and had an image in my head that I just couldn't leave without trying.
So after the dancing began, we snuck away for one final photograph.
With the warm glow of the barn behind them and the September night outside, we created the dramatic backlit doorway portraits I had been envisioning, and they were SO worth staying for.
There really couldn't have been a more perfect way to finish their gallery.
Kaitlin and Scott, thank you so much for inviting me into such a special day for your family. From your beautiful outdoor ceremony and those quiet moments beneath the fall leaves to the laughter around the tables and the party inside the Red Barn, it was such a joy to capture this chapter for you.
Congratulations, Mr. & Mrs., here's to a lifetime of finding little moments to sneak away together. ❤️
