Safe, Celebratory, and Entirely Their Own: An Intimate Wedding at Bela Farm

Handfasting ceremony during an intimate queer wedding at a farm near Orangeville, Ontario

Some weddings feel like an event. This one felt like a gathering. And there is a big difference.

Marika & SC described their day as a "non-wedding wedding", and from the moment we arrived at the farm near Orangeville, that made complete sense. Everything about it was intentional, warm, and deeply them: an intimate guest list, a rustic barn full of the most extraordinary floral installation we have ever walked into (the work of Smells Like Flowers— it was truly breathtaking), and a clear, collective energy of celebration and safety running through every single part of the day.

This is exactly the kind of LGBTQ+ wedding we love to show up for. Not because it was loud or over the top (don’t get it wrong, we love those too!)— but because it was so quietly, confidently itself. The whole day unfolded with this beautiful ease that you simply can't manufacture or duplicate.

The one specific request Marika & SC had for photography was for us to approach it documentary style; candid, unposed, fly-on-the-wall with no staged moments, just honest captures of the day as it truly happened. Documentary wedding photography is very much our default, and for this wedding in particular, it made the photos feel alive in a way that posed, or a more editorial approach, rarely does.

As the evening wound down and the sun started dropping over the farm fields, (admittedly with some pressure from the guests) we quietly asked if they'd want to step outside for a few minutes. They said yes, and while the light had softened behind the clouds by then, those portraits in the field still hold something really special. The rustic landscape, the warm air, the two of them completely at ease, we’re so thrilled that they got on board with it.

If we had to describe this day in two words it would be: safe and celebratory. The speeches were moving, the laughter was infectious, and you could feel— wholeheartedly, genuinely, feel— how much care Marika & SC have put into the people they surround themselves with, and the life they've built together. From friends sharing passionate words about queer love, to queer artists and activists featured on the place cards, every detail pointed back to the same thing: this is a community that shows up for one another. It was the kind of wedding that stays with you long after you leave.

If you're looking for a photographer who will meet you and your day exactly where it is, we'd love to hear from you!