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 between the two.

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 installations we have ever walked into (the genius work of Smells Like Flowers), and a clear, collective energy of celebration and safety running through every single part of the day.

This is exactly the kind of LGBTQ+ weddings 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 replicate.

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, and admittedly with some pressure from the guests, we kindly 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 feel really special even so they could have a moment away from everyone and everything just for a couple of minutes.

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!