A Rustic Wedding Bellamere Winery — Ryanne Hollies Photography -

Kayla and Fiodar got married at Bellamere Winery on a beautiful (but chilly!) Fall day in London, ON.

Kayla and Fido met playing varsity volleyball, which is actually how Brian and I met as well (if you didn’t already know) so before you even look at a photo of them you can probably infer that they are both very tall and very beautiful people. Speaking of volleyball, the reason I met these two special people is because I played volleyball with Kayla’s sister Krystyna while I was completing my undergrad at Ryerson University in Toronto. Krystyna is one of my closest friends (and a badass, talented architect) so it was pretty cool to see her doing her thing as the maid of honour.

Bellamere Winery has a vast field in the back of the property which was where we spent most of our time doing portraits. We also found a gorgeous tunnel of evergreens which made an ideal stop for couples portraits. The field created the perfect scene for the Bride and Groom’s first look, which I don’t mind saying myself, was pretty cinematic and emotional. Since the moment Kayla and Fido set eyes on each other they couldn’t wipe the grins off their faces. These two expressed their love in such an outwardly joyous way, it really was a pleasure to capture. I felt inspired by the season, the earthy natural surroundings and these two people that are so genuinely in love.

The ceremony, albeit a little on the cold side, rang true to their relationship with kind, honest vows and no shortage of laughter. They said their I do’s under a seemingly symbolically circular pavilion and continued on to celebrate in the warmth of the charming rustic winery. It’s cottage-like feel and beautiful DIY decor created the perfect setting for a eventful evening.

The night before the wedding, Krystyna showed me some photographs from their mom’s wedding in 1985. I immediately fell in love with them and with a little push from Brian, we decided that we would recreate some of these images on Kayla’s wedding day. There are only a few, but throughout the post you will see the 1985 version and the 2018 version of a couple of images. This gave me an opportunity to blend an older, more traditional style with new and modern idealisms of wedding photography. I found myself reflecting of what a timeless image really consists of and exploring with my camera, a space between nostalgia and the creation of strong, impactful images.

I think most of these images speak for themselves and share the memories that we created on this very important day.

Congrats Kayla and Fido, and thank you for including us and trusting us on your wedding day..