What makes a non-traditional wedding?🦄 A winter cocktail party evening celebration with Liz & JM
by Liz Cooper
I’ve always wanted to be a bit different, you know?
I guess that’s what we all want - to stand out, be a trailblazer, be recognized as someone who really followed their heart and stepped off the beaten path.
Viara helped me do that.
I’ve been photographing weddings for just under a decade (lots of them have been under the banner of Quirky Love, so you might be familiar with them:) ) and when JM and I decided to get married, we wanted to go a different route from a lot of the weddings I’d photographed.
I love traditional weddings, don’t get me wrong - the ceremonies, the dresses, the first looks - all that stuff, I love it. BUT when it came to my own wedding, it just didn’t feel like “me” or “us.”
So we went another direction - and Viara was there for the ride.
Instead of summer we went winter (a stormy night in February); instead of a full day of activities culminating in a ceremony and reception, we had a cocktail party starting at 7pm; instead of a first look or a reveal of the bride, JM and I greeted people at the door when they first arrived bundled in their winter coats.
People sipped their drinks all throughout the ceremony (which I’ve always thought would be a civilized addition to any wedding) and no photos were taken during the ceremony (presided over by Wendy Luella Perkins - a thoughtful, spiritual, and caring Unitarian Universalist reverend and folk singer). JM and I were nervous enough as it was about the ceremony we decided no photos was a good compromise and that was just fine with Viara.
Post ceremony there was dancing, eating with snack-friendly vegan food by Knifey Spooney, and of course, more drinks and general fun. My dad, a die hard Leaf’s fan, tuned into the game, while others played darts and foosball. I forgot to mention, the wedding took place at the Warrant Officer’s and Sergeant’s Mess at Canadian Forces Base Kingston - my dad’s mess and the reason for all the games and big screen television.
A friend of mine insisted on bringing costumes for a photo booth, and Viara was totally game. I always had this impression that photo booths were a lot of work and that guests didn’t really make use of them - but I was wrong! People LOVED it and they’re some of my favourite images from the evening. Another break from tradition: when we sent out our thank you cards, we sent each person printed images of themselves, not us. Weddings are often great because of the people who attend, and we wanted to communicate that to our guests. The wedding was special because of them. The photo booth furnished most of these images and people LOVED it.
Going the non-traditional route was pretty great - we wore what we wanted, we had a drink when we wanted, people watched hockey, played darts, or danced when they wanted. It was the relaxed party atmosphere we wanted. And Viara captured it all with great finesse and ease that I’ve come to know of her work and style.
This wedding really was “us” and I encourage you to think hard about what that means for you when planning your own wedding. And whatever that is, be sure to bring Viara along for the ride, you won’t regret it.
A note on wedding photographs generally:
It’s been 18 months since our wedding and while really fun, it was a whirlwind. A hurricane even. And JM and I agreed that some of the evening is a bit of blur. Our friends tell us they had an amazing time, one of the best weddings they’ve ever been to, which for us, is all that really matters. BUT and this is a big but - if you’re here thinking about spending money on photographs for your wedding - do it! Looking at these photos again to write this blog has totally warmed our hearts and reminded us of what an amazing night it was. These photos are literally priceless. Remember that in your planning.
