No admittance except on party business - Marmora Wedding!

They’re adorable, they’re quirky, and they work miraculously well as a team. But enough about Liz and Viara…

Ok, that description actually also fits Matt and Laura. Add to that that they have this deep love for each other, which they can easily communicate with nothing but a secretive glance. We’ve had the pleasure of photographing them as a couple twice now, and both times it was obvious that they just get each other. Like, unconditionally and unabashedly love and understand and support each other.

So, then what else is there to say about it?

We can tell you a bit about their wedding, and then there will be some photographs.

This is how their magical day, October 14th, went down.

I met up with the boys in Belleville as they got ready. They actually had finished getting ready by the time I arrived, so I quickly hopped in the car with them to Marmora, to Laura’s parents beautiful property backing onto the early autumn-coloured woods.

The car ride was memorable for its corny jokes. The kind of jokes where you don’t laugh. But you actually laugh in your head. (Sorry guys). And cute nervous vibes. Guys are funny that way. Try as they might to hide it, they do get nervous before their big moment. Matt was no different.

When we got to Marmora, things were already looking hobbit-y (the wedding took inspiration from the Lord of the Rings, after all). On a small wooden gate hung a white sign, hand-written in Tolkien-esque script that said, ‘No admittance except on party business’.

And of course we were there on party business, so we went in.

Inside the house, Laura got ready in the room she grew up in. Surrounded by friends and well-wishers, everything was familiar and warm. She even wore lace-topped socks from her childhood.

Outside, everyone assembled and found seats on long hay-bale benches topped with white cloth. The ceremony began with a LOTR soundtrack playing from a small ghetto-blaster to the side. The bridal party wore earthy browns and oranges and reds, and Laura wore a crown of matching flowers in her hair.

She walked the aisle with her father and Matt greeted her with a smile. At some point Laura’s own smile turned to happy tears, and then the two were wed.

While Liz took charge of family photos, kids played with leaves nearby. The day was warm and overcast, the sky one giant softbox washing gentle light onto the world.

Then everyone made their way to the reception hall for a night of dancing, cupcake-eating and celebrating.

I had a cupcake. (Ok, I had two...)

There was beer shot-gunning outside, bouquet-tossing, garter slinging, and a whole lot of laughs. Grandfathers gleefully danced with granddaughters for hours, children chased each other barefoot, did gymnastics, and made silly faces; and the father of the bride was documented absolutely nailing the worm on the dance-floor.

I have photographed Laura a few times, but I’ve never seen her this happy. Matt was positively beaming at her all night.

So: love, family, friends, laughs, kisses, and cupcakes. Isn’t that what life’s about?

Laura and Matt: you found in each other the one that you’d rather share one lifetime with than face all the Ages of this world alone. That, my friends, is deep love.

We wish you a lifetime of happiness together.