Waking up one morning to see my work featured on the front page of my favourite blog still seems so surreal —
Every time I think back to Megan and Johnathan’s wedding day, my whole face just immediately lights up. Being a Niagara wedding photographer herself, Megan started her wedding planning off with a really clear image of what she was looking for, and teamed up alongside one of our mutual friends, Lauren from Flourish Calligraphy, in order to bring her dreams to life.
It didn’t surprise me for a second that Style Me Pretty immediately decided to show off her wedding day on their incredible fine art wedding blog.
The resulting day was just simply timeless. Every single choice she made had so much thought and intention, from the venue, which was her family home in Southern Ontario, down to the smallest details on her invitation suite, complete with a freehand sketch of the property. Lauren was able to make absolutely everything cohesive by creating unique calligraphed details that were placed perfectly throughout the property. The entrances to the home and the ceremony site were lined with linen welcome signs, which perfectly matched the programs that were individually bound together with Poetry of Silk ribbon. Resting stations with wooden benches could be found surrounding the ceremony and reception areas, with baskets full of blankets adorned with “cozy up” signs. Megan and Johnny even carried a stunning linen “Mr. and Mrs. Bialas” sign during their portrait time, that they now have with them in their new home together.
Beyond the incredible details, Megan and Johnny’s wedding day was purely focused on bringing together family and friends in a way that was so personal to them. Since most of Megan’s family was flying in for the wedding from England, it was really important to them that they could spend as much time together, and less time traveling to different locations. For that reason, all of the wedding day events took place on the property, with the couple only venturing off as far as down the street to have their portrait session on a family friend’s apple orchard.
“Johnathan and I knew from a very early stage that we were going to spend the rest of our lives together. We knew each other had something that we’ve each been looking for. We believe God blessed both of our paths in life to collide together” – Megan
“One thing I knew for certain, was that it felt right to be married at my family home. We moved around a lot while I was growing up, as my parents loved to buy and flip houses. This house, however, became our home – and my family has created roots and a beautiful life here over the past 10 years. This made it that much more meaningful for us to get married on the breathtaking grounds that I could truly call my home” – Megan
My absolute favourite part of the day was when Megan looked down to the ground at the end of their portraits, kneeled for a moment, and popped back up with a perfect four leafed clover and the biggest grin I had ever seen. It was the perfect way to sum up such a magical day, and to really start the celebrations for the rest of the evening.
“Our altar was hand crafted by my talented father – I couldn’t have been more proud to stand under his work as I married my best friend. The cross adorned with greenery that stood behind the signing table was also made by my father, and it was the perfect symbol to signify our faith as we signed our names and made our marriage concrete. During this time we heard my long time family friend sing the Lords praises. Our ceremony was truly amazing. To top it off we exchanged our own written vows to each other and there wasn’t a dry eye around! After the ceremony we had benches set up all around the grounds with blankets and pillows with signs allowing the guests to “stay cozy” along with fun games including bocce ball and crocket” – Megan
“I originally wanted the reception to be completely outside, but I knew with Southern Ontario good weather isn’t always certain. I opted for a clear tent, thus still giving the effect of being under the stars and surrounded by beautiful tall trees. We hung cafe lights and chandeliers adorned with greenery, creating a setting unlike anything I’ve experienced before. It was described as magical from many of our guests!” – Megan
“A final thank you is in order for my wonderful photographer and friend, Kayla Yestal, who captured all of these sweet memories so beautifully – we will forever be grateful! Remembering and writing about our day reminds me how blessed I am to have been able to marry my best friend in front of our family and friends in the place where I call my home.” – Megan
