What an incredible experience it was to be a part of Natascia & Daniel’s special celebration! A unique and non-traditional wedding at Lake Minnewanka in Banff, featuring many personal details, a gorgeous sunny morning ceremony on the lake, a collaborative photoshoot, and a beautiful day spent with two incredible humans!
Wedding photojournalist award for this image of Natascia & Daniel’s Non-traditonal wedding at Lake Minnewanka and for an image of the couple walking through Banff townsite.
When you start planning your wedding, there’s gonna be a lot of noise around what you should and shouldn’t do. Once you have found your perfect person and you’re ready to get married to that equally unique human, I think the best course of action is to make the wedding day completely yours. To celebrate what makes you one-of-a-kind as a couple.
Follow the traditions and ceremonies that feel important to you and ditch the ones that don’t. Wear exactly what you wanna wear: maybe that’s a white dress that flows in the wind as you frolic around mountains and lakes, or a less-than-traditional, brightly coloured suit. Natascia & Daniel’s non-traditional wedding at Lake Minnewanka hit all the right notes. Natascia didn’t want her groom or guests to see her as she walked down the aisle (or the dock at Lake Minnewanka). This couple’s solution? Adorable daisy stickers on sunglasses to obscure their vision. They handed out dried lavender for guests to toss during their first dance (and the air filled with the most whimsical scent). Real weddings, that are really YOU, are my favourite!
Are you a couple who wants to be completely themselves on their wedding day?
Here are 4 “Rules” to follow to create a day that’s YOU:
1. Break the rules
The ones you want to break! If the idea of the cake-cutting doesn’t spark joy for you? Forget it! Want to have a traditional walk down the aisle rather than a ‘first look’, that’s your choice. There is nothing that says you have to follow tradition, unless that tradition is something that speaks to you two. The reality is, you can do whatever you want on your special day. It is entirely your celebration to make whatever you want. So let your imagination run wild, or let ritual be your guide. For Natascia, it was important that her parents walk her down the aisle and that Daniel not see her until that moment.
Having photographed hundreds of weddings, I’ve learnt that couples follow their hearts rather than external expectations or pressure to do one thing or another; they enjoy their wedding day the most!
2. Lean into your personal style
When I was planning my desert elopement in 2024, I mentioned wanting to do classic bright red nails. A few people told me red wasn’t ‘bridal.’ Nudes and Chromes were in. But ‘bridal’ or ‘fit for a wedding’ isn’t the same for everyone. I soon realised I was second-guessing something I wanted in favour of what I thought I should do. So, I did end up choosing bright red. You don’t fit into a box, and your wedding-day attire doesn’t have to either.
Natascia & Daniel did exactly that. They have such an incredible, bold style, and adding personal and custom touches to their look only made their wedding day more meaningful to them. head to toe.
3. Play with the timeless and trends
If you’re under pressure to include every trend from the year you’re getting married, your wedding will start to feel like a competition and homogenous. I’ve been shooting weddings since 2009 and have seen trends come and go across photography, decor, attire, design and everything else. Most couples want their day to be unique. But here’s my take: your wedding day doesn’t have to be completely timeless (your photos will be)! We can all spot wedding photos from the 80s and 90s. There’s just no avoiding it, but there’s a good balance here, so don’t be too afraid of being “too trendy” as long as it really fits your vibe. Every wedding has something that gives away its era, so if a trend feels right, don’t be afraid to embrace it.
4. Ask yourselves your “Why”?
Sit down with your partner and get an understanding of the mood and values you want to bring out on your wedding day. Here are a few questions I suggest asking yourselves: How do you want to feel on your wedding day? What is really important to us on the wedding day? And what atmosphere do we want to create for our guests (if we are having any)? I believe this helps dictate what traditions, customs, and details to include in your day!
See more of our unique work!
