This colour-filled wedding at the River House Winery, a brand-new venue about an hour from Ottawa, Ontario, was packed with personal and creative touches. From the bride’s floral embroidered veil to a custom song written just for the groom, every detail was full of meaning and creativity. The bride brought her artistic flair to everything, including hand-painted invitations, custom menus, and table numbers. This wedding truly took DIY wedding to another level.

After exchanging gifts in the morning, the bridal party had a peaceful meditation by the water. During the ceremony, the bride’s grandma handed out flowers in place of a flower girl, and the reception featured hand-painted signs marking the places they’d lived since they started dating half a decade ago. There were so many creative details throughout the day that made capturing their day in imagery so fun, allowing them to remember all the intentional hard work that went into making their special day so unique.

Check out the reel we made for our couple, capturing some of the special moments from their big day!

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A post shared by Sonia Baribeau (@soniavphoto)

Vendor Team:

PLANNER + RENTALS: @sinclairandcodesign
VENUE + CATERING: @riverhousewines
FLORIST: @callawayfloral
DJ: @dynamixproductions
STATIONARY + SIGNS: @em_andy (the bride)
DRESS: @loversland (shop) @alexandragrecco (designer)
SUIT: @suitsupply
HAIR + MAKEUP: @itsjacquiek
EARRINGS: @magpiejewellery

Guys Getting Ready

The day kicked off with drinks and laughs with the boys. The groom had a sweet moment with his mom, sharing a big hug before opening a special gift from his bride—a song written just for him, along with a handkerchief with a personal touch. Since their getting-ready spots were across the field from each other, the bride got a little sneak peek of him opening his gift in the open doorway. This colour-filled wedding at the River House Winery was already starting to show in all the personal details and the emotions were flowing.

Girls Getting Ready

The morning started with a calming meditation. The bride and her sisters were all matching in colourful pjs as they prepped for the big day. The groom gave his bride a thoughtful gift—a choice between two pairs of earrings along with a handwritten note. As the bride got dressed with her sisters by her side, emotions were running high. We nearly teared up when the bride shared an impromptu father-daughter dance to “Surfer Girl” by The Beach Boys, right after he saw her in her wedding dress for the first time.

First Look

It’s worth highlighting the stunning veil our bride chose. A beautifully embroidered, cathedral length floral veil that became a standout element of her look that everyone was commenting on. It perfectly complimented with her vibrant bouquet, which was designed by Callaway Floral and matched their theme — a colour-filled wedding at the River House Winery. The combination of the veil and bouquet was flawless.

After capturing the emotional first look on digital and film, the newlyweds took some family and wedding party photos all of which were a perfect mix of candid and the classic formal photos.

Ceremony

When the couple shared how they wanted their day captured, they emphasized authenticity and natural, in-the-moment photos rather than posed shots—something we completely resonate with.

Instead of a young flower girl, they had their grandmother hand out individual flowers to guests. It was such a fun, playful twist on a traditional role that added a special, personal element to their day.

Couples Portraits

We ask our couples for key words they envisioned when it comes to their wedding day, so we can have that mindset going into the day. This couple listed whimsical, light, playful, and fun. For their colour-filled wedding at the River House Winery, they love a vintage look and requested lots of film. This looked stunning for their portraits together, taken at the top of a hill overlooking the vineyard. After a chance to connect with one another, they were eager and ready to mingle with their family and friends at cocktail hour.

Many of our clients emphasize that they don’t want their wedding to feel like a day long photoshoot and they want as much time with their guests as possible — and this is usually why they hire us. We believe in spending your wedding day with your people, not with a camera. So when we work through the timeline with our clients, we prioritize shorter times for photos and more time with guests, while still making sure we are able to get amazing portraits.

Cocktail hour

The cocktail hour at their colour-filled wedding at the River House Winery was laid-back and fun. The couple poured a champagne tower for guests to enjoy, then everyone got to enjoy the bubbly. There were games set up on the tables, and the newlyweds shared their first dance with live music, surrounded by all of their family and friends. This was a pretty cool moment and perfectly kicked off the reception.

Reception

At the reception, the seating arrangements were hand painted by the bride, marking places that were meaningful to them. One side of the sign had a photo of the place, and the other shared a little story about what made it special. For the guest book, the couple asked guests to make a doodle or leave a love note, which the bride plans to turn into a collage for their home. We always love to capture the details, and for this couple, those little touches added so much personality.

Sunset

After the speeches concluded, the couple took a moment to enjoy some quiet time together during sunset for their portraits. They kicked off their shoes and ran barefoot beside the venue. Some of our favourite shots from any wedding day are taken when bellies are full, the sun is going down, and the heels have been kicked off.

Dessert & Dancing

The evening continued with dancing, where the couple shared sweet moments with their parents. Afterward, everyone indulged in dessert before the real party began. The bride switched into her second dress — short fringed reception dress, and the groom rocked a white cowboy hat with his bride ready to kick off a fun night.

Kind Words from the Couple

“Thank you so much — for absolutely capturing the warmth and joy of our wedding day, for being so lovely to work with… Apologies for just emailing today, we’ve spent all weekend looking through them. So many goodies, we keep finding new photos we love every time we look through them. 

All the little thoughtful touches along the way were so appreciated. I remember we both got a little choked up finding those printed photos at our table on the wedding day! We’ll miss working with you but hopefully will see you at a wedding soon!”

Emily & Tom

Sonia V Photography

Having a photographer capture those candid, in-between moments is so important—it’s what truly reflects your connection as a couple. Those unposed shots tell the real story. If you have any questions or want to see more of our wedding galleries, feel free to reach out. We’d love to chat!