I couldn’t be more excited to share this gorgeous gorgeous wedding with you today!! Partly because Kendel is such an awesome girl that I’ve been lucky enough to get to know over the past little while (Ben is a pretty terrific guy too)…and partly because…well, their wedding was a little bit amazing. Like stop-in-your-tracks gorgeous. All the decor; the little details; all their wonderful family and friends; but most of all, gorgeous because of the love.
I can remember the day they got engaged. Kendel came back from a day out with Ben with an album on facebook with photos of a plane ride over Niagara Falls, Ben playing her a song on his guitar, and a lovely ring on her finger… And it was an honour (truly it was) to be asked to be the photographer at their wedding. See, Kendel is my photography buddy – we first met working at a summer camp where she was in fact, hired as the photographer. I can remember I was just starting to get into photography back then, and whenever we’d run into each other we’d chat about that and of course, LOST (of course.). Then Dave and I moved away…we lost touch for a bit…until a little while later when we both found ourselves starting up our own wedding photography businesses right around the same time. We speak regularly offering support and advice as we navigate our way through this crazy journey and we try to get together whenever we can to shoot together and learn. Kendel is so full of lovely, creative, and inspiring ideas. I followed her wedding planning journey on her personal wedding blog and just kept getting more and more excited for their wedding day with each new post. Mason jars? Wildflowers? Strings of lights across the ceiling? Oh I knew it was going to be beautiful right from the start.
After the ceremony and being seriously pelted with birdseed by their “well-wishing” (…not so well-wishing?!) guests as they exited the church, Ben and Kendel jumped into the back of a vintage red Ford truck and it was like a scene from a movie. When we arrived at Balls Falls Conservation Area, I snuck a peek inside the barn as it was being set up and my jaw almost hit the floor. I could have photographed in there for several hours, quite happily. All of it was Kendel’s vision, and with the help of Ben, and loads of family and friends, it came together so so beautifully, from the homemade wedding cake topped with little Ben & Kendel figurines, to the jars of honey and Mad-Lib games on every table; their wedding was just so so them.
Towards the end of the night, Ben got out his guitar, sat down in his chair at the head table, and played for Kendel the song he had written for her while they were dating. Ben is so the sweetest guy…a few verses into the song, he stopped suddenly, closed his eyes, smiled, and said a quiet “shoot…” as he tried to remember the next chord. Kendel then laughs and turns to the rest of us, saying “this so happened when he playing it the first time too!” and Ben shakes his head. He continues to sing: the other day I dreamed of a girl with hair that flowed and a face that glowed. The other day I dreamed of a girl, just like you…you’re my dream coming true.
BRK; Thank you, thank you, thank you. If I were to do it all over again, this is what how I would want it to go, and I would fail miserably at seeing my vision into reality and would come nowhere near as close to pulling off a wedding day with such absolute perfection as you did. And so you gave me the next best thing: the privilege of photographing it. And for that I am so grateful. Thank you for entrusting us with such a meaningful part of your day. May these photographs join the hundreds already in your collection, and the hundreds more that are still waiting to be taken.
And now the photos – Enjoy Ben & Kendel’s so-perfectly-them wedding, filled with lots and lots of love…
- Jenn xx
Ceremony Venue: CALVARY PENTECOSTAL CHURCH, Cayuga, Ontario | Reception Venue: The Big Barn at BALL’S FALLS CONSERVATION AREA, Vineland, Ontario | Photographers: Jenn & Dave Stark of JENN STARK PHOTOGRAPHERS | Kendel’s Dress: MAGGIE SOTTERO (Camden style) | Kendel’s Shoes: PAYLESS | Flowers: Melissa of BELLA’S FLORAL BOUTIQUE | Catering: Dave & Diane of Creative Cuisine Creations | Kendel’s Hair & Cake provided by friends: Karen Elgersma & Wilma Minor | All decor was either thought up/created/collected by the bride & groom, with help of countless amazing friends.
by JENN
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