Elizabeth and Daniel’s winter wedding photos at Alderlea Heritage Estate showcase documentary-style wedding photography focused on genuine emotions, family connections, and natural moments. Set just after the New Year, their wedding featured elegant indoor portraits in the Pavilion, Parlour Room, and Chisholm Room, along with select snowy outdoor photos surrounded by fresh winter scenery. This blog highlights how Alderlea’s historic interiors and natural light create beautiful winter wedding photos, while thoughtful planning, minimal posing, and a curated photo booth experience result in a warm, meaningful celebration.

Elizabeth and Daniel’s Alderlea wedding photos were my very first ones of the year. Since their wedding took place just a couple of days after the New Year, it was a fantastic start to the wedding season. I had photographed around Alderlea before, but never inside the property, and this was my first wedding at this location.

When Elizabeth reached out to me and we started working on their plans, I learned that I had been referred to her by her best friend, who at the time was one of the bridesmaids at a wedding I photographed many years ago.

The New Approach to These Alderlea Wedding Photos

Although I did not meet Elizabeth or Daniel before the wedding day, we did a fantastic job planning their Alderlea wedding photos exactly as Elizabeth had envisioned.

Their wedding was very special to me for many reasons. One of the most important was that my son, Dorian, came along to help me for the very first time by running the photo booth we had organized.

I felt so proud to introduce him to Erika, my second photographer for many years, and to my wedding couple. They were incredibly friendly and welcoming to him. That support gave him the confidence to say yes to another booking we had a couple of months later that year. At that wedding, he ran the entire photo booth by himself.

As mentioned, everything was planned with Elizabeth virtually, over the phone and by email. Because of that, it was crucial for me to listen carefully and fully bring her vision to life through my photography. This helped make their Alderlea wedding photos truly one of a kind.

Through my conversations with Elizabeth, I understood a few important things. I made sure to give these my full attention on her wedding day. Elizabeth shared that they are both very shy and did not want many posed photos. Instead, they wanted to focus on immediate family photos and capturing the natural vibe of the wedding day.

The Winter Morning and Crystal White Show

As I reviewed my notes the night before the wedding, I promised myself that this year would be the year I devoted 100% of my attention to my couples’ feelings, emotions, family happiness, and fun. I wanted those moments to overpower posed and staged images. I did plan to cover the creative images Elizabeth asked for. Still, overall, I was ready to lean into a higher level of documentary wedding coverage for their Alderlea wedding photos.

The night before their wedding, about 10–15 cm of snow had fallen, creating an amazing setting for their winter wedding photos. Since their wedding was scheduled for the late afternoon, I arrived at Alderlea earlier to set up the photo booth and my lights, and to make sure everything would run smoothly. Once the setup was complete, I photographed the ceremony space. It was so beautiful and bright, highlighting the vibrant flowers the florist was still finishing.

While wrapping up my final setup, I met Daniel, who was bringing a few things inside from the front door. I loved how calm he was, and I immediately knew we were going to have a fantastic time.

Once everything was done, I went upstairs to the second floor, where Elizabeth was getting ready. During our planning process, Elizabeth sent me many photos of the locations she wanted. This made navigating the property easy and made me feel like I had been there many times before.

That was when I met Elizabeth for the very first time. Her sister and her mom were helping her get ready. When she saw me, I felt she began to panic slightly — almost as if my arrival made everything feel real and signaled that the moment had finally come.

The Getting-Ready Photos at Alderlea Wedding (The Chrisholm Room)

Seeing that things needed to be calmed down a bit, I introduced myself. I explained what I had done so far and shared how excited I was to work with all of them in such a beautiful location, surrounded by incredible winter wonderland scenery.

Instead of being right in her face, I told her I would capture everything in a documentary style from a distance. I also said that if she wanted me to focus on or pose something specific, I would absolutely do that.

As I finished explaining this, I saw her shoulders relax and her calm return — exactly what I was hoping for, since everyone benefits from relaxed, natural images.

From that moment on, I captured her getting into her dress, with her mom and sister helping tie it. I also photographed all the intimate details that complete her getting-ready photos.

Neither of them wanted a first look or anything like that. So, once Daniel entered the same area where Elizabeth was getting dressed, I walked with him briefly, and we went downstairs for their pre-wedding photo session.

As planned, we started the photo session with the two of them at the ceremony site in the Pavilion. Everything was set up perfectly. With the help of the backlight — enhanced by the snow on the ground — I had an abundance of light to work with.

The Winter Photo Session at The Alderlea Heritage Estate

As we worked in that room, we moved into the next space, the Parlour Room. It had beautiful window light and very stylish drapes that created a picture-perfect backdrop.

With the light illuminating them from behind, I was having the time of my life. We didn’t even need to go outside on the grounds, and we were still getting incredible light.

I approached these images with a slightly more posed style to make sure I captured a few in that look. But overall, their emotions were genuine, and the focus remained on their happiness rather than on a perfect pose.

When I first arrived at the venue, I noticed the stairs leading to the upper floor. I knew I wanted to take some photos there.

Once we exited the second room, we went to the bottom of the stairs. There, we captured some of my favourite images using the available light coming from the front.

Elizabeth had asked for just one or two outdoor images for their Alderlea wedding photos. This was the perfect time to do so.

Knowing how cold it was and that we wouldn’t have more than five minutes, we planned to stop at five locations. I photographed them as they moved from one to the next.

I used Gage Park in the background, with its tall trees covered in freshly fallen snow. This gave their winter Alderlea wedding photos a signature look.

As I was finishing my last set of photos around the property, a gentle breeze brought down a few snowflakes. This helped me capture my favourite image from their wedding day.

The Wedding Ceremony at the Alderlea Pavilion

Before their wedding ceremony, we had planned to take their immediate family photos in the Chisholm Room, where their getting-ready images were taken. While we waited for everyone to come together, I captured a series of photos of my couple rehearsing their first dance in one of the best-lit rooms on the property.

I felt their first dance rehearsal was incredibly sweet. So, I documented it fully in a journalistic style, starting from the moment Daniel began playing the song they chose for their first dance.

Once all their family members were together, we had an extended photo session in a well-lit, controlled space. We didn’t have to worry about the cold.

As we were finishing those photos, the ceremony space began filling with their wedding guests. It was time for me to head downstairs, as I was the only photographer covering the ceremony.

On my way down, I checked in to make sure my son and Erika were all set for the photo booth. It was scheduled to start right after the ceremony in time for cocktail hour.

The Pavilion, where the ceremony took place, was filled with guests. But there was still enough room for me to move around and capture multiple perspectives of their very special day.

Their wedding ceremony was short and sweet. With the help of the amazing officiant I had spoken with beforehand, it turned out to be very unique. The room’s architecture allowed me to shoot wider angles, giving me the freedom to be creative in my own way.

During their recessional walk after their second kiss, I stood on a ladder to capture a group photo of everyone — just as Elizabeth had requested.

The Cocktail Hour and The Guest Photo Groups at The Parlour

For this part of the day, Elizabeth and Daniel wanted me to focus mainly on their guest group photos, while photos of the wedding reception setup were not a top priority for them. Knowing that I hadn’t yet photographed the reception area, Erika stepped in to help. She took one of my cameras to capture the reception setup, while Dorian covered the photo booth, and I focused on working with the groups. It was a perfectly orchestrated scenario.

Knowing we would be taking many group photos, I chose one of the bay windows as the background, and once my lighting was set, we began working through the groups.

Normally, group photos take about 10–15 minutes, but for this wedding, I spent close to 45 minutes capturing them. I understood how important these Alderlea wedding group photos were to my couple, so I made sure every guest was well posed and carefully captured, ensuring everyone would be happy with the final results.

The Wedding Reception Dinner and Party Time

The reception room was the largest part of the ceremony area and had been blocked off by the catering team with white sheets during the ceremony. Once everyone moved to the cocktail hour, the staff reconfigured the reception room, and guests were then invited back inside.

For a winter wedding, Elizabeth and Daniel had a fairly large number of guests, which was harder to notice earlier since everyone was spread out across several rooms. Once all the guests were together in one space, it became clear that this was a big winter wedding. During the group photos, I learned that Elizabeth’s dad’s family is of Greek heritage, so I knew there would be some traditional dancing later in the evening.

As the night’s celebrations began, I captured all these moments and traditions, including the first dance, cake-cutting, speeches, and those quiet, hidden tears of joy.

I knew we wouldn’t be heading outside for a nighttime photo session, as it wasn’t on their list, and I was completely fine with that. I had delivered what they asked for—and a little more.

My coverage ended before the photo booth portion, so once I wrapped up and packed away my equipment, I went to help my son with the photo booth photos.

Why You Should Have a Photo Booth on Your Wedding Day?

Adding a photo booth to your wedding day can enhance the experience for both you and your guests. Here are a few reasons to consider including one:

– Capture Memories: A photo booth offers a fun way to capture candid moments throughout your event.
– Guest Engagement: It encourages guests to interact with each other and adds an extra element of entertainment.
– Instant Keepsakes: Guests can take home printed photos as souvenirs, giving them a tangible reminder of your special day.
– Unique Guestbook Alternative: Photos can be a creative addition to your guestbook, complete with messages from friends and family.
– Fun Props and Backdrops: Using a variety of props and backdrops can make the experience even more enjoyable and personalized.

Including a photo booth at your wedding can create lasting memories and bring a lively, playful atmosphere to your celebration.

DA Photography Photo Booth

I have always offered a photo booth as part of my services, but it has been challenging to find someone I could trust to meet my high expectations or be reliable and show up. For those reasons, I haven’t offered it as often as I should. On the other hand, a photo booth should reflect my couple’s vibe, so when I learned that Elizabeth and Daniel didn’t like props, I knew I had to include one for them.

The backdrop we used was perfectly suited to their wedding, and seeing a solid line of guests waiting for photos was a great sign that everything was going well.

Dorian and I worked seamlessly together at the photo booth. I took the photos while Dorian asked guests how many copies they wanted, then printed and handed them out. I felt so proud and happy to share that experience with my son.

The final photos from the booth were of Elizabeth and Daniel having fun and truly enjoying their time in it.

Thank you, Elizabeth and Daniel, for your trust and for planning your Alderlea wedding photos exactly as you wanted. I am so happy I could capture these memories in beautiful images.

Are you planning a winter wedding? Get in touch to see how my photography can help bring your vision to life.

Here is another elegant and timeless winter celebration. In the blog post Islington Golf Club Wedding in Winter with Sabrina and Andy.