Winter weddings have a magic all their own, and this fairy-tale day at The Lake House (@thelakehouseyyc) was one of my favourites. It was also featured in Confetti Magazine, which was such an honour. After photographing weddings for 20 years, since my first in 2007, I can tell you that snow and soft winter light are a gift to anyone holding a camera.
The Lake House overlooks Lake Bonavista in southeast Calgary. In winter the lake freezes and the shoreline turns white, giving you a clean, bright backdrop that makes a wedding dress glow. Head inside and the mood changes completely: elk antler chandeliers, a grand stone fireplace, a glass-encased wine cellar and a refurbished 21-foot bar from the 1800s. It's warm, rustic and elegant all at once, and it gives us two very different looks within a few steps of each other.
Here's my honest advice for a Calgary winter wedding. Keep outdoor portraits short and sweet, because 10 to 15 minutes in the snow is plenty to get the shots. Have a warm layer ready for in between, plan the portraits for early afternoon since the sun sets early in December and January, and save the evening for the cozy interior shots by the fireplace.
I also love how winter slows a wedding down. Guests linger, the room feels closer, and candlelight carries the evening. Those are the moments I look for as the night goes on: the laughs by the fire and the hugs at the door.
The Lake House is run by Canadian Rocky Mountain Resorts, the same family behind Buffalo Mountain Lodge in Banff and the Post Hotel in Lake Louise, so the food and service match the setting. Couples with a big guest list and couples with an intimate one can both make it work there.
If you're planning a snowy celebration and looking for a Calgary wedding photographer who loves winter as much as summer, you'll find more lakeside and city weddings on my Calgary wedding photography page.
See more lakeside and city weddings on our Calgary wedding photography page.