St. Mary’s Church - current home of the Indian River Festival. Conceived of and planned by hand and paper. Harvested and constructed by hand and tool. I can’t walk inside these structures without reflecting on their back story - the amount of work tied to each beam, each post, each plank, each moulding and each carving. Fir, pine, spruce, maple and birch are represented, all sourced from the immediate area. Heart and soul poured into every square inch - an inherent warmth as the end result. To build a structure such as this is one thing. To maintain it? Something else. Much like a relationship. Much like these two. Much like the family and friends who support them and came to fill this space with their laughter, joy and a warmth of their own.
Read MoreAn Autumn Wedding in Indian River, PEI
A Polly Cove Elopement
I’d met Elizabeth and Jeff a year prior for a photo session outside of Seaforth, Nova Scotia. It was a wild mix of sun, wind, angry clouds and the odd shower. Quintessential Nova Scotia. Months later we found ourselves along the coast again - this time on the opposite side of Halifax and facing similar weather. Champagne bottles and umbrellas in hand, a small group of immediate family followed them along the Polly Cove trail.
And then we reached it - a small peak with unobstructed views of Dover Island and beyond. The perfect spot for a ceremony. The perfect spot to huddle in close. The perfect spot to exchange vows and wed.
Read MoreA Lightfoot & Wolfville Wedding
Locate Nova Scotia’s Fundy Shore on a satellite photo. Then shift your focus slightly to the south until you find the community of Annapolis Royal. Now follow the Annapolis River to the east as it winds through Moschelle, Granville Centre, Roundhill, Belleisle, Upper Granville, Bridgetown, Paradise . . .
With each bend, with each meander there appears an increase in the amount of farm land along either bank. The patchwork of fields, orchards and pastures intensifies as you reach Kentville, New Minas, Wolfville and the roots of the Cornwallis River before reaching a peak as you reach the shores of the Minas Basin. Every shade of green imaginable, with a dash of red soil for character. Nestled within that crescendo, alongside the old highway is Lightfoot & Wolfville. Another shade of green from the air, but so much more once you’re on the ground.
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