Sheena and Dave’s Intimate Saskatchewan Backyard Wedding in Hague

“Just come for the last half hour of getting ready. I don’t think much is going to happen,” Sheena said when we met for coffee to go over the final details of their wedding day.

I didn’t believe her for a second.

Sheena and Dave have four young kids, a sweet and energetic crew who were also acting as their wedding party. The getting ready time would be just as full of special moments as the rest of their intimate backyard wedding, and there was no way I wasn’t capturing that special story from start to finish.

My intuition was right. Tiny feet ran up and down the stairs of their big, beautiful home by the river, as friends and family came and went, lending a hand to set up or help with the kids. Sheena spent all her prep time making the day special for her kids, hopping into her own dress at the very last minute. Erika, the oldest, had a manicure. Oz, the baby, got his first haircut. Little Quinn did her own makeup, complete with purple eyebrows, and eagerly offered her cosmetology services to others. Sheena’s best friends arrived to help her into her dress, while Dave’s mom added the finishing touch: a string of pearls belonging to Dave’s grandmother.

Sheena and Dave shared a quick first look and high five in their bedroom (Sheena high fives everyone, I discovered) before joining their guests in the backyard for their riverside ceremony. Emily ran out of petals too early, figured she wasn’t cut out for this flowergirl business, and went back to bed. Oz ate Dave’s boutonniere. Erika stood proudly beside her mother, a witness to her parent’s devotion as they said I do.

After the ceremony, the carefully planned timeline immediately went out the window for good, and that was 100% ok. Real life doesn’t always stop on your wedding day, especially when you’re getting married at home with four active young kids. Tossing the schedule and typical wedding day structure meant things could just happen organically. It changed the way I want to photograph weddings forever: letting it flow, telling the truth, embracing the real. And what better way to spend a wedding day than just relaxing in a beautiful spot overlooking the river, eating BBQ and ice cream, hanging out by the bonfire with a few beers, and dancing the night away.

Thank you, Sheena and Dave, for letting me tell your truth.

Bride: Unveiled Dress Co.
Groom: Moores
Hair: Hair by Jaime – Edmond Joseph Salon
Flowers: Costco
Rentals: Occasion Event Rentals, Penny Lane Wedding Store

Copperblue Photography and Design is a Saskatchewan intimate wedding photographer based in Saskatoon. Specializing in lake weddings, outdoor weddings, and elopements. Serving central and northern Saskatchewan including Saskatoon, Martensville, Warman, Outlook, Rosetown, Humboldt, Davidson, Regina, Prince Albert, Waskesiu, Candle Lake and beyond. Planning an intimate Saskatchewan backyard wedding? Click here for more information!