Eastern Townships wedding on an alpaca farm

On a hot summer day, I drove out to the countryside to photograph this Eastern Townships wedding. Chelsey and Danick planned for their wedding to be an intimate gathering of family and friends.

They hosted the special event at a gorgeous family-owned alpaca farm nestled at the foot of Mont Pinacle. Wow Freli Alpacas is owned and run by Chelsey’s dad. The property, with its winding mountain paths and romantic woodsy setting, was the perfect outdoor venue for this rustic wedding.

Putting together a DIY rustic wedding

When I arrived at the farm, I was greeted by the sight of the groom and his friends and father-in-law hard at work putting together the rustic ceremony location. In a small area covered in wood chips, they were assembling wooden log benches. Chelsey’s aunt and uncle arrived carrying an abundance of flowers. Then, they began attaching them to an elegant archway for the front of the ceremony. The sounds of chainsaws whirred in the heat as all the last-minute preparations were coming together.

The bride’s preparations

Inside the house, I found Chelsey in a soft-toned room. She was getting the finishing touches of her makeup ready. What a contrast with the noisy guys outside!

The bride was in peaceful haven with her friends. The gals popped some champagne and enjoyed it together as they got ready in the quiet space.

I remember it being so hot that day! I was a sweaty mess, but as the wedding photographer, I’m always behind the camera, so it’s all good! The bride and her mom took turns standing right in front of the fan to cool off.

Chelsey kept peeking out the window to check on the wedding progress. Each time, she would keep seeing her future husband still in his sweaty working clothes, not yet dressed for the wedding. I think she was nervous he wouldn’t be ready in time. In the end, it all worked out perfectly.

The groom getting ready

As the first early guests were starting to show up at the farm, Dan headed off to get ready with his best man and father. His father helped him with his bow tie. Then, as he headed up the path to the ceremony location, his mom found him to pin on his boutonnière.

Outdoor Wedding ceremony

Finally, friends and family had all arrived for this Eastern Townships wedding. It was time for the ceremony to begin. Chelsey’s brother officiated the wedding. His son was the ring bearer. The wedding guests were seated on the log benches, surrounded by tall trees, and witnessed this special ceremony to unite the couple.

The wedding ceremony included a sand ceremony. The couple took turns pouring different coloured sand into a clear jar, layering the different colours. This ritual symbolizes how a wedding unites two people. Just like the individual grains of sand cannot be separated again and poured back into their original jars, their lives will be blended and be forever mixed together.

rustic wedding portraits

After the simple wedding ceremony, the guests cheered and the bride and groom ran off down the small wooden steps. I left the guests to enjoy cocktail hour with some string musicians. Then, I made my way across the grounds of the woodsy farm to take rustic wedding portraits of the newly wedded couple.

Further down the property, a small vineyard with a sheltered archway of vines was a great spot for a few cozy portraits.

Due to the heat, we headed to the cabin for some shade and water. With its large windows letting in soft light and a view of the pine forest beyond, this pit stop became a great setting for some beautiful portraits as well. Then, we headed back outdoors for a few more bride and groom portraits along the path through the woods.

Intimate wedding reception under a tent

This rustic chic wedding reception was held under a white canopy tent. The tent’s position on the hillside afforded it a stunning backdrop overlooking the rolling hills and mountains of the Eastern Townships.

The wedding dinner was catered by a friendly team from Restaurant Lyvano (a local Frelighsburg favourite) and featured down-to-earth fare with creative twists.

As night fell, the moon rose and colourful lights came on to light the tent and the nearby swan pond.

After dinner, Chelsey and Danick had a romantic first dance as their friends and family proudly watched. Then the wedding guests joined them on the dance floor.

Chelsey and Danick, thank you for trusting me with your wedding photography.

Looking for a wedding photographer?

Whether you’re planning your wedding in the Eastern Townships or elsewhere, send me a message and I’ll be happy to send you some info about my wedding photography services.

More Eastern Townships wedding photos

For more wedding photo inspiration, check out these past weddings in the same region of Quebec: a lovely mountaintop wedding in Sutton, a beautiful countryside wedding near Magog and a microwedding in Georgeville.