Intimate Wedding at The Wild Tart in Elora, Ontario | Sara + Alex

Intimate Weddings

Sara and Alex’s intimate wedding at The Wild Tart was one of the sweetest, most intentional weddings I have witnessed.

Sara and Alex met while working together at Starbucks, a place that will always hold a lot of meaning for them both. Dating coworkers was not really allowed at the time, so the couple had to keep their relationship on the down low until things became more serious.

I first met Sara and Alex back in 2020. The couple was expecting their first baby and asked me to take their maternity photos. Since then I’ve had the pleasure of working with them four more times documenting different life milestones. It’s hard to believe that we’ve known each other for only two years but that made shooting their wedding day so much more meaningful for me. It’s rare I work with couples that much before their wedding, so these two felt like family to me.

How Sara and Alex Planned an Intimate Wedding at The Wild Tart

Over the course of their engagement, we spent a lot of time planning together. Sara, her planner Kate and I had many phone calls to make sure everything was just right. Since Sara and Alex have a little boy, Oliver, the logistics of their day required extra special attention to make sure they could have a perfect wedding day, enjoy themselves, and still make sure Oliver had an amazing day too.

Sweet Wedding Morning Moments

On the day of Sara and Alex’s intimate wedding, the ladies got ready in the coolest little apartment attached to their wedding venue, The Wild Tart. The space had the most amazing light and a great setup for everyone to spread out. The bathroom also had some cool features like an old stone wall and a big white tub that we took full advantage of once Sara was dressed in her gown.

We headed outside to do first looks. Sara + her dad had an emotional first look at the prettiest little green alley behind the venue. They both got pretty choked up and I definitely had happy tears as I watched it unfold. Sara’s mom was also present for the first look and it was so sweet to watch her parents admire her together after.

Then it was time for the bride and groom’s first look. They chose a location at the prettiest little stone cottage at the Elora Mill. Alex lit up like a Christmas tree when he saw Sara and the compliments did not stop. Every minute of it was just perfect. During their first look, the couple had a fun moment together. Sara had picked up bride and groom Starbucks cups for detail photos and after their first look, Alex pulled out a set that he had drawn on. It was so cute that they both thought to bring them and it was a sweet gift to remember how their love story began.

Small Wedding Ceremony and Romantic Sunset Photos

For both the ceremony and reception, Sara and Alex kept their guest list small. They each wrote their own vows, and a nice note they read together to Oliver. Oliver was not yet two years old, so he was focused on other things but it was a very sweet moment to witness.

For cocktail hour, the couple had one of the best ideas I have ever seen at a wedding! They hired a local flower truck to do a pop-up at their wedding as a thank-you to guests. Each guest got to pick their own flowers and make a bouquet to take home.

After dinner, we did romantic sunset photos outside and I took some fun, blurry shots of them crossing the street. When Alex had first come to Canada, he j-walked in the middle of nowhere with no one around and had gotten ticketed for it. Re-creating that moment was a fun way to not only capture them on their wedding day but also relive a memory.

This intimate wedding in Elora, Ontario was such a sweet and special day. Elora is such a pretty little town and is a great place for both elopements and weddings.

For more intimate wedding inspiration, check out Taylor and Taylor’s backyard wedding! If you’re ready to book your own wedding or elopement, head over to my contact page! I can’t wait to help you plan your dream day!