Backyard Wedding | Erin + Phil | Tara Lilly Photography

At a charming century home, on a beautiful holiday weekend.  Erin & Phil pledged their love for each other. I love these two and their non-traditional intimate backyard wedding.

To Erin & Phil having their wedding surrounded by the people who loved them most in the world, was key. A backyard wedding was the ideal venue. Keeping their special day low key, non-traditional, and comfortable for their guest. However, living in Toronto meant that backyard space was limited. Fate smiled on them when Erin’s sister bought a charming century home on an acre and a half of land in Fenelon Falls. As luck would have it, it was the perfect spot for this amazing couple to tie the knot.

It was such a huge honour to capture their day amongst their closest family and friends!

“Besides getting married -We would have to say that the highlight was how long everyone stayed, and how we danced the night away. In the cold, in the rain, under a tent,  eating grilled cheese, and pie with the best people we know. “

Originally worried that having a ‘non-traditional’ ceremony would mean their guests wouldn’t have as great a time. Erin & Phil’s fears were laid to rest when they realized, there was only one thing that really mattered.

“It turns out when you’re marrying the person you love the most, with all of your other favourite people surrounding you, you don’t really care so much if the right pens were put out for your guest book, or if the giant scrabble letters are straight.  I think we were both surprised by how perfect the day was.” 

The couple walked each other and their daughter Clementine down the aisle. The families pups were part of the ceremony, she wore a sundress, he wore jeans.

“We didn’t have a single person there that we hadn’t met before.  We had everyone sign a dictionary as our guestbook. They chose a specific word that reminding them of us, and it turned out to be one of our favourite details of our wedding.”

The love that Erin & Phil felt for each other, their daughter, and their closest family and friends was clear. Even in the smallest of details.

At the bottom of the post, we will be sharing Erin & Phils two favourite photos of the day. We share the images and the reason why the couple loves them best.

Erin and Phil made sure the food at their wedding was a mix of all their favourite things, including gourmet hot dogs for dinner. One of my favourite moments was when they snuck away after the ceremony to share some grilled cheese on the back porch.

I tried to select just my favourites and actually ended up with 450 still in the album to share. There is one of Clementine walking through my sister’s dining room that just makes me smile. Her toes are turned in, and she is just so perfectly quirky and magical.  There is also one of all four of us ( including Georgia here) on the bed before the ceremony and it is just the chaos of the moment that makes me laugh because it is such a perfectly ordinary moment captured on such a perfectly extraordinary day. 

Ceremony Location | Fenelon Falls
Officiant | Alex Bostock
Stationary Design | Visually Vee | @visuallyvee
Caterer | Be Catering | @becatering
Cake Designer | The Little Pie Shack | @thelittlepieshack
Apparel Designer | Mara Hoffman Dress | @marahoffman
Make-up + Hair | ES Bridal – Diana | @esbridal