Elle by Stella Wedding: Jessica & Josh’s Dreamy Celebration

Elle by Stella Never Miss

No doubt Elle by Stella is one of St. Jacobs Ontario’s best wedding venues. Having photographed countless weddings there over the last several years, I can tell you one thing: they never miss. Jessica & Josh’s sunny October wedding was no different. As always, the inside and outside spaces were gorgeous, and setup to perfection. When I think about wedding venues in Waterloo Region, Elle by Stella comes to mind as one of the best outdoor ceremony spaces. Here are some of the reasons why:

• As you can see from the photos, the space is beautiful. The space is surrounded by the river, mature trees, and a farm field. Then, the focal point of the waterfall makes for a backdrop that needs no additional decorations, although in this case, the couple opted to add a floral arch.
• The property is very flexible in terms of how many guests you can fit into the space. Stella’s incredible team will add or remove chairs as needed to seat all of your guests comfortably. You’d certainly run out of chairs before you’d run out of space.
• It’s peaceful. Elle by Stella is located along a quiet country road just outside of the town of St. Jacobs, and right across the street from Stella Collective’s newest venue, Wren House. There are no busy highways or busy streets in earshot. The loudest sound you might hear during your ceremony is a charming horse-and-buggy trotting past, almost making you feel like you’ve time-travelled to a simpler time.

An extremely important quality that every wedding vendor should have is the ability to be flexible and to stay cool under pressure. When I’m preparing for a wedding, I spend a lot of time and energy with each couple mapping out the timeline of their day to an ideal plan. With an order of events and times of when each part of the day should happen, we set ourselves up for success. I will make lots of suggestions along the way to avoid problems and optimize for efficiency and for the couple, wedding party & family’s experience of the day, while also getting all of the photos you are hoping for.

The Art of Being Flexible

This was one wedding where our set timeline was more of a suggestion than definitive blueprints. The morning prep got behind schedule, as it often does, and our plans for Jessica & Josh to have an outdoor first look and portraits before guests arrived had to be modified. By booking wedding vendors who are experienced and professional, Jessica & Josh could trust that the vendor team would seamlessly adapt to the changing plans. Once everyone was ready to go, Jessica & Josh shared a touching private first look inside the venue. It was the perfect time for the couple to ground themselves and share a moment together before heading outside to begin their married life.

When I found out that Nathan Grieve will be officiating the ceremony, I knew it was going to be a good one. Nathan always brings joyful energy, and delivers a ceremony that’s sure to be funny, engaging and full of heart. In this case, he brought his experience and professionalism to go above and beyond the line of duty to make sure every detail of the ceremony was perfect. Although the couples’ portraits were planned be done earlier, I was more than happy to adapt, and we fit them in during cocktail hour instead. It actually worked out even better, because the sun was lower in the sky and created the most perfect golden, romantic vibe.

Through adapting gracefully, I was able to get us back on schedule by the end of cocktail hour, and guests had no clue we had to pivot to new plan. Inside, the hall was decorated beautifully, with subtle nods to Disney (I specifically loved the candelabras on the head table, and the seating chart which said “Be Our Guest”). Dinner and speeches were enjoyed by all, and then everyone was invited back outside. Jessica & Josh shared their first dance, surrounded by their family and friends who lit up the space with the warm glow of sparklers. Then the party really begun, with expert entertainment provided by Nitro Music.

I also did something new for Jessica & Josh’s wedding. I created a short highlight video of their portrait session to add a bit of dynamic movement to their wedding photos. They’re almost like live photos on your phone, but through the lens of a wedding photographer. While I don’t yet offer full service wedding videography, this is one way I’m able to offer additional value to couples who are looking for some video content from their wedding as a solo shooter, without adding the additional cost or physical bodies of a video team. Take a look at their video below, and contact me for more information about my video add-ons.