The Holland’s Wedding at Calgary’s Heritage Park Historical Village
Keri and Shaun’s Very Important Date
We first met up with Keri and Shaun at the entrance to Heritage Park Historical Village, the spectacular open-air museum, which is the largest of its kind in Canada. We began the day with an epic first look under the park’s beautiful gazebo. The theme of the day was Alice in Wonderland, and Cheshire cats would pop up throughout the day. The beaming cats appeared on the wedding party’s All-Star Chucks, in the creative formal photos, and even served as a visual representation of those guests who could not be there that day.
The Creative Formals around Heritage Park
Over by the trolley stop, we photographed the family, who was a small and relaxed group to work with. Then, it was time to gather the wedding party and head out to the creative formals. Because it was a little cold, there weren’t many people in the park, meaning we had most places to ourselves and we were able to have more free reign in the historic buildings. We began outdoors, using the beautiful gazebo and railroad crossing as backdrops. However, the weather that had been holding off all day came on, and the snow began to fall.
We took refuge inside the Famous 5 Centre of Canadian Women, a replica of the famous suffragette and activist Nelly McLung’s home. In the stunning Tudor-revival, Shaun and Keri really let their more whimsical sides out. Fitting with the Alice in Wonderland theme, they brought along a tall mad-hatter hat, adorned with a peacock feather and sash.
Shaun and Keri wanted to avoid a lot of the standard wedding poses and instead opted for some that were true to their fun-loving nature. We started with an homage to ‘Army of Darkness,’ the 1992 cult classic, with Keri lying across the stairs, looking up at a triumphant Shaun, highlighted with harsh, edgy light. They then did a James Bond portrait for her father, who is a big fan of the titular character. In the sunroom, Keri sat in an armchair in front of a large bay window, and with an evil grin, stroked at one of the Cheshire cat dolls they brought along. Just like Bond’s greatest villain, Blofeld.
We left the Famous 5 House and said farewell to the wedding party, who headed to the band stage to put the finishing touches on the ceremony. With the bride and groom, we headed over to Gasoline Alley and found ourselves in the Founders Lounge, an elegant room panelled with rosewood and exuding 1930’s charm. The Lounge has a gorgeous fireplace, so we began with a shot of the couple in front of it, framed by the rosewood and a large tufted leather sofa.
Outside of the Founder’s Lounge, Gasoline Alley served as our last location for the creative formals. We wandered amongst the classic cars and nostalgic ambiance, the neon lights and antique gas pumps highlighting our way. The Gasoline Alley Museum is one of the largest attractions in Heritage Park and was a delight to wander around. We finished with a photograph of Shaun and Keri under the high ceilings and colourful lights of the exhibit.
Their Ceremony at Heritage Park
After wrapping up the creative formals in Gasoline Alley, we headed down to the ceremony at the courtyard in the centre of the park. The fantastic team at Heritage Park even turned the beautiful fountain on for us!
We began at the bandstand, where we got a great group shot of all the guests. It was a great spot to stay sheltered and warm from the snow that was falling again. Then we made our way to the ceremony space, which was decorated with an arbour, hung with streamers and lights. Commissioner Abby Charchun was there to officiate and led the couple in a handfasting ceremony. For their handfasting, they used four different colours of ribbon, symbolizing the four directions of the compass. Each of their mothers came up to read a poem, her mother’s reading selected by Shaun, and his mother’s chosen by Keri.
Then, Shaun and Keri were pronounced husband and wife, shared a kiss, and made their way back up the aisle together, walking through a floating cloud of bubbles.
The plan was to get sunset photos, but the sky was grey with snow, so we moved out to the lawn and featured the fresh powder on the tree branches in many of the shots. We photographed the newlyweds next to one of the antique trains in Heritage Park and wandered back to the elegant Founder’s Lounge for the reception.
The Holland Reception in the Founder’s Lounge at Heritage Park
There was a break before the bride and groom made their grand entrance, and the guests had a moment to mingle and enjoy the cocktails. They were then treated to a fantastic plated meal, featuring a delightful pumpkin soup, made from the pumpkins they grow right there in Heritage Park!
The Founder’s Lounge was a stunning location for the reception; the room exudes early century elegance. Every table was decorated beautifully, each finished with engraved keys at each table setting. As an added bonus, each key was also a bottle opener! They also included Alice in Wonderland paraphernalia, including little ‘Drink Me’ bottles.
We took the rings and photographed them atop the beautiful key favours, the emerald stones of their rings reflecting off the polished wooden table. It was then time to wrap up our day with the newlyweds, leaving them to enjoy the rest of their evening in Heritage Park.
Online Gallery
An online gallery of all their images is available for the next 90 days. From the online gallery you are able to favourite images, order prints and share the gallery with your family and friends. The gallery can be accessed via the link below and you can contact the couple directly for their secure password.
The Holland Wedding Day Slideshow
Above you will find the Wedding Slideshow that we created from a selection of the best edited photos that we captured on their special day.
Additional Blog Posts for Keri and Shaun
In addition to their incredible wedding day celebration, they also have other blog posts you can enjoy. Click the links below to check out those posts.
We are so fortunate to have had the opportunity to share this special day with them and all their family and friends. We wish them many years of happiness together.
Want to share in the experience? Contact us today for a free consultation or click here to book a portrait session! We also have a wickedly fun Calgary Photo Booth that is great for any event as well as Corporate and Event Photography for all sorts of events and corporate functions.
Calgary Wedding Photographers – JM Photography © 2018
The Holland’s Wedding Credits
Date | 9.29.18
Officiant – Abby Charchun with Married in Alberta
Ceremony Location – Fountain Courtyard at Heritage Park
Reception Venue – The Founders Lounge at Heritage Park
Hair and Makeup – Chrystal Benson Wife of the Best Man
Wedding Cake – Marcia Valencia at Forever Cakes
Decor – Created by the couple
Florist – Karla Walker with Black Earth Floral
Photography by Jeremy Martel
Learn more about our studio
JM Photography offers Calgary brides the very best in wedding photography! Our unique style and best in class experience is one of a kind. Each wedding is treated with the greatest of care and creativity, resulting in breathtaking imagery. We also offer Calgary newborn photography, capture maternity sessions as well as family portraits.
We are one of the top studios in Western Canada, servicing the Calgary area, including but not limited to, Canmore, Banff, Cochrane, Chestermere, Airdrie, Lethbridge, and Red Deer. We also offer coverage in Edmonton, Vancouver and to destinations worldwide.
