My favourite unique wedding venues in Kitchener Waterloo

As a wedding photographer, I have had the opportunity to explore and photograph beautiful wedding venues. It really is magical how you can tie together a venue so perfectly for the wedding couple and see their vision come to life. I always try to suit the couple’s style when shooting photos for a wedding or an engagement, and I love seeing venues come together for the same purpose. On your wedding day, it is important to have every aspect reflect you and your partner’s personalities to make for a special and unique day, perfect for the two of you!

After shooting at so many venues, I may have discovered a few favourites as well. I love taking photos at unique venues because I live for the creativity and fun-loving nature of them. With that said, here are a few unique wedding venues in Kitchener Waterloo that may be perfect for you!

Descendants Beer & Beverage Co

Descendants Beer & Beverage Co. is a brewery in Kitchener that prides themselves on being a fun community, welcoming everyone to experience their unique space. Although they have more than just beer available, they are convinced they can change all the beer-haters’ minds! In terms of wedding venues though, they can host semi-private events up to 80 people and private events up to 150 people. The atmosphere here is more of an industrial, well, brewery type of vibe. Similar to our first wedding venue, this can make for lovely wedding photos as well. I don’t know many people who get married at breweries like this one, so it is definitely unique if that is the style you are going for! This is one wedding venue in Kitchener Waterloo you should check out.

Pine Valley Chalet

Pine Valley Chalet is located on River Rd E in Kitchener, Ontario and suits a very rustic environment. They have a beautiful log-style venue with over 9,000 square feet of space to host anywhere from 20 to 125 guests. There are indoor and outdoor options to suit either taste, or to provide a back-up plan in case the weather does not pull through on your wedding day – I know, every couple’s worst fear! The exposed wooden beams outdoors and high-ceilings inside make for stunning backdrops to any type of décor you would like.

I always feel that rustic styled venues make for beautiful wedding photos with tons of photo opportunities and that is especially true for this venue. Pine Valley Chalet is bright and has a stunning colour story, so your photos are bound to be perfect. You can find a virtual tour of this venue on their website if you’d like to see for yourself!

Langdon Hall

Langdon Hall is a stunning venue that is something out of a fairytale. Nestled in the gorgeous countryside, there are a ton of beautiful, natural settings for photos across the venue. This award-winning venue has a prestigious reputation and features luxurious accommodations & fine dining experiences for your guests.

The newest event space is the Firshade Room & Summer House which can fit up to 120 guests. There is a lovely garden view with elegant wood paneling across the side walls. For a smaller wedding of up to 20 guests, Colonel Langdon’s Room & Adjoining Conservatory is a perfect option. This has an antique dining table, large windows and a fireplace.

This is the most traditional venue on the list and definitely on to check out!

DTK Chapel

Transform how you think about city hall weddings with the DTK Chapel. The DTK Chapel has been newly renovated and is a fantastic option for an inclusive downtown Kitchener wedding venue. All love is welcome here! The chapel is bright & minimalist with a beautiful white millwork feature wall and concrete floors. You can easily personalize it with florals and decor to make it your own. With a total capacity of 40 in the chapel, this is a beautiful option for a small, intimate wedding.

The DTK Chapel pride themselves on lighthearted and meaningful ceremonies. There are a couple of different ceremony options and the venue includes your marriage officiant. They love to ensure that the ceremonies are relaxed & fun for both you and your guests. They do also have packages that include your ceremony at the DTK Chapel with your reception at the nearby Walper Hotel.

As far as nearby photo locations, you have a ton of options such as Vogelsang Green, Goudie's Lane, the Walper Hotel, King St. and of course, the Victoria Park Clock Tower.

Cellar 52

Last but certainly not least, Cellar 52 is located in St. Jacob’s, Ontario. The two lovely ladies who own this venue are not afraid to push traditional wedding limits, bringing a creative and unique flair to the industry. Cellar 52 is a very charming venue with a cozy vibe delivered through their fireplaces, string lights and wooden tables. The accommodations with this venue are impressive as well. Cellar 52 can make any wedding vision you have come to life effortlessly. They are able to host up to 165 people with up to 20 tables for your guests. 

I seriously love looking at unique wedding venues in Kitchener Waterloo and trying to find the best ways to capture special moments of every couple’s wedding day! If you are interested in any of these particular venues, I would totally check them out and you will not be disappointed. If you are interested in talking photos and need a Kitchener Waterloo wedding photographer, I would love to work with you. I love working with fun-loving and creative couples and getting to know them personally to help bring their wedding photos to the next level. 

Jenny + Will // An Elora Mill Fall Wedding

Jenny and Will got married at the Elora Mill in October! It was a beautiful fall wedding, made even more beautiful by the love this couple shares. The way they support each other in their lives has been so beautiful to watch.

Their wedding was a long time coming, as most weddings in the last two years have had at least one postponement! Jenny and Will pushed through though and we even did a little mini shoot on their original wedding day, I’ll have to do a little post about that too because it was so special.

One of my favourite things about photographing Jenny and Will’s wedding was seeing how they made it their own. They tailored the day around them as a couple. Since they are both a bit shy, they did the standard vows during the ceremony and read their written, personal vows to each other when it was just the two of them (and me!). I loved this because it made it so much more special for them. They wanted to write their own vows to each other but only wanted to share them with each other, so that’s what they did.

This is what I love most about the way the wedding industry is changing, along with wedding photography. There are no rules. I lied, there’s one rule, you have to get married. That’s it. That’s the only rule when it comes to wedding planning, you just have to get married. Everything else is completely up to you. You and your partner should feel like it is a celebration of your special love story. No two relationships are the same, so no two weddings should be the same!

Jenny and Will had a beautiful day that showcased their love for each other in their own way and I couldn’t be more happy and excited for them for the start of their marriage!

The F Family // Lifestyle Bump to Baby Session

One of the best parts of my job is meeting new people and people who have a love for photography. I try to get to know my clients and build that relationship with them for two reasons. First off, my clients are some of the most amazing people, they are fun loving, creative, and kind and have a joy for life that I just love. Second, getting to know my clients helps me capture their lives on a much more personal level, creating a deeper emotion that I could have if I was just a stranger taking their pictures.

Some clients turn into friends and I get to follow along in their lives for the long term. Monica and Stuart are one of those couples. You can view the post about their distillery district wedding here. From their engagement session to their wedding and now I got to be a part of their pregnancy and welcoming baby O into the world. Their lifestyle bump to baby session included an hour maternity session and then about a month or so later a lifestyle newborn session in their home! I love this family so much and they created such a beautiful baby girl together.

From my own experiences with pregnancy and being a new mom I remember those feelings of hating being pregnant but also the excitement of getting to meet my new little one. To that first beautiful snuggle and all the quiet (and not so quiet) late night nursing. That beginning of motherhood is one of the most beautiful moments in life and I’m so blessed to be able to freeze these fleeting moments for some of my favourite people.

**Also side note: it is my firm opinion that every session should end with pizza.

Jacob + Hannah // A Kitchener Backyard Wedding

It is not very often that a groom reaches out to me to inquire about wedding photography, it is usually the bride. However, Jacob was the one who filled out my inquiry form and I knew right then that I wanted to capture this beautiful couple’s wedding day. He spoke about their love for God and their desire to get married in 2020, even with all the wedding restrictions going on. They wanted to start their lives together and I knew they were a very special couple.

Their day came quickly and I was so grateful to witness their beautiful families coming together to celebrate Jacob and Hannah. After spending the morning with the groom and his groomsmen, laughing and dancing it up while getting ready, we all gathered at their home for the ceremony. As a religious person myself, I was touched by these families love for God and the prayers that were said filled my heart. God had brought J+H together and as much as this was a day to celebrate the two of them, it was also to celebrate God’s work and plan for their lives. It was a beautiful day!

After the ceremony and family pictures that had me smiling from ear to ear, we took some time away for the bridal party pictures and of course, photo time for Jacob and Hannah. They selected Rockway gardens for their wedding photos. I had never been before so I went a couple days earlier to check it out. I loved the fountains and the tall trees and all the beautiful flowers that were in perfect bloom in August! We had a blast with the wedding party and then kick them out so I could get some wedding photos for the newlyweds! Another great thing about Rockway gardens for wedding photos is where the sun hits it in August. It’s on higher ground so the sun just glows there and it was the perfect setting. It was pretty magical and J+H were a dream.

As per the COVID restrictions on weddings, they weren’t able to have all of their family and friends celebrate with them directly so they planned a drive-by parade so that everyone could be there to celebrate! There was lots of honking and waving and cars all decorated for the happy couple! I love seeing how couples adjust their wedding plans to fit into 2020 and still celebrate in a big way!

The rest of the evening went off without a hitch, with seriously perfect weather. The food was delicious, the speeches were both funny and touching, and the families were a riot! Everyone was having so much fun and I loved the energy of this crowd. My face hurt from smiling so much. And after a bit of dancing in the starlight I was reluctant to leave such a lively celebration!

I think all those involved in this backyard wedding celebration will look back and remember how much love, fun, and family are in their lives and thank God for it.

Emily + Parker | A Burlington Beach Birthday

Emily and Parker have become a couple I look forward to photographing every year! I love the love they have for photoshoots and they are always up for anything. They basically made all of my photo dreams come true with this session!

I was hosting some beach mini sessions and Emily sent me a message saying she wanted to book a slot as a present for Parker’s birthday! First of all, how awesome is it that she wanted to gift him a photoshoot? Second, how awesome is it that he was super pumped about it? They are my dream couple for sure. I was super excited and she booked the sunset session.

After a very crazy time finding a suitable location for my beach minis (that didn’t include lots of geese poop or an expensive permit) I selected Burlington beach and it turned out beautifully. Almost. There was still the weather we had to contend with! We all sat in our cars for about 45 minutes while the rain poured down, and thankfully it cleared up just in time for a beautiful sunset and stormy sky. It definitely all worked out for the best!

Let us all take a moment and appreciate that E+P take the time to document their lives and their relationship. This wasn’t an engagement session or something that “had” to be done, but something fun for them to do together. This session gave them a beautiful memory and as you’ll see, quite the adventure. That’s what photography can do for you. It not only captures your moments and memories but it creates them. Doing this super fun beach session with me created a memory that they will definitely cherish forever. As a photographer, there is nothing I love more than being able to help create lasting memories, not just great pictures.