Willow Lane Barn Wedding Photographer
“I promise to fiercely dedicate my heart to you. I will love you all the days of my life.” – Phil’s Vows to Shanna
One of the biggest honours of this job has been celebrating some of life’s biggest milestones with my clients and their families. I first met Shanna and Phil at Brad + Kelci’s Wedding. Shanna, Brad’s sister, was the”Best Man” and delivered one of the best speeches I’ve ever heard, complete with a mic drop. When the time came to plan her own wedding, she also chose Brad to be her “Man of Honour”. And she also asked me to photograph her wedding!
Phil and Shanna got married at Willow Lane Barn in Olds, AB. This is such an incredible wedding venue, complete with an outdoor ceremony space in front of a corn field, a huge lofty barn filled with string lights for the reception, a killer getting ready area, and lots of amazing spots to take photos at, without having to spend any time in transit! All you have to do is add in a couple as awesome as Phil + Shanna, invite their fabulous friends for an epic dance party, and invite me along to photograph all the shenanigans!
The whole day was perfect. Shanna dressed in her gorgeous gown in the barn’s loft before heading out to meet Phil, who was waiting for her with a tear (or two!) in his eyes. On the way down the aisle, her full length veil got caught in the wind and tangled around her dress. Shanna handled it with her electric smile and adventurous spirit, and everyone broke out into laughter. This really broke the ice, and set the tone for the rest of their country wedding. It is often these unscripted moments of a wedding day that are my favourite to photograph, and end up being the stories that you talk about long after the day is over.
After the ceremony, guests got to mingle outside with a cocktail while we took photos in front of the corn field, in a beautiful line of trees, and in a farmer’s field next to hay bales. We took advantage of the changing light and had lots of time to create and experiment.
During their friendship and dating years, Phil and Shanna travelled together quite a bit, and now have friends all over the world. As a surprise during the reception, they watched a video filled with messages from all the friends that couldn’t make it to the wedding, all doing their signature dance fist pump. And that move got the dance party started and kept it going late into the night!
Phil & Shanna – thank you SO much for the privilege of photographing your wedding day. It was absolutely spectacular – made that way because of your amazing connection and commitment to one another. I wish you both a lifetime of happiness and epic dance parties, even if it’s just the two of you dancing in your kitchen. Much love, Carlin
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Photography by Carlin Anquist, Calgary Wedding + Lifestyle Photographer. I absolutely loved shooting at Willow Lane Barn and would welcome any opportunity to head back there! If you’re recently engaged and are getting married at Willow Lane Barn, or anywhere else, I’d love to hear from you! My goal is to document your day in a candid, photojournalistic way (with a whole lot of romantic portraits thrown in), so that you can re-live the magic of each moment of your wedding day. Get in touch today at hello@carlinanquist.com and let’s chat about your plans.
Thank you to the amazing vendors that made Phil + Shanna’s day so incredible:
Venue | Willow Lane Barn, Olds, AB
HMU | Glamaway Beauty
Dress | The Bridal Boutique, Designer Hayley Paige
DJ | Hype Entertainment
Videography | Heidi Yip – see Phil & Shanna’s video highlights here.
Florals | Serenity Florals
Suit | The Bridal Centre
If you’d like to see more of Phil + Shanna, check out their Kananaskis Engagement Photos here.
Willow Lane Barn Wedding
