Ottawa Valley wedding photography by Grey Loft Studio
There are weddings you shoot. Then there are the handful that shoot straight into your heart and stay there. Laura and John’s wedding at River House Vineyard and Winery in Westport, Ontario was the second kind. I knew going in that this day was going to wreck me a little, in the best way. And I was right. I also knew this was going to be a stunning post to write. This venue deserves every word. So does the woman who chose it for one of the most important days of her life.
This was our first time shooting at River House Vineyard and Winery. I am already counting down the days until we’re back. More on that gorgeous property in a minute. First, I need to tell you about Laura. You can’t understand this wedding without understanding her.
How Laura and I met (hint: it involves a horse)
Long before I was a wedding photographer, before Grey Loft Studio existed, before I’d even met Luc, I had a horse named Magpie. Laura leased Magpie from me when she was just eighteen years old. That’s how we found each other. What started as riding lessons turned into hours spent side by side at the barn. Somewhere between grooming horses and laughing about absolutely everything, we became friends. Real friends. The kind that last.
Over the years that followed, “friends from the barn” turned into so much more. We went raving together and spent entire summers partying by the pool at her old house on Klein Court. Through every era of growing up, we showed up for each other. Laura became our daughter Emma’s godmother. She’s been the person I call when I need someone to talk to, no matter what’s going on in either of our lives. She’s always up for a good time. Being together is genuinely fun every single time, no exceptions.
Here’s the thing about our friendship that gets me every time I think about it. I’ve spent the last several years building a business and having babies, buried in the beautiful chaos of both. Laura always made time for me anyway. She never made me feel guilty for being busy. She just kept showing up. I haven’t gotten to know John as well as I’d like to yet, if I’m honest. But I know that’s about to change now that they’re married. I could not be more excited for that next chapter of our friendship.
I’ve teased Laura for years that she’s basically just copying me, five years behind. She’s younger, so the math checks out, and she really has followed a lot of the same paths I have. Watching her build this incredible life with John, in her own way, on her own timeline, has genuinely been one of the great joys of my life.
The wedding day: I have never cried so hard behind a camera
I need to be honest with you. I have shot a lot of weddings, and I have never cried as much on a wedding day as I did at Laura and John’s. Not even close. I was sobbing behind my camera during their ceremony. Laura’s dad Mike came over afterward to fan me and give me a hug because I was that much of a mess. In the best way. It was that heartfelt, that loving, that real.
When Laura first asked if I wanted to be part of her wedding party, I told her I’d rather shoot her wedding instead. Not because I didn’t want to stand up there for her. I would have been so honoured. But I knew shooting would mean I got to spend the entire day with her, every moment, front row to everything. And I was right. It was so much more fun this way. So much more us.
There’s a moment that happens over and over in these photos that doesn’t happen with most couples I shoot. Laura is looking right at me. Not posing for the camera, just looking at me. We’ve spent over a decade finding each other in a crowded room. That connection shows up in image after image, and it’s a gift I don’t take for granted. Being trusted with someone’s whole heart on their wedding day is always an honour. Being trusted with my closest friend’s wedding day was something else entirely.
By the end of the night, the dance floor had cleared down to just four of us: Laura, John, Luc, and me. Watching my best friend dance with her new husband in that quiet, unguarded moment, I have never been more proud of the woman Laura has become. I feel so lucky to know her. Even luckier to be part of her life.
River House Vineyard and Winery: the venue itself deserves its own love letter
Now let’s talk about River House Vineyard and Winery. If you’re planning a wedding in the Ottawa Valley or Rideau Lakes region and you haven’t looked at this place yet, stop what you’re doing and go check it out.
Tucked into Westport, Ontario, right on the water, River House Vineyard and Winery is one of those rare venues where every single detail has been thought through. Genuinely, not one detail was left unturned. As a wedding photographer who has shot at a lot of venues, that is not something I say lightly. From the moment we arrived for getting ready photos, I could tell this was a team that treats every wedding like it’s the most important one they’ve ever hosted.
The getting-ready spaces at River House Vineyard and Winery are stunning. They’re full of soft natural light and gorgeous details that made for some of my favourite images of the day. Lush, romantic gardens on the property make an absolute dream backdrop for portraits. Water views give the whole property that calm, sun-soaked, vineyard-meets-lakeside feel you just don’t find everywhere. Beautifully designed bars line the space, and the wine is genuinely excellent, since this is a working vineyard and winery, after all. Honestly, the reception space with its stained glass detailing is one of the most beautiful indoor spaces I’ve photographed a wedding in. It glows.
If you’re searching for a waterfront wedding venue near Ottawa, a vineyard wedding venue in Westport, or an Ontario winery wedding venue with a team that will treat your day like their own, River House Vineyard and Winery needs to be on your shortlist. The owners are absolute rockstars to work with. The property is breathtaking from every angle. And I already cannot wait to be back there with my camera.
The vendor dream team
A wedding this beautiful doesn’t come together on its own. Laura and John surrounded themselves with an incredible group of vendors. Huge thanks to this whole team for making the day as seamless as it was gorgeous:
- Venue & decor: River House Vineyard and Winery
- Photography: Grey Loft Studio
- Videography: Grey Loft Video
- Florals: Kelly’s Flowers Perth
- Officiant: Enduring Promises
- DJ: Good Vibe Mobile
- Hair: Hair Art by Laura and Keeks Does Hair
- Makeup: Krista Price Makeup and Dolled by Luna
- Wedding dress: Sinders Bridal
- Suit: Mario Uomo Inc.
More from the day
We’re sharing over 150 images from Laura and John’s River House Vineyard and Winery wedding below. Honestly, we could not narrow it down, and we didn’t want to. Scroll through the full gallery to see the getting-ready moments, the ceremony that had all of us in tears, the golden-hour portraits by the water, and the reception under all that gorgeous stained glass.
Planning a wedding at River House Vineyard and Winery, or somewhere just as special?
If you’re getting married in the Ottawa Valley, Rideau Lakes, or Westport area, we would love to hear from you. We show up fully, cry a little (or a lot), and capture every real moment of your day. Head over to our contact page and let’s start the conversation about your wedding day.
