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Mariah & Ryan

A Mission Creek wedding in Kelowna, BC

September 20, 2025Kelowna, BCDocumentary photography

On a September evening, Mariah and Ryan married in a family backyard near Mission Creek in Kelowna. Here is their day the way I shoot it: golden afternoon light, a willow-shaded ceremony, and dancing under string lights.

The groom with his groomsmen gathering before the ceremony
The gold welcome and seating sign leaning against the wall
Detail of the ceremony program
A drinks bucket dressed with citrus and flowers beside a table number
Ceremony chairs set beneath the weeping willow at Mission Creek
Guests mingling by the house before the ceremony
A bridesmaid in sage and guests in the golden afternoon light
Bride walking in for the ceremony, backlit by the low sun
Bride and groom facing one another among the pillar candles
The couple holding hands as the officiant reads during the ceremony
Mariah and Ryan exchanging their vows
The ceremony beneath the willow with their officiant
The couple signing their marriage certificate
The creekside ceremony as a guest captures the moment
Bride walking back up the aisle with her bouquet
The couple by the house as the bride reaches out to the groom
Groom celebrating with a drink beside the bride
Bride's portrait on the path, glancing over her shoulder in her veil
The couple on the lawn, the groom carrying champagne
The bride from behind, veil trailing along the path
Bride and groom face to face on the path in the golden light
The couple touching foreheads as the bride holds her white lilies
Mariah and Ryan walking a path with the lake and hills behind at golden hour
Intimate backlit portrait of the couple's foreheads together
Detail of the groom's hand at the bride's waist
The bride's ringed hand resting on the groom's chest
The couple close together in a burst of sun flare
The couple walking toward camera in the sunset light
Bride and groom walking hand in hand at sunset
The welcome-to-our-wedding sign among the greenery
Reception table set with candles and string lights at dusk
The couple dancing in the garden as evening falls
Mariah and Ryan's first-dance dip beneath the string lights
The couple in the garden by the candlelit reception tables at Mission Creek

A backyard wedding near Mission Creek

Mariah and Ryan kept things personal for their September wedding, marrying in a relative's backyard near Mission Creek in Kelowna. There is something I love about a backyard wedding, the handmade details and the ease of it: a gold welcome sign leaning by the wall, a drinks bucket dressed with citrus and flowers, chairs set out beneath a weeping willow, and guests mingling by the house in the golden afternoon light.

They married creekside under the willow, the bride walking in backlit by the low sun, a bridesmaid in sage nearby, pillar candles at their feet as their officiant read and they exchanged their vows. I photograph these days documentary and unscripted, staying close and quiet so the moments stay theirs, right down to the signing of the certificate and the walk back up the aisle.

Golden hour did the rest. We walked the paths for portraits, Mariah with her white lilies, the lake and hills glowing behind them, the two of them close together in the last of the sun. As evening fell the backyard turned to candlelight and string lights for the reception, and they shared a first-dance dip in the garden. It was a warm, intimate night that felt entirely like them.

An intimate backyard wedding in Kelowna

Some of my favourite weddings are the intimate, at-home ones: a backyard, a willow, and the people who matter most. If you are planning a wedding in Kelowna or across the Okanagan, here is how I photograph Kelowna weddings, and I would love to hear about your day.

The team behind the day

  • Ceremony & reception: Private residence near Mission Creek, Kelowna
  • Photography: Maclean Photo + Video

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