Greg + Laura · September 20, 2025 · Guelph, Ontario
Photography by Brianne Daigle Photography
Some love stories are written in the places you return to. For Greg and Laura, that place is a boathouse on the banks of the Speed River — where she once served guests in the tearoom and he ran Speed River Paddling just outside. They didn't plan to fall in love there, but of course they did.
Years later, after an engagement in Newfoundland — rugged, windswept, and perfectly them — they came back to the Speed River to get married. Not as a nostalgic gesture, but because it still felt like home.
The Ceremony
The ceremony was held in the backyard of the John McCrae House, a heritage property steeped in Guelph history. Family members helped set everything up, arranging the space beneath a canopy of pine trees. Greg arrived sharply dressed in a suit from Sidonio's for Men, and Laura, with her look beautifully put together by the team at Pearl Girl Makeup, met him there under those pines.
What followed was a ceremony full of tears — plenty of them, from both of them — and no one was surprised. This is who Greg and Laura are: open, present, unguarded. After the vows, the group gathered for portraits and family photos before the real adventure began.
On the Water
The move from ceremony to reception was not a shuttle bus or a town car. It was a canoe. Greg, who still works with Speed River Paddling right on the property, hoisted a canoe onto his shoulders. Laura’s dad carried gear down to the river while her family brought armfuls of flowers to decorate the boat. The small procession made its way down to the water — joyful and a little chaotic and absolutely right.
Brianne held her position on shore while her second shooter rode alongside in a second canoe, capturing the couple from the water as Greg paddled Laura down the Speed River. It was a quiet, unhurried stretch of time — just the two of them on the current — before they rounded toward the boathouse and the whole world came back into view.
Their guests had one more surprise ready. As Greg and Laura arrived by water, petals rained down on them.
The Reception
Before joining cocktail hour, the couple slipped away for a few final portraits on the covered bridge over the river. Then it was time to celebrate properly. Foodies Anonymous catered the evening, and the food was as warmly received as everything else about the day. There were heartfelt speeches. Greg, in what may be the most Greg thing imaginable, surprised Laura with a barbershop-style song performed with two of his closest friends.
For dessert, The Boathouse Tea Room & Ice Cream did what it does best: build-your-own sundaes. They are famous for their ice cream, and on this night it was the perfect ending — playful, generous, and a little over the top in the best possible way.
It was a day that felt lived-in: no sharp edges, no performance, just two people who love the outdoors, love each other, and invited everyone they care about to come along for the ride.
About the Photographer
Brianne Daigle is a wedding photographer based near Guelph, Ontario, known for her documentary-meets-composed approach that lets real moments unfold before stepping in to shape them. Her path to weddings wound through film photography, OCAD, Sheridan College, and years in Toronto's fashion industry — all of which sharpened her eye for the quiet, in-between moments that make a wedding feel true. An avid hiker and camper, Brianne lives on a farm with her dog and chickens, and brings that same unhurried, grounded energy to every couple she works with. She takes on a deliberately small number of weddings each year so she can be fully present for each one. Find her at briannedaigle.com or on Instagram at @briannedaiglephotography.
