Matthew & Laura’s Art Gallery of Alberta Wedding | Edmonton Wedding Photography
There are some Edmonton wedding locations that make us fall in love with photographing weddings all over again, and the Art Gallery of Alberta is very high on that list.
When Megan photographed Matthew and Laura’s wedding, we were absolutely thrilled that they chose to incorporate the Art Gallery of Alberta and the Alberta Legislature into their wedding portraits. The combination gave their gallery such a beautiful mix of modern architecture, dramatic lines, and classic Edmonton landmarks.
But what made Matthew and Laura’s wedding especially memorable was how personal every detail of their day was. Almost every part of the wedding had a story behind it, from Laura’s incredible dress to the thrifted table decor, a grandmother officiating the ceremony, a homemade wedding cake, and even a surprise live performance of Careless Whisper!
It was truly a wedding that felt like them.
A Wedding at the Art Gallery of Alberta
If we could photograph a wedding at the Art Gallery of Alberta every weekend, we probably would.
The architecture is incredible. From the striking geometric exterior to the expansive windows and, of course, those iconic steps, there are so many opportunities for creative and editorial-style wedding portraits.
The Art Gallery of Alberta is especially beautiful for couples who want wedding photographs that feel modern and architectural rather than relying solely on traditional natural backdrops. The clean lines of the building create such a strong frame for portraits, while the surrounding downtown Edmonton setting adds even more variety.
For Matthew and Laura, the gallery provided the perfect backdrop.
And honestly, we could photograph those steps all day.
Edmonton Wedding Photos at the Alberta Legislature
After photographing at the Art Gallery of Alberta, Matthew and Laura also incorporated the Alberta Legislature into their wedding portraits.
We love when couples choose multiple Edmonton locations for their wedding photography because it allows us to create a gallery that feels much more varied. The Art Gallery brings a contemporary, architectural feel, while the Legislature offers the timeless elegance of one of Edmonton’s most recognizable landmarks.
Together, the two locations gave Megan plenty of opportunities to create a diverse collection of wedding portraits while keeping the focus on Matthew and Laura.
Laura’s Wedding Dress & Bridal Details
Laura found her wedding dress at Delica Bridal in Edmonton, choosing the Amelie by Aesling with a basque waist. Her gown was made from liquid satin and was customized with thicker straps.
The Amelie is such a beautiful choice for the Art Gallery of Alberta. The structured square neckline, dramatic skirt and architectural feel of the dress complemented the modern lines of the gallery beautifully. Aesling describes the basque-waist version as featuring a gathered A-line skirt, pockets and an 80-inch train, with liquid satin being one of the available fabric options.
Her veil was a particularly sweet find because it was purchased secondhand by her mother through Facebook Marketplace. We love details like this because they make a wedding feel so much more personal.
Her engagement ring came from Paris Jewellers at West Edmonton Mall, while both wedding bands were purchased from Michael Hill at St. Albert Centre.
For shoes, Laura wore the Rosa Block Heel Ballet by Sam Edelman in Modern Ivory leather — a beautiful choice that combined a classic bridal look with something comfortable enough to actually enjoy the day. The Rosa features a low block heel, square toe and delicate bow detail.
The Bridesmaids & Groom
Laura’s bridesmaids each had their own story behind their dresses rather than everyone wearing the exact same gown.
Her maid of honour found her dress at Delica, while the green and yellow bridesmaid dresses came from David’s Bridal. The lilac bridesmaid dress was from Azazie and was purchased secondhand.
The groom and groomsmen were dressed in TipTop suits, shirts and ties.
Matt also found his suit, shirt and tie at TipTop, while his belt was from Levi’s.
Hair, Makeup & Bridal Beauty
Laura’s hair was done by Yuliya Sokolova, and her makeup was done by Tierra of Stay Golden Beautyy.
Her nails were done by one of her bridesmaids, Johanna Bascom, adding yet another personal touch to the day.
Flowers by Charmed Floral Design
The flowers were created by Mandi at Charmed Floral Design in St. Albert.
The floral design was one of the elements that helped bring together all of the other details Laura and Matt had carefully chosen for their day.
A Wedding Planned by Family & Friends
One of our favourite things about Matthew and Laura’s wedding is that they didn’t have a traditional wedding planner.
Instead, the entire day came together through the two of them, their families and their amazing bridal and groom parties.
Laura’s maid of honour’s mother, Sheri LeBlanc, was a huge help throughout the wedding day. She made breakfast for Laura and the bridesmaids, coordinated vendors and helped decorate both the ceremony and reception.
It really was a team effort.
And that same spirit carried through into the decor.
A Thrifted & DIY Wedding Decor
Laura and her family spent about a year and a half collecting the pieces that would eventually become their wedding decor.
Her mom purchased the ceremony arch through Facebook Marketplace, while Laura thrifted almost everything used for the reception tables.
She scoured garage sales, Goodwill, Value Village and friends’ old wedding decor looking for vases, votives, lanterns and all of the little pieces that would eventually come together to create their tablescapes.
The bridesmaids, Matt’s mother-in-law, Matt’s aunties and grandma, and Sheri all helped visualize the centerpieces and create a plan for where everything would go.
Then, on the wedding day, Sheri, the venue staff and a select group of friends handled most of the setup.
After spending approximately a year and a half collecting all of those individual pieces, seeing everything finally come together must have been incredibly satisfying.
Edmonton Convention Centre Catering
Catering and bartending were handled through the Edmonton Convention Centre, which is partnered with the Art Gallery of Alberta.
Matthew and Laura chose the contemporary dinner buffet, followed later in the evening by a mac and cheese bar as their late-night snack.
Honestly, a mac and cheese bar after a night of dancing sounds like an excellent wedding decision.
A Very Special Wedding Officiant
One of the most meaningful details of Matthew and Laura’s wedding was their officiant.
Laura’s grandmother, Lizz Lindsay from Vancouver, became a temporary marriage commissioner specifically so she could officiate their wedding.
And there was an even deeper connection: Lizz had also officiated Laura’s parents’ Canadian wedding approximately 30 years ago in Vancouver.
Having her grandmother stand up and marry them made the ceremony incredibly personal and created a beautiful connection between generations.
Ceremony Music
The ceremony music was just as personal.
The pianist was Russel Byers and the violinist was Anna Vlasova, and together they played:
- Concerning Hobbits
- Jupiter
- Married Life
- The Lord of the Rings theme
We absolutely love when couples choose music that tells part of their story instead of simply selecting traditional wedding songs.
Laura’s younger brothers, Dylan and Aaron, were her “flower brothers,” while Matt’s younger sister Teresa served as the ring bearer.
Matt’s brother Aaron was also one of the groomsmen.
Wedding Transportation
Matthew and Laura’s wedding transportation was provided by AM PM Limo, helping them get between their wedding-day locations in style.
A DJ Who Was Also Family
The reception music was handled by Laura’s brother Dylan and his friend Cole.
Dylan is a prolific saxophone player and musician, so they were able to use some of their own equipment along with a Spotify Premium subscription to keep the music going throughout the night.
And then came one of the best surprises of the reception.
Dylan performed “Careless Whisper” live on saxophone for the couple.
That is exactly the kind of wedding reception moment that guests remember.
A Wedding Cake Made by a Bridesmaid
The wedding cake was made by one of Laura’s bridesmaids, Theresa Nguyen.
Laura has known Theresa since junior high school, and although Theresa is a pharmacist, she is also an incredibly talented baker.
For more than 10 years, Theresa has brought homemade cookies and other baked goods to Laura’s special occasions. She regularly bakes cakes for birthdays, graduations and anniversaries for her family, so asking her to make the wedding cake was an easy decision.
The cake was a vanilla sponge with pistachio white chocolate ganache and raspberry filling, finished with Swiss meringue buttercream.
And according to Laura, it was absolutely delicious.
Wedding Videography & Photography
The wedding videographer was Quinn Bohnet, capturing all of the moments alongside Megan from RedTree Photography.
Megan was exceedingly lovely and wonderful to work with, and we were so grateful to be part of such a meaningful day.
Rbooth Edmonton Wedding Photo Booth
The evening also included a photo booth from @rboothyeg, which Laura described as an absolutely amazing addition to the reception.
We completely agree. Photo booths are such a fun way to capture the side of a wedding day that happens once the formal photographs are finished and everyone is simply having fun together.
Rehearsal Dinner at the St. Albert Legion
The celebrations actually started the night before the wedding with Matthew and Laura’s rehearsal dinner at the St. Albert Legion.
We love when couples extend their wedding celebration beyond just the wedding day itself, giving them more time to spend with the people who travelled and gathered to celebrate with them.
A Beautiful Edmonton Wedding Day
One of our favourite things about wedding photography is seeing how each couple makes their day their own.
Matthew and Laura’s wedding was a perfect example.
From a secondhand veil purchased by Laura’s mom, to a wedding dress customized specifically for her, to a year and a half of thrifted decor collecting, to a grandmother officiating the ceremony, to brothers serving as “flower brothers,” to a bridesmaid baking the wedding cake, every part of the day was filled with meaning.
And then they brought all of that personality into some of Edmonton’s most beautiful wedding portrait locations.
The Art Gallery of Alberta gave them modern architecture and those incredible steps. The Alberta Legislature added classic Edmonton elegance. And Megan brought it all together through their wedding photographs.
We are still completely obsessed with their Art Gallery of Alberta portraits.
Matthew & Laura’s Edmonton Wedding Vendors
Photography: RedTree Photography — Megan
Videography: Quinn Bohnet
Venue / Reception: Art Gallery of Alberta
Portrait Locations: Art Gallery of Alberta & Alberta Legislature
Dress: — Aesling Amelie Basque
Dress Designer:
Veil: Secondhand / Facebook Marketplace
Engagement Ring: , West Edmonton Mall
Wedding Bands: Michael Hill, St. Albert Centre
Shoes: — Rosa Block Heel Ballet, Modern Ivory
Bridesmaid Dresses: Delica, David’s Bridal & Azazie
Groom & Groomsmen Attire: TipTop
Groom’s Belt: Levi’s
Hair: Yuliya Sokolova —
Makeup: Tierra — Stay Golden Beautyy
Flowers: Mandi — , St. Albert
Catering & Bartending:
Officiant: Lizz Lindsay
Transportation:
Ceremony Music: Russel Byers & Anna Vlasova
DJ: Dylan & Cole
Cake: Theresa Nguyen
Nails: Johanna Bascom
Photo Booth: Rbooth —
Rehearsal Dinner: St. Albert Legion
Planning an Art Gallery of Alberta Wedding?
If you’re considering the Art Gallery of Alberta for your Edmonton wedding photography, we would love to photograph there with you.
The architecture, dramatic steps, downtown setting and variety of nearby locations make it an incredible option for couples looking for something a little different from a traditional wedding portrait location.
And Matthew and Laura are proof that you don’t need every wedding detail to come from the same place or follow a traditional formula. Some of the most meaningful details can come from Facebook Marketplace, thrift stores, family members, old friends and the people standing beside you on your wedding day.
If you’re looking for an Edmonton wedding photographer, we would be thrilled to create something beautiful with you at the Art Gallery of Alberta, the Alberta Legislature or anywhere else around Edmonton that feels like you.
RedTree Photography specializes in Edmonton wedding photography, and we love creating wedding galleries that feel authentic to each couple while taking full advantage of the incredible architecture and locations Edmonton has to offer.
