For all of the cancellations, replanning and delays, Hannah Eden assures that not even Covid-19 can stop love.  

Eden, a Yellowknife-based photographer, opened her business to wedding bookings for the first time in 2020. While almost all of the weddings she was set to shoot were cancelled, Eden said the one that did take place was intimate and just as, if not more, lovely than other weddings she鈥檚 seen. 

Eden recalls being contacted by the couple at the height of the pandemic. She said the pair were not clients who had initially booked her services for 2020, but that they had been planning to get married on the east coast and didn鈥檛 want to give up their wedding in spite of travel and large gatherings becoming impossible. 

Eden describes the wedding on the shore of Frame Lake with their two daughters and one other couple 鈥� a pair already in the bride and groom鈥檚 Covid bubble 鈥� as their witnesses.

鈥淚t was a real honour to photograph,鈥� Eden said. 鈥淭here was a real joy about that day.鈥�

More and more, Eden said she's hearing couples looking to opt for that kind of 鈥渆lopement style鈥� ceremony. Fewer guests means the bride and groom can have just their closest family and friends, and it 鈥渃an still be incredibly beautiful with a small number, and maybe, I would argue, even more beautiful with just your close people around you,鈥� she said. 

Eden has a been a professional photographer in Yellowknifer since 2015. With her business , she said she loves capturing memories because 鈥渆veryone deserves to have beautiful memories and beautiful photography.鈥�

Eden鈥檚 background is in photojournalism, which she suspects is why she leans more towards a candid style of photography, as opposed to something staged in a studio. 

While her 2020 business was not half weddings as planned, Eden said she was still busy photographing family sessions with new babies, or engagements, and couples who had never before had their portraits taken professionally. 

With some residents having a few extra dollars of disposable income from cancelled vacations, families this year opted to document their time together and capture life as it was in 2020. 

鈥淭here was still so much joy about this year,鈥� Eden said. 鈥淵ou, as a client, in a natural setting with your family, in your garden, on a walk, those are the moments we should capture. Let鈥檚 capture you at your happiest.鈥�

She said that all 2020 photoshoots were taken outdoors, which allowed Eden to maintain a distance from the clients. 

鈥淭he Yellowknife community has really banded around local businesses and I was one of those businesses that the community supported, so I鈥檓 feeling really grateful,鈥� Eden said. 

As the fate of weddings and other gatherings continue to be uncertain in 2021, Eden suggests moving ahead with a smaller wedding anyways. 

鈥淚f a wedding is something that鈥檚 on your heart and you want to celebrate the love you have, then just go for it,鈥� Eden said. 鈥淲e can party with a bigger group later.鈥�