Sarah & Beau's Winter Elopement in Montreal

My 2020 Wedding Photography season kicked off earlier than I thought it would when my longtime friends Sarah & Beau reached out to tell me they were going to make their longtime relationship Official by inviting their closest family and friends to attend a civil wedding ceremony in Downtown Montreal.

If you’re a Montrealer that went to University in the early aughts, you might have frequented a few of the local watering holes, like I did, and came across Beau Kavanagh and The Broken Hearted entertaining crowds. Finding this out was such a “what a small world” moment for me when I met Sarah on my daughter’s schoolyard. Our friendship is of the sort where we quickly hopped over pleasantries and engaged in personal conversation layered with a deep appreciation for each other’s wit & humor (much to our daughters delight in being allowed a lot more time on the playground).

For a wedding photographer who thrives in the details, walking into Beau & Sarah’s home and then their shop, Kavanagh Auctions is akin to winning the lottery. These two are eco-minded with a great eye for art, history and design. It feels a little like walking into a candy store or a Wes Anderson set design. That said, it was wonderful to balance out the abundantly detailed photographs with photographs taken inside their empty warehouse, flooded with that cool winter light that was especially cool that day.

Words give no justice to how honored I felt to be a part of this wedding day, finding myself choking back tears when they read their vows and I was not the only one! If you’ve ever considered a simpler ceremony and do not want to have it at the Palais de Justice in Montreal (which is… not the most aesthetically pleasing place to get married) then consider Mona Salehi Notary that has some quaint spaces to get married in front of a small host of family & friends.

The small reception afterwards was held at… and this is where I say again “what a small world!”…. my old Apartment that I had lived in almost a decade ago in NDG. I couldn’t believe it when I was given the address! I wolfed down about six date squares in which I was told that in B.C. they’re known as “Marriage Squares” , which if you think about that’s what I make too.

Enjoy this very arty, witty, emotional, family and love-filled wedding day. I couldn’t be happier for Sarah & Beau.