Chateau Ramezay Elopement

There is something uniquely special about being asked to photograph an elopement, because inevitably I end up being an almost wedding guests too. I am privy to such a special moment in these couples’ stories and the honor of this invitation feels really important to me.

Olivia, from New Zealand, and Alex, from France, recently re-located themselves to Montreal. They really wanted to explore Old Montreal and have their ceremony in a space that felt rich in its history. The Chateau Ramezay is a beautiful spot for an elopement with it’s wood paneling, paintings, quietness, and gardens.

Their elopement took place on a warm September evening and they showcased their love for dancing throughout my time with them.

Enjoy their elopement gallery — and if you’re curious to see the slideshows I build all my clients — feel free to click on this link here.

VENDORS

Flowers Fleuriste Astilbe | Officiant Pascale Charbonneau from Mariage a Bras Ouverts

Elegant Backyard Elopement in Montreal

On the heels of reduced restrictions in Quebec, Louis & Nathalie’s elopement in a loved one’s back garden was the perfect antidote to what felt like the longest winter & spring here in Montreal.

I met Louis last year just as my own business was allowed to re-open, where I photographed head shots of the team members of a company he co-founded with his business partner Jonathan. The entire team was open and friendly, as I worked with wind and strange light in a makeshift studio in my own backyard.

It was a joy to photograph them all again, with a lot less wind and a lot more beautiful light.

Like many couples I have spoken to over the last little while, Louis & Nathalie were done trying to navigate the restrictions after having to cancel a much larger wedding in Georgian Bay. They wanted to get married in Montreal surrounded by their nearest, saying their heartfelt vows on a sun-drenched bench in the late afternoon light of May.

I was present for two hours of this beautiful day in 2021 — and it was so hard to narrow it down to just these photos for this blog edit.

Thank you to the couple and the guests for making me feel welcome. It was a great way to kick off what is my busiest wedding season to date!

WEDDING VENDORS

Gown Laure De Sagazan Hair & Make-up Natasha Pereira HMUA

Leila & Eduardo || Manoir Hovey Winter Elopement

Leila & Eduardo met one night on opposing charade teams at a party in grad school that they attended in Texas. Leila says

We quickly discovered we have very similar taste in movies and started talking more … It always fascinates us to think that E's originally from Mexico, L from the Philippines, we met in Texas, got married in Quebec and settling down in Toronto!

Eduardo says that what he loves about Leila is

that she is very thoughtful about health and she's always improving her dessert/food recipes to make them healthier and tastier (and I didn't think that could go together). She is very intelligent and always encourages me to be the best version of myself.

Leila & Eduardo reached out to me looking for a way to have a very Canadian, read: very winter & mountains, wedding on Valentine’s Day, which is a very special day to them.

Originally they had wanted to get married in Banff, Alberta, which as serendipity would have it, I had some experience with as I had lived there after I graduated from highschool for two years working as a waitress. (And incidentally worked with Naomi before she started Mountain Events ).

After some brainstorming, we landed on one of my favorite hotels and I directed them to Elyna Kudish to help them finalize all the beautiful details of their wedding day.

Ceremony and celebration wise, Elyna Kudish pretty much took care of everything. We had an initial convo of what we had in mind and it was a breeze since then. We'd video call and email regularly to iron out details. Definitely one of our most loved aspect of our wedding --- No stress.

The only hard part is not being able to have our family and friends over since they're from overseas. However, rather than fussing out about these travel details (which, admittedly we spent quite some time on), we ultimately decided just have a separate and more informal celebration later on with them.

And what a beautiful wedding day it was! It really goes to show that even with a curfew under red alert, in frigid temperatures, “love is not cancelled”.

Last little bit of info before I sign off here, Leila & Eduardo went off to Les Terrasses Cap a L’Aigle for their Honeymoon, a suggestion I gave them based on my great experience there after photographing Gabrielle & LP’s micro wedding over the summer. I really loved how open they were to suggestions and for enjoying every moment of it, which I think you can tell in these photos :)

PLANNER Elyna Kudish DRESS Morilee HMUA Golddust Wedding SUITING Hugo Boss FLORALS Atelier Carmel DECOR Groupe APB, Tenue de Soiree & Festifetes DONUTS Cremy Patisserie DESSERTS Le Cavalier PetroneVENUE Manoir Hovey