Annabelle Agnew 6/3/22 Annabelle Agnew 6/3/22

Lighthouse Weekend Wedding on L'Ile Verte

This wedding was published in Together Journal a while back ago :)

When I met Rosalie and Connor in a park last summer, they shared with me their vision of having their wedding on Ile Verte - a beautiful rugged little island on the St Lawrence in Quebec - where they felt the island itself could speak to their shared values and connect their family & friends to the parallels they shared in their Quebec and Irish roots.

It’s no secret that I love water and that I love venues that are close to water. I love how the colors and light change from one day to the next, it’s so inspiring. But I also want to speak to being present for the whole weekend — it allows me to really consider and observe moments like these without the stress of a packed timeline.

I was able to float around the island and pick strands of grass, rocks, flora and incorporate those elements into the detail shots. I went on long walks all over the coastline to see how the light fell and how the Charlevoix horizon changed across the St.Lawrence. I was able to have idle chit chat with every person at the wedding and get to know the bonds that united them all to this one moment. This is how I would ideally connect to every wedding. It can’t always happen that way, but when it does, it feels like a gift.

The evening of the Rehearsal Dinner, we had a sunset that had me glowing from the inside out. I couldn’t capture the way the light fell fast enough. So let’s start with that gallery:

On their wedding day, the weather had subdued itself with overcast blues and it could not have been more fitting with the slightly warm suiting; while Rosalie’s elegant Pronovias gown stunned against the rugged backdrop.

This was a wedding weekend that hit all the right notes - so much fun, so much beauty, so much love — all celebrated with laughter, tears, lobster and a grand finale of pushing all the tables to the edges of the room to have a big ol’ dance party. Huge shout out to the Maison du Phare kitchen for over-delivering in the food joy.

Finally, I can not thank Rosalie & Connor’s family & friends for making me feel like I was a part of the party, not just a witness. I ate, I toasted, I sang, I danced, I learned about their stories, I cried along with them. It’s a weekend we’re all lucky to have shared.

VENDORS

Annabelle Agnew 1/14/22 Annabelle Agnew 1/14/22

Tented Garden Wedding in Rigaud

Happy New Year!

I could not have predicted that 2021 would be the avalanche of weddings that it so became, that I have not had a moment to blog post ANY of the weddings I have had the privilege of photographing this summer. And so here we are, 2022!

Kass & Anthony had a different wedding planned for 2020 and as was the case for so many couples, they had to postpone, reschedule, and re-think their pre-pandemic ideas of what was essential to them on their wedding day.

The idea of adding a tent to the back of Cafe de L’Horloge was a stroke of genius and with Events by Cece at the helm to take care of all the beautiful details, including all of her floral arrangements and custom made ceramics, this wedding was nothing short of stunning. The ambience she created that made everyone feel ready to celebrate. And given the first half of 2021, everyone at this wedding was so so so ready to have fun. Including me!

I don’t know that I have mentioned it here before, but in 2019 I started taking improv lessons in Montreal — and what would that have to do with wedding photography and this wedding? Well, a few things: I connected with Kass as she’s a wonderfully creative (see her Wovenish shop) math teacher who is connected to the improv games.

I’m sure most of you have read about “Yes, And” but it’s so much more nuanced than this. Improv teaches me to be truly present and in the moment, to listen and observe, and to allow space for the ideas that pop in my mind and play. My point is that I feel like improv’s influence has really started to show itself in my work and when you get to the wedding party photographs, I think you will see just what “unposed wedding photography” can really be when we let go. Of course, posing still has it’s essential moments. But when we let go, that’s when the magical photos happen.

This beautiful tented wedding from July had all the kinds of summer light and I feel like it’s the perfect wedding to kick off the craziest wedding season I’ve ever had.

Thank you Kass & Anthony for all of it.

Vendors

VENUE Le Cafe de L’Horloge PLANNING & DESIGN Events by Cece DRESS DESIGNER Mariana Hardwick DRESS SHOP Union Bridal SUITING Indochino HMUA Beauty by Maryam BRIDESMAIDS Park & Fifth Co. RIBBON Maison Note FLORALS Events by Cece RINGS Ecksand DESSERT & CAKE Patisserie Montebello MUSIC Sabrina Cardi Music RENTALS Locations Chic

Annabelle Agnew 7/1/21 Annabelle Agnew 7/1/21

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!