All smiles in a sweet intimate group photo to follow Steph & Tom’s heartwarming Chateau Ramezay garden marriage ceremony.
There’s something so special about the personal vibe of an intimate wedding, reserved just for your close family and your dearest friends, which is exactly how Steph and Tom decided to celebrate their special wedding day! They chose a September wedding, which in Old Montreal can offer the most agreeable weather, allowing for a comfortable outdoor ceremony in Old Montreal’s historical The Château Ramezay - Historic Site and Museum of Montréal’s charming Governor’s Garden, that accommodated for a cozy seating arrangement.
I arrived early to meet Steph & Tom for portraits at the front of the venue, only to be greeted by the bride and her closest college friends, most of who’d flown into Montreal from other parts of Canada, and from abroad. This sweet occasion would serve as an overdue reunion for the girls, adding a whole other layer to how valuable this day would be remembered for all in attendance. But, equally important is that Steph’s parents flew in from the west coast, and her brother came in from Ontario. Tom’s father had a last minute unforeseen setback that kept him from being able to join from the UK, so they set him up to watch the ceremony from a mobile phone, and he gave his speech during the reception from a laptop.
Typically, couples reserve time for their newlywed photo session after the formal portraits are captured, but Steph and Tom had requested their portrait session to occur before the ceremony, so that once the post-ceremony formal portraits were done, they could catch the end of cocktail hour, and join in on the mingling, before heading inside for their elegant reception. Who says you can’t design your wedding day exactly as you’d like to remember it!
Scroll down for a glimpse of some photo highlights from their beautiful day, then check out Steph and Tom’s kind words…
A heartfelt thanks to Steph & Tom for these generous words:
“We had Valerie as our wedding photographer and her work went beyond anything we could have hoped for. Her photos really captured the moment and wide range of emotions on people's faces. During the wedding, she was adept at organizing our guests while adapting to the change of scenery and light. Her enthusiasm continued throughout the evening and was appreciated by many of our guests. As seen in the final photos, she is an incredibly talented photographer.
We strongly recommend Valerie to future couples on their special day.”