People often ask us what keeps us so busy when we’re not shooting weddings. The obvious answer is editing wedding photos, which is true, but there’s always so much other random crap – sorry, “stuff” – that pops up, seems like we’re always doing something! Lately, what little spare time we do have has been taken up by photoshoots for Elegant Weddings, a Montreal ad magazine that Daniel and I are taking part in.

The issue hits newsstands in August so if you’re planning a wedding in the Montreal area, make sure to check that out! Here’s a little sneak peek at some of what we’ve contributed:

Flowers by Alain Simon, Venue: The Windsor

Furniture by Luxe, Flowers by Flore, Venue: Espace Reunion

Furniture by Luxe, Flowers by Flore, Venue: Elm Ridge Club

-BLOGS-

I am addicted to blogs. I love writing this one and I follow about 20 blogs a day. No joke. It’s no secret that I absolutely adore Lake Jane; Marie-Eve is one of my summer brides and a good friend so I am a little biased, I’ll admit! Here are a few others that are great for inspiration, DIY ideas, and real weddings:
Veiled Vows here
Wedding Cabaret here
With This Ring here
Snippet & Ink here
Once Wed here
Style Me Pretty here
Accordions and Lace here
This one isn’t your traditional pretty-wedding-planning blog. Written anonymously by one of our summer brides (not so anonymously to us!), A&L’s entries are a longer read, but are witty and thought provoking. She provides a really interesting perspective on planning her wedding and I totally dig it.

-ETSY-

Etsy is so fab, it deserves a category of it’s own.
If you are been living under a cyber rock and haven’t already visited the website, I URGE you to run there immediately (I know it’s hard to run on the web, but you know what I mean). But make sure you have a lot of time on your hands because you will spend much of your day there, I guarantee it! Etsy is basically an indie version of Ebay, where vendors sell their handmade items, many customizable to fit your specifications. You can also find loads of awesome vintage stuff which, as you already know, I absolutely adore. My favorite things to search for are birdcage veils, fascinators and cake toppers, but you can even find wedding bands, ring pillows, stationary, garters, and wedding dresses, among many other things. A warning though: do use vendors with good feedback so you won’t be disappointed with the quality.

-STATIONARY-

I’ve fallen so in love with many online stationary shops that I’m debating having our wedding invites done by one of them… despite the fact that we used to do invitations and are therefore fully equipped to do our own… (this is how logical I am). By the way, I discovered all of these through the blogs I listed above. Oh and trust me, these are really worth a visit.
Pretty. Pretty. Paper here or on Etsy, here
Miss Pickle Press here
Mok Duk here

Among the weddings we have this summer, we have a Hindu ceremony, an Iranian pre-wedding henna party, and a few tea ceremonies – I can’t wait!

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Here are a few traditions we have particularly enjoyed photographing in the past :

Saptadi | Hindu

Also called the 7-Steps or 7-Vows, this tradition involves the bride and groom taking 7 steps together around a fire while reciting specific vows. There are various versions, depending on how traditional the wedding is or who is conducting the ceremony, but in general, the vows address: food (symbolizing earning a living), health, prosperity, happiness, children, longevity, fidelity, and the life-long friendship and love of the bride and groom.

(The pictures below are from the wedding of Sushmita & Charles shot by Daniel and Jeremy in Montreal and Leena & Rahul, shot by Davina and Frances in NYC)

Parents’ Blessing | Various religions

I’ve seen the parents’ blessing ritual take place at various religious ceremonies and it’s always a very sweet moment – which translates beautifully into pictures. The ritual usually consists of the parents placing their hands over the bride and/or groom and praying for them (either aloud or in their heads). At some Christian weddings the priest will ask them for their blessing and they will reply “yes” aloud.

(The pictures below are from Eve & Wes’ wedding in Montreal and Shonelle & Delon in Long Island, NY – this second photo was a WPJA contest winner. Both weddings were shot by Daniel and Davina)

Stefana (or Stephana) | Greek Orthodox

Also known as the wedding crowns, this part of a Greek wedding ceremony is always the focal point. The crowns symbolize honor and signify that the bride and groom are royalty on this day, or that they are the king and queen of the new household they are starting together. The crowns are tied together with a white ribbon, symbolizing the couple’s unity. The couple also wears the crowns (they are held above their heads by two special members of the bridal party, usually the best man and/or maid of honor, called the Koumbaro and Koumbara) as they take their first steps as husband and wife in another ritual. Greek ceremonies are so filled with meaningful traditions that I’d need a whole post to cover them all accurately!

(The pictures below are from the wedding of Peggy & Julien and Yana & Sam, both shot in Montreal by Daniel and Davina)

Tea Ceremony | Chinese

A tea ceremony usually means a very early wake-up call for us as it takes place first thing in the morning, often before the bride “officially” gets ready. The purpose of the tea ceremony is to show thanks and respect for the elders of the family. Serving tea to someone is a sign of respect, thus the tea-serving ceremony. I particularly enjoy this tradition as it gives the bride and groom a chance to spend a few minutes with each of the elder couples of their family as they sip the tea (often exchanged for an envelope filled with cash).

(The pictures below are from the wedding of Kathy & David shot by Daniel and Davina and the wedding of Carolina and Wen shot by Emilie and Marlon, both in Montreal)

Breaking of the Glass | Judaism

Jewish weddings are also very tradition-filled; from the signing of the ketubah prior to the ceremony, to the horah which opens the ceremony, they are always fantastic for us to shoot! Probably the most challenging to capture – and the most fun for the groom – is the breaking of the glass. I’ve heard several meanings behind the tradition, but I’ve picked my favorite to explain to our guests at our wedding: the breaking of the glass is permanent, irreversible, and so are the vows that were taken. The smaller the pieces, the harder it is to put back together and thus the more permanent is the commitment. At one wedding I heard guests say that the more pieces there are, the more children the couple will have!

(The picture below is from the wedding of Eve & Wes shot by Daniel and Davina in Montreal)

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I hope I’ve described those accurately, feel free to let me know if I’ve covered your culture/religion’s tradition incorrectly.
Or better yet, if you’ve got a tradition I didn’t mention, do share!

The following are a few great places right here in our wonderful city. We will be shooting weddings at each of these locations this summer and we are very excited! These venues are different from a traditional reception hall, which means that your wedding really gets a unique look and feel. Thanks for the suggestions, future brides and grooms!

Entrepot Dominion | entrepotsdominion.ca
I’m excited to have this venue on our list as it is one I had never heard of but am thrilled to have discovered. I get the impression from their website that they commonly host corporate or commercial events, but the space is perfect for a modern couple’s wedding. Two of our At First Sight photographers will have the pleasure of shooting a reception here this spring and I have to admit to being quite jealous that I won’t get a chance to check it out for myself!

Time Supper Club | timesupperclub.com
Daniel and I will be shooting a wedding here next July so he took me out for a date there a few weeks ago to scope it out. The staff there told us they don’t often do weddings, although they host events almost weekly. This venue is for those with a higher budget, but the food is fantastic and there’s practically nothing to do decor-wise as it’s already completely amazing-looking! Our July couple will be having their ceremony out back on their terrasse and are having the reception inside for their 200 guests.

Lion d’Or | cabaretliondor.com
This is probably my favorite venue of the summer… and definitely the most original! Lion d’Or is a cabaret club, complete with a moody lighting, a stage and thick velvet curtains. It screams Moulin Rouge (one of my favorite movies) or even Old Hollywood. Lion d’Or’s sister restaurant, Au Petit Extra, caters their events. I’m shooting a ceremony and reception there in August and I can’t wait! I’ll have to suppress the urge to do the can-can, I’m sure!

Bronte Restaurant | bronterestaurant.com
Daniel and I have driven by Bronte countless times and one or both of us always comment on how cool it looks. The restaurant is part of the Meridien Versailles hotel on Sherbrooke and often hosts trendy launch parties or after-parties for other events so they’re all set lighting and decor-wise. Plus, I have to admit, I’ve been drooling over the menu on their website all day…

The Science Center (Perspective 235° and the Passerelle) | centredessciencesdemontreal.com
Daniel has shot a few events here in the past for Flore or Luxe and the space has always looked fabulous. It’s a very open, ultra modern environment that needs a whole team of caterers, florists, lighting specialists and furniture rentals to make an event happen, but this allows you to completely transform the space and make it your own. This might deter some, but with a good wedding planner, the whole process could actually be quite simple! We have two weddings here this summer and I don’t doubt that they will be so different from one another that we’ll hardly be able to tell that the venue is the same. Can’t wait to see what they’ll do with it!

Bonsecours Market | ville.montreal.qc.ca/marchebonsecours
One would never know by visiting the market on an Sunday afternoon, but the Bonsecours Market can make for a fierce event location! It’s similar to the Science Center hall in that it too is a huge open space with which you can do pretty much anything, but it also has the potential to host a more traditional wedding (unlike the very modern Science Center space). It really is all about what furniture you decide to bring in and the decor you select. I’ll be shooting there this summer and I’m anxious to see how the couple will transform the space. Their halls can hold between 100 and 1000 guests – talk about range!

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Hope these locations can offer you some inspiration. As I often mention, the best wedding planning advice I could ever give is to make your wedding reflect you; your personalities, your tastes, your relationship even. A lot of that is in the details, but your location will set the stage for your special day, so it too should reflect you.

Since this is a picture-less post, I’ll leave you with a few photos of our top contender, Casa China Blanca in Puerto Vallarta Mexico (photos are from their website: www.casachinablanca.com). It’s an oceanside villa with a private beach… not too shabby!

Lake Jane | www.lakejane.com
Lake Jane is a blog written by one of our 2009 wedding clients. It is updated daily and is a perfect source of inspiration for wedding stuff – but also check out her other sections (decor and fashion are my favs). I have become addicted! Her style is right up my alley!

Cafe Sante Veritas | www.cafesanteveritas.com
Veritas is owned by a couple whose wedding Daniel and I shot last summer. It is a great space to begin with, but it was completely transformed for their event and was positively breathtaking! They have amazing food and can hold up to 200 people for dinner and dancing. Below are some pictures from Yana and Sam’s wedding, but Daniel and I are holding our engagement party there in a few weeks so stay tuned for more!

Photos by Daniel Kudish. Venue: Cafe Sante Veritas

Unity Weddings | www.unity-weddings.com
Daniel and I always look forward to shooting Elyna’s weddings because they are guaranteed to be awesome! Owned and run by Daniel’s sister Elyna and brother-in-law Cesar, Unity offers dozens of services, ranging from custom invitations and favors to wedding-day coordination. Unity boasts Pascale & JF as well as Kathy & David’s wedding on our featured page.

Show Design | www.showdesign.ca
Clients often ask us how they can make their wedding unique, or what they can do to help us get the best photos possible. We always recommend additional lighting which really does make a huge difference. For a smaller budget, consider pointing a few colored spotlights against a wall for emphasis. This is a great idea for more “generic” venues (like hotels or reception halls) because it allows you to put your own unique stamp on the place.

Photo by Daniel Kudish. Wedding planner: Unity Weddings, Lighting: Show Design

Flore | www.flore.qc.ca
The florists at Flore truly are artists. They created a fabulous arrangement for At First Sight for the Marions-Nous show last September and we got hundreds of compliments on it all weekend. Check out their website (designed by Daniel, actually!) or their gorgeous store on Sherbrooke in Westmount.

Luxe | www.luxerentals.ca
Chandeliers, lit-up bars, and ghost chairs – oh my! Daniel and I love Luxe’s collection so much, we’ve actually debated moving our planned Mexico wedding to Montreal, just so we could have their stuff! And I’m totally serious, by the way! If you’re wedding venue is bare (think the Science Center, Marche Bonsecours, or a gallery), Luxe’s stuff is perfect.

Photos by Daniel Kudish. Rentals: Luxe, Flowers: Flore

An English Rose | www.an-english-rose.com
Daniel and I have had the pleasure of working with Rachel of An English Rose at a few weddings now, including Mike and Joe’s which you can see on our featured page of our website. Rachel is certified by the Wedding Planners Institute of Canada and a member of the Association of Bridal Consultants.

Principal Planner | www.principalplanner.com
Daniel and I met Principal Planner at the Marions-Nous bridal show last September. Their spread really caught our eye so we introduced ourselves and hoped that we’d get the chance to work with them soon. Well, our wish was granted and we’re really excited to be shooting one of their weddings next August!

Galerie Avenue Art | www.avenueart.ca
Galleries are great venues because they really are blank canvases. Daniel and I just discovered this one a few weeks ago and we wonder why (and wish) we had known about it longer! Located right in the heart of Old Montreal, Avenue Art can be transformed to accommodate any kind of event – yes, even weddings!

Alain Simon | 514.935.6160
Alain Simon often makes the bouquets, boutonnieres and centerpieces for Elyna’s clients (Unity Weddings). There’s something very organic and beautiful – not to mention unique – about his flower arrangements. No website, but a new store just opened in Westmount, in addition to the one at Fairview in the West Island.

Photos by Daniel Kudish and Davina Palik. Wedding planner: Unity Weddings, Flowers: Alain Simon, Lighting: Show Design