Cabaret Lion d’Or wedding

Roxanne and Alan’s wedding at Cabaret Lion d’Or was a treat to photograph.

June 9th. It was Grand Prix weekend in Montreal. After a freak rainstorm the day before, the day was sunny and summery. As crowds were heading to the races with their coolers and seat cushions, I was heading to Roxanne’s mom’s home in Longueuil, where she and her bridesmaids were getting ready…listening to Jack Johnson to keep the nerves at bay!

Friends coming from far and wide

Roxanne and Alan had travelled quite the distance for their wedding, flying in from London, where they live, to Montreal, where Roxanne grew up.

It was amazing to see how many of their London friends came all the way here for the wedding. Alan’s family and friends came from Ireland as well. And someone even flew in from Dubai!

You can tell how much an impact both Alan and Roxanne have on their friends, when they’re willing to fly some 5,000 km to be at their wedding! And Roxanne’s childhood friends from Quebec were just as excited to be part of her wedding day and celebrate with her. It was incredible to see how they have kept in touch all these years, with her living across the Atlantic.

Wedding ceremony at Église Sacré-Coeur-de-Jésus

The ceremony was held at Eglise Sacré Coeur De Jésus, en enormous old church with elaborate carvings and arched ceilings and echoes!

Roxanne was eager and arrived at the church early, so she waited at a distance with her dad in the fancy antique car to make her entrance. Meanwhile, Alan was standing at the church entrance chatting with guests up to the last minute. Maybe he was hoping to catch a glimpse of her pulling up. 😉

The ceremony was traditional, with a few laughs, a few teary eyes and some great moments. I especially liked that Alan and Roxanne got their friends to participate by reading various texts in both French and English. It was truly a bilingual wedding.

Casual wedding portraits along Ontario Street

The church was handily just a few blocks from the reception venue (Lion d’Or cabaret). And since there was a park a little ways down the street from the cabaret, we walked there for their portrait session, stealing some photo moments along the way. Alan and Roxanne also stopped on the way to chat with some friends who were enjoying pre-reception drinks on a shady terrace. 🙂

We wrapped up the portraits quickly and it was back to the reception for the party to start!

Cabaret Lion d’Or wedding reception

The Cabaret Lion d’Or is a great alternative wedding venue. It’s an art deco style venue that used to be a cabaret in the 1930s. Now it hosts all sorts of shows and cultural events. The decor is stylish and dim with glowing chandeliers and red velvet curtains. It’s more often a concert hall than a wedding venue and this gives it a unique charm.

Roxanne and Alan had chosen a live band called “The Jello Shots” to play at the reception; they got the guests on their feet and dancing! Check out their wedding band demo here.

Both the Irish and Québécois families and friends had a blast! I think the Irish side were impressed by the country line-dancing that sprung up during the dancing… while the Québécois side were charmed by Alan’s sister, who gave a spontaneous and heartfelt toast in French using her little travel dictionary.

A fun wedding for a pair of bons-vivants!

Hope you enjoy this selection of photos from this Cabaret Lion d’Or wedding.