Abbaye d’Oka wedding photographer
Abbaye d’Oka wedding photos
Amélie and Gabriel were married in a simple wedding at Abbaye d’Oka. Their ceremony was held in a chapel built over 200 years ago. The luminous room has vaulting white ceilings and a peaceful ambiance. Gabriel rang the chapel bells to gather the guests into the chapel. After the ceremony, guests gathered in the yard of the Abbaye d’Oka for cocktails while Amélie and Gabriel took their wedding photos with me around the tranquil grounds of the abbey. I especially loved the tiny apple orchard within an enclosed courtyard.
**Updated for 2022: The Abbaye d’Oka was closed temporarily for wedding books in 2020-2021 due to COVID-19. You can get up-to-date information on their weddings page or by reaching out to them directly.
Photographing a kid-friendly wedding
Amélie and Gabriel planned their wedding to be a fun event that would include their two kids and other young ones.
Their children were a big part of their wedding ceremony. They played a song together on the piano and violin as Amélie walked down the aisle.
Amélie and Gabriel also set up an area at the reception with toys and babysitters to watch the younger guests, so their guests with children could relax and enjoy the night.
I love photographing children at weddings, since they bring a lot of life to the party. They also make for great candid photos.
Here are a few of my favourite photos featuring kids being kids!
One of my favourite photos from this wedding
It began raining softly during the photos, so we took shelter in an ancient garage for a few photos. The hanging globe lights crisscrossing the ceiling gave it a glowing orange light that was perfect.
I asked Amélie and Gabriel to stand in the doorway where the cool outdoor light was shining in. They began to practice their first dance.
I exposed the photo to retain only their silhouettes and to keep the warm colours of the light bulbs.
Abbaye d’Oka wedding reception
The wedding dinner at the Abbaye d’Oka started with an excited entrance from the wedding party. Amélie and Gabriel kicked the party off with their first dance and all the guests joined them on the dance floor.
A delicious meal followed and between the courses, the wedding couple’s friends gave some moving and funny speeches.
Karaoke king!
Towards the end of the supper, Gabriel borrowed a mike from the DJ to serenade his bride with a cheesy love ballad! Their guests ate it up!
La danse des bas de laine (the wool sock dance)
In Quebec, it’s an old tradition to make any elder siblings who are not yet married perform a silly dance in their socks. Usually the socks go all the way up to their knees and are decorated in wild colours.
Amélie’s brother Amélie’s older brother gamely danced the jig, throwing in some high jumps and kicks. His little daughter then joined him on the dance floor to help her papa out.
Are you getting married?
I loved photographing this lively Abbaye d’Oka wedding. If you’re planning your wedding at Abbaye d’Oka and you’re looking for a candid wedding photographer, please get in touch. Thanks!
Here’s some more images of the whole day of this Abbaye Oka wedding:
