Loft wedding at Canvas Montreal

Melanie and Jonathan were married in an outdoors ceremony at Fritz Farm and then celebrated together with their friends and family at Canvas Montreal wedding venue.

Finding your wedding photographer

Melanie and Jonathan found me at the Salon Marions-Nous bridal show. It’s a big crowded event, but when you’re able to connect with right people in the crowd, you just know you’re going to work great together. When Melanie and Jonathan chatted with me about their wedding plans, I felt an instant kinship. Being a huge nerd myself, I really loved their introverted vibe and their geeky interests. They love board games and Jonathan has written a sci-fi novel just for fun. They are very sweet together and seem like best friends as well as partners.

Throwback to their engagement photos

We went to different locations for their engagement photo session: the Champ libre graffiti building and Pointe-Claire village. As I worked with them for these photos, I discovered they are absolutely adorable together. Their photoshoots were playful, with big smiles and quirky inside jokes.

Getting ready photos

On their wedding morning, I went to Melanie’s sister’s home to capture the preparations with her friends. In the meantime, my second shooter for this wedding, photographer Maurizio Solis Broca, was capturing the groom and his friends preparing. The guys made oven pizza for lunch and googled “How to pin a boutonnière”. They were ready early and even had time to take some fun group shots with Maurizio. Back with the bride, the girls toasted with champagne, had some teary moments, and got some last minute snuggles in with Melanie’s baby niece.

First look photos

Before the ceremony, we photographed Jonathan and Melanie’s first look. Seeing each other before the wedding ceremony can be a more intimate moment than in front of your wedding guests. It’s also practical because you can do your wedding portraits before the ceremony and enjoy spending the cocktail hour with your guests. Of course, many brides and grooms want to savour the anticipation of seeing each other. They want to save the surprise for that moment when they walk down the aisle. So I understand that first look photos are not for everyone, but they can be very sweet and emotional.

Wedding photos on the dock and riverside

After their quiet and happy reunion, we headed out to take wedding portraits around Fritz Farm and across the road along the riverside. We explored a dock in the summer heat with the sun reflecting off the water. There were interesting shapes to see around the dock. Then we headed into the nearby trees for a few more portraits before heading back to the ceremony location. It was a very sunny day, but Jonathan and Melanie were troopers and so cheerful despite the heat. They shared the cutest smiles.

Outdoor wedding ceremony at Fritz Farm

Melanie and Jonathan’s wedding ceremony took place outdoors at the Fritz Community Centre in Baie d’Urfé. It was a blazing hot summer day, but, thankfully, there was shade from a row of friendly trees at the ceremony site.

The bride and groom stood under a rustic archway of birch branches and read their own vows to each other. There were a few cute funny moments during the ceremony. Jon’s wedding ring was pretty tight and wouldn’t slide on easily. And the sand for the sand ceremony spilled as they were signing the official documents. But everyone just laughed it off and enjoyed the wedding. I love photographing these moments because they are what make each wedding unique.

Canvas Montreal wedding reception

After taking family formals and enjoying cocktail hour at Fritz Farm, the couple and their guests headed to Lachine for the wedding reception at Canvas Montreal. This small wedding venue in Lachine has an industrial loft vibe. The exposed beams and brick walls make this a modern alternative wedding venue for more intimate events. The wedding couple and their friends decorated the venue themselves with a DIY vibe that included some rustic touches and literary quotes on each table.

The wedding night was filled with happy dancing, beautiful speeches and so many hugs!

Planning a wedding at Canvas Montreal?

If you’re getting married and you’re looking for a photojournalistic wedding photographer, I’d love to work with you. Send me a message to get started.

Updated for 2021: Canvas Montreal’s COVID-19 policy: Due to governmental shutdowns because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Canvas Montreal is working with its couples to postpone weddings or when permitted, host events with a reduced capacity. According to their FAQ page, they have a postponement service at no charge and are doing their best to support couples who have to make changes to their wedding plans because of the pandemic.

Wedding vendors

• MUA: Charlotte Marie
• Wedding photographer: Esther Gibbons Photography
• Second shooter: Maurizio Solis Broca
• Wedding officiant: FSEV
• Wedding ceremony venue: Fritz Farm
• Wedding reception venue: Canvas Montreal
• Wedding DJ and MC: A2 Productions