What started out to be a wet day turned glorious. God smiled down on Patty and Steve as they were joined as husband and wife. I was truly honoured to be able to capture their special day. Below is a sneak peak at some of my early favourites.
A glorious, though chilly day for an outdoor fall wedding. Family and friends gathered to share the day with Sarah-Jane and Mike on Saturday. Though it had its rough patches (like many wedding days do), all went well and had a terrific celebration.
Here are just a few glimpses of the day.
If you are looking for a unique place to host your next event, think of St. Brigid’s Centre for the Arts and Humanities, home of this year’s Great Pumpkin Charity Ball to benefit the Ottawa Chapter of the Canadian Cancer Foundation.
Before becoming St Brigid’s Centre for the Arts and Humanities in 2009, St Brigid’s was a Roman Catholic church located in the Lowertown neighbourhood of Ottawa, Canada which was built to serve the English-speaking, Catholic population of the area. Until the opening of St Brigid’s, this community, largely of Irish heritage, had formed part of the parish of Notre-Dame, the Cathedral of Ottawa. By 1870, the Irish percentage of the population had declined relative to that of the French Canadian. As a consequence, the Irish played an ever diminishing role in the life and management of Notre-Dame.
Discussions to establish a distinct anglophone parish and church for Lower Town began in March 1888. A committee of parishioners from Notre-Dame Cathedral held meetings with the Archbishop of Ottawa, the Most Rev. Joseph-Thomas Duhamel. It was agreed to create a new parish; a site for the church chosen; and by May 3, 1888, James R. Bowes had been chosen as architect. The plans called for a substantial structure at the corner of St Patrick and Cumberland Streets. Built in the Romanesque Revival style (generally called Norman at that time), the principal façade has three heavy round headed portals and paired towers of unequal height and detail. The taller (eastern) tower is capped with a stylized bishop’s mitre placing the church and its Irish parishioners squarely in the Ultramontanist tradition of the Catholic Church. Work began on St Brigid’s in 1889 and the Blessing of the completed Church took place on August 3, 1890.
In May 2006 Archbishop Marcel Gervais announced that the church would be closed, as the shrinking congregation did not justify the several hundred thousand dollars in needed repairs. The parishioners objected vehemently to this, and even took the archdiocese to court in an attempt to keep it open, but these efforts failed.
The deconsecrated building was purchased by four investors in the fall of 2007 for $450,000. After extensive structural rennovations, the building has been transformed into an Irish-Canadian heritage centre and social venue hosting art exhibitions, plays, and concerts.
Theme weddings can go horribly wrong. Done tastefully, they can be a lot of fun. A recent wedding I photographed was a perfect example of how to do it right. The key is balance. The bride had a vision of a roaring 20’s gangster theme. Rather that go all out, she chose a gown that was modern, but with a flairfor the 20’s glamour. The bridesmaids had beautiful gowns of coffee coloured satin and the groom and groomsmen wore pin stripes. All was kept very simple through the ceremony and formal pictures.
Then we had some fun! With a few easy additions to their glamourous attire, the bridal party was made over. The girls got feather boas and the guys got fedoras and cap guns to complete the look. The photo’s were set with a poker table and cigars. I have included a few examples below.
It has been a busy weekend with lots of LOVE in the air. From a casual affair to a more formal event with a fun theme and a bridal party full of good sports! It just goes to show you that one wedding can be just as different from another, as one bride is to the next. I am a big believer in making your wedding day “your day.” Don’t let family dictate what your day will be. This is a day you will remember for a long time. I still think back fondly on mine, and yes, my husband still teases me for being 20 minutes late (it was 14 years ago). We had a fantastic time, and though there were a few things that may not have gone as planned, because we didn’t sweat the small stuff, we have lovely memories that will stay with us for a lifetime.
More pics will come, but here are a few of my more artsy shots. I will have more on a theme wedding in a future post, but, when done right, it can be fantastic!
Had a great week in Nova Scotia. What a great canvas for photographers. I took lots of great pics. I will have an album up shortly. Until then, here is a sneak peak…
Albums will be available for review shortly.
Hi folks. Just a quick update to let you know that the site is progressing, slowly, but surely. I am on vacation next week and should have a little bit of time to devote to it. Keep checking in…
Janna
Please bear with me as I redesign my site. Over the course of the next few days I will be making exciting changes to the look and feel, adding new albums and sharing lots of great tips and tricks to get the best pictures at any type of event. Keep checking back frequently for updates.
Janna