Oooooh…. this was a good one. :)
Mike and Maryse aren’t centre-of-attention kind of people. They love to surround themselves with people who matter in their lives and they love to make sure that others are looked after. When they told me that they were planning an intimate wedding ceremony in a local Ottawa park, I was SO excited for them. It was the perfect fit for their personalities. Low key, casual, lighthearted. During our consultation call, Maryse told me she didn’t want to wear shoes. As soon as I heard that detail, I knew these were my people (I didn’t wear shoes for my wedding, either).
We met before the ceremony at Vincent Massey Park for their first look. It was a stinking hot day that day, but these guys didn’t care – they were in it and they were ready. Mike waited for Maryse to join him in a beautiful little section of the woods with a few giant trees. They laughed, they picked burrs out of Maryse’s dress, and we went for a little wander as we shot a few portraits before their ceremony got rolling.
Intimate ceremonies come with one very important bonus: you get to just focus on what matters and not worry about who is there. You’re out of the spotlight and you have more of a chance to take it all in. Sure, you’ll probably still be nervous – it IS your wedding, after all – but there’s less fear of making mistakes or doing the wrong thing. Mike and Maryse had a wonderful officiant who was a perfect fit for them because she really understood the laid-back vibe that they were going for. As their 10 guests formed a semi-circle around them, Mike and Maryse presented flowers to each other’s mother, exchanged rings to seal their vows and high fives to complete the deal. In an afternoon filled to the brim with sweet moments, Mike’s mother shyly spoke up after the ceremony and, in French, welcomed Maryse into the Chan family. She’d quietly been practising the phrase so that she could address Maryse in her mother tongue and the gesture made my heart swell.
We stole away for another short while to capture a few final portraits along the river so that we could make use of the beautiful light that we had that day. I’ll always keep this ceremony close to my heart as a memorable one because of the beauty in its simplicity.
You’ll be seeing these guys one more time in the coming weeks as we mark their celebrations at the Orange Art Gallery, where they were joined by friends and family in a much rowdier celebration. :)
Here’s a look into our afternoon together:
I’m Ang. I’m a Cornwall, Ontario-based photographer offering wedding and documentary family coverage locally and worldwide. Visual storytelling is what I do best and celebrations like this intimate Vincent Massey Park Ottawa wedding are TOTALLY my thing. I’m an avid traveler and my passport is always up-to-date. Laughter is important in my life and in my work, meaning that I love working with couples who are emotionally present on their wedding day and who love spending time laughing with loved ones. Whether you’re looking for an at-home newborn session, coverage for an intimate Cornwall back yard wedding, or photos that document your time with family, please explore more of Moment.us Photography‘s site to see more of my wedding and family photography.
