Award Winning Montreal Photographers For Wedding

The wedding images and photography from Montreal studio LaVimage

Katia and Mike

Thursday, May 16, 2013 Posted in Uncategorized

It was a cold day just after the rain. We were contemplating whether the photo session would actually take place. Katia was very cold in her small BCBG dress and Mike was warming her up. That created a lot of mood and lovely natural interaction in the images.

My contact with Katia and Mike involved shooting their Engagement session in Venice, Italy. Mike is Italian and studying to be an architect, while Katia is of Russian origin and living in Canada. Katia loves to travel and has a lot of fashion sense. The delightful couple met on a cruise ship in the United States when they were both traveling with their parents. After a long distance relationship that lasted a long time, they decided to get married this summer in Italy.

What else could compare to having a gorgeous looking couple and the beautiful city of Venice as the backdrop to the photo session? Home to some of the most beautiful streets in the world, it was easy to find great spots for capturing intimate moments between the engaged couple. The photo session turned out to be so good that the image with flying pigeons won first place in both the National PWPC award and the International WPPI award.

Shooting an engagement session in Venice largely depends on good planning in advance, as well as understanding the unique environment, culture, logistics and legalities in this great city. Katia and Mike were perfect for this as they knew the city well and were really into making this photo shoot a success.

It was easy to photograph this attractive couple as Katia was a natural in front of the camera who turned out great in the un-posed lifestyle shots. Mike also seemed to enjoy being in the spotlight and was comfortable demonstrating his affection for Katia by cuddling, tickling and taking romantic walks while I took their images. The pair looked so at ease without any signs of being uncomfortable having their pictures taken. Their ability to relax enabled me to capture some great engagement shots.

I loved shooting at all the amazing locations around Venice. We especially enjoyed shooting around the canals of Venice, an amazing spot which has earned its place as one of the top destinations for pre-wedding photography. The absence of cars and presence of boats in Venice creates a picturesque background to shoot against. Wherever we looked, there were beautiful places for Katia and Mike to pose for some stunning engagement photos. It was great fun going that far to meet with this delightful couple for a mesmerizing shot in Venice. We enjoyed every minute of it. All their pictures tell a story: the wonderful love story of Katia and Mike that they can cherish for the rest of their lives.

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Covering A Traditional Chinese Tea Wedding Ceremony

Thursday, May 9, 2013 Posted in Wedding stories

The Prelude

Among the things that we love about being wedding photographers in Montreal is the amazing variety of cultures that we get to witness here, especially when we cover ethnic-themed wedding ceremonies. So imagine our delight when we were asked to lend our photographic skills to a traditional Chinese tea wedding ceremony. Even with all this background work that we did to prepare ourselves, there is no way to describe how exhilarating the entire experience of photographing the Chinese-themed wedding is! The Chinese Wedding Tea Ceremony is a custom filled with generations of tradition. The whole idea behind it is a way for the Bride and Groom to thank and pay respect to their parents. The Ceremony also gives a chance for both sides to welcome the new members into their family.

Everything from the way napkins are folded to ward off bad Qi, to the Lotus Seed and Red Date tea served to symbolize sweetness for a sweet relationship and to welcome children into the couple’s lives quickly to the Symbolic Red Envelopes and sayings, everything has a place and its meaning.

Typically the bride serves tea in the morning to her family in a more intimate ceremony where the bride thanks her parents for raising her.

Later on in the day the bride and groom will serve tea to his parents and extended family. The Grooms parents will sit in chairs and the Bride will kneel in front of the Grooms father and the Groom will kneel in front of his mother.

They will say the traditional words: “Thank you for bringing us up. Now we are getting married, we owe it all to you” The Parents drink a small amount of tea and then hand the couple a red envelope often filled with money or jewelry to symbolize good luck.

The tea ceremony goes on to include the members of the extended family and each person is served in an order that has been preserved for generations. The younger members of the family will even serve tea to the bride and groom and in exchange they will give them small gifts.

The vibrant display of colors…

Chinese wedding ceremonies are pre-dominantly defined by the presence of a red color scheme, thought to bring good luck to the couple, as per the Chinese school of thought. Filling each moment with infinite exuberance, the red theme is followed right from the decorations to the ethnic Chinese dress that our bride donned for the wedding ceremony.

The liberal use of red as the defining theme for the décor caught our eye immediately and we found ourselves sketching a mental picture of how alluring the photo session in this ambiance will be. It was, however, the moment we saw our bride in her exotic, bright red traditional wedding outfit that affirmed our expectations of this wedding coverage turning out to be the most unforgettable photo shoots.

Let’s talk about our couple…

Paul and Queci are so in love with each other! couple! Queci’s beautifully designed bridal outfit was indeed a sight to behold! She had accessorized it with an elegantly embroidered black headwear that perfectly complemented her look. With minimalist makeup, she allowed her dress to shine through the entire wedding photography session and as wedding photographers, that was a treat for us to capture.

The presence of Chinese decorative items around the place provided a perfect balance to the pictures and made us look forward to how the rest of the day would turn out to be! But since that is another detailed story, we will be dedicating a whole new post to it. Stay tuned!

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Best Make-Up Tips for the Wedding Day

Monday, May 6, 2013 Posted in Questions & Answers

Very important preparations go into making a wedding day a success. You must get the music, cake, food and décor just right in order to have the wedding of your dreams. On your wedding day, you want to look your best possible. This is important as you do not want to get outdone by the décor, the guests, and the bridal party and – heaven forbid – your very own maid of honor. To do this, be sure to put some time and effort into getting yourself the perfect face. Here’s how.

The first point to consider when it comes to your wedding make up is opting for a classy look and not a trendy, fashion look. Discard all your glitter, orange eye shadow and purple lipstick, at least for your wedding day. Remember that this is the most important day of your life and you will want to remember yourself as a classic beauty and not the laughing stock of people flipping through your wedding album years on.

Your foundation must match your skin tone. Check to see how it blends both in the daylight and at night in the glare of artificial lighting. A good foundation will make all the difference in enabling your Montreal wedding photographer to capture your beautiful moments. Nothing says classy better than the neutral toned makeup. Accent the neutral colored eye makeup with a touch of brown and gold that will make your eyes pop. Also ensure that your makeup is waterproof just in case you become overwhelmed and begin to cry at your wedding. And steer clear of the eyeliner on the top of the eyelid as this is rather passé.

For your cheeks, be sure to remember to put on some blush, in either peach or a warm pink shade; and have your lips in a light colored shade that’s similar to the color of your lips, and then apply a little gloss to finish. Your lips will look natural and attractive for when “it’s time to kiss the bride”. Apply the color once at the beginning of the day, then moisturize a few times to ensure your lips remain luscious and picture-perfect during your wedding. There’s a variety of long-lasting lipsticks available in the market for you to choose from.

Have someone on hand to act as your makeup checker. This could either be your maid of honor or even your mom, who will always keep their eye out for when you need to retouch your makeup. They could even carry around your makeup in their purse for easier access whenever you need to reapply. Before you use a product, ensure that you have tested it days before your wedding day. The last thing you want is the new foundation you bought the day before resulting in a skin reaction on your wedding day. Do not use products you haven’t tested prior to your big day. Make sure you have an emergency makeup kit on hand for easy access in case of anything. This should contain lipstick, hairspray, a hairbrush and clear nail varnish to repair ladders in your stockings as well as a small sewing kit for those god-awful rips.

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2013 Wedding dress trends

Thursday, April 25, 2013 Posted in Wedding vendors

It is a brand new season and the runway has seen a vast array of wedding dresses with designs that will set the trend for the year. So what are the reigning trends for this year?

Peplums

Although we’ve seen peplums around for a few years, Charlize Theron’s 2013 Oscar gown is sure to revitalize the trend. The white Dior Gown had a sparkly peplum.

Long Sheer Sleeves

This trend made the headlines when Kate Middleton graced the aisle in an exquisite long lace sleeved wedding dress by Sarah Burton, creative designer of Alexander McQueen. Two years later, it is still going strong!

Off Shoulder Necklines

What do Walt Disney’s princesses like Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Belle, Jasmine and so forth have in common? An off shoulder neckline ball dress! This look is very romantic. Choose from modest necklines that reveal the tiniest bit of shoulder to those that defy gravity by hanging low off the shoulder.

Dresses with Sheer Overlay

You can create shape and structure with multiple sheer overlays. Sheer overlays give the dress a magical and dreamy appearance.

Corset bodies

Corset backs or lace up backs not only give dresses a sense of Old World glamour but also help create a sensual hourglass shape. Although most traditionally associated with big ball gowns, corset bodies with sheath and mermaid gowns create a lean and modern silhouette.

Backless

Brides to be, get ready to pamper that back of yours. Exfoliate, tone, moisturize your back appropriately to ensure your back is aisle ready. Wedding dress designs this season features sexy ways to expose the back region, whether it’s a cut out back or fully bared back.

Although keeping up with new trends and getting the most fashionable wedding dress seems like a dream come true, it is important that the wedding dress you picked flatters your body shape too. Other than that, just have fun with it!

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Alexandra and Ianick Wedding

Thursday, April 18, 2013 Posted in Wedding stories

Manoir Rouville Campbell in St. Hillere is a truly beautiful place. It is one of my most cherished places when it comes to wedding photography. It resembles an old castle both on the inside and outside, while its surroundings provide great opportunities for taking memorable wedding pictures. There is a gorgeous lake, a beautiful garden, a fountain, lots of trees and flowers that offer ideal backgrounds for wedding photography. Inside, the spacious rooms of the castle are decorated with antique furniture. Simply put, the Manoir Rouville Campbell in St. Hillere is a wedding photographer’s paradise.

With wedding coordinator Carte Blanche fully on top of things, Alexandra and Ianick’s wedding kicked off to a great start. The morning started with a poker tournament between the groom’s men in a beautiful salon downstairs of the castle. It was fun taking shots of the guys playing. We had a great time creating images that came out looking very cinematic. While the boys were having fun, Alexandra got ready in a beautiful wedding suite with a large fairy tale window that always looks gorgeous in wedding images.

The day was extremely hot – and when I say extremely, I mean extremely. It really seemed like everything around us was melting and I still have no idea why the ceremony was held outside under the glare of direct sunlight. We were forced to hold a special translucent panel over Alexandra and Ianick so that the bridal couple would be in the shade as we photographed them. After all, it’s extremely hard to stand under the burning sun to say “I do” no matter how madly in love you are. I truly believe that the little shade helped the couple to survive the wedding. The other reason why we had to get the pair under the shade (most importantly of course) is because faces do not look flattering in direct sunlight because of the harsh shadows.

Although Manoir-Rouville has a magnificent park full of flowers, we could not stay long outside for the pictures because of the terrible heat. However, we did take the time to do some beautiful night shots outside at night in the surrounding areas. Alexandra claimed that she usually hates taking pictures and feels uncomfortable in front of the camera, but on her wedding day she looked stunning and felt at ease with me. Her ability to relax enabled me to capture some beautiful wedding images.

Theirs was a wedding full of character. There was a lot of humor, especially coming from the speeches which were hilarious. For example, the bridesmaids prepared a very funny speech telling the story of Alexandra and how she started dating Iannik. The last wedding speech by Alexandra’s friend was truly worthy of a standup comedy prize. Alexandra and Ianick were ecstatic and the guests were thrilled to be witnessing this loving union. It was a great pleasure for me to be present and capture the memorable moments in images that will tell the story of their very special day for a long time to come.