Hotel Nelligan wedding in Old Montreal
Josyane and Sylvain are from Abitibi, about a 7-hour drive from Montreal. They invited their closest friends and family to make the expedition and join them for their romantic wedding in Old Montreal. I got to know them a bit as they planned for their wedding photos at the Hotel Nelligan. They are a lively, impulsive couple with plenty of laughs shared between them.
Hotel Nelligan wedding venue
The couple chose to host everything at the Hotel Nelligan, making the day go by so much smoother. They got ready in the morning with their friends up in a private room and down in the Verses restaurant on the first floor. There was lots of good chaos during the preparations and little moments to photograph.
The afternoon wedding ceremony took place in the Salle Royale at Hotel Nelligan. A good friend of the couple officiated the wedding, bringing some inside jokes and personal touches to the event.
Sand ceremony
The couple included the groom’s children with a unity sand ceremony, where each person in this newly formed family poured in a different colour of sand into a clear jar to represent their harmony.
There were tears from friends and especially the groom’s mom.
They also had a few good laughs: especially when the bride unfurled her suuuuper long vows!
And more laughs when the groom ran to get a box to stand on for the first kiss, so he could be taller for once!
Wedding photos in Old Montreal
After the ceremony, Josyane and Sylvain led the way to the nearby Notre-Dame Basilica for some group photos in the Place-d’Armes square. They were the talk of the tourists!
We took a few group family formal portraits in the Le Royer Courtyard, then wandered around the neighbouring streets for a few wedding couple portraits in romantic Old Montreal.
Cocktail hour on Terrasse Nelligan
As evening fell, the cocktail hour took place on Hotel Nelligan’s splendid rooftop terrace. The bride and groom returned and were greeted with happy cheers. Guests enjoyed drinks, hors d’oeuvres and a stunning view of the Old Port.
wedding reception at Hotel Nelligan
By nighttime, we discovered the Salle Royale transformed into a wedding reception decorated and decked out in style for a feast.
Wedding guests shared funny speeches, toasts, improvised songs and games.
The real party started when Josyane and Sylvain impressed everyone with an epic choreographed first dance!
Creative night photos
During the night, the wedding couple and I snuck outside for a brief creative photoshoot. The bride wanted to do a coffee-run to Starbucks with her new husband (an inside joke for them) and take a few photos along the way.
We headed outside and just across the street was a cute alleyway lit up with string lights. We paused for a few portraits there.
A little ways further, I noticed a huge red cloth draped over construction scaffolding and asked the wedding couple to stand in front of it. You can make anything look interesting in photos with a little light and a creative angle. I added a small flash on the sidewalk behind them to light up the red fabric. It gave us some great geometric-themed silhouette photos.
Then, we hit the Starbucks for their coffee photos. I stayed outside and photographed them through the window, getting some nice city lights reflection in the glass, and giving the shots a bustling urban vibe.
I hope you enjoyed these wedding photos from this fun Hotel Nelligan wedding.
P.S. If you’d like to see the videography team’s story of the day, check out this wedding video by Bojo’s Film.
Getting married in OLD Montreal?
If you’re planning your wedding at Hotel Nelligan, I’d love to work with you. It’s always a pleasure shooting at this amazing venue. Just send me a quick hello to get started!
Updated for 2021: Hotel Nelligan COVID-19 info: Due to governmental shutdowns because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hotel Nelligan has been forced to temporarily shutdown its restaurants and ballroom. You can consult their safety procedures page, for info on how they are adapting to keep clients safe or reach out to them directly to find out more about their wedding policies in the time of COVID.
