50 Sussex Wedding
Roula and Cory | A modern and elaborate wedding at 50 Sussex
The most beautiful and unique wedding venue exists in the heart of downtown Ottawa: 50 Sussex. It is the home of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, and they have the most remarkable views you could imagine. You can observe the Ottawa River, Gatineau Hills, and Rideau Falls from the location. These three incredible views and the gorgeous historic building make for the perfect venue. Roula and Cory were lucky enough to snag this venue for their big day, and it could not have been more wonderful.
The vendors involved in the day
This day was made possible by Roula’s incredible organizational skills as well as the amazing team of vendors that joined me. A huge shoutout and thank you goes to the full team:
Photography: Lauren McCormick Photography
Venue: 50 Sussex
Decor: Moonlight Events
Catering: DineWell Catering
Cake: Dulce Cake Design
Hair + Makeup: Haneen Alsoheli
Dress: Martina Liana
Officiant: Fr. Nektarios
DJ: DJ KVN
Stationary: Minted
Video: Christian Moreno
The story of how Roula and Cory met
Roula and Cory met the way any modern couple in 2019 meets… online! Although it was not love at first sight for the couple, you can tell their love runs deeply for one another. Their dates are always adventurous: they love boating, gardening, cottaging, and traveling. So when I read their love story, I knew these two were my people!
As a construction manager, Roula has a talent for woodworking. Cory always loved doing woodworking projects on the side. The couple has combined their talents and passions and are building their first home from the ground up. Their future home is where Cory proposed to Roula, with their parents cheering them on from the sidelines. I’m not sure much could rival such a romantic moment, except perhaps their wedding day…
The Ceremony at St. Elias Antiochian Orthodox Cathedral
Roula and Cory opted not to do a first look, instead preferring to see each other for the first time walking down the aisle. When it comes to the first time you see your love on your wedding day, it’s always such a personal decision. There is no right or wrong way to do it. But based on how Cory reacted to seeing Roula, I would say these two made the right call for themselves!
St. Elias Antiochian Orthodox Cathedral is a beautiful space to photograph. The lower ceilings really give an intimate feeling to the ceremony, and the ornate details pop in the photos!
Rockcliffe Park Portraits and Venue Decor
Immediately after their ceremony, we whisked Roula and Cory away to Rockcliffe Park for some portraits. We brought our umbrellas since the forecast was calling for rain all day, but luckily didn’t need to bust them out. One of my favourite little details about these two (that I didn’t know until their portrait session) was they have each other’s initials tatooed onto their ring finger!
After their photos at Rockcliffe Park, we drove over to Maple Island for a few more photos at the beautiful white bridge. Afterwards, we walked to the venue and I was absolutely floored to see the incredible details and decor awaiting us! Scroll down to see what I mean…
Reception and Sunset Photos
My favourite part of the day was the perfect grand entrance featuring a drum group and indoor sparklers. The whole thing was an event itself, and it was pure magic.
After dinner, Roula’s father made a speech in Arabic. It was so moving and beautiful that it had everyone in tears. Even those who don’t speak Arabic were moved by the amount of raw emotions. But the coolest part? The guests who couldn’t speak Arabic were given a QR code to scan, so they could follow along with an English translation. It was brilliant!
The day called for a 90% chance of rain, but someone was on our side that day, and the rain held off and even gave us a beautiful sunset, which I took full advantage of. Everything worked out so nicely for these two. It was such an honour being able to capture such a spectacular day!
