Le Belvédère Summer Wedding
Laura and Eric | An elegant and timeless summer wedding at Le Belvédère
Laura and Eric put so much time, effort, and thought into their wedding day plans. They wanted to keep certain traditions while foregoing others. And the result is that they had a beautifully blended day full of traditional wedding elements, blended seamlessly with a modern twist.
One of the things I loved most about Laura and Eric’s wedding was how personalized it was. There are many ways in which wedding days can feel like they are “copy and pasted” from other days. But not Laura and Eric’s. They chose to do a wedding toast with champagne during their ceremony instead of later in the reception (as many couples do). And instead of having their sparkler exit on the main pathway at Le Belvédère where most couples have it, they had it on the boardwalk leading up to the terrace. Lastly -and perhaps my favourite detail- instead of doing a champagne pop during the day, they did it at night. (Scroll all the way to the bottom to see the epic documentation of that!)
All in all, their entire wedding day was personal, intimate, and absolutely beautiful.
fun fact:
Did you know I’m one of Le Belvedérè’s preferred vendors? You can check out their exclusive list of preferred vendors here.
The vendors involved in the day
This spectacular day would not have been possible without the whole team:
Photography: Lauren McCormick Photography
Venue: Le Belvédère
Decor & Florals: Sage Designs
Cake: Serendipity Cakes
Music: Fresh Events
Dress: Essense of Australia from Sinder’s Bridal House
Suit: Moore’s
Videography: North Park Films
Make Up: Makeup with TL
Hair: Portrait Salon
Officiant: the Merry Fairy
How they decided to get married
In Laura and Eric’s own words:
The first few years of our relationship we had so much going on that talking about marriage never even crossed our minds. We loved and supported each other. But we had so much personal learning and growing to do. It wasn’t until I (Laura) moved back to Ottawa that we started talking about it.
It was then that we decided to buy our own place (in 2018). It was a big step but honestly us moving in together made so much sense. I won’t say it was seamless (because is anything in life really?!) but nearly so. I was still travelling a ton for work and “grinding it out” and so was Eric. He was working as an engineer in training. It was only around 2019-2020, where we started seriously talking about getting married.
It was something we both really wanted and decided on together. As Eric’s mom would say “you’ve done all the hard work already” and we knew we wanted to be with each other forever… which of course doesn’t necessitate marriage! But we thought it would be a great way to celebrate our love with those we love.
Getting Ready at Le Belvédère's Garden House
The morning of their wedding was relaxed and calm, as every wedding should be. We had the privilege of working with Sage Designs, who took care of the florals and decor. We love working with Sage because they include extra blooms for the photographers to use for flatlays! I find this little detail makes all the difference when it comes to detail photos. If you’re getting married and want some epic flatlays, this is a great thing to ask of your florist (and communicate with your photographer, of course). These details help to bring all the photos together seamlessly.
Wedding Decor & Ceremony Candids
The couple truly outdid themselves with their decor! It was such a treat to photograph. I love when couples put thought and consideration into the vendors they hire, because it can truly elevate your wedding experience. Plus, having vendors that work well together and have experience working with one another really pays off.
For example, we work at Le Belvédère so often that we know when they have the reception space set up so we can plan to photograph the details accordingly. This means that Laura and Eric have some pretty epic coverage of their decor – something they put so much of their time, thought, budget, and effort into making happen!
The ceremony itself was beautiful. Catherine (aka the Merry Fairy) conducted a beautiful ceremony, followed by a picture-perfect champagne toast to celebrate!
Reception and Sunset Portraits at Le Belvédère's Cliffside vista
No wedding would be complete without an epic reception! And Laura and Eric’s was no exception. They have such a wonderful community of people surrounding and supporting them, that the entire evening was full of love, heartfelt speeches, and an epic dance floor.
We were able to carve out some time for their sunset photos too. This is one of my favourite moments in every wedding. It gives the couple a real chance to slow down their day, decompress, and take everything in. Plus, we’re always left with some incredible photos (the cherry on top).
