Strathmere Lodge Wedding
Michèle-Laure and Matt | A beautiful winter wedding at Strathmere Lodge
I met Michèle and Matt in a bit of an uncoventional way. They reached out to me just weeks before their wedding date, as their initial photographer fell through and could no longer shoot their wedding day. I was so grateful they reached out, because they ended up being two of the most amazing people. Getting to know them, despite the potentially stressful circumstances they were in, was such a treat.
They are two of the most kind-hearted, caring, and considerate people. Life has thrown them a bunch of curveballs (Covid restricting their wedding size was one of them), but seeing them navigate it all with such grace really tells me everything I need to know about them. I was honoured to be by their side to capture such an intimate, moody, and utterly romantic winter wedding day.
The vendors involved in the day
Here are the vendors that all came together to make such a beautiful day happen:
Photography: Lauren McCormick Photography
Venue and Catering: Strathmere Lodge
Cake: Justine and Buttercream
DJ band: Interlace Events
Dress designer: Maggie Sottero
Suit: Indochino
Jewellery: Rick Wilson
Florist: Ottawa Flowers
Hair: Hometown Roots
Officiant: Brigitte from All Seasons Weddings
The story of how they got engaged
Matt proposed in a very romantic gesture. It was Michèle’s birthday, and he sent her on a scavenger hunt. Complete with: a nail day, her favourite breakfast, dinner with her besties, and even a cottage getaway with their dog. It was all perfect. Unfortunately, when they got to the cottage, the original plan of proposing on the deck had to be changed due to the unexpectedly cold weather. However, that didn’t stop Matt from proposing right then and there, in the cottage.
The Strathmere Lodge Wedding
Flash forward to their wedding day. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, the wedding almost didn’t happen. This was when lockdowns and capacity limits were constantly being changed. At the time, we were all taking it day by day because we didn’t know if we would wake up to a new lockdown order. Thankfully, they were able to move forward with Strathmere’s capacity limit. The staff at Strathmere were so professional at managing all of this, while ensuring everyone was safe. We were so grateful to be working with such a great team!
The day started off with Michèle and Matt getting ready in separate locations. They shared a first look on site at Strathmere, and we then walked around the property to do couples portraits.
Portraits and Venue Decor
Strathmere has so many beautiful areas to take photos, and we certainly made the most out of their property! Since it was November, it was quite chilly outside. But these two are serious troopers and didn’t mind galavanting around outside to ensure we could get all the photos! The light dusting of snow and the soft November light resulted in dreamy snowy portraits. It made the location magical and cozy.
As for the decor, Michèle actually made most of it herself, adding a beautiful personal finish to everything. Everything really contributed to their intimate winter wedding vibes.
Ceremony and Night Portraits
Since this was a winter wedding, Michèle and Matt ended up having an indoor ceremony. To get even more personal, they had their son, William, stand with them. He was included in the ceremony and looked so proud to be a part of their special day.
Immediately after the ceremony, we whisked Michèle and Matt outside for some dreamy night portraits under the string lights. All in all, it was a spectacular day to be apart of!
