I love how entirely unbothered Clémence & Ian were as I met them on a chilly October afternoon in downtown Ottawa. (I was happy to have been able to wear my wool coat, as the weather is usually far too hot or too cold to wear it). Above is one of the portraits we did before the ceremony. If you could turn up the volume in that photo, you would hear a preacher recording a livestream from the park bench behind them and the voices of tourists speaking different languages while strolling towards the Rideau River.
One of the things I love most about photography is the story outside the frame. The things assumed or insinuated by what’s inside the rectangle. The other people who might have been present but are not visible – the faces and other body parts at the edge of the frame. The evocation of a feeling that helps you imagine what might have happened after this scene or just before it.
“The only people who see the whole picture,’ he murmured, ‘are the ones who step out of the frame.”
― Salman Rushdie, The Ground Beneath Her Feet.
The ceremony and reception both took place at Little Victories Coffee Roasters on Elgin Street in downtown Ottawa. The couple chose a cocktail formal style, prioritizing atmosphere, movement, and connection over rigid structure.
The ceremony was conducted in both English and French, reflecting the couple’s lives and the mix of guests who had travelled from outside Canada. Following the ceremony, the celebration transitioned seamlessly into a catered cocktail-style reception. Food was served in small plates, encouraging guests to circulate and connect rather than sit through a long, formal dinner, which allowed people to linger, reconnect, and move through the space comfortably.
Once dancing got underway, a DJ and live Saxophonist (djuvisjdanevics.com) brought a crazy wonderful energy to the room. If you’re planning a wedding, I highly recommend getting yourself some live music as it lifts the atmosphere in a way nothing else quite can.
Vendors
- Venue: Little Victories Coffee Roasters – Elgin, Ottawa, Ontario
- Catering: Whalesbone
- Music: Janis Danevics, Saxophonist
- Dessert: Suzy Q Donuts
- Dress: Sézane
- Suit: Indochino
I am Sara, an Ottawa Wedding Photographer based in the capital of Canada. If you are planning a Cocktail Style Downtown Ottawa Wedding, I would love to be your photographer! I’m available for engagement sessions, weddings, and elopements (mini-weddings) across Ontario, Canada, and internationally, and my style is a mix of documentary and art. You scrolled this far to see the full preview of this sunny engagement shoot so you probably like what you see, so why not contact me to book a free consultation for your wedding today?
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Equipment used: Panasonic S5IIX and S5II with a Panasonic 70-200mm f/2.8, Panasonic 50mm f1.8, & Sigma 35mm f/2
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