You might recognize this lovely couple from our engagement session in the Old Port a few weeks ago. Anne-Claire and Farbod brought the same energy and charm for their big day. They were so in love they got married twice: a Persian wedding ceremony at the downtown Montreal Omni Hotel as well as a catholic ceremony at the St. Augustine of Canterbury Parish. Most of the big day took place at the Omni Hotel - such a great venue to work in! Both bride and groom prepared there, which makes it so much easier for wedding photographers. I love seeing the contrast between the prep rooms of the bridesmaids vs. groomsmen. The guys were blasting music and ordering room service scotch whereas the girls’ room was more quiet, although you could feel the excitement and nerves of the wedding day in the air.
Then, cute moments started happening everywhere. Each bridesmaid received letters from Anne-Claire and a really amazing gift: earrings she had custom-made from the diamonds that were previously on her engagement ring.
The groomsmen also received a cool gift: a massive hug from Farbod.
Before seeing each other the bride and groom opened letters they had written to each other. Farbod’s reaction as he was nervously holding the closed envelope in his hands: Damn it. I’m going to cry aren’t I? Shit. Fuck. I’m going to cry. Damn it. She’s going to make me cry. Shit. Hilarious and adorable.
There were so many great moments from this wedding.
Bad-ass groomsmen:
Even more bad-ass bridesmaids:
Overzealous confetti throwers:
A rap-speech: 
A Persian ceremony for the cutting of the cake that involved dancing and bribing:
And much more! The Persian ceremony had a big spread of sweets, spices, fruits and honey. Everything was explained by the wedding officiant Lily Samimi who specializes in Persian ceremonies. We not only got great insight behind the customs and traditions of the ceremonies, but also behind how Anne-Claire and Farbod met.
You know what's weird? The florists, hair stylists, venue managers, DJs, they all see glimpses of the day. But wedding photographers, we get to see everything from start to finish. We're thrown into someone else's life for a full day and as the day goes along, we meet their closest friends and family, we learn their inside jokes, we hear about how they met and their fondest memories together. By the end of the day I can't help but feel like I've known them for years. Every time I leave the reception I'm like aww I'm going to miss them. You'd think that I'd become desensitized to this by now after seeing lots of brides and grooms, but apparently not, I'm still so emotionally invested in all of my couples. Thank you again for the wonderful day, I’m so happy for you guys!
If you haven't seen it already, check out my wedding portfolio!