Hotel Place d’Armes wedding in Old Montreal

I’m excited to share some photos of this Hotel Place d’Armes wedding!

About The happy couple

Ayako and Patrick are both graduate researchers in very advanced sciences that have something to do with the atmosphere, with weather, with waves in the sky, with things way over my head. But they are also two of the friendliest, warmest people ever! 🙂

How did they meet? Ayako stopped by a friend’s office to bring him a special chocolate bar she had brought back from a trip home to Japan. Her friend wasn’t there, so he missed out on the candy. But Patrick, his office-mate, was there and that’s when these two first began to chat.

Wedding preparations at home

Patrick got ready at their home with his friends and family, while Ayako’s family had rented an airbnb appartment since they traveled from Japan to be there. This gave them two different places to get ready and avoid seeing each other before the big moment at the wedding ceremony.

The bride designed the wedding stationary herself
A small book on their shelf held the wedding rings in a secret cutout
Rings held in Secret Safe Books hollow book
Wedding rings resting on the groom’s speech
Portrait of the groomsmen
Ayako’s mom peeking out at the bridesmaids getting ready
A quiet moment for the bride before the big day begins

Their DIY wedding at Hotel Place d’Armes

Their wedding was filled with little special touches that they’d planned. A hollow safe book to hold the rings. A DIY dixie cup backdrop they built together to decorate the front of the room. Ayako designed all the beautiful wedding stationery herself (invitations, seating chart, programs). Even the confetti thrown at the ceremony was all hand-punched by them! What a labour of love!

The wedding venue was Hotel Place d’Armes, located right in Old Montreal near the Notre-Dame Basilica, surrounded by cobblestone streets and old architecture.

The ceremony was very personal with friends taking on the roles of officiants and musicians.

The wedding guests in front of Place d’Armes Hotel
Wedding party in Old Montreal
A cozy chat with friends at Royer Courtyard

After the wedding party headed back to the venue, the bride and groom and I stayed back to take a few wedding portraits of the two of them. The sunny summer weather gave us some beautiful settings as we strolled and took wedding photos around Old Montreal.

Hotel Place d’Armes wedding reception

To make their way into the wedding reception, the bride and groom had to cut their way through a sheet with a giant heart. This is a German wedding tradition where the wedding couple is typically giving small scissors to make this task a little harder. The couple races to finish each side of the heart, as the game is said to portend who will have the upper hand in the marriage. The game may also serve to show the good teamwork of the newly wedded couple!

After cutting their way through the sheet, the groom traditionally carries the bride through.

The wedding reception included many touching speeches from family members. It was heartwarming to see these emotional moments.

Ayako’s father sharing a toast
A tearful speech from Ayako’s younger sister
Poetry recitation by Patrick’s mom
The wedding cake was a raw, vegan cake provided by Rawesome Cakes
The wedding couple cutting the cake
First dance

After their first dance, the

Some cool participating vendors:

Hope you enjoyed the photos of this lovely wedding in Old Montreal! I always appreciate photographing here, so please get in touch if you’re planning your own wedding at the Hotel Place d’Armes.

Updated for 2021: Hotel Place d’Armes COVID-19 info: Due to governmental shutdowns because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hotel Place d’Armes has been forced to shutdown its restaurants and ballrooms temporarily. You can consult their safety procedures page, for info on how they are adapting to keep clients safe or reach out to them directly to find out more about their wedding booking and postponement policies.

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