First Look Montreal Wedding Photos in the tail-end of hurricane Debby

A common question for wedding photographers is what happens when it rains on our wedding day? When I met Sissy and Marc for our final consult, it was a sunny, 30 degree day. At that time, I assured them that cloudy days were great for photos and that light, intermittent rain could be worked around with umbrellas, or finding covered spots, or even just waiting for the clouds to pass. Typically it doesn’t rain the WHOLE day. And guess what? As the remnants of Hurricane Debby passed through Montreal on their wedding day and the downpour was real and lasting.

You can’t change a wedding day. It is what it is. Embracing the circumstances is the only thing that can be done, and this couple did just that. They prepared for rain by bringing umbrellas and nothing affected their mood at all.

I kept an eye on the strength of the rain outside. As the couple invited family for a traditional Chinese tea ceremony, there were guests on premises early, and due to the rain they moved to the reception hall right after the tea ceremony. That would make it difficult to have the first look indoors. First looks are usually private and intimate, so we didn’t want all eyes on us. The preparation room was small and not really an appropriate spot either. So I asked the couple if they were willing to be outside with umbrellas. At La Bullerie, there is a concrete path through the vineyard, which would prevent the bride from walking on wet ground or grass. I proposed the entry of the path near the buildings, to be able to get back to cover quickly. They were great sports and agreed.

I was very fortunate to have some helpers! The maid of honour and best man were outside with us, waiting to be called on for support. The best man stayed by my side (and kept up despite me moving around to get different angles of the first look) and kept the umbrella over my head, protecting me and the camera. It was a team effort! I angled most of the photographs towards the vineyard fields, creating a wall of green. One benefit of rain is that greens become so vibrant! I instructed the couple to hold the umbrellas during the actual reveal, but then to throw them to the side while they took their moment. The moment would be quick so they wouldn’t get soaked, but I wanted a few photographs without the umbrellas. They picked them up again for a few portraits.

No photographer can foretell the weather, but you want a photographer who has some skills to overcome not-so-great weather conditions. We are an observant bunch, must we don’t limit those observation skills only to the photographs. We become finely attuned to what is around us, where we can go, what we can use. As soon as I arrived, I scoped out the venue, assessing where we can go if it didnt’s stop pouring, and how I could still create beautiful and memorable photographs.

The wedding portraits were done under the tent that was on the terrasse of the building. Using a long lens and coming in close, I was able to minimize background distractions and still show the outdoors, for which the couple chose the location. Below, I’ve shown some pulled out photographs to demonstrate what the space looked like, and our results.