The “light” reveal: Chateau Vaudreuil Wedding in Vaudreuil-sur-le-lac

A joyous ‘wedding after a wedding’ at one of Montreal’s most elegant hotels: Chateau Vaudreuil

Nestled just off the island in Montreal’s Monteregie region, Chateau Vaudreuil is luxury by the water - the only 5-star hotel in this area, boasting 116 beautiful rooms on the Lake of Two Mountains. It is a go-to venue for weddings and events with many stunning spots for wedding photography on their well-kept and picturesque grounds.

Would Chateau Vaudreuil be a good fit for your wedding? This venue is ideal for couples who:

Enjoy a more luxe experience but with a sprinkling of casual atmosphere by the water
Don’t mind if there is another wedding (or other event) taking place at the same time. There is lot of room in the hotel and on the grounds, but if you want to feel like the only couple in the world being married at that moment, it may not be for you.
Would like to invite your guests to stay, and that makes the evening more enjoyable where no one has to drive home that night.

If you’re looking for a similar Montreal wedding venue, still by the water but perhaps a bit more rustic and intimate, you can consider Auberge des Gallant. Click here to see a wedding at the Auberge.

A family reunion

The family and friends of Candace and Nick are spread across Canada and US. Close to the groom’s childhood home, the couple decided on Chateau Vaudreuil as the location for their wedding. As they actually tied the knot in a small ceremony during the pandemic, they chose a Sunday afternoon in June to bring family together in celebration.

The “light” reveal

In the spirit of my eternal duality, a light reveal has a double meaning:

To feature select photographs from the wedding
To comment on the light and other elements to be considered when planning your wedding photography at this venue

This Montreal wedding focussed on family, friends and re-kindling of connection after years of stay-at-home. The wedding had about 80 guests. Since the couple had already officially wed, they opted to do some bride and groom portraits on the grounds before their ‘unofficial’ ceremony and we also did some family portraits so that they could spend more time with guests at the cocktail.

Good weather allowed an outdoor ceremony and portraits as well as the cocktail on the terrasse. Daytime portraits can be a bit tricky if it’s not cloudy or overcast, as some of the best features of the property are in full sun for a good part of the day. Full sun portraits are both possible and beautiful but do require some thought and proper positioning to minimize unflattering shadows. We find shaded areas for family portraits or with backs to sun, but for the creative session you want less limits! If this is of concern, then scheduling portraits for later in the day would be the best option, although it may coincide with cocktails. I always take my couples out for a few sunset/ late day photographs if the portraits are scheduled earlier.

For sunset at Chateau Vaudreuil, the large tree is the best spot, although there was some temporary fencing behind it that I had to creatively work around. While the sun doesn’t set on the water, you can see below that the dock is still a great choice for a portrait with some subtle sunset colours and the start of “blue hour” which is lovely for silhouettes.

Watch for the full reveal of this laid back, Sunday afternoon wedding!

Here’s to joy,

Lucy