Venue Spotlight: Le Mount Stephen
As I re-invoke this blog (which can we find a new word for spaces like this) I want to give spotlights to certain venues that I feel are giving abundantly in ambience. Le Mount Stephen is one of those wedding venues here in Montreal.
It was actually one of the first venues I ever worked at and it’s a venue that I love to photograph weddings of all sizes. Some couples use one room, some get ready in the the more modern renovated portion of the hotel and then use several rooms to host their wedding, cocktail, and reception in. The smaller historical rooms are what I am focusing on, where capacity sits around 60 guests. Perfect for couples planning intimate weddings and elopements.
Le Mount Stephen’s dark wood paneling, stained glass windows, ornate wall paper, paintings, plush carpeting, old stone exterior, sculptural antique decor and low ambient lighting give a sense of going back in time, to a world of conversation and refinery. What I also love is the way daylight travels, how the light provides a chiaroscuro effect, allowing me to take photographs that feel like paintings. There is a warmth that envelopes weddings, highlighting the intimacy of the gathering, which I think contributes to warmer speeches and toasts and a fluidity in the emotional landscape of a wedding day.
I have photographed couples who married at the hotel because their parents, or their grandparents, did — and they’ve wanted to recreate the photographs that they grew up admiring. To repeat and honor their family history. And I love that.
L & A wanted an “Italian-Light” wedding (as they called it), honoring their family’s history without the large guest count. Another reason why they chose this venue: the groom loves F1 and apparently Lewis Hamilton stayed at the hotel when he was in town. I love it when couples make choices that speak to their personalities. Below are a few highlights from their wedding day.
