Studio 55 Blog

Latest

Melissa & Vince

It is said that when you deal with food, all your senses are awake. Added to that, it is called the culinary arts for a reason, being a chef requires passion, flair and an eye for beauty. So, at culinary school it seems like romance is bound to happen with all those chefs in one place, doesn’t it? Melissa and Vince met in their second year at St. Pius X Culinary Institute. They started out as partners on school assignments, and this being culinary school, that didn’t mean sitting in a quiet library, it gave them a chance to really get to know each other. Then the turning point came when they were out for dinner as a school event.

A few years later on a summer evening in June, on what should have been a warm night, Vince decided to take Melissa to her favorite area of the city, the Old Port for dinner. It was the weekend of her birthday and he planned on taking her for a horse and carriage ride. However, Mother Nature decided to throw a wrench in the nights’ plans. It turned out to be cold and rainy. Undeterred, they parked the car and started walking looking for a place to go. Vince then pulled Melissa over to a spot on the sidewalk near St. Jacques, dropped to one knee (briefly landing on her foot) and proposed. It may not have been the picture perfect proposal he had in mind, but when you get to marry the one you love, it is always perfect.

Melissa and Vince had an additional challenge and delight of having bought a house and renovating it during the same year as planning and having their wedding. There was a brief initial thought of jumping on a plane and getting married on a beach somewhere or to elope, but knowing they would break too many hearts if they did that, they opted for a good time family wedding instead. As for the rest of the planning, Melissa’s favorite colour is purple, and that was carried through the wedding. Vince originally suggested sunflowers, but Melissa didn’t think it would go with the purple. So, on their wedding day, Vince surprised her by sending a bouquet of sunflowers to her in the morning. Like minded, Melissa surprised Vince with a sunflower boutonniere for the reception.

Two standout moments took place on their wedding day, the first being when Melissa and Vince came out of the chapel of Notre-Dame Basilica. For Melissa, “it was just me and him. It was satisfying that is was done and all the prep paid off.” The second moment was during the reception and Vince was making his speech. He wanted to dance with Melissa to the song Chasing Cars, by Snow Patrol, since it was the first concert they saw live together.

May 9, 2012 | Categories: albums, Montreal photography, wedding | Tags: Melissa & Vince, Notre-Dame Basilica, Old Port, Snow Patrol, St. Jacques, St. Pius X Culinary Institute, sunflowers | Leave A Comment »

Andrea & Danny

Little siblings are often seen as a pain in the behind when we are teenagers and they are hanging around us and our friends. Lucky for Andrea and Danny that Andrea’s older sister didn’t feel that way, because that is how this couple met all that time ago. Andrea was about 12, Danny was 14-years old and he was friends with her older sister and several other people. Andrea had developed a crush on him at that tender age. After high school, Danny left Montreal to attend prep school and only returned when he was about 20-years old. He reconnected with his friends, saw Andrea and there was an instant spark (isn’t there always in the best love stories?), and they started dating.

About six years later, Danny knew he wanted to propose, he knew he wanted it to be different and for it to be outdoors. Andrea and Danny lived only one street apart and right near them there was a mountain and lake, so his plan was to get her to the top of the mountain, but how to get her there? Her parents had purchased snow shoes, so he decided they would “test them out” on the mountain, so they made plans to do just that. He kept calling to confirm their plans, she would keep saying yes, not so sure why he was being so insistent about this. December 23rd arrived, and off they went for what turned out to be quite the workout up the mountain. They finally reached the summit, and took some time to catch their breath and admire the view. Then Danny started telling Andrea how much he loves her and finally dropped down to one knee and proposed, completely surprising her.

They decided to have the ceremony at St-Joachim in Pointe-Claire after having seen it in friend’s pictures and falling in love with it. On their wedding day, Andrea was a bit nervous in the morning when she was getting ready. However, at the ceremony, “seeing Danny I had a rush of emotion. It calmed me. This is how it is supposed to be, and no more nerves. I couldn’t have asked for a better day. It was amazing.” Andrea and Danny had the added bonus of having grown up in such a tight knit group, their bridal party was made up of all close friends, which is not always the case.

April 23, 2012 | Categories: albums, Montreal photography, wedding | Tags: Andrea & Danny, Pointe-Claire, Snow shoeing, St-Joachim | Leave A Comment »

Sharon & Phil

The best relationships are those that find two people as friends first, and when they become best friends, that’s a perfect basis for a relationship. Sharon and Phil met at work, where they are both in marketing. They were teamed up on a project, which had them spend a lot of time together. Now, haven’t we all fantasized about a work situation like this at one time or another? Well, for Sharon and Phil, this led to a beautiful friendship and after a few months it transformed into a relationship.

Around four years later Phil had a very special day planned for Sharon. It began with a spa package for Sharon alone, with services like manicure and pedicure. Then it was off to breakfast together. Afterwards, it was back to the spa for an afternoon of treatments together, such as massages and jacuzzi. The day of decadence continued with a fondue dinner and then an evening in the Old Port. Phil took Sharon for a horse and carriage ride under the fireworks. Then, he provided some of his own fireworks in the form of a proposal. He gave her a scrapbook that he made himself. It contained pictures of their time together over the years, and the last page was a picture of an engagement ring. Then he took the ring itself out and told her he loved her.

After that, these two were in sync with their wedding planning and everything went smoothly. On the day of the wedding, a highlight for Sharon was getting into the limo on the way to church. “It was the anticipation, it was exciting. The moment of getting married had finally arrived and then seeing Phil at the church. It turned out better than expected. It was good.” And speaking of things being better than expected, Sharon and Phil had a honeymoon baby, a little boy born in June, Luca. Congratulations!

April 20, 2012 | Categories: albums, Montreal photography, wedding | Tags: Fireworks, Old Port, Sharon & Phil, Spa | Leave A Comment »

Percilia & Gerardo

It is often said that opposites attract, but isn’t it even better when two people have a whole world in common that they can share? For Percilia and Gerardo fashion is that world and they do more than share it, fashion brought them together. They were both studying at Lasalle College and had noticed each other enough to develop a crush, but it never went further than that. As fate would have it, they each ended up at the retailer Jacob, she in sales and he as a designer. Finally, he approached her at the company Christmas party and they began a friendship. After that, Percilia took the initiative and asked Gerardo out on their first date. Three years later he proposed.

Percilia had started a new job with MEXX, and to celebrate Gerardo had suggested a vacation to Las Vegas. They arrived late in the evening and despite Percilia being tired, he encouraged her to make an effort and they headed out for a late dinner. They found themselves in front of the Bellagio Hotel with its famous fountain that is a show in and of itself with the lights and music. There was a fair crowd there, so they moved over to the side a bit and found their own quiet spot to enjoy the moment and take some pictures. Gerardo then said he had to tie his shoes and knelt down to do so, but Percilia noticed they were fine… and once he was kneeling, then came the proposal which completely surprised her. They then spent a few more days in Las Vegas and then headed over to Los Angeles in newly engaged bliss.

The planning went well, and choosing the church was easy, as they both always loved Eglise St-Jean Baptiste, which just so happened to be right near the first Jacob store on St. Denis where Percilia first worked. As for the reception, the Hyatt downtown was ideal with their newly renovated ballroom, and being downtown it accommodated their big family. As for the decor, Percilia’s cousin was the florist and she gave him carte blanche and he did an exceptional job. On the wedding day, when she walked into the ballroom and saw what he did, she was blown away.

Their wedding day brought many memorable moments, in particular when Percilia arrived at church and saw Gerardo for the first time at the other end of the aisle. Another highlight was their first dance at the reception to the song Quando by Nelly Furtado and Michael Bublé. A very meaningful moment for them was between the first and second course during their reception, when a Portuguese singer performed about five songs for everyone. She said it was her mother’s idea and it made it feel like being in Portugal itself, it was like a gift from her mother.

April 5, 2012 | Categories: albums, Montreal photography, wedding | Tags: Bellagio Hotel, Eglise St-Jean Baptiste, Hyatt Hotel, Jacob, Las Vegas, Lasalle College, Los Angeles, MEXX, Percilia & Gerardo, Portugal, Quando by Nelly Furtado and Michael Bublé | Leave A Comment »

Annie & Stéphane

The Canadian Armed Forces may be perceived as strict, tough and not the kind of environment where two people would find love, but there is always an exception. Stéphane saw Annie present at a conference in 2008, but never got the chance to meet her. As fate would have it, they were both later stationed in the Montreal office and this time Stéphane did not waste his opportunity to meet Annie. That was all it took, and they soon started dating.

A year and a half later the January Haiti earthquake happened and both Annie and Stéphane, with their medical expertise, were deployed to Haiti to set up a field hospital. The military rules are severe, especially for couples so Annie and Stéphane were not allowed to be together, not even allowed to hold hands while they were abroad for their three-month tour.

They decided to take a vacation after their time in Haiti, and after a brief stop over at home, they were off on a Caribbean cruise. Stéphane was certainly a man with a plan. On the night of the Captain’s Dinner, Stéphane had forewarned one of the photographers of his plan, so that the moment could be captured. Though Annie had no idea what was coming. So Stéphane suggests they have their picture taken like so many other people are doing. Then, he pulls the ring out of his pocket and proposes, and at just the right moment the cruise photographer snaps away, forever capturing Annie’s surprise.

Dress shopping was quite easy for this military bride. She had seen the store represented at the Grands Salon Marions-Nous, and knew that was where she wanted to go. It was only the second dress she tried on and that was it. The venue was also an easy choice for this military couple, and that was the Military College in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu. It had everything they were looking for, with the beautiful Old Mess, antique looking interior, it gave them the outdoor ceremony and it was right on the water.

“The whole day passed so quickly and went perfectly,” said Annie. “When I saw Stéphane at the end of the aisle it was really motivating. I wanted to get there faster!”

March 28, 2012 | Categories: albums, Montreal photography, wedding | Leave A Comment »

Angela & Mike

Call it confidence, call it intuition or call it knowing the right guy when you meet him… but when Angela was introduced to Mike by a high school friend they had in common one day at Café Milano, Angela turned to her friend and told her that one day she will marry Mike. Though unfortunately, Mike seemed resistant to Angela at first, and she wasn’t sure if he thought she was too much to handle or had too big a personality (and those who know and love her will gladly say that she has a big personality!), but Angela decided to back off Mike for a bit. However, having friends in common, they often saw each other and Mike would just so happen to find himself by Angela’s side.

The moment of truth arrived when Mike invited her to his parent’s 25th anniversary party. She figured if he didn’t introduce her as his girlfriend, that was it. Luckily for them both, he did. To her surprise, that evening in a conversation with his mother, she found out that Mike never brought girls home, and he had once told his parents that if he did, she would be The One, and there stood Angela…

Five years later, this couple who can be categorized as foodies, partly because food is Mike’s profession as the owner of the Restaurant Mozza, were still going strong. Angela had been wanting to go to Restaurant XO in the St. James Hotel, where Mike knew the chef, though even with that in, getting a reservation was no easy feat. One night before Christmas, Mike tells her to get ready to go out, but doesn’t tell her where they are going. When they get to XO, they are greeted by name, it surprised Angela, but she just went with it.

They were seated above the grand staircase of the beautiful restaurant, which is adorned with chandeliers and exquisite art and has been given four stars. Then the food began to arrive, and with each course Angela was surprised that they were all her favourite foods. Mike planned this ahead of time with the chef. Then just before dessert, Mike got down on one knee and poured his heart out to Angela (very uncharacteristic for him, which made it even more special!) and proposed. They were then brought champagne. Afterwards they were given a tour of the restaurant, kitchens and met the chef.

The food theme followed Angela and Mike through to the wedding, where she had artichokes in her bouquet and the men had rosemary and peppers as their boutonnieres. They also did away with tradition when it came to the church. Instead of the big church in Little Italy, they decided to start their own traditions for their new family, and chose a church that felt grand, beautiful and antique, Saint Vincent Ferrier.

“That day was me and Mike. It was everything I imagined. I blinked my eyes and it was over. I enjoyed it and took in every moment.” Of her favorite moment of the wedding, Angela said, “When I got up the stairs to the church, fixing my dress and seeing Mike. Seeing him smile… It was a long aisle and my face hurt from smiling.”

March 21, 2012 | Categories: albums, Montreal photography, wedding | Tags: Angela & Mike, Café Milano, Little Italy, Restaurant Mozza, Restaurant XO, Saint Vincent Ferrier, St. James Hotel | Leave A Comment »

Teri & Hadi

Dancing brings out the passion in human nature. So it seems like the most natural thing in the world for two people to meet and fall in love at a dancing class, especially a Salsa one, where the passions can run a bit higher than some others. Teri and her friend had been going to the class, and her friend had convinced her brother to join… in comes Hadi. There was a Valentine’s Day party and Hadi’s sister couldn’t make it, so Teri and Hadi went together, just the two of them. After that, they started seeing each other more regularly and then made their couple status official.

After dating for about a year and a half, they had bought a condo together and had been going to it to bring over some painting supplies. Hadi, knowing Teri likes things on the quiet, more intimate side and not splashy, had chosen this place, where they would create their home together to propose. He told her that he wanted her to know that the condo was a new beginning for their new life together and he wanted to make it official, and asked her to marry him. With that, he managed to surprise Teri and she of course said yes!

They knew they wanted to get married about one year after that and started their partnership well, in making all the major wedding decisions together. The church was very important to them. They got married at the church where Teri grew up, having attended community camp and choir at Maria Auxiliatrice. To make the ceremony very meaningful and unique to them, with Teri being Italian and Hadi being Lebanese, they had priests from both cultures there.

Of the wedding day, Teri says, “I felt very good. I didn’t want to stress. I would redo my wedding any day. I wasn’t nervous. It exceeded my expectations. Every time I see the video, I cry. My husband laughs at me. It was a very special day.”

March 13, 2012 | Categories: albums, Montreal photography, wedding | Tags: Maria Auxiliatrice, Salsa dancing, Teri & Hadi | Leave A Comment »

Melissa & David

There is something magical about marrying your first love and that’s how it was for Melissa and David. They met through her cousin when she was 16-years old and then dated for nine and a half years. When it was time to propose, David knew he wanted to do something different and go somewhere else for it. Therefore, what better way than to take Melissa on a cruise just before Christmas as a surprise? They first spent a few days in Miami, and then boarded the ship.

David didn’t wait too long before popping the big question. It was the night of the Captain’s ball on the ship, an evening where everyone is dressed to the nines in elegant gowns and suits. He took her for drinks before dinner to a piano bar on the top deck, which had windows lining the walls and a view of the ocean. There, he asked her to marry him. Melissa immediately said yes, and they had the entire rest of the cruise to enjoy their newly engaged bliss. Upon their homecoming, their families threw them a party, having known about the proposal plan ahead of time.

After that, it was time to start the wedding planning. One easy part was in selecting the church. Melissa and David knew they wanted to be married at Mary Queen of the World, having always been in awe of that church, and so on August 27th they were. When it came time to find the dress, Melissa discovered something out about herself that she didn’t know… she was picky! Finally, at the last store she went to, having thought she found her dress, she went back again, this time with her dad and that clinched it for her. She had found the dress that felt most like her.

Looking back at their wedding day, Melissa says she wouldn’t have changed a thing. “Seeing David at the end of the aisle was the moment I was most looking forward to, and getting the party started, that was fun too.”

March 1, 2012 | Categories: albums, Montreal photography, wedding | Tags: Mary Queen of the World, Melissa & David | Leave A Comment »

Hanane & Spyros

Normally there is nothing romantic about the world of finance… but for Hanane and Spyros it can be said to be what brought them together and that is worth calling finance the land of love. After about one year of dating, they had talked of marriage. One night, Spyros told her not to make plans, and she knew it was coming, however the how was the surprise, and he pulled out all the stops! Though he did manage to surprise her a bit because she expected the proposal around Christmas, but instead, this magical moment came on January 3rd.

The evening started out when Spyros picked Hanane up and took her out to the upscale La Queue de Cheval restaurant where he made sure there was plenty of attention lavished on her. Then it was off to the mountain to the Belvedere lookout and he proposed on that winter eve under the night sky. After Hanane said yes, he then said to her “the night is not over yet.” Spyros then whisked her off to the W Hotel where he reserved them a suite with two floors with a view of downtown Montreal.

Ironically enough, the hall for the wedding was booked one month before they got engaged. They knew they wanted to get married and they knew they wanted to have their reception at Plaza Antique, so to be assured that they could get the venue… they booked. The only reason they weren’t engaged yet, was that Spyros couldn’t come up with the idea for the proposal. He certainly did a great job once he got the idea!

Their wedding day flew by for them. A great moment for Hanane was when they walked into the hall and everyone was there, they had their first dance and they felt all the energy surrounding them. That was something special. Now, they are delighted to be expecting their first child. Congratulations Hanane and Spyros!

February 20, 2012 | Categories: albums, Montreal photography, wedding | Tags: Belvedere Lookout, Hanane & Spyros, La Queue de Cheval, Plaza Antique, W Hotel | Leave A Comment »

Stephanie & Vincent

Stephanie and Vincent met at Dawson College, and after some time, he asked her to officially be his girlfriend in a slightly nerve wrecking moment in a garden on campus. Several years later, a trip to Cuba was planned and Vincent had thought to propose while there. However, he was a little worried about traveling with the ring. Instead, before leaving they were at his family’s home and Vincent suggested he and Stephanie go for a walk. He tried to casually go upstairs to get the ring out of its pouch, but Stephanie snuck up on him, and surprised him and in return got a surprise herself in the form of a marriage proposal. They spent the rest of the day celebrating with his family and then went to Cuba with the people that would become their Maid of Honor and Best Man. Despite the timing of the proposal having changed, confirmation that it was meant to be came in the form of a dream. One of Stephanie’s friends had a dream that very same week that Stephanie would become engaged.

When it came to preparing for the wedding, some things were just right. Stephanie always wanted to get married at Saints Agnes Gardiens Church since having attended another wedding there. With the Lachine Canal and the old Fur Trade museum just across the street, it was the ideal setting for some picture perfect moments. On the day of the wedding, despite the heat that was at full blast on that July day, Stephanie and Vincent had a great time taking pictures on the canal with the Studio 55 team and for Stephanie, it was one of the highlights of the day.

On their wedding day, these lovebirds were both surprised not to be as nervous as expected, and rather basked in the love of their closest friends and family. For Vincent, “seeing her walk down the aisle is a special moment you wait for, for so long. You are already smiling, but then you smile a little bit more.” For them, their wedding was more than they could have imagined, and isn’t it a wonderful feeling to experience more than even your mind can dream up?