Justyna and Joel have quite a bit of wedding experience, as they’re a pair of Canada’s favorite wedding photographers themselves. Thankfully the couple are used to thinking quickly and solving snagged plans, because not even a last-minute venue change could stop their elegant black tie wedding in Ottawa. We love the creativity and fast thinking behind the draping across the ballroom of The Westin Ottawa to transform the venue into their dream celebration. Talented photographer Micheal Beaulieu had a tough job photographing the wedding of photographers, but he exquisitely captured the candid, sweet, and positively glamorous moments that Justyna and Josh will forever cherish.
The Couple: Justyna and Joel
The Wedding: The Westin Ottawa
The Inspiration: “We wanted to keep it pretty simple and classic. We didn’t really have a ‘theme’ per se, we just brought together elements we jive with. As full time wedding photographers ourselves, our own planning took a bit of a back seat. In the end, our day was as perfect as it could have been but we did run into a few planning snags (like changing venues last minute). A lot of the decor elements are from our own home (the vases, carpet aisle runner, archway and candelabras, “Eat The Food” sign) and the rest were sourced locally. I suppose we wanted to created a tent wedding, without having the price tag that comes with one. So we opted for a hotel ballroom, and draped the whole thing to look like a tent. It also ended up being a perfect contingency plan in case of the rain.”
The Moments: “Justyna: For me, it was walking down the aisle. I was a lovely emotional wreck and I loved feeling every little thing I felt as I walked toward Joel.
Joel: When I was waiting with my back turned to Justyna during our reveal. I extended my hand behind me and held hers, without yet seeing her. I could hear her laugh-crying. I loved that.”
The Couple Recommends: “We absolutely loved working with Tia at The Westin. She made everything beyond easy! We didn’t have a traditional hotel wedding, and as such, our requests were slightly unorthodox (i.e., we need to cover every inch of this room in fabric!) and she not only made it happen, she recommended fabulous vendors to boot! Tia was there for pretty much every step of the planning, and went above and beyond in every way. She wasn’t technically our planner, but she planned this one, we need to give her credit on that for sure!
Sophie at Sage Designs was also a dream to work with. From showing her our (very plain) ballroom and showing her our plans, she was right there with logistics and set up. She took our vision and made it reality!
Micheal was also the perfect photographer for us. We just love how our photos turned out!
I pretty much need to mention all of our vendors. Catalina set up the room beautifully and we love what she did with our ceremony site. We are so grateful she was there to create the beautiful atmosphere in our room. Terrence (music) was a true joy! I can’t recommend him enough! The music was perfect and spontaneous. Also, our videographers were perfect for us. They were very “fly on the wall!” Sometimes you get videographers that are so in your face, equipment everywhere, I can honestly say I barely noticed them. Which is a huge compliment! They didn’t turn our day into a video shoot, and just allowed it to unfold naturally. I also have to thank my friend Gwen for my reception dress – I just LOVED it! Finally, I have to thank Jasmine at The White Dress for making me feel so special in my ceremony dress. From our initial consult to dress delivery, I felt/feel like a million bucks in that gown!”
The Wedding Team:
Photography – Micheal Beaulieu
Event Styling – Satin and Snow
Venue – The Westin Ottwawa
Floral Design – Michelle Vanden Bosch
Cake – Fab Cakes
Ceremony Musician – Terence Wright
Videography – Cooper Street Video
Invitations – Minted
Makeup Artist – Faces by Noah
Hair Styling – Bridal Fashion and Hair
Wedding Dress – Monique Lhuillier via The White Dress
Reception Gown – Gwen Madiba
Bridal Accessories – Elsa Corsi
Groom’s Apparel – Suitopia
Groomsmen’s Apparel –
Rentals – Amy & Jen Decor, Lou Lou Rentals
Tenting and Draping – Sage Designs
Thank you so much to Michael Beaulieu for sharing these remarkable images, and to Justyna and Joel for sharing their romantic day. For more black tie wedding inspiration, don’t miss Laura and Field’s elegant black tie affair at the Biltmore Estate.
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