Canadian Aviation Museum Wedding

It was the eve of their third anniversary and Sean had a big weekend planned. He booked a hotel room at an Inn in Wakefield and purchased 2 concert tickets for a band later that day. When he told Mélyse of his ‘huge surprise’, she knew right away that something was up…It was clear in her mind that he would propose that weekend, and she was confident that it would happen the day after the concert, on their actual anniversary. With this in mind, she let her guard down for the night and decided to stop guessing when it would happen, and to just enjoy the concert…

As they put on their coats to get ready for the concert, Sean worked up the courage to ask her to marry him by casually saying, “There’s only one thing missing”…

…Mélyse – having pushed the proposal idea out of her mind – realized he was right, and that she’d forgotten to use the washroom before their walk in to town!…She quickly turned on her heels towards the restroom, completely missing the motions of Sean getting down on one knee!…Shocked, Sean waited down there on the ground for her to come back, while the nervousness started set in. As she walked out of the washroom, she saw him waiting there – stiff with nerves and down on one knee. She knew right away that this was it, and it was then that she agreed wholeheartedly and forever to be his wife.

Mélyse and Sean were married in at the Canadian Aviation Museum, surrounded by family, friends and airplanes! We begun the day at the Lord Elgin Hotel in downtown Ottawa for a morning of bridal preparations!

Next stop was the Canadian Aviation Museum, where Sean and his groomsmen were getting ready for the day!

The ceremony took place under the spotlights of the museum’s theatre, and was officiated by one of the couple’s best friends. He had us laughing, clapping, and singing – yes, singing!! – throughout the ceremony. It was truly one-of-a-kind!!

Immediately after the ceremony, we hopped outside to chase the setting sun for portraits. It was one of the nicest Fall days we had all year, and we were grateful for the warm sunlight!

A few photos with the bridal party, before heading inside for the reception…

The reception space was filled with – you guessed it – airplanes!! I was beyond impressed that Sean knew all the technical names of the airplanes, and I loved hearing the stories behind the canvases, which were hand-painted by his father.

These two may have been some of the funniest emcees I’ve ever seen at a wedding! They deserve a huge shoutout for keeping us entertained all evening long!

An impressive grand entrance…

…which lead immediately in to the bride and groom’s first dance.

Just one look at these next few images and I instantly get ‘Hooked on a feeling’ stuck in my head…a total surprise from the groom and his groomsmen!! ‘Ooga-chaka, ooga-ooga, ooga-chaka, ooga-ooga’…

Told you these guys were awesome…!!!

Then it was time for some heartfelt speeches and toasts…

…followed by the sweetest parent dances.

We wrapped up the night with cake cutting and portraits around the museum…

And what better way to end this post than a photo with Sean’s favourite airplane and his favourite leading lady!

Mélyse and Sean, your wedding was an absolute dream to be a part of, and getting to know you over the past year has been a dream come true! It’s bittersweet that your wedding day has come and gone, but I look forward to keeping in touch with you and to visiting your growing family over these next few months! You are both incredible friends and I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for you!

To the newlyweds, guests and all vendors at The Canadian Aviation and Space Museum thank you for inviting me to celebrate with you! Keep in touch, my friends! Much love, A.

And thank you to the following vendors for your contribution to Sean + Mélyse’s wedding!:

Ceremony + Reception venue: The Canadian Aviation and Space Museum
Wedding dress: Boutique 1861
Bridal hair: Shannon from Salon 130
Bridesmaids hair: Claudia Urgolo
Bridal makeup: Vandana Kattar-Miller + Louise Clyke
Music + lighting: Quality Entertainment
Florals: Melissa Lafrance
Linens + Catering: AJ’s Catering
Dessert artist: Shawna O’Brien
Photography: Amy Pinder Photography