What Your Photographer Is Really Thinking on Your Wedding Day

Ariane Laberge Côté has spent years documenting weddings across the greater Montreal area — from the Island to the Laurentians and beyond — and her approach is something we very much admire: present, unobtrusive, and quietly catching everything.

n this piece, she takes us inside her head for a full wedding day, hour by hour. If you’ve ever wondered what your photographer is actually focused on while you’re living the moment, this one’s for you.

What I’m Thinking During the 8 Hours of Your Wedding, Hour by Hour

By Ariane Laberge Côté, Montreal Wedding Photographer

You’ve planned your day down to the smallest detail. So have I. But not quite in the same way.

Here’s what’s going through my mind, from the first hour to the last dance.

9:00 a.m. – The Apartment or Hotel Room

I always arrive before the day really begins. Not just for the photos of dresses and shoes lined up neatly, although I take those too. I come to feel the energy. Is everyone relaxed? Is there nervousness in the air? Who’s going to make the bride laugh naturally?

I take note of the key people. The best friend who’s known her for 15 years. The mother who’s been trying not to cry since this morning. Those are the people I’ll be watching for all day.

11:30 a.m. – My Three Allies

In Montreal summers, the midday sun can be unpredictable. I make a mental note: outdoor portraits will happen later in the afternoon, not now. I look for soft shade: a tree, a corridor, a north-facing wall.

The light, the couple, the location. My three allies. And more often than not, it’s the light that leads the dance.

2:00 p.m. – The Ceremony

During the ceremony, I keep my eyes on the couple, and on everything else at the same time.

I’m also watching the guests. The father sitting in the front row. The restless children. The grandmother clutching her handkerchief. The ceremony lasts 30 minutes; the most powerful moments last 30 seconds and happen all around the room.

2:35 p.m. – The 10 Minutes After

This is my favourite moment of the entire day. Everyone stands up, the newlyweds turn around, and then… it happens. Beautiful chaos. Everyone wants to hug them at the same time. I stop directing anything. I disappear. I take my photos.

They’re almost always the best images of the day.

4:00 p.m. – The Portraits

The sun starts to drop. The light becomes golden, soft, flattering. This is the moment.

I take the couple aside for 20 to 30 minutes, no more. Couples who disappear for an hour of photos miss their cocktail hour and come back exhausted. My job is to be efficient, not to monopolize their day.

I give them one simple instruction: walk slowly, talk to each other, forget I’m here.

6:00 p.m. – Dinner and Speeches

It’s during the speeches that the masks really come off. The laughter, the held-back tears, the knowing glances between the newlyweds. Old friendships reconnecting. Exhausted children asleep on their grandparents’ laps.

9:00 p.m. – The Final Hour

The dance floor is full. It’s dark, so I bring out my flash. Everything is unpredictable.

This is also when I create some of my favourite photographs. Because by this point nobody has been paying attention to me for hours, and people are finally completely themselves.

I leave with 800 to 1,000 photos. I’ll deliver around 400. Every single one will have earned its place.

Ariane Laberge Côté photographs weddings throughout the Greater Montreal area, from the Island of Montreal to the North Shore, the Laurentians, and the South Shore. If you’re looking for a Montreal wedding photographer who documents your day as it really is, visit: www.arianelabergecote.com