It started with a stuffed animal photo shoot. At just four years old, Mandi Leclaire was lining her plush toys on the couch, composing scenes through the lens of her mom’s wind-up film camera. By age 15, she had saved enough to buy her own Nikon DSLR—a brand she still uses today—and by 18, she was shooting her first paid family session. That early love for photography never faded. It deepened, matured, and eventually bloomed into Mandi Rae Photography, a wedding photography studio rooted in authenticity, joy, and emotional storytelling.
Based in Winnipeg, Mandi has spent the past seven years building a career on connection and care. She’s photographed more than 100 weddings and currently shoots about 20 each year, primarily across Manitoba. Her style blends true-to-colour editing with a mix of candid, gently posed, and romantic imagery—images that are alive with personality and anchored in real emotion.
“I have a smile/laugh and sudden movement radar,” Mandi says. “As soon as I sense it, I’m shooting. That’s how I catch the most genuine moments.”
A Sentimental Approach to Wedding Photography
Mandi’s work is marked by a hands-on, heartfelt presence throughout the wedding day. She’s not just the one behind the lens—she’s the one pinning boutonnières, fluffing dresses, wrangling tipsy groomsmen, and quietly keeping timelines on track. Her clients often describe her as more than a photographer. She's a calming presence. A quiet leader. A deeply empathetic documentarian with a gift for capturing fleeting, emotional moments others might miss.
That sentimentality isn’t performative—it’s rooted in who she is.
“I’m hugely sentimental,” she says. “Sure, I can take nice photos. But I’m also a really good person to have next to you on one of the biggest days of your life because of my patience, kindness, and ability to gently control situations.”
Whether it’s grandpa wiping away tears during the ceremony or a spontaneous laugh during the couple portraits, Mandi is always on the lookout for the small, in-between moments that say everything.
From High School Encouragement to Full-Time Career
It was a high school photography teacher, Mr. D, who first saw Mandi’s potential and told her she could make this a career. That encouragement helped push her toward PrairieView Photography School, where she earned her diploma and began taking on professional work.
Her first wedding wasn’t planned. She brought her camera along to a family friend’s wedding in Portugal and asked to shoot a few moments. Those images eventually became the start of her portfolio, which helped her land a second shooting role with a well-known Winnipeg wedding studio. She still second shoots for them to this day.
That humility—combined with a consistent desire to grow—is part of what has shaped her distinct style. Her editing approach is subtle but intentional: adjusting white balance, enhancing contrast while lifting shadows, fine-tuning colour, and removing distractions in Photoshop without over-processing.
Weddings with Heart (and a Bit of Play)
Mandi describes her work as true-to-colour, romantic, bright, and timeless, but it’s her approach on the day that makes her stand out. Every part of the wedding timeline gets a tailored touch.
- Morning prep: She finds creative lighting, stages meaningful details, and reads the energy of the room to adjust posing and tone.
- Ceremony: She coordinates with her second shooter and documents emotional moments with documentary precision.
- Reception: Off-camera flash is set up and ready, but it’s Mandi’s instincts for joy and vulnerability—laughing guests, tearful hugs, spontaneous dance floor eruptions—that guide the lens.
She adapts her direction based on the couple. For quieter pairs, she uses soft prompts and games to draw them out. For extroverted duos, she leans into more energetic posing and play. The goal is always the same: to make her couples feel fully themselves.
“I often attract laid-back couples—probably because I’m laid back myself.”
Balancing Art, Business, and Family Life
Mandi is also a mom and wife, raising her family in the same city she grew up in. She’s lived abroad in South Africa, visited Portugal seven times (her father’s home country), and now keeps her business mostly local—though she’s open to destination weddings again as her kids grow older.
Balancing family life with the intensity of wedding season isn't always easy. The emotional and physical demands of wedding days followed by solitary editing work can create a cycle of burnout for many photographers. Mandi offsets this by staying flexible and intuitive in her post-processing, switching tasks when something feels draining, and giving herself small wins throughout the editing queue.
She’s also deeply extroverted—recharging not by retreating, but by sharing her creative work, talking to fellow photographers, and staying connected through online and in-person community.
Looking Ahead
As her business continues to grow, Mandi dreams of shooting more luxurious weddings, expanding beyond Manitoba, and refining her client experience. But the core mission won’t change: preserving love, emotion, and connection in a way that feels true.
“Getting to immortalize someone’s special day, with all the emotions that come and go throughout—that’s an absolute honour.”
Website: mandiraephotography.com
Instagram: @mandiraephotos
