Jessica and Matt recently moved home to Buffalo, NY from Mobile, AL and are feeling awfully excited to be back. It only made sense that these two picked some of Buffalo’s most iconic locations for their engagement photos. We focused our time around Hotel Henry & Delaware Park. The hotel is an architectural gem and former psychiatric hospital now turned boutique hotel (and wedding venue!) and it has a special presence about it. It has a sort of brooding appearance as it looms in a meadow like setting. Something about its stature and history make it feel simultaneously haunting and beautiful. Either way, there’s no arguing this space makes a stunning backdrop for photography.
Hotel guest photo bomb!
From the Hotel Henry we ventured down the street to Delaware Park where we dipped in to a little champagne in the Rose Garden. Engagement Photos are always a little weird at first, but champagne helps!
One of the best parts of engagement (or wedding, etc.) photos in Delaware Park is the variety of backdrops you can achieve with just a short walk. From English gardens to this Beaux arts beauty, the Albright Knox Art Gallery, there are lovely settings in every direction.
In front of the Albright Knox you find Hoyt Lake. The south side of the lake is lined with gorgeous willow trees that sparkle and sway in the good light just before sunset.
One last twilight stop at the Japanese Gardens to wrap up this session!
Jessica and Matt got engaged in Canandaigua, a special place with a personal history for them. I can’t wait to travel there for the wedding next summer! Thanks to these two for choosing me to document these happy times! And welcome home Jessica and Matt! We (speaking for Buffalo) are so glad you’re back and starting your lives together here!
[…] so many iconic backdrops, from the Albright Knox Art Gallery to Hoyt Lake, the Ivy Bridge to the Rose Garden, it’s easy to see why this location is so popular for wedding […]
In all my years photographing weddings, Jessica and Shaun may have laughed more on this day than any other couple I’ve met. This day was filled with so much wedding joy and merriment that it’s hard to find photos in this collection where people aren’t laughing. During our engagement session, Shaun joked that I should feel free to say crazy things on the wedding day to get everyone laughing in the photos. There was absolutely no need for that. Scroll on through for some super fun memories from our portraits at Buffalo’s City Hall to a lovely Avanti Mansion wedding if you’re looking for a smile today.
But first, I began the day with Jessica and her party at the Westin Hotel in downtown Buffalo.
Salon 716 and The Makeup Parlour did such a gorgeous job with Jessica’s classic look.
I’m feeling some strong contenders for next years Mother’s Day post from this wedding…
Meanwhile Shaun and his crew hung out with second shooter Steve (can I start calling him SSS?) at this art deco gem, Buffalo’s City Hall! These guys were ready to ham it up.
I arrived with Jessica for the big reveal, which was *almost* serious until she spotted something in Shaun’s teeth and we all just went back to perpetual laughter.
After our portrait session we ventured to the Avanti Mansion where a garden ceremony and ballroom reception would take place.
Their pup had her own agenda for the ceremony…
In the Avanti Mansion wedding ballroom a beautiful reception was set in golds and blues for the guests to enjoy.
One thing to note about this crew, it was filled with dancers and gymnasts! It should have been no surprise when the wedding party introductions turned in to pirouettes and tumbling routines complete with judges.
These two had a nerf gun war for their introductions. They’re true romantics, what can I say.
This dance floor was nuts. People loved the props that the couple provided and just went to town with their singing and dancing.
This limbo series below is probably my favorite sequence from the day. I must have laughed for five minutes straight when I sat down to edit these. Guess I got a little too close?
Many thanks to Jessica and Shaun for having us document your day! And thank you to all these venues and vendors who helped make the day so great!
When I first met Morgan and her mom for coffee in Buffalo, and Morgan told me about a wedding they had planned in her home town of Alden, I thought, “Alden? I *think* I’ve heard of that?” Needless to say, I didn’t really know what to expect from this little town. Add to that, the groom Richie travels a lot for work and I hadn’t met him until the day of the wedding – so I knew I was in for a little bit of mystery! Well… the day started like this:So, I guess that’s how they do things in Alden! And I liked it. Meanwhile my second shooter extraordinaire for the day, Dorian, joined Richie and the groomsmen for a little while as they got ready for the ceremony. We had the sweetest little “first look” with Morgan and her dad, and then he helped out with the finishing touches.We had a second reveal for the bridesmaids out in the main room of the house and this reaction was priceless!A hop, skip and jump down the road was the sweetest little church, St. John’s, where the ceremony was held. After the ceremony we made a mad dash for Buffalo to get photos at the iconic Albright Knox Art Gallery. Morgan and I must have done the math 5 different times to make sure we could make this happen on the wedding day, and I’m so glad it worked out! This spot is always a dream to photograph.After Albright Knox we headed to Fox Valley Country Club for a few more portraits and the reception. We rode around on golf carts to find a spot for pictures and when I saw this little hill sitting in the good light I knew we struck gold. Sometimes bridal parties suggest poses and internally I’m like, “ohhhhhhhkay… do we have to?” and externally I’m all, “ok awesome, let’s do it!” But this was a case where I absolutely loved what they threw together!That lady in the front seat referred this wedding to me! I was already booked for her wedding, but she passed my info anyway, and I’m so glad she did! Thanks Tori!Back up to Fox Valley for the reception!Toy Bros DJs always do an aweasome job getting the crowd amped for photos, no exception here!Morgan’s cute shoes kill me in this one!
Many thanks to Morgan and Richie for having us document your day! And thank you to all these venues and vendors who helped make the day so great!
Another Stuart wedding is in the books. This is the third wedding I’ve photographed for this lovely family, and each one has been as beautiful and special as the last. As a photographer, there’s a distinct benefit that comes with working with the same family multiple times. In this case, I know which Aunt always cries during Mr. Stu’s speeches, I know the last dance will always be, “Piano Man.” I know Grandma Stu will inexplicably dance her tail off to, “Who Let the Dogs Out” and that the dessert spread will be next level. I also grew up in the house next door to the bride (before they lived there) and so I even knew my way around the house.
It has been such a privilege to watch this family grow and change since cousin Kelly’s wedding some 8 years ago (now mom to 3 with another on the way!) and I can’t thank them enough for hiring me to document all these big moments in their lives.
This day was about Julie and Chris (aka Nigel) though, and Chris brought a whole cast of new characters in front of my lens, all the way from England! You’ll notice the gorgeous hats and colorful wedding attire soon enough. Please adopt this tradition Americans! This made the wedding reception photography at the Admiral Room even more colorful and fun, that’s for sure. More on that later – let’s get started!
I began the day with Julie at her parents gorgeous home on the Niagara River in Lewiston, NY. Julie wasn’t originally planning to get ready here, as it’s a little bit of a drive from the rest of the festivities, but I’m SO glad she changed her mind. This house is just perfect for wedding pictures and the fact that it has a personal connection to the bride just makes it that much sweeter.
I have almost the EXACT same photo of Julie’s mom from her sister Lindsay’s wedding last year. That’s one proud momma <3
Julie’s dad joined us for an emotional “reveal” and gave Julie an embroidered handkerchief, another family tradition.
This next picture made me SO happy. Julie’s parents saved this folder of drawings Julie made of her future wedding gowns, and there they were, spread out on the coffee table on Julie’s wedding day. They had various design notes and an all important “STAY OUT!” memo on the cover. Gotta protect your copyright, respect Julie, respect. I know I mentioned earlier that I grew up in the house next door, and these instantly brought me back to the countless hours I spent with my neighbor Kristen drawing dresses in this exact house. I eventually went to college for illustration and now document weddings, and neighbor Kristen went on to become a painter. Must be something in the air on this street. <3
Julie rejoined her bridesmaids downstairs and a portrait session in the backyard was underway. Yes, this is the backyard… Gah!!!
Julie wore her sister Lindsay’s veil and it flew in much the same way it did on Lindsay’s big day.
Proud mom looking on from inside…
Meanwhile my second shooter for the day, Teri, spent a little time with these gentleman at the Westin Hotel in downtown Buffalo.
This is the groom, Chris! Everyone calls him Nigel though. Apparently when Julie and Chris started dating, Julie and her friends decided “Chris” wasn’t a British enough name and started calling him Nigel instead. Turns out Nigel isn’t a very popular name in England and the whole thing just got funnier.
The guys all had socks denoting their country of origin.
Julie met up with all her adorable flower girls and ring bearer before the ceremony for a quick little photo shoot. They were all SO excited to see her and be part of the big day!
Adorable little black sheep on the right is my spirit animal. On to Karpeles Manuscript Library for the ceremony!
This gift to the groom was a collection of letters the bride had been writing to Chris every day throughout their engagement. I heard many people describe Julie as, “beautiful inside and out” on this day – and this was just one more testament. Not only did she write these letters to Chris, but this couple hand wrote a letter to EVERY single guest with a little message about what their presence means to them as their place card (pictured a little further down.) There was even one for me!
These fabulous British ladies walked to the ceremony and then changed in to their heels. I love them.
Here comes the bride!
Second shooters find the darndest things at weddings. No clue why this was posted, but it made me laugh. Thanks Teri!
Let the tearful vows begin!
And then… as I had a giant group of Chris’ family lined up on the steps of the library for a photo, the annual “Naked Bike Ride” passed by and laughter ROARED. We all insisted it was an American wedding tradition. Amazing.
From Karpeles we headed a little further downtown for photos in Buffalo’s theater district and in front of the, “Greetings from Buffalo” mural.
On to the stunning Admiral Room at The Marin to create some wedding photography from a reception to end all receptions. This crew had fun, a lot of fun.
I absolutely love working at this venue. Wedding photography at the Admiral Room in Buffalo is such a breeze with it’s gorgeous arched windows and fabulous molding. It’s such a treat! If you would like to see more from the venue, check out this wedding when you’re done here!
These are the letters I mentioned that the couple wrote to each guest. Each clip held an envelope with a handwritten letter and a table placement inside. So sweet!!!
Dessert first, I’m with you Jules!
Introducing the new Mr. and Mrs. – from the Admiral Room balcony!
Remember in the intro when I mentioned the Aunt who always cries? There she is!
And the best family tradition of them all, Grandma Stu and, “Who Let the Dogs Out!” This time, with a robotic Christmas dog! (?!)
And one last tradition – the couple dancing to Piano Man in a circle(ish) of guests for the last song. Julie told me that a photo of this dance ends up being every ones Christmas card after each wedding. I love this SO much.
Many thanks to Julie and Chris for having us document your day! And thank you to all these venues and vendors who helped make the day so great!
[…] From Ellicott Square we were off to one of the biggest and most impressive ballrooms in the city for the wedding reception, the Admiral Room in Buffalo, NY. I had the opportunity to tour the Admiral Room several years ago when it was up for sale. A friend of mine had visions of turning it in to a wedding venue and wanted some feedback from a few of us in the industry. It was a big time YES from me, but he ended up passing on the opportunity. I’m SO glad someone else went through with this though because a special place such as this should not be sitting idle as an abandoned bank! The last time I saw the space there was carpeting and cubicles in here. It has taken a lot of time to get the Admiral Room up and running, but at long last it’s here! The staff was great and everything ran smoothly. I’m so excited to have this new space to work in – I’ll be back for a few more Admiral Room weddings in Buffalo this summer! (Update, check out another Admiral Room wedding here!) […]
[…] Can this room be any more gorgeous? I love the use of greenery to make a big statement in a big room where a small floral arrangement could easily get lost. Thanks to Honey Guild for supplying these! If you would like to see this room dressed up in a totally different color palette, check out this wedding! […]
[…] had enough of this wedding – check out Lindsay’s sister Julie’s wedding here! And as always, much appreciation to the other vendors who made the day what it was! Here they […]
Kelly and Sean are beautiful inside and out, as individuals but particularly together. And their gorgeous wedding followed suite. It was such a pleasure documenting this celebration from start to finish. The lovely bride and groom, their lovely family and friends, their lovely vendors and venues – this wedding made my job a breeze. Most of this wedding photography comes from the Admiral Room in Buffalo, but I started the day at my friend Lizzy’s gorgeous Salon, Salon Elizabeth, where the Kelly and her bridesmaids made use of Lizzy’s bridal room to get dressed for the wedding. Lizzy has created such a beautiful space for wedding parties to get ready (and for photography) and she does pristine hair and makeup – I just love working here!
Meanwhile Sean and his crew got ready at his house where this adorable pup and ninja cat kept a watchful eye over the proceedings.
Off to Delaware Park’s Ivy Bridge area where these guys eagerly awaited Kelly’s arrival. Love these moments of anticipation before the big reveal!
On to the gorgeous Admiral Room ballroom in the Marin building in downtown Buffalo for the ceremony and reception. I LOVE working here. Wedding photography at the Admiral Room in Buffalo gives me all sorts of heart eyes with it’s incredible architecture. Add to the mix my friend Syrie Roman of Social Maven to handle all the planning for this wedding and you can be sure the details looked perfect and everything went off without a hitch. Thanks Syrie!
Look how happy this wedding party is! I love to see couples surrounded by people so genuinely happy for them.
Can this room be any more gorgeous? I love the use of greenery to make a big statement in a big room where a small floral arrangement could easily get lost. Thanks to Honey Guild for supplying these! If you would like to see this room dressed up in a totally different color palette, check out this wedding!
A balcony introduction for the bride and groom!
We took a few minutes after dinner to get some photos of Kelly and Sean outside the Admiral Room with some great historic city of Buffalo backdrops. So glad we took the time for this!!!
Back inside for dancing!
Many thanks to Kelly and Sean for having us document your day! And thank you to all these venues and vendors who helped make the day so great!
[…] of the best parts of engagement (or wedding, etc.) photos in Delaware Park is the variety of backdrops you can achieve with just a short walk. From English gardens to this Beaux arts […]
[…] so many iconic backdrops, from the Albright Knox Art Gallery to Hoyt Lake, the Ivy Bridge to the Rose Garden, it’s easy to see why this location is so popular for wedding […]