Photographer & Photojournalist – Buffalo, NY – Weddings, Portraits, Brand

Lucy and Josh were married on a rainy late August day that somehow never really rained too much on us. I started the day with Lucy in her parents home where delicious Lebanese treats were instantly pushed on me.  This is ALWAYS a great sign of the day ahead.  Lucy and Josh’s family and friends were such lovely and EXCITED people, you could really feel the pride, love and support for these two.

Now let’s take a moment to appreciate the sparkly things:

Lucy and Josh both selected their siblings as their maid of honor and best man, looks like a good choice to me.

We traveled to Trinity Episcopal Church in Buffalo, NY for Lucy and Josh’s ceremony.  Trinity is a gem in Buffalo.  It’s an inclusive space that welcomes all, and it’s beauty is undeniable.  These cozy, candle lit ceremony’s may challenge photographers, but they sure take your breath away.

From Trinity we continued to the Japanese Gardens outside the Buffalo History Museum.  This is a classic location for wedding pictures and for good reason.  The rain must have scared away the other brides and grooms this day because we somehow had the place to ourselves.

A little light rain encouraged us to move beneath the columns of the stunning Albright Knox Art Gallery, another classic location that never, ever disappoints.

We finished the day off at Samuel’s Grande Manor where a festive reception was under way.  Sparkly table decorations filled the room and were complimented Flowers by Nature’s gorgeous center pieces and Ohlson’s incredible glittery cake! 

No Lebanese wedding is complete with out LOTS of circle dances!

Can you find second photographer Steve?!  I put him to the task of painting the sky with sparklers for a portrait of Lucy and Josh, but he didn’t quite manage to exit this scene on time.  I left him in this shot for comedy sake (:

Any Sound of Music fans?  I can’t help but sing the song “You are 16 going on 17” when I look at these photos in Samuel’s gazebo.

Many thanks to Lucy and Josh for having us document their wedding day!  And as always, thanks to all the other vendors who helped make this day special:

Preparation: Bride – Private Residence / Groom – Hilton Garden Inn

Ceremony: Trinity Episcopal

Officiant: Kirk Laubenstein

Portraits: Japanese Gardens, Albright Knox Art Gallery, Delaware Park

Reception: Samuel’s Grande Manor

Flowers: Flowers by Nature

Hair + Makeup : Hair I am

DJ: CJ Sound

Cake: Ohlson’s Bakery

Second Photographer: Steve Karosik

Often times my clients live out of town and I don’t have the chance to meet them before their weddings.  I generally try to at least get a Facetime call in before the wedding so we can get to know each other a little bit.  The second that facetime call went live with Alexa, I had a real good feeling I was going to get some great moments with her, and I was right.  The joy was as visible as I’ve seen – all the laughter and tears brought about some of my favorite candid shots of the year.  Add to that Rob’s tux, the single coolest military uniform I’ve ever seen (Rob’s a PARATROOPER… also probably the coolest military job I could think of) and this wedding was a sight for sore eyes.

I started the day with Alexa at her parents home while my lovely second photographer for the day, Ms. Teri Fiske, hung out with the guys at the Mansion on Delaware.

From here we traveled to Blessed Sacrament church, enter the water works.

Favorite!  ↓My favorite moment from my facetime call with Alexa was when she asked, “would it be ok if we went to Mr. Goodbar for a few photos?”  Now my friends spend a lot of time in Mr. Goodbar, so I had to ask what the connection was.  Rob chimes in, “she likes drinking!”  Yes, we’ll get along just fine.  Onward to the reception at the fabulous Mansion on Delaware!

Big City Horns may have taken up half of the room, but no one would have had it any other way.  They are fantastic entertainers!  Last but certainly not least – a photobooth photo ready for awkwardfamilyphotos.comMany thanks to Alexa and Rob for having us along to document this beautiful day and many thanks to these fabulous vendors who contributed to the day:

Ceremony: Blessed Sacrament Church

Portraits: Albright Knox Art Gallery

Reception: The Mansion on Delaware

Second Photographer: Teri Fiske

Hair and Makeup: Pure Organics

Band: Big City Horns

Florist: Tops

Bakery: Tops

Hayley and Steve reached out to me with news I hadn’t heard before, “we’re having a destination wedding in Buffalo, NY”

My thoughts: “Really?”  I mean, I love Buffalo, a lot, but of all places?  How random!  For these two though, not really.  Hayley and Steve met online while Hayley was doing mission work in CHINA and Steve was hunting wild game or wrestling or some other interesting thing he does in the YUKON.  Somehow these two connected across all those miles, and when you see them together, it all makes sense.  Is Steve from China, you may ask?  Is Hayley from the Yukon?  Still no.  These two haves ties every where from Jamaica to Great Britain, Arkansas, Boston, California, I seriously have lost track.  So getting married somewhere in the middle of it all and making an adventure of it just made sense.  So, there we were.

The couple got ready at the Hampton Inn in downtown Buffalo before heading off to Templeton Landing for a rooftop ceremony overlooking downtown Buffalo and Lake Erie.

Let the rooftop ceremony begin!Steve’s parents offered heartfelt prayers during the ceremony.I don’t want to commit to saying this was the hottest ceremony of the summer, there have been a lot, but, yea… it was.  Everyone made the most of it though and a beautiful, heartfelt ceremony was witnessed by all.  The bridal party took a walk to the gardens and beach at ajacent Erie Basin Marina for some portraits.  I was a little surprised no one dipped their feet on a hot day like this!Back to Templeton Landing for a reception in their bright and beautiful ballroom!For sure the most animated marriage certificate signing I’ve seen to date:Many thanks to Hayley and Steve for allowing us in to their worlds for a day and for choosing our beloved Buffalo for this celebration – photographing such an amazing variety of people and witnessing such a touching wedding day was beyond lovely.

More thanks to the other vendors who made this day special:

Preparation:  Hampton Inn

Ceremony + Reception: Templeton Landing

Portraits:  Erie Basin Marina

Bridal Makeup: Holley Fromell

DJ: Moving Music