Current updates on Buffalo, NY photographer Lindsay DeDario's photography musings
Jon and Kerry’s wedding celebration in Rochester, NY featured a cast of characters I won’t soon forget. The guest list was chock full of chefs, musicians, visual artists, and all the cool kids in between. And from getting ready at The Strathallan to the portrait photography and wedding ceremony at George Eastman House to the reception at The Revelry, this crew was there to celebrate Jon and Kerry and party hard. All that energy flowed in full force through the photography, and my eyes were very pleased.
All this… revelry… was very fitting you see. The bride and groom, Jon and Kerry, are bar and restaurant owners themselves. Operating establishments such as Buffalo Proper, Angelica Tea Room and the site of the reception, The Revelry, Jon and Kerry are pros at entertaining and know how to show wedding guests a great time. Add to this mix, the coordination services of event planner extraordinaire Syrie Roman of Social Maven, and you have yourselves one heck of a party.
I began the day with Kerry and her wedding party at this beautiful home connected to The Strathallan. Second photographer Steve joined Jon and his crew next door in the hotel.
As we finished up our portrait photography at the George Eastman House, the guests began to gather in one of the property’s many other gardens for the wedding ceremony. This lush garden with arched structures created an absolutely stunning backdrop for photographs.
In true restaurateur form, Jon inspected the glass for spots before stomping on it.
The band Emefe traveled from New York City to entertain for the evening. They had the crowd moving from moment one of this reception. Jon and Kerry chose a loose timeline for the wedding reception without much formalities outside the speeches. They really wanted a party atmosphere start to finish.
Fellow restaurateurs Zack Mickida and Jessica Railey were the best man and maid of honor. They delivered super thoughtful and emotion packed speeches for Jon and Kerry’s wedding reception.
Jon joined Emefe for an epic tour d’ drum during the wedding reception outside the Revelry. The crowd went wild!
A shockingly organized sparkler exit capped off the evening and Jon and Kerry bid their wedding guests a farewell and thank you.
Kerry REALLY wanted a moon theme for her photo booth. At the last minute though, they ran out of time to make it. So… naturally I did what any photographer would do. I pulled an all-nighter on the eve of the wedding, and I built this bride a moon, a rocket ship, a telescope, a shooting star, a Saturn, and painted up a spacey-ish backdrop.
In the morning I carefully carried the moon out of my studio and as I approached my vehicle, realized there was a 0% chance it would fit in my car. There was no time to redesign so… I drove from Buffalo to Rochester with the moon woven in one window and out the other. I was LITERALLY exiting the highway in downtown Rochester when SNAP, the tip of the moon broke off. ): But the show must go on. After all, a moon with a bite taken from it is better than no moon at all.
Many thanks to Jon and Kerry for having us create your wedding photography at the George Eastman House in Rochester, NY! And thank you to all these amazing venues and vendors who helped make the day so great!
Event Planner: Syrie Roman of Social Maven
Bride Preparation: The Strathallan
Groom Preparation: The Strathallan
Ceremony Venue: George Eastman House
Portraits: George Eastman House
Reception Venue: The Revelry
Florist: Bride!
Band: Emefe
Rentals: McCarthy Tents & Events
Second Photographer: Steve Karosik
If you or someone you know is in need of photography services, please have them reach out here!
Sometimes working in teeny spaces breeds creativity – In this case, while playing off the glass of a picture frame, I found that if the angle was juuuuust right, the glass provided really interesting reflections, like this beauty of Kerry while her mom helps her with her wedding dress.
The bride’s (Meghan’s) mom asked if she could show me something I might want to take a picture of. We walked upstairs and there was this. Six (6!) generations of wedding gowns hanging in the window (one in the box on the floor). That’s well over a century’s worth of dresses that mark the beginning of each of the marriages that created the women and gowns that followed.
I gasped when I walked into the room. I like pictures of pretty details as much as the next person, but I’m generally much more drawn to storytelling images. This was somehow different though. There was an energy in this room that was undeniable, the legacy of each mother was present in the space where Meghan would soon put on her wedding gown. Dresses might be frivolous, but in a way these dresses represent what wedding photography is really all about – tradition, history, family, connections, legacy, togetherness, and of course, lots of love.
