Today is Mother’s Day, 2020. It’s a weird Mother’s Day. No one is going out for brunch. No one is really going anywhere. The world is on pause and so are our Mother’s Day festivities. It’s lame. But, all the more reason to celebrate the Moms of the world and reflect on all they do. As a photographer of family portraits and wedding photography in Buffalo, NY, I’m fortunate enough to have a front row seat for a lot of really, really special Mom moments. As I assemble this little collection every year, I realize how important these pictures are to families and what a privilege it is to make them for people. I’m feeling extra grateful, especially this year, not knowing when I’ll get to witness moments like this again.
Anyhoo, to all the moms out there, thanks for all you do to keep this world together. Without you, we have nothing! And to all those whose Mom’s are no longer with us, to those yearning to be a Mom, to those with complicated Mom relationships, socially distant virtual hugs from me to you.
But without further ado, a review of some favorite moments with Moms to soak up during this particularly mom deprived time.
To the Moms raising little rebel girls, high ten.
Devon’s also a rescue dog Mom, you’re doubly amazing, Devon!
The Moms who keep us put together and lookin’ sharp…
…helping us balance and just… helping – we thank you!
Mommas that keep us laughing…
…And Moms who let loose…
And especially Grandmas who tear the house down with their rendition of “Who Let the Dogs Out” at every family wedding, you’re the best.
Thanks for teaching us to walk on our own two feet…
…celebrating us…
…and knowing how to let go.
Thanks for those looks of admiration and pride, moms.
Thanks for the big, warm, comforting Mom hugs… mmm. Remember hugs?!
Moms who make two babies in one go… SUPERHEROES
I always have to send a shout out to the Aunts who are like second Moms – I had a couple of those myself!
Thanks, Moms, for doing weird things like this pointy handshake? I’m not sure about this entry, but I couldn’t leave it out!
Thanks to the Mommas who are present and soak it all in…
To all the new Mommas holding their babies close, savor it all!
Thanks to all the Moms still laughing at bad Dad jokes…
To the Grandmas bringing smiles to generations…
…and setting amazing examples for longevity.
This is Shirley. She was married to her husband for 65 years and received the bouquet for being the longest married couple at Eliana and Mark’s wedding! Unfortunately, Shirley is no longer with us, but what an amazing privilege it was to honor her legacy in this post. THIS is what wedding photography is all about.
Hope all the moms out there had a happy and healthy Mother’s Day! Here’s looking forward to getting back at it, documenting family portraits and wedding photography in Buffalo, NY very soon!
Before we dive in to this super special small wedding at Knox Farm, I want to share a special note I received from the bride, Ashley. I don’t typically post accolades or reviews someone has left, it always feels a little… icky, but this note was particularly meaningful to me.
“Linds…you know how I know these are good? It’s more than the fact that they are beautiful. It’s that they made me laugh…they made me cry…they made me feel everything that was beautiful and memorable and awesome about that day. I think sometimes people get so fixated on making or getting beautiful photography, but the point isn’t to remember how great you all looked (though that’s also fun -haha)…it’s to remember how you FELT. And you gave us that. Thank you for your spectacular work!!!”
In my photography, the element that has always mattered most was that the pictures had a pulse, so to speak. Each picture should breath Life to couples memories – not just serve as a reminder of what everyone and everything looked like, but what it FELT like to be present in that moment. For my storytelling based work, that’s the true mark of a successful photograph.
In the photography world we talk about, “visual literacy,” what the untrained eye can and can not “see” when looking at a photograph. Most people look at a photo and they know they either like it or they don’t, but they don’t ask themselves why, they just feel their way through it. And that’s OK, that’s all the viewer needs to do! It’s my job to understand all the whys and hows of making a great, storytelling photograph. But when a client is able to articulate how their wedding pictures made them feel, beyond a surface level assessment of their initial beauty, that means the absolute world to me. That’s when I know I’m doing my job well and providing couples with something truly important.
Let’s be real though, this was a beautiful wedding and Ashley and David are beautiful humans. They made my job a little easier than normal this day. 🙂
So without further ado, Ashley and David’s wedding photos! We started and finished the day right at Knox Farm in East Aurora, NY – a small town near Buffalo. Ashley and her wedding party had their hair and makeup done at a salon and had me join them for the finishing touches in the mansion on the grounds at Knox. This specific room is SO unique with its mural crawling up on to the ceiling and it’s walls of windows. It makes a beautiful spot for photos. The best part? You enter through a secret spinning bookshelf door!
This wedding had more happy tears than I think I’ve seen at any wedding over the years. You could tell how loved Ashley and David are by their friends and family and how genuinely excited everyone was for them! Dad was the first to start, but you will soon see he was not the last. <3
Ashley’s dad walked her out of the mansion on the Knox Farm property to where David was waiting for their big reveal or, “first look” beneath some birch trees in front of the house.
Here comes the bride!
The couples parents met us for their family portraits before the ceremony. It was so nice for everyone to be able to relax and spend some time together before the guests arrived! This tree-lined road that leads to the mansion at Knox Farm makes for a perfect photography backdrop too!
Whenever couples ask me about my style, I love to point them to the way I photograph group portraits. I want your friends and family to look like themselves! Everyone doesn’t need to stand in perfect uniformity for a balanced, beautiful portrait. There can be variety and natural poses as well!
While I photographed the ladies, David and the groomsmen enjoyed some whiskey in the ajacent field. I love these shots my assistant grabbed of the guys!
I grabbed a few quick portraits of Ashley and David in the field before the ceremony, but the real portraits would come later in the evening. Keep scrolling and your eyes will be very happy.
Time for an outdoor wedding ceremony!
These photos of Ashley with her parents before walking down the aisle are EXACTLY what a second shooter is for. I love having multiple perspectives of the day and can’t imagine this collection without these pictures!
How gorgeous is this woodland setting for a small wedding ceremony? I often see outdoor wedding venues set up where the couple is side lit by the sun and one poor person is looking straight in to the light the entire time. This shady spot eliminates any squinting and keeps everyone cool and comfortable on a warm summer night.
One of the things I love most about this location is that it’s adaptable to weddings of all sizes. A small wedding at Knox Farm can actually be held inside the mansion, but most opt for a tent in the yard. This sailcloth tent from McCarthy Tents and Events was absolutely beautiful. The wooden posts and flags adorning the top really dress it up.
The wedding party was introduced from their seats and greeted the guests with their best royal waves.
Did I mention there was a lot of crying at this wedding?
You can do a lot of unique things with your table layout when you have a small wedding at Knox Farm, including a giant head table like this!
Most weddings have a loving, emotional Aunt my camera falls in love with. This might be my all time favorite Aunt. Watch this progression…
As the evening progressed, I had my eye on this field filled with yellow flowers. I wanted to wait for that perfect golden hour light. That time of day when the sun is low enough that everything just GLOWS with warm, soft light. When it was time, Ashley and David were ready! One of the things I love most about weddings at Knox Farm is the opportunity for photography at every turn (check out another shoot here!). There are beautiful paths through the woods, glorious golden fields, tree lined roads, it’s a dream for a photographer!
Back to the tent for the rest of the wedding reception!
This gentleman reminded me just a touch of Meat Loaf (the singer!) in the best possible way.
Many thanks to Ashley and David for having us document their small wedding at Knox Farm! And thank you to all these venues and vendors who helped make the day so great!
[…] a mansion, Knox Farm really has it all. And side note, if you’re planning a wedding there (like this one!), I happen to be on their approved vendors list! (: It seems no matter who I photograph here though, […]
Before we get to Lindsay and Isaac’s wedding at Niagara Falls Country Club, a little introduction to this day. As a photographer, walking in to a wedding with a sense of familiarity is always advantageous. It brings a level of comfort and ease for both the clients and the photographer – which inevitably leads to people feeling more themselves in front of the camera and thus, looking more natural in photographs. This is a win for all. Typically familiarity is gained from a couple meetings, maybe engagement photos, but with Lindsay and Isaac’s wedding, the familiarity came in many forms.
I first met Lindsay many years ago when she was a bridesmaid in her cousin Kelly’s wedding. Kelly was my good friend in high school. We actually performed in the talent show together senior year – her beautiful ballet skills combined with my mediocre piano skills brought us a win! Kelly’s mom was also my Homeroom/English teacher (sorry for any typos here Mrs. Ruest!) in the 6th grade, the year I came to a new school. I remember that Mrs. Ruest made me feel comfortable in a scary new place all those years ago. I remember her being incredibly eloquent and the first teacher I recognized as being particularly good at what she did. At any rate, she was intuitive and heartfelt, and when you see the photos of her reading during Lindsay and Isaac’s ceremony, you’ll see not much has changed!
To add to all this, Lindsay grew up in a pretty special house – the house next door to where I grew up and a place where I spent practically every day playing as a kid with a childhood bestie, Kristen. I moved away long before Lindsay’s family moved in, but being back in this place where I have SO many happy memories was such a treat. The 80’s lego phone and spiral stairs may be gone, but I still felt so much nostalgia being back here. Memories of tree forts and diving rocks, macaroni n’ cheese in rainbow colored bowls, roller skating rehearsals, ghost in the graveyard, archeology digs, chalk walks, and so much more flashed before my eyes and added just a touch more familiarity to make me feel somehow connected to people I barely knew. Run on sentence, whatever Mrs. Ruest, I know! 😉
This story will carry on next July when I photograph Lindsay’s sister Julie’s wedding. I’m so grateful to be a part of photographing the ongoing history of this family. This day was such a blast and I can’t wait until the next one!
Without further ado – I began the day at Lindsay’s parents house while my second shooter extraordinaire, Teri, was with Isaac and the guys at the Niagara Crossing Hotel. Oh hey there sparkly Kate Spade’s!
Next stop, the wedding ceremony at Lewiston Presbyterian Church!
The Lewiston gazeebo will forever be the prettiest gazeebo I know. I’m so glad we took the time for a quick detour here before heading to the wedding reception at Niagara Falls Country Club!
And now for the best part of a wedding at Niagara Falls Country Club, portraits with this incredible view!
The view from Niagara Falls Country Club features the lower Niagara River, Lake Ontario, and on a clear day you can see all the way to Toronto!
Ted’s Hot Dogs (truck) for the win!!!
Family tradition here is that every wedding ends with a circle of guests around the bride and groom, arm in arm singing, “Piano Man” at the tops of their lungs. Why, “Piano Man” you ask? I haven’t got that far. It’s a VERY common tradition despite being a pretty sad song about a bunch of lonely people together in a bar – but drunk people love it, and so I do too (:
Many thanks to these two families for inviting me in for the day, it was such a pleasure! If you haven’t had enough of these wonderful people – check out Lindsay’s sister Julie’s wedding here! And as always, much appreciation to the other venues and vendors who made the day what it was! Here they are:
Whenever I see the words, “wedding in Ithaca, NY” in an inquiry email I immediately begin fantasizing about sparkly waterfalls, pristine blue lakes, charming small towns and warm people. That’s pretty close to the summary you could give Sage and Zach’s wedding. When Sage and I first started chatting about the plans for their wedding, she mentioned, a couple times, that it was very important that I was willing to hike to various waterfalls. I couldn’t possibly emphasize enough that she had come to the right place. When I’m not photographing weddings, I’m likely climbing mountains and exploring new areas. When I can combine the two in one day? Amazing. I looked forward to this wedding all summer long and it didn’t disappoint.
Sage and Zach met at Cornell University where they were both studying to be veterinarians. They decided to celebrate back where it all started and get married right in the chapel on campus, aptly named, “Sage Chapel.” But first, we started the day with the couple at the Del Lago Resort where everyone got ready.
This is where I met the long lost love I didn’t know I had, Pongo, Sage and Zach’s beautiful great dane. I’m sure I was missing my recently passed Emmet (who was part dane), but Pongo is just the sweetest, gentlest pup of mythical character and proportion. I’m so glad he was part of the day and made so many incredible cameos in the pictures!
The Cornell campus has some pretty legendary buildings. This outdoor corridor felt straight out of Harry Potter and made for the most regal of backdrops for portraits. I could have worked in this space all day long!
Pongo’s lip… <3
From Cornell we made two quick stops at Ithaca Falls and Taughannock Falls. I wish we had an entire day just to explore Ithaca’s falls and gorges, but we had to make these stops pretty quick. Totally worth the hike though!
Pongo!
On the hike to Taughannock Falls, a woman noticed Teri and I were carrying cameras, stopped us and said, “don’t bother, the sun ruins it.” I laughed thinking, that probably means it’s PERFECT for what I want to shoot… and it pretty much was. Some photographers prefer to shoot on overcast days because it’s easy. Not me. Give me all the sun, I know just what to do with it.
From Taughannock we ventured to the Muranda Cheese Company for a barn reception overlooking a beautiful farm. We worked with wonderful people from Serendipity Catering who provided both the dinner and desserts. Their ice cream bar was a hit! The Silver Arrow Band provided the entertainment and an amazing time was had by all. But first, check out all these incredible details – Arnold’s Florist killed it. Sooooo pretty!!!
Many thanks to Sage and Zach for having us document your wedding in Ithaca, NY! And thank you to all these venues and vendors who helped make the day so great!
Photographing a wedding at Hidden Valley Animal Adventure always seems to be exactly that, an adventure. The venue is certainly aptly named. Nestled in the hills of Varysburg, NY, you would never know it existed unless you happened to be out on a country drive and spotted an animal you know surely doesn’t typically roam free in upstate NY. With their pre-cocktail hour “safaris” showcasing animals like buffalo, zebra, camel and Texas longhorn, guests are treated to a very unique wedding experience!
Veronica and Rob spent the full day of their wedding at Hidden Valley Animal Adventure. They got ready right on site and had both their ceremony and reception on the grounds. It’s an idyllic spot for photography with beautiful natural backdrops in every direction. Videography can get interesting, as you may also hear some… special… animal sounds throughout the day as well! It’s always a great time.
It was starting to look like it may rain any second, so we decided this covered bridge would be the perfect location for the couples big reveal or “first look!”
This photo below might actually be the crowning achievement of my career. That’s a lot of little kids all looking right at me! I probably wouldn’t enjoy hearing back the crazy noises I was making to get their attention, but it worked!
Check out this stunning setting for the ceremony! A rain shower was brewing though and this scene would become a colorful array of umbrellas!
Guests hovered under the patio umbrellas as the rain began to fall, but eventually a parade of brave guests cuddled together under umbrellas and made their way out to the island for the ceremony.
The guests were all such great sports about the rain and I have to say, it really made for such a memorable, unique scene.
After the ceremony, guests went on a trolley tour of the property and my second shooter Steve joined them! Hidden Valley Animal Adventure is home to 40 species of animals who roam the 63 acre property. Steve was very excited that he, “had to go on a safari” for work this day. (: All of these amazing animal shots are his!
While the guests enjoyed their safari, I stayed back with Veronica and Rob to capture their portraits.
The rain was off and on all day, but we ended up having the most incredible “heavy metal” sky as Veronica and Rob called it. We had just a couple brief openings when the sun popped out of the clouds and in those moments this photographers eyes were VERY happy. Rainy day weddings always seem to have an extra little touch of magic!
Reception time!
If you hadn’t guessed, Rob is a big heavy metal fan. You’ll notice a lot of bull horns from this point in the day onward!
Many thanks to Veronica and Rob for having us document your day! And thank you to all these venues and vendors who helped make the day so great!
[…] portrait of Aly with her Grandma!!! (Also, when you’re done here, check out this years Mother’s Day post for more sweet mom and grandma […]