Whenever a client presents a location for their wedding engagement session that has a personal meaning to them, I’m always game. This particular location was just a bit extra special though. AJ’s family bought this property near Ellicottville, NY when AJ was just a kid. They set up a tipi on the property and spent weekends and vacations exploring. The property has some pretty fascinating stories. For example, there was an abandoned gas station on the property – which is literally at the end of a dead end dirt road and at the top of a hill, random! Behind the gas station was an old swimming pool. After they closed on the property, they noticed there was suddenly a HOLE DUG IN THE BOTTOM OF THE POOL WITH A SAFE INSIDE IT!!! Unfortunately, the safe was empty. Either way, solid hiding spot that leaves oh-so-much to the imagination!
AJ’s family eventually built a gorgeous log home on the property from gigantic trees that were burnt in a forest fire out in Wyoming. The property has become a second home to the family over the years. They even spend the holidays here. When AJ and Jonna started dating, they made a lot of trips to the cabin. It’s the place they feel they really got to know each other. I’m SO, so glad they suggested a wedding engagement session near Ellicottville, not only because it means so much to them, but it was so stunning and hitting peak fall color in perfect time for our shoot. It was absolutely perfect!
AJ brought along his motorcycle for a few shots, what a perfect place to ride!
This next series was taken along the driveway leading up to their cabin. The fall colors were incredible!
As soon as I saw this pond I knew there was a reflection photo in our future. Unfortunately there was a little bit of a ripple in the water, otherwise this would have been perfection!
Popping that bottle of champagne you’ve been saving from the engagement party is ALWAYS a great idea.
This field was filled with buzzing fuzzy bumble bees! I thought they deserved a photo too (:
Many thanks to Jonna and Aj for sharing such a special place with me! It was such a treat!
I’ll take another fall wedding engagement session near Ellicottville any day, please and thanks!
Callie and BJ, BJ and Callie… this Hayloft in the Grove wedding was such a pleasure to be part of. When I first met these two, I could tell they were laid back, fun, super sweetly in love, and their wedding reflected just that. For couples that want relaxing, rustic charm where everyone feels comfortable and can celebrate without hesitation, Hayloft in the Grove is an idyllic setting. I think that’s exactly what this day was all about.
But First…
Before we get in to all that, I’d like to tell the story of how I came to photograph this beautiful day. Callie’s dad, Jim, was a fellow professional photographer, one of Buffalo’s longest working photographers at that, and a friend of mine! I got to know Jim over the years and would run in to him out and about all over Buffalo. Every time I would see him, he would be with someone I had never met, and would introduce both parties with such great kindness and affection. Jim was a mentor, friend, and connector of a great many people. And as you may have guessed, Jim connected me with Callie and BJ!
After Callie got engaged, Jim reached out and said he would like to come by the studio to talk about his daughter’s wedding. It’s always such a great honor to be considered by another photographer. So needless to say, I was thrilled that Jim, someone who had photographed weddings himself for so many years, was considering me! When Jim came by, I was ready to present all my materials as best I could, but Jim had other ideas. He said Callie would meet with me at some point, but he was sure it was the right fit. So that was that. We sat and chatted for a long time but it was hardly the business meeting I expected. Callie and BJ came in soon after that and made it official!
While this is a happy post about Callie and BJ’s wedding celebration, I would be remiss to not mention that Jim unfortunately fell sick and passed just a few weeks before the wedding. While there’s always pressure when working for another photographer, there was an extra gravity I felt to honor his legacy as a photographer. I hope I served him well! And while Jim was certainly missed, his presence was felt in so many ways throughout the day, and I know he was smiling down big time on this celebration.
Without Further Ado…
Let’s get to the festivities! I started the day with Callie and her closest ladies in Hayloft in the Grove’s on-site cottage. It’s a great little spot for couples to get ready, and conveniently located just steps from the rest of the wedding locations.
Both Bj and Callie’s moms (left to right) were such a treat to photograph. They laughed, they cried, sometimes they simultaneously laughed and cried, and this photographer couldn’t get enough!
After just a few minutes with this crew you could tell that Callie was surrounded by so much love and support from her family and friends as her infectious smile reflected on the faces of every one of them.
That golf cart driving lady there is Liane Roy, a planner at Hayloft. About a million years ago I worked with Liane on branding photos and a logo for her planning business. It was so great to see her again after all these years!
Meanwhile Steve joined BJ and his crew in a different house on site for a few photos before the ceremony. BJ wore both Callie’s dad Jim’s watch (on the left) and a historic watch from his own family (on the right.)
Time to head over to the converted stables for a good ole’ Hayloft in the Grove wedding ceremony! An “unplugged wedding” sign greeted the guests and while those things mostly never work, this group was very well behaved!
The calla lily’s (Callie’s namesake) pictured below were a tribute to Jim.
Callie and her mom had so many cute little looks and motions to each other throughout the day, I couldn’t get enough of these two!
The KING!
Here comes the bride! How gorgeous is the light at the end of the aisle?!
I rehearsed this photo below a couple times before the ceremony started. Notice the antique camera in the bottom right? That camera represented Jim’s seat and I wanted to try and get “him” and all the other parents in this shot, AND IT WORKED! The expressions are all priceless too, I was so happy when I saw it!
I love the way the draperies create leading lines to draw your eye right to the bride and groom!
After the ceremony we took a little “hay ride” out to a small pond for some portraits. This has to be one of the best parts of a Hayloft in the Grove wedding. Lots of fun was had on that ride 🙂
This next one was a special memory for me too. Callie’s brother, Jimmy, is also a photographer! When I first met with Jim he told me that he would like to make a portrait of Callie and BJ at the wedding. Jim may not have been there to do that, but I was so happy that Jimmy brought along his camera and was able to make a portrait instead. <3
Meanwhile the groomsmen were hanging out by this corn field and conjured up their own idea for a photoshoot…
Reception time back at the Hayloft in the Grove wedding barn!
Lots of laughter and tears filled these speeches, just the way they should!
Looks like Callie’s grandma has some photography skills too! <3
Apparently BJ had himself a boy band once upon a time… I think they’ve still got it!
ICE CREAM BAR!!!
Many thanks to Callie and BJ for having us document your day! And thank you to all these venues and vendors who helped make the day so great!
Every wedding I photograph has it’s own personality, its own energy, and the same goes for the people involved. From start to finish, working with Kelly and Brendan has come with a certain calm, a particular pleasantness, a simple joy that surrounds these two. And it reflected so plainly on the faces of the friends and family who joined them on their wedding day. You could just tell they were surrounded by a ton of love and support – it was a treat to be around. As if the warm energy from this couple weren’t enough, they also planned an absolutely beautiful wedding reception just made for photography at Statler City in Buffalo, NY. But before we get to that – I started the day with Kelly at the fabulous new Curtiss Hotel while Steve joined Brendan and his wedding party over at Brendan’s family’s home.
I’m not sure whose idea this photo was, but it has to be my favorite groomsman preparation photo of the year. Bravo Steve!
Kelly wanted to do a “reveal” with her bridesmaids, but Kelly’s mom thought she would surprise these ladies with a reveal of her own!
Here are the real reactions as Kelly enters the room (:
On to St. Andrews in Kenmore, NY for the wedding ceremony!
We ventured over to Delaware Park for some portraits with Kelly, Brendan and their wedding party. This Park has 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 photography!
On to the Statler in Buffalo, NY for more photography!
We wrapped up our day with a big, beautiful wedding reception at Statler City’s Terrace Room, one of Buffalo’s most elegant ballrooms and one my favorite venues for photography in Buffalo.
This nook in Statler City is a little corner of Buffalo I’ve returned to for photography time and time again. Almost every wedding I photograph here you can find me on this terrace moving around cocktail tables and checking back in to the room repeatedly as I wait for the perfect light. And so here it is! You sure shine bright in the golden hour, Statler City!
This photo was supposed to be an organized group photo… I think it’s perfect, but it should be noted that this is what group photos look like when they’re taken at the end of the night!
Many thanks to Kelly and Brendan for having us document your wedding photography at the Statler in Buffalo! And thank you to all these venues and vendors who helped make the day so great!
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!
