This wedding was a long time coming. For several reasons…. For me, it was an absolute honor to photograph the wedding of someone that I met when I was 18! Ian and I went to the Rochester Institute of Technology together and we were in the same Photo I class freshman year! So, skip forward nearly 20 years (yikes!) and not only did I witness, but participate in, this amazing day. Truly an emotional experience. Add that to the fact that he was marrying Laura…and you have a recipe for bliss.

When Ian and Laura told me they were engaged, I was through the moon! Garrett (the officiant and good friend) summed it up best during the ceremony, so I won’t try here. What I will say is that they are both so busy enjoying life that I never get to see them. Whether it be running the Pikes Peak Marathon or Bristol Mountain’s Muddy Sneaker race, these two never stop their adventures. So, when Ian called to share the big news and hire my services, my response was “Yay! I get to see you this year!!”

All of our ‘wedding meetings’ have basically been Ian cooking for us, with Laura and I talking wedding. Ian and I would occasionally geek out over cameras and Laura would humor us. A great reason to catch up and hang out.

The wedding was about the same. Very low-key and relaxing. Ian and Laura had a ‘first look’ with a pint of beer, overlooking Honeoye Falls. It was a gorgeous Fall day, with only a hint of drizzle. It was just a bit too damp and chilly, so the wedding ceremony ended up being indoors (though both of them are so hardcore that they actually still wanted it outdoors).

The rest of the evening was really fun and full of love. And Apple iPads. Well, on Webber’s side. The best quote of the night was this: “iPad score: Webbers – 4, Williams – 0!”

Another notable awesomeness: the current gallery exhibit at the Rabbit Room was of vintage film cameras (Lori Horton: Gramma’s Cameras)! SO fitting for Ian and I… Ian even had his Kodak Brownie camera and took photos of Laura. We don’t fake our vintage wedding photos here at McKay’s Photography! If you see a cute vintage film camera…. it IS being used!

Well, I could go on and on about this wedding for weeks. I’ll stop here. Webber and Laura, it was an absolute pleasure and honor to be your wedding photographer! Thank you, thank you, thank you for letting me be such a big part of your day. I hope your trip to Patagonia is fun and safe and you come back with tons of pictures. I can’t wait to hear all about it.

Megan, Mike and Emma met me near sunset at the University of Rochester, since it has special meaning for them. I always want my locations to have meaning. Especially since Megan & Mike are moving to Michigan right after their wedding… So, we hit up the UofR and then crossed the Ford St. bridge and ended up at Corn Hill Landing, right near their house.

The sunset over the Ford St. Bridge wasn’t as strong as I hoped it would be. Sometimes the light just fills up the Rochester skyline with a bright warm glow. I think it was too late in the season for the stark sunset I was wanting. However, using the warm lights that illuminate the Genesee River Trail down at Corn Hill Landing, I was able to recreate the sunset feel and show a few trees that have changed their color. Shockingly, I was able to grab a few images of Mike and Megan being romantic too…

While we were photographing, I met a super nice couple who was taking a stroll along the river. They were nice enough to sit on this bench and let me test my settings on them. Turns out they are fellow Irishmen. Such a nice couple, and have been together for 31 years!

We had so much fun together that we headed over to the Tap and Mallet for a post engagement session beer. When I walked in, I ran into Melissa & Dave (July wedding)! Super cool running into them! There were some other friends there too and I hung out with them after my drinks with Megan & Mike. When I go to the Tap & Mallet, I feel like Norm from Cheers. Is that a good thing or a bad thing??

Tim and Tom have been together for 7 years, and the peace and love they quietly display is evident from the first few seconds of meeting them. As members of Artisan Works and avid amateur photographers, I was delighted to be the chosen Photographer for their event. It was fun capturing AW for a couple who is familiar with the art and big fans of the space. The gallery has changed a lot over the years and we explored the new additions together.

I forgot how nice smaller weddings are, both as a participant and as the Photographer. I really just focused on capturing the essence of the space and the essence of the event. Tim made me laugh so hard during the cake cutting that I thought I couldn’t contain myself. Seriously, the funniest comments about that tradition that I’ve ever heard. I have a feeling I’m the only one that heard them…. and after 9 years of photographing weddings, I’m surprised no one has made those jokes before.

Tom & Tim, thank you so much for having me document your wedding day. It was a lot of fun and also a pleasure. I appreciate you being my first official same-sex wedding couple too! Being fellow photographers, it was nice to see how comfortable you were in front of my lens! Congratulations again!

The weather cleared just in time for the ceremony, giving us a perfect blue sky and whispy white clouds just like I dreamt of the night before. Everything went like clockwork and was on schedule, including the things I mentally prepared Katie & Ben to skip…. like the ‘first look’ and romantic sunset photos during dinner.

Katie and Ben are some of those people that I should have already known. They live a few blocks from me and frequent all the same watering holes. Ben is one of my new favorite people and Katie, as it turns out, handles her booze just like me… getting super duper LOVEY when passed a certain point. Ah, to be on the other side of the drunken love fest was amusing. Yes, Katie, I’ll be your new best friend!

* After 10 years, a first…. the Bride’s Dad asked me for a dance!

* Having a golf cart to get around the 200 acre farm was really efficient

* Ben told me on multiple occasions that they were all there at my command… He dumped hay bales all over the property for little benches for photo ops, for example. I felt like a movie director on a movie set or Norman Rockwell…

* Ben is so cool that he made all of the benches for the ceremony AND he made the spiced blueberry jam for favors!

* Ben’s brother shuttled guests from the parking area to the ceremony via a hayride. He made a mad dash into the woods to change just before the ceremony and when he came out, dressed in a suit, he reminded me of Superman!

* The families and friends were all ridiculously friendly. Katie and Ben invited me to stay and enjoy the end of the reception as a guest and I sat around the campfire meeting people. Awesome.

* The band, Auld Lang Syne & Walri, was just too fun and kept people hopping all night long.

* This wedding had ME written all over it. Seriously, if I ever get married and don’t get married at Hurd Orchards, this is exactly what I’d want my wedding to be. Not to devalue anyone else’s wedding… especially the awesome weddings I have photographed… there is a wedding to fit every personality and this one just happens to fit mine. Anyone who’s known me for years knows that rustic weddings are totally me. I’ve been photographing them for 8 years and never tire of their charm.

* Unfortunately, Katie now has something new that is also blue…. a CAST! She broke her finger on the dance floor very late in the evening. At least she has a sense of humor about it and also a great story…

What an honor to be the Photographer for this wedding and to have so many new friends. Special thanks to Pat Luke for again being my second Photographer and lighting genius! I loved seeing Ben high five you at the end of the ceremony aisle!

Haley & Lianna had a nice, simple and emotional wedding on the beach of Camp Bournedale, near Plymouth Mass…

I had heard a lot about Haley & Lianna, so getting to meet a bunch of Grace’s friends was a treat. Couple that with the fact that same-sex marriage in NY was finally legalized, I had to go. One to show my support, and two to capture a few images for these awesome chicks. They did have a good wedding photographer already, but I’m hoping that my photojournalism added something to the coverage.

My focus for the day was just to simply observe. Without any formals to take, organizing to do, time line to worry about… my homework was to simply capture the love. Love between Haley & Lianna and love of their family and friends. Capturing the love was easy. Haley & Lianna were oooozing with love. And so were their families!

With minimal gear and taking only the few images I wanted to take, it was nice to step back and just do my thing. That, and shoot a little film!

Hopefully the images below show the love like we felt while there.

Oh, my gosh… I nearly forgot to tell you…. the back of their program was a “how we met” MAD LIB! So awesome!

Everything was top notch on this day. Arena’s created stunning floral arrangements with my favorite color: orange. I absolutely loved the wine theme… wine guestbook bottles (to be opened on 1st, 5th, 10th & 20th anniversaries!), wine cork name cards and wine bottle table numbers. Not to mention the extremely nice bottle of wine that Jill & Bryan shared during dinner.

Bryan had a custom suit made and he looked like he just walked off of a GQ cover spread. Jill also looked stunning and was yet another one of my super laid back Brides. So laid back that she ditched the veil as soon as the ceremony was over. And her shoes. Really, everyone was so fun and happy and relaxed and that was a treat because there wasn’t much time for anything formal… like squeezing in a quick trip to Pittsford for Bridal Party pictures. Thankfully, we were in and out and back to the cocktail hour right on time. Major shout out to Brian, our limo driver!!

OK, here is what is neat about this couple: their siblings are married to each other! A very unique way to meet… don’t you think? The closeness of the families really showed too.

Well, Jill and Bryan, have a great time on your West coast honeymoon! And thanks for making me hang out afterward for a few drinks. It was so awesome to be a part of your day and to enjoy your party! We’ll have to keep our new friendship up over video chatting…

Vendors:

Wedding Photographer – Heather McKay

Rochester Florist – Arena’s

Wedding Cakes – Cheesy Eddie’s

Ceremony & Reception Location – Locust Hill Country Club

Jill’s Shoes – Kate Spade

Limo Service – Brian, Prestige Limos

DJ – Steve, Turner Music Productions

Hotel & Make up – Del Monte Spa & Hotel

Here is a recap from Heron Hill (they mention me – woot woot)

The wind whipped through the tent at Heron Hill Winery, but it held steady. The crowds braved the volatile weather and I met some of the nicest people in years. Actually, I haven’t participated in a wedding show in about 5 years, and I was never a fan of them. This one was wonderful though. Small enough to be able to spend quality time with each couple as they moved through and there were NO annoying/loud/nutty fashion shows.

We got there early and were able to make my little 6 foot table into a small mock of my living room (not very fancy, but it worked). People entered my space, had a seat and relaxed while looking at my albums and canvases. A select few couples had a one-on-one meeting with me to discuss their exact needs. This was WONDERFUL.

Steve and I had a ton of fun, stamping people’s hands as they entered my booth (like a night club). I even took a few pictures with my vintage Ansco Titan Camera…. and many people were excited to see a film camera representing!

* The number one thing I heard at the show was “I’m looking for a photographer who doesn’t just take pictures, but knows how to create them”

* A favorite moment for me was looking around the show and seeing a potential Groom that looked like he should be one of my clients. Later, he walks into my booth with his Bride who had booked me the week prior!

Thank you to all who came to see my wares and who filled out the entry for the raffle prize!! It was great to meet you all and I appreciated you taking the time to get to know me.

Meagan Rice is the winner of the two wedding planning books that were raffled off! Congratulations, Meagan!! It was great talking to you about your Belhurst wedding next year!

You know who else it was great to meet? These people: The Walker Cake, Co. from Corning! In talking with them, I found out they are engaged!

Anyway, thank you to ALL of the couples who stopped by to say hello. I hope that you found some helpful information for your wedding planning needs and got a good idea of what quality photographers are in the area! There were at least SIX Photographers at this event and I thank the ones who hired me or will be hiring me!

Lastly, a special thank you to Kara and the folks at Heron Hill for putting on a quality show!

Your wedding day is supposed to be one of the happiest days of your life.  It’s generally all but impossible to derail the smiles, congratulatory pats on the back, hugs from hardly-seen relatives, and universal exuberance as you get ready to say “I do.”

Generally.  My wedding day went a little bit differently.

But before I get into that, allow me to introduce myself.  My name is Eddie Hilton, and my wife and I had Heather McKay photograph our wedding in June of 2010.  You can still find our wedding photos in her archives (wedding and engagement posts here).  Heather has asked me to write a few blog entries focusing on the groom’s experience, and I was more than happy to oblige.  Because, you know, I was a groom and all, and I’m pretty nifty with the keyboard (or at least, I thought I was.  Until this took me 47 attempts to complete, that is).

So while there are multiple angles to approach this from, I think the most important thing is start off by relaying my own wedding day story this time around.  Everyone has a funny little story about their wedding day, like the aunt who got drunk and fell through a chair or the cousin who sneezed a drink out all over the table.  And everyone has a mini-horror story about their wedding – the DJ played the wrong song for everyone’s entrance, your divorced parents got into a fight, or your cake topper was put on top of the cake in the wrong direction TWICE, even after you fixed it (that one happened to us).  It is rare, however, to have a funny/sad/terrifying/humiliating story that qualifies as slightly more than those aforementioned “little” ones.  Like, you know, forgetting the wedding ring.  I wonder who would have done that? (avoiding looking in the mirror …)

My wedding day was going along just swimmingly for the first few hours.  I slept in as best I could (so like 7:00am), had a nice breakfast (dry toast most likely, for the nerves), relaxed a little bit (sweat like a pig in heat), had a nice workout (lifted weights until I accidentally smashed my thumb between two weight plates), then relaxed a bit more (whined about my thumb).  I made sure I had a card written to my bride-to-be, went to get her a single long-stem rose, and also picked up a bottle of wine for after the reception just in case she forgot to bring the one we bought the night before – I was on top EVERYTHING.  Then I showered and changed into gym shorts and a t-shirt for the 70-minute drive from my house to our Bristol Harbor ceremony and reception.  Before leaving, I gave myself plenty of time to go over my checklist of stuff to bring.  I packed an overnight bag, checked my tuxedo bag and noticed that I was missing socks, so I brought socks for me and seven extra pairs in case another groomsmen didn’t have a pair either.  Like I said, I was on top of EVERYTHING.  Finally, my cousin, who was in the wedding arrived, and he and I drove up together, stopping along the way to pick up my wife’s brother, also in the wedding party.  Casual, wedding-related conversation ensued for the next 70 minutes … never touching on things like “the ring.”

When we arrived, I started unpacking my trunk, and asked my cousin to walk my card and rose over to my wife’s room, where she was getting her hair and makeup done like she was about to step out in front of the cameras.  He came back two minutes later with a card, a candy bar, and an odd-shaped box which, sadly, left me confounded.  So I asked what it was, and he replied, “Your ring.”
…
…
It was here that I realized that among my wine, flowers, tuxedos, and eight total pairs of socks, I had forgotten to pack my wife’s wedding band.  120 minutes before the wedding started, it sat in my bedroom, 70 minutes away.  And I said – and this is a direct quote, “$%^@!!!  Holy $%^*!  I forgot the $^$&^$* ring!  Run to the room!”  And we ran.  Why did we run?  What else do you do?  You can’t calmly walk after realizing that.  You’re not going to take a meandering path to your hotel room to ruminate on this new development.  You’re going to run like the wind and hope lightening strikes a ring down in front of you on your way.  And of course, it won’t, and it didn’t.

In the hotel room, my parents, several groomsmen, and I all feverishly tried to figure out what to do.  Logistically, it was going to be impossible to get someone there and back in time without several road laws being broken.  However, road laws be damned, I needed to get married and I needed to put THAT band on my wife’s finger.  So I sent two of my groomsmen back to Rochester, to make a 140-minute round trip, change into tuxedos, and get to the altar all in 120 minutes.  This sounds like the set-up for an awful movie, but this legitimately happened.  And I did my best to slow them down (forget my tux in the car so they have to turn around ten minutes in?  Check.  Leave them with only half a tank of gas so they have to stop and fill up?  Check.  Have the ring in the middle of a shelf on a bookcase in my closet so it takes forever to find?  Check.  Text or call every three minutes?  Check and mate.)

By the time they got back, the wedding had been delayed three times before my wife finally found out why, the entire crowd started to wonder whether one of us decided to call it off, and I had paced roughly the length of the Boston Marathon in my hotel room.  Through it all, I’d like to think I maintained a good sense of humor about it (I bit your head off like a pit bull if you dared to talk to me) and kept a calm demeanor (I punched and threw inanimate objects at random intervals).  Those two and a half hours were, without a doubt, the most nerve-wracking, harrowing two and a half hours of my life.

We did end up meeting at the altar, only half an hour late, and it was the best day of my life.  Luckily she still said yes.  And there were congratulatory hugs and pats on the back, and exuberance all around.  And, everyone had a great story to tell.

Wow!

Renee and Luke had an elegant and Rustic Tent wedding reception near Rochester NY after their Livonia wedding ceremony with mixed cultures. It was a beautiful mixture between Indian Wedding traditions and American Church Weddings. This was a gorgeous and romantic day with all the perfect wedding elements. The girls got ready at the Charlton Farm Bed and Breakfast and we returned there for the outdoor tent wedding reception. There was a Bollywood style dance off and I’m still not sure who won!

Though I am a huge fan of barn weddings, this one was particularly meaningful because the Groom’s family has owned and run the farm since 1918! Click here to read more about Schutt’s Apple Mill history….http://www.schuttsapplemill.com/aboutus.html. Liz and Evan honored the family farm by planting an apple tree in front of the now derelict old barn. We also snuck inside the store to take a few formal portraits of Evan and Liz with the Schutt portraits in the background! Hopefully their wedding image will make up on the wall of history too.

As for the details, most items were taken from the farm itself. This included giant apple bins that were used for high top tables during cocktail hour, rocking chairs from the store’s front porch, an old stencil, fresh picked fruit on the centerpieces and old farm ladders to hold flowers in mason jars. Ruth L did an awesome job with huge barrels of flowers atop an old tree stump next to the reception tent.

Though it was supposed to rain, we lucked out and even had a beautiful sunset above as dogs and kids ran around the reception grounds and the band rocked so hard that the power kept cutting out!

This wedding was so much fun to participate in and I filled up my pint glass wedding favor with apple cider ice cream for the ride home…. what a way to spend the day!

Wedding Vendors in Rochester:

Photographer: Heather McKay

Location: Schutt’s Apple Mill

Band: Something Else

Coordinator: Limedrop Events, Lisa Murley

Tent Rental/Catering: Paradise Catering

Floral Arrangements: Ruth L Flowers

Make up Artist: Valerie Schaubroeck

Hair: Karin Myrick

The morning clouds loomed overhead and as the sun rose in the sky, we all met Evan down on the dock for the touching ceremony officiated by their good friend, Garrett. Evan’s brother read a funny poem about love that used a dog’s love as a metaphor. The flowers on the dock were taken apart by the families and placed in an infinity symbol around the Bride and Groom’s feet to join them together. After exchanging their wedding vows and Celtic knot rings, we photographed all of the formal portraits and called it a day. I’m sure there was swimming and boats and fun in the afternoon…

This was a perfect morning for a small Keuka Lake wedding. It was an honor to be one of the few people present to witness the beginning of this marriage between Evan & Liz!

Heron Hill Winery invites you to spend a Sunday afternoon on Keuka Lake for your Finger Lakes Wedding Planning at an exclusive Bridal Showcase. Visit with local vendors, mingle with other bride/grooms-to-be and enjoy a glass of wine while savoring the breathtaking vista views of one of the Finger Lake’s premiere Wineries. The wedding showcase will be held in the majestic event tent overlooking beautiful Keuka Lake. All registered brides-to-be can enjoy a complimentary wine tasting. The Blue Heron Cafe will be featuring a full menu and musician Bruce Holler will be playing on the terrace.

August 28, 2011

1 pm – 4 pm

Heron Hill Winery

9301 County Route 76

Hammondsport, NY 14840

Heron Hill Winery offers tent wedding ceremony locations overlooking gorgeous Keuka Lake in NY’s Finger Lakes region. The Winery is also an environmentally responsible wedding location that is focused on sustainability and green/eco-friendly weddings.

To register for this FREE event, please visit this link: http://www.heronhill.com/Weddings—Events/Register-for-Heron-Hill-Wedding-Show

Recognition for the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011 is determined by recent reviews and extensive surveys from over 750,000 WeddingWire newlyweds. Our past clients are among those that shared their experiences on WeddingWire, the largest wedding review site in the nation.

McKay’s Photography stands among the top five percent of wedding professionals in the WeddingWire community, representing quality and service excellence within the wedding industry. Awards were given to the top wedding professionals across 20 service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers, and were based on the overall professional achievements throughout the past year.

“WeddingWire is honored to celebrate the success of the top-rated wedding professionals within the WeddingWire community,” said Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “With the annual Bride’s Choice Awards™ program, WeddingWire has the unique opportunity to recognize the best wedding professionals across the US and Canada. We applaud McKay’s Photography for their professionalism and dedication to enhancing the wedding planning experience last year.”

We are happy to announce that McKay’s Photography is among the very best Rochester NY Wedding Photographers within the WeddingWire Network, which includes leading wedding planning sites WeddingWire, Martha Stewart Weddings, Project Wedding and Weddingbee. We would like to thank our past clients for nominating us to receive the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011.

For more information, please visit our WeddingWire Storefront today at http://www.weddingwire.com/biz/mckays-photography-rochester/d11f7de324e80638.html.

For more information on the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011, please visit www.WeddingWire.com.

About WeddingWire, Inc.
WeddingWire.com, the nation’s leading technology company serving the $70 billion wedding industry, is the only online wedding planning resource designed to empower both engaged couples and wedding professionals. For engaged couples, WeddingWire offers the ability to search, compare and book over 200,000 local wedding vendors, from wedding venues to wedding photographers to wedding cakes. WeddingWire also offers an online community and a suite of cutting-edge planning tools for weddings, including wedding websites and wedding checklists, all at no charge. For wedding professionals, WeddingWire provides free online management tools creating the only market opportunity that gives local businesses control over their clients, reviews, leads and performance. Businesses that join the WeddingWire Network appear on WeddingWire.com and other leading sites, including MarthaStewartWeddings.com (NYSE: MSO), ProjectWedding.com and Weddingbee.com (both part of eHarmony), and Celebrations.com (part of the 1-800-Flowers family of brands, NASDAQ: FLWS).

(Domino)

1. Start early, at least a week in advance. Gather plenty of information about the person you are toasting, preferably something obscure so that guests are hearing it new.

2. Stick to the 4 minute rule. A one minute speech about your best friend’s new husband will seem paltry, but a 20 minute monologue will have the audience fidgeting in their seats.

3. It’s not about you. Keep the I’s and Me’s to a low roar.

4. Be naughty, not raunchy. Most couples don’t want to hear about their most embarrassing moments in front of their Grandma.

5. Wear something comfortable. Tugging at your outfit and fixing your hair will make ou more nervous than you already are.

6. Remember to actually pick up your glass and ask everyone to toast the newly married couple.

7. Stand near the couple, if possible. The guests (and Photographer) can see their reactions as you are speaking and the couple can hug/hand shake easily when you are finished.

Congratulations to my big brother, Nathan, on his engagement. We all love Erin and are so happy to welcome her into the family! Nathan seems so happy and so calm now that Erin is in his life. I’ve loved seeing them grow together and share in each other’s activities and goals.

Nathan and Erin visited me in the winter of 2010. I think Nate was not only introducing Erin to the last sibling, but also seeing how she would fare learning to snowboard! Both went great and watching Erin learn to ride showed me more about her personality than any conversation could. She embraced it with no fear, was patient with herself and with the two Leos trying to teach her! It was a great visit and I was flattered that Nate wanted to bring her up here to meet me.

That was my first clue that things were getting serious between them. My second clue was seeing this romantic photo on Facebook, by Erin’s sister, Lindsey… Anyone that can get Nate to take such a beautiful photo is ok in my book!

It will be exciting to see how the wedding unfolds as Erin’s sister, Lindsey, is also a wedding photographer! This will be interesting for me… to be on the Groom’s side of things.

Here are more images from their pre-engagement photo shoot: http://thelifeyoulovephotography.com/austin-couple-texas-country-erin-nate/2011/01/12/

Nate bought the engagement ring from an Estate Jeweler in Houston and it is beautiful!

(Photos courtesy of Lindsey Baker © The Life You Love Photography.

This post is password protected. To view it please enter your password below:

Password:

I met everyone at a hotel in Greece for a few getting ready pictures with both sides and that is where most of the tears seemed to be hanging out. Tears kept flowing during the wedding ceremony at the Interfaith Chapel on the University of Rochester campus too! There was also a gorgeous song performed by two of Stephanie’s siblings! They sounded amazing!

We all headed over to the Plantation Party House after the formal family photos and relaxingly took Bridal Party pictures under the gazebo and by the pond. It was a bright, sunny, hot day so choices were limited. Luckily there is an amazing deck off the back of the PPH and everyone seemed to enjoy cocktail hour under the cover of the old tree.

Once the reception started, it was pretty much party time through the rest of the evening with lots of cupcakes and Italian cookies keeping people refreshed. The dance floor was packed and so entertaining to watch! Both sets of families seemed to have a blast and everyone was beyond nice.

The entire day was a true pleasure to witness and I wish John and Stephanie many many more years of hiking, biking, skiing, laughing, jumping, playing, talking, camping and love….

Wedding Vendors in Rochester:

Second Photographer : Patrick Luke

Salon Brio Makeup Artist : Valerie Schaubroeck

Wedding Ceremony : University of Rochester Interfaith Chapel

Wedding Reception : Plantation Party House

Wedding Flowers : Flower Power Decor

Reception Music : Kenny, Turner Music Productions

Wedding Cupcakes : Sugar Mountain Bake Shoppe

Yet again, the amazing ladies at Gallery Salon & Spa had the hair and makeup done early and we were on time to Artisan Works! Watching the owner do a loose up-do was really amazing. She is SO fast! And Andrea is a real artist with makeup. She brings out the best features of each woman and when finished, they don’t even look like they have makeup on! Melissa had a slight smoky eye treatment, which looked amazing with her eyes.

David looked stunning in his tux and we kept joking that he looked as dashing as 007. With all of the vintage cars, it was easy to see!

A special shout out to the best Maid of Honor ever…. Caitlin! She had everything we could ever need…. food, water, scissors, you name it! She was so prepared.  She was also a most excellent family wrangler!

This wedding was quite a party! The ceremony was slightly delayed because the Pastor had another wedding ceremony down the street, however once we got started there was… love, glamour, amazing food, laughs, salsa dancing, artwork… and a gorgeous sunset!

Congratulations Dave & Melissa! I am honored to have met you both and appreciate your openness and patience as we pieced together all of the formal portraits that were needed throughout the day.

Vendors:

Wedding Hair and Makeup – Gallery Salon & Spa

Wedding Location – Artisan Works

Madeline’s Catering

Wedding Reception DJ – Pied Piper DJ Service

Wedding Bouquets – Kittelberger Florist

Wedding Officiant – Jack Porcello

There isn’t much to say about the wedding day because everything went SO smoothly. Seriously! Not only was everyone on time for the family formals, but we knocked these out early and with no stress. Even from behind the scenes (i.e. – in my head). Receiving my Professional Photographers of America Certified Professional Photographer designation helped a lot…. I think this wedding is my most consistent in terms of straight-out-of-the-camera quality that I’ve ever done. I was in manual nearly the entire day, including using on camera flash (which I usually hate), and the few times I didn’t shoot in manual, I wish I had. All of this is geek talk, so I’m sure no one would notice except me. I’ll notice when I get to spend a little less time editing the images than normal. Actually, there were so many photographers at this wedding… most of you reading will probably know exactly what I’m talking about. Getting a crisp clean image in camera is always the goal, and editing thousands of images from one wedding can be a burden.

Anyway, on to the Bride and Groom! These two rock! We had so much fun and the Bridal Party was really laid back and easy to navigate. There were none of the normal issues of chasing down a missing Groomsman or getting the Bridesmaids to loosen up their pose or find their flowers. In fact, they were so great that we were taking more pictures even as the sun was setting! Usually, I don’t do so many formals, however the night just lent itself to discovery of light and the view was something we kept chasing in images. Oddly, the best light of the night was used on tipsy Bridesmaids. Oh, Sarah & Erin, how I adore thee…

Honestly, there isn’t much else to say. Everyone just hung around outside, enjoying the beautiful sunset (and some Cuban cigars). I stuck around and had a drink while waiting for the awesome fireworks display, and it was totally worth it! You really can’t beat a fireworks in the summertime. I tested out my new Nikon D300 and it performed really well under the low light. I’m glad I brought it with me.

Ashley & Aaron, have a great time on your honeymoon! Thank you so much for hiring me as your Wedding Photographer! It was an honor and a blast.

Vendors:

Photography: Heather McKay, McKay’s Photography

Videography: Paul Hare, Monarch Productions

DJ: Troy Driver, Pied Piper DJ

Florist: Arjuna Florist