So, anyway, what better way to ring in the “official” 2012 wedding season, than with a gorgeous wedding like this one.  We had so much fun with Jamie and JC, and all of their friends and family.  I could go on and on about what an incredible day it was, but if I start babbling, then I’ll never get this posted!  I’ll just let our bride and groom do the talking.  Thanks for sharing your Top Five Favorite Wedding Day Memories with us, guys!  :)

I started out the day with Jamie and her girls (and the always fabulous Heather and Nikki from Glam on Location), at the Hampton Inn in downtown Buffalo.  It was a very relaxed morning, and everyone was just so happy to be there.  Such a great group of ladies to hang with!

Jamielyn:  ”Getting ready for the day was completely surreal… how was the day finally here?  But I loved taking the time to get our hair & makeup done in the hotel, and just hanging out before all the craziness really set in!  It was a great way to start off a very long day!”

Ben started out the day with JC and the guys at JC’s parents’ home, and then they headed over to the Botanical Gardens to do some photos of the guys around the grounds.

Here’s what JC has to say: “I had the opportunity to greet everyone with my groomsmen before the ceremony started. It was fun just watching everyone come together for “Jamie and J.C.’s” wedding. Just seeing our family and friends took “the edge” off. My mom came up to me beforehand and said “Jamie looks amazing” and hugged me. You could tell that she was so proud.”Jamielyn:  “I really had no idea how I was going to react at the ceremony– bawling like a baby vs. stone-faced! After JC’s mom just hugged me and I started to cry, I could tell I could be in some trouble!  Walking down the aisle, I knew if i looked at JC I would start crying, so I unconsciously saved that until I was over halfway down… good thing I did!  Seeing his face was priceless and really indescribable, definitely the best moment of the day for me by a landslide!”

JC:  “Jamie standing in front of me just before we got married was probably the best moment. I kind of had one of those moments where everything flashes before you and its all leading up to this. Then she is finally in front of me about to cry… I took her hand and squeezed, and just said a simple “Hi.” That was all it took for her to relax a little bit and not cry.”

The ceremony was so beautiful!  Jamie had her mother do a reading, which was very sweet, and such a great way to incorporate her into the ceremony.  The Rev. Sue Samuels did a lovely job officiating, as always.  :)  Right after the ceremony, we did a whole bunch of family photos, and then we walked around with our bride and groom to grab some great shots of them throughout the Gardens.  I love that this place exists in Buffalo…it’s SO beautiful.From the Gardens, we headed over to the Ellicott Square Building for more pictures.  These guys were all so much fun to work with!  They had us cracking up!  We had a great time, and got some really stunning shots.

Jamielyn:  “Once family pictures were done, the whole time in between the ceremony & reception with our bridal party was really fun!  It was nice to have it just us and our best friends, taking it all in while being goofy and get some amazing pictures all at the same time.”

What a ridiculously STUNNING bride!!!  She was an absolute pleasure to photograph.  ;)And, a few more shots of this gorgeous couple at the Ellicott Square Building, before we headed on over to the reception at Pearl Street!Jamielyn:  “I could NOT wait to see all of my hard work put together at the reception! Natalie and the staff at Pearl Street do the most amazing job (I can’t sing their praises enough), and I knew our details would all be executed better than I ever imagined!  It was so nice to walk around during cocktail hour to take it all in, and finally see that all of the time & stress spent was completely worth it in the end!  Plus I know JC was really excited to have all of that “stuff” out of our house!”

JC:  “I wish I could have seen this, but I was part of it… I didn’t know until later the next day when my mom told me, so it’s from her point of view. My grandmother was in the hospital Friday, yelling that she wants to go home so she can make it to her grandson’s wedding, and she did!  As we started walking out after being announced at the reception, my grandma started crying and told my mom she ‘wishes that my grandfather could have seen this, he would have been so proud.’ “

JC:  “Dancing with my brother (the best man) in just our vests to “Ice Ice Baby” by Vanilla Ice. My college friends knew that it was going to happen eventually and they wanted to see it, so they made sure to keep reminding us. I was like “Steve, lets take our shirts off and dance in just our vests.” That’s all I had to say– next thing I knew, we’re in the stairwell undressing and then running onto the dance floor. This was also one of my mom’s favorite moments. She told me numerous times, and everyone thought it was planned.”

Jamielyn:  ”Last but not least, I loved seeing all of our different “circles” interacting on the dance floor and having a great time! My best friends growing up, our different sets of high school & college friends, coworkers, plus all of our family… having everyone together was a great feeling, and I wish we could do it all the time!!”

JC:  “I would have to agree with Jamie’s 5th memory. I loved seeing all of our friends and family interacting and having a great time. Most of them had never met each other before. You wish you can hold on to that entire day because its a once in a lifetime event.”

Jamie and JC were both tearing up the dance floor all night long, but we did manage to grab them for just a few minutes for some night shots on the balcony!  Love these two!!!

Jamie and JC were kind enough to share some AWESOME wedding planning tips with our readers! Thanks so much, guys! These are all super helpful! So, if you’re still in the planning stages of your wedding, take note!!!  :)

The months after we got engaged were pretty much spent on weddingwire, reading reviews and researching our top vendors. I am crazy about reviews, and have to look them up on pretty much everything haha… but it works!! Especially when you have NO clue where to start wedding planning. I was the first person out of my closer friends to get married, so I really had no help with picking vendors or any ideas (other than the florist who did my MOH sister’s wedding, which was backed up by reviews lol). But the main thing I want to get across with this, is to trust your instincts. Sure I picked my top people for everything, but you have to meet them to make sure! And as soon as you do, you’ll know if you want them or not!  That’s exactly how it was with Jenn and Ben, but also for everyone else too (DJ Tony, Status Limo, L-egant chair covers).

 Try not to buy everything that fits into your color scheme… I can’t tell you how much purple & green random stuff we have leftover!! But if you do buy it, get everything on sale or clearance! It’s the only way to go.

 JC says not to stress about the small stuff, when it doesn’t go your way (like everyone taking candy before they’re supposed to, drove me nuts!). That’s not in my nature, but you can try haha.

For me, there would be weeks where I would think about the wedding nonstop, and then weeks where I would try to ignore it… just give yourself a break if you need it!

Jamie and JC – thank you both SO MUCH for choosing us to be a part of your wedding day!  We seriously had such an awesome time working with you guys from start to finish, and we’re kind of sad that it’s over (but, at least we still get to work with you on your Wedding Album over the next several months)!!  We hope you had an amazing honeymoon, and we wish you both all the happiness in the world!  Much love, J + B :)

We had perfect weather for Jackie and Paul’s mini shoot!  There were flowers blooming, a gorgeous blue sky, sunshine, and a light breeze.  Even though we only got to hang out with them for about an hour, it was immediately obvious that they are completely in love, and we took some awesome shots of them just being them.  We really couldn’t have asked for anything more. <3

Jackie and Paul – thanks so much for spending some time with us, guys! We had a great time getting to know you both, and we’re so psyched for your big day!! See you soon! Much love, J + B :)

I started out the day with Laurie and her lovely bridesmaids at her parents’ home.  Their house is so fabulous!!  They completely renovated an old commercial building in downtown Utica.  I wrote a bit more detail about it in Laurie and Pete’s engagement post, so feel free to check it out!  L and P were kind enough to share their Top Five Favorite Wedding Day Memories with us, so I’ll be including those throughout the post!
Laurie was an incredibly beautiful bride!!  Simply STUNNING.Ben started out the day with Pete and the guys at Hotel Utica!  If you’re ever in need of a hotel in Utica, NY, this is the place!!  It’s lovely, and has so much history.  :)While we were waiting for the ceremony to start, I grabbed a few shots of Laurie and her Gram (who is also MY Gram!!).  I absolutely LOVE these next three shots.Then, the ceremony began!  It was probably the shortest ceremony we’ve ever seen in 6 years of weddings, but it was exactly the way they wanted it – short, sweet, and beautiful.  Here are the first two Top Five Faves from Laurie and Pete:

Laurie:  “Walking down the aisle with my dad, waiting to see Pete standing in the front.”  ”The mayor pronouncing us man and wife……and then the kiss!”

Pete:  “Waiting for my beautiful wife to come down the aisle in her dress, seeing her for the first time.”  ”People arriving in Utica from a far to be a part of our wedding.”

I caught this moment between the bride and groom when they made it to the end of the aisle after being pronounced husband and wife.  They look so happy!!  The entire day was filled with so much joy!
It was a little chilly that day, but we made it outside for a few quick bride and groom portraits.  Utica PD even stopped traffic for me while I was shooting in the middle of the street!  I have to say, as much as I love Buffalo, that’s never happened here.  ;)Then, we did a few lit portraits inside Hotel Utica before heading into the reception.  I love this one at the piano so much.  It was totally Ben’s idea – so creative!!Their little half-moon sweetheart table was so cute!They came in and immediately started their first dance to a beautiful song that I had never heard before, but am now completely in love with.  It’s called This Kind of Love by Sister Hazel – so awesome.

Another one of Laurie’s Top Five:  “Our first dance together to our favorite song.”  I love that Pete was singing it to Laurie during their dance.  It might just be me, but I found that if you listen to the song while looking at the next three photos, you can actually feel how much they love each other.  It’s wonderful.  Try it.  ;)

After their dance, Laurie surprised Pete with a video of all of his family back in Germany who weren’t able to be at the wedding.  It was such a beautiful moment, and definitely made it onto both of their Top Five lists!!

Laurie:  “Surprising Pete with the video of his family from Germany!”

Pete:  “The video of my family that could not travel from Germany to be here that my wife made for me.”

One of Pete’s relatives from Germany who was able to make it sang a love song for them in German!  It was a huge hit, and one of Laurie’s Top Five Faves!

Laurie:  “Jurgen singing to us in German.”

So many good times were had at this wedding – SO much laughter, so much love, such a beautiful celebration!  Here is the last of Pete’s Top Five Memories!!

Pete:  “Seeing all of our friends and family enjoying each other and having a memorable time at our wedding.”

We were able to steal this gorgeous couple away for a few night shots (of course), and these next two were our favorites of the bunch!  Laurie and Pete have this awesome piece of wedding planning advice to share with our lovely readers, and it’s a good one, so take note:  “When going through all of the wedding chaos, remember that it’s about love and nothing else.  Even if things go wrong, your love will still be there. Do what’s important to the two of you.”  Well said, guys…well said.
Laurie and Pete – thank you SO MUCH for choosing us to capture your amazing wedding day! You two were a pleasure to work with! We love you both dearly, and wish you all the joy and happiness in the world!! Can’t wait to come see your new digs in Saratoga!! Much love, J + B :)

While I was there, I had the awesome privilege of meeting and photographing baby Phoebe and her family!! She is so beautiful, and such a good baby! It was an honor to capture these memories. Time flies by so quickly, and someday, Phoebe will be able to look back at these photos and see how much her parents loved and adored her right from the very beginning.

Kelly and Duke – thanks so much for having me, guys!! It was great to spend some time with all of you! Can’t wait to see you again soon! Much love, J :)

I started out the day with Deborah at her family’s Winter residence in Ellicottville. I had such a great time documenting this part of the day! Everyone was super relaxed, and Deborah was so excited to be marrying her best friend!
Love those red shoes!!
Ben started out the day with John and his best man at The Sugar Pine Lodge Bed and Breakfast.  He grabbed a few getting ready shots, before they all headed over to the church!  The snowboarder cuff links were awesome!!The ceremony was at St. John’s Episcopal Church right in Ellicottville.  It was one of the cutest churches I’ve ever seen – very old, very beautiful, and very cozy.  I loved it!!Deborah and John were kind enough to share their Top Five Favorite Wedding Day Memories with our readers, and I’m very happy that they did!  Here are Deb’s Top Five:

1.  ”Managing to keep it together as my dad walked me down the aisle to my future husband.”
2.  ”Feeling like we were in a snow globe when seeing all the fluffy snow falling outside the windows of the church.”
3.  ”The moment when the sun peaked through the window on us as we were pronounced husband and wife.”
4.  ”Running through the snow in my Uggs while people threw lavender seeds at us.”
5.  ”Sharing a wonderful weekend with our closest and dearest friends and family.”

And, here are John’s Top Five Favorite Wedding Day Memories!!

1.  ”Peeking out into the church while the mothers lit the unity candles before the ceremony.”
2.  ”Seeing my beautiful wife coming down the aisle.”
3.  ”Feeling like a king sitting down during the wedding ceremony.”
4.  ”The girls reading the poem.”
5.  ”When the priest wrapped our hands in his sash to join us.”

After they walked back up the aisle, they headed right up to the choir loft where two young family members rang the church bells in their honor!!I loved that they had their guests throw lavender!  What an awesome idea!  It’s totally biodegradable, safe for animals to eat, and it smells heavenly.  :)We walked around town a little bit to grab a few snowy portraits.  There are so many adorable little spots around Ellicottville!
I love this one so much!!Oh, yes…I love this one, too!!!!Actually, they’re all adorable, because Deb and John are just an adorable couple!!  In addition to sharing their Top Five Favorite Wedding Day Memories, they were also kind enough to share this piece of advice with any of our readers who are still working their way through the wedding planning process:  “When planning the wedding, don’t let anyone else decide for you what is important.”  That is really great advice!  :)

Deborah and John – thank you so much for choosing us to capture these beautiful memories for you! It was such an amazing day, and we feel so honored to have been a part of it!! We wish you both all the happiness in the world! Much love, J + B :)

I have known Laurie my entire life. She is a beautiful person – kind, loving, thoughtful, bubbly, fun – the list of adjectives I could use to describe just how lovely she is could go on and on! Before their e-session, I had only met Pete once or twice, so I was very excited to come to Utica (which, if you don’t know by now, is my beloved hometown) to spend this time with them, and get to know them as a couple. It didn’t take long for me to realize that Pete is just as wonderful as Laurie, and that they are absolutely a perfect match! I’m so truly happy that two such fabulous people have found their way to each other, and cannot wait to celebrate with them in just a few short weeks!

Although it was sunny and beautiful for our shoot in Utica, it was still very cold, so we had to use indoor locations for the majority of our time together.  Luckily, we had this awesome city loft to use for our first location!!  Laurie’s parents (my aunt and uncle) recently finished rehabbing an old building in downtown Utica, and it looks amazing!  You can check out their Facebook page, The Bleecker Street Project, to see some of the before photos – you won’t believe your eyes!!  They are actively involved in the revitalization of downtown Utica, and it really has come a long, long way.  Every time I visit, there is something new, and it’s getting better all the time!

An engagement photo session in Utica, NY just would not be complete without a trip to the train station!  It’s one of Utica’s most stunning architectural displays, and certainly one of my favorite spots.  :)  We did a few shots outside before heading into the station, but it was definitely chilly!!  How cute are these two?!
We decided to head back out into the cold for a few shots on the platform and by the vintage trains, and I’m so very glad we did!  The blue sky was so lovely!

Laurie and Pete – thank you so much for allowing me to capture these beautiful memories for you! It was wonderful to have the opportunity to spend this time with you! Getting to know you guys as a couple made me SO excited for us to be a part of your wedding day!!! Can’t wait!! Much love, J + B :)

Our thoughts as we drove into the city that day were fretful. It was way too cold to shoot outside, and far too windy for our lights, but we really needed a different indoor location. There really aren’t too many “photographer-friendly” indoor locations in Buffalo, so we tend to stick to the same old places where we know we’ll be welcomed. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with our usual indoor locations – they are some of the most gorgeous buildings in all of Buffalo! But, it was time for a new location. We had asked Doneshia and Ramon to meet us at Pearl Street Grill & Brewery, since that is a pretty central and easy to find downtown location, but shooting there had never crossed our minds until we were already there and trying to find a downtown parking spot.  As we drove around the block several times to find parking, it dawned on us.  ”We shoot here all the time.  I’m sure someone will let us shoot on the upper floors today.  Why wouldn’t they?”  And, of course, all we had to do was ask, and we were granted access to the upper floors.  It was different, it was warm, and it was out of the whipping winds – win, win!!!  Pearl Street is amazing, and we thank them bunches and bunches.

Now…aren’t these two adorable?!  ;)
A quick trip out into the cold for some balcony shots!  These are super cute!Then, it was time to move on to our next location.  D + R were cool with being cold for a little bit, but none of us wanted to be out in that vicious wind.  So what did we do?  We took them to our favorite parking garage, of course!!After braving the cold for a while, it was time for another indoor shoot spot!!  So, we took our fabulous couple to one of our all time favorite places to shoot – the Ellicott Square Building.  They are always so kind about letting us use their space!
Doneshia and Ramon had one special request that day – to have us take a few shots at Cecelia’s Ristorante, the martini bar on Elmwood Ave where they spent a lot of time together while they were dating.  We love it when our couples want to have some shots done at a place that is special to them!!  It’s such an awesome idea to document the parts of your relationship that led you to where you are right now, the things and places that helped you bond and become closer and closer.  We were more than happy to take these shots for them!!  :)

Doneshia and Ramon – thank you so much for being so flexible and open to all of our ideas!! You guys really made this shoot amazing! We loved working with you both, and can’t wait for your wedding day!! It’s going to be absolutely fantastic!! Much love, J + B :)

We had such an awesome time with these two, wandering around Buffalo and visiting some of our absolute favorite spots to shoot! It can be difficult to do an e-shoot in the Winter, because – let’s face it – it’s not always easy to be photographed outside in 28 degree weather and look like you’re having the time of your life; but, Lauren and Axel were amazing to work with, and didn’t complain even once about the bitter cold! Aren’t they just adorable?!

We started out at Delaware Park, which is always lovely in any season.  Lauren’s red coat was picture perfect!

When we all had our fill of the cold weather, we headed on over to Sweetness 7 to warm up for a little bit!!  What a cute place!  This was our first time visiting Sweetness 7 on Grant Street, and we were super impressed.  It’s so, so exciting to see Grant Street making a come back!  If you haven’t been there yet, you MUST go check it out!!  We hung out for a while, drank some delicious cocoa, and grabbed some shots of L and A enjoying their cocoa, which are some of my favorites from the whole day.  <3
Lauren made a little wooden sign for their Save the Date cards, so we played around with that for a while.  Super cute!!  Then, a few shots on the steps of City Hall.  We’ve been really lucky this past year with being able to shoot in the Guaranty Building.  It is absolutely one of Buffalo’s most incredible buildings, and we are so thankful to the sweet security guard who allows us to come in and use the space on weekends.  He is amazing!!  We did a bunch of fun shots with creative lighting, and really had an awesome time shooting in there.This is one of my favorites…I just love it.The ceiling in the Guaranty Building is one of it’s best features, so we definitely had to incorporate that into our shots.  The soft, orange-yellow back light that Ben added was gorgeous, too.  :)Our next indoor location was the Ellicott Square Building.  They have always been really nice about letting us shoot in there, too, which is fortunate, because it’s a fabulous building!Our last stop was the other side of Delaware Park for a couple of quick night shots.  (It was freeeeeeezing!!!)
Lauren and Axel – you guys are so much fun!! Thank you for spending some time with us, for braving the freezing temps, and for introducing us to the deliciousness that is Sweetness 7! We’re so happy that you found us!! Much love, J + B :)

Life can be so crazy sometimes! I’ve been trying to get Stacy and Ben’s wedding blogged all week, but crazy things just kept popping up and demanding my attention.  Every year, I tell myself that we’ll have an “off-season,” during which I can relax and recharge for the following wedding season, but it never seems to come!  (This might sound a tad like complaining, but it totally isn’t – I’m so very grateful that we’re as busy as we are all year round.  It’s amazing.)  So, here we are on Friday night, and I’m finally getting to share this incredible Winter wedding, featuring two of our favorite people in the whole world.  Stacy and Ben were kind enough to share their Top Five Favorite Wedding Day Memories with us, so I will be sharing those throughout the post!  :)

I started out the day with Stacy and the girls at Bliss Salon in North Tonawanda.  Everyone was so laid back and stress free!  It was wonderful! Chelsea and Jill did an absolutely fabulous job on Stacy’s hair and make-up.  She was (and always is) STUNNING!!

Then, we headed back to Stacy’s parents’ home to finish getting ready!  Stacy and Ben had been remodeling their house throughout their entire wedding planning process.  Can you imagine?!  If you’ve ever remodeled a house, OR planned a wedding, then you know that doing both at the same time would be difficult to say the least; but, these two managed to pull it off flawlessly.  They are super-heroes!!  Which brings me to Stacy’s first Top Wedding Memory!

Stacy:  “Not a wedding day favorite, but a ‘wedding favorite’, is the rehearsal dinner.  Leading up to the wedding we had been working on a kitchen/family room addition at our house (which is the house my Dad grew up in) with a general renovation to the rest of the home.  The goal was to have the rehearsal dinner at the house and have Ben’s Mom cook!  Many nights till 1am with my parents working on getting things “livable” in the weeks and days right up until the rehearsal, and we made it!  Being able to have our closest friends and family for the rehearsal dinner as the first event in our ‘new’ home meant so much to me!  Ben’s Mom cooked an amazing amount of food and it was all so delicious, Cajun style and Dino BBQ recipes!  (A major staple in the relationship!)”

Stacy:  “My sisters are a huge part of my life and having them both there with me for the weekend was great.  Leading up to it, texting and skyping with my sister from out of town meant so much to me.  I knew she wanted to be here helping so badly, but it did just as much hearing from her then if she would’ve been here hole punching snowflakes!  My sister here pulled off all the final details and kept everything on track, really it wouldn’t have all ended up being so perfect without her!  The time doing the last minute things with Allie was priceless.  Having my whole family together was just like being a little kid again growing up!  Knowing how much they all love Ben means the world to me!”This little darling girl is Stacy’s niece, Bella, and it is crystal clear that she is the apple of Stacy’s eye.  Taking time to dress Bella’s dolly for the wedding was an important part of the morning!  ;)  How cute is Bella’s nail polish?!  LOVE!!A few quick family photos, and we were off to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church to get married!Ben started out the day with Ben and the guys at Stacy and Ben’s newly remodeled house!  Ben is quite the musician, and music played a large roll in the theme of their wedding.  I love their music poster Save the Date, and ticket stub invitation!  So cute!!  I am almost never present when the guys get ready, so it’s always interesting for me to go through Ben’s shots and find out what kind of mischief the boys were up to before the ceremony.  :)  Here is one of Ben’s Top Five!!

Ben:  ”Spending the last moments of bachelorhood with my best friends eating two cheeseburgers and two small fries while chugging champagne for breakfast.”

The ceremony was absolutely gorgeous.  This was our first time shooting at St. Paul’s Lutheran, and we were loving it.  What a pretty church!
Stacy and Ben were so much fun, so laid back, and super easy to work with, which made for an awesome day all around!  They only had one request – to stop by the Creekview Restaurant in Williamsville for a drink at the bar with their wedding party.  Well, it was a tight squeeze, but we all managed to fit in the bar area, and I grabbed a few shots of the action, while Ben went ahead to Park Country Club to grab detail shots before everyone arrived there.  :)  It was definitely below 30 degrees that day, but Stacy had planned a Winter wedding for a reason, and really wanted snowy photos!  The three of us braved the freezing temps for just a few minutes to take a few portraits outside of the restaurant.  I love the way they turned out!!We love shooting at Park Country Club!  It’s such a beautiful space, and Alisa and her team do an amazing job of making each and every wedding totally unique and different for every couple.  With the amount of times we’ve photographed weddings at Park, you would think that they’d start to look similar after a while, but that’s never the case.  They are all completely different, and totally elegant and lovely!  In keeping with their “music” theme, Stacy and Ben had a large framed “concert poster” for their guests to sign, guitar pics with their names and wedding date, and VIP passes for their wedding party to wear!  They also kept the decor seasonal with pretty pine cone centerpieces, and their adorable snowball fight cake topper!  Everything was so perfectly “them.”

As I mentioned previously, it was frigid that day, so getting some outdoor snowy photos of the wedding party in front of Park was a very quick procedure indeed.  Fortunately, this was a super fun group, and they just laughed and laughed and laughed to keep themselves warm!

A few more Wedding Day Memories!!

Ben:   “The small things that make us us were also enjoyed by everyone else there.”  

Ben:  “Having our niece Bella at dinner making us laugh, and also confusing my family into thinking we already had a kid for 3 years that they did not know about until that day.”

Stacy:  “Coming into the reception to ‘Pride & Joy’ and dancing with Ben.  That moment felt like it could’ve lasted forever; it’s when everything stood still and when everything felt right.  I knew I was all smiles, it was 100% US!” 

Stacy:  “Leading up to the wedding our niece, who lives in Baltimore, kept telling everyone that she was going to sit next to Ben at the wedding and everyone kept saying ‘No, you can sit with Grandma and Grandpa and then dance with Ben after dinner.’  Well…Bella sat on our laps during dinner and it made the day for both of us!  She kept the cocktail hour so relaxed for us!!  As soon as she left is when everything turned into a whirl wind!”

The dances were all so wonderful, and so full of emotion.  There are so many more that I wanted to include!  After Stacy and Ben danced with their parents, Ben grabbed his guitar and played and sang a song while Stacy danced with his Grandfather and then with her Great Uncle, Don.  It was so truly moving to witness.  Luckily, I am a trained professional whose photographic skills are not compromised by tears streaming down my face.  ;)

More favorite wedding day memories from Stacy and Ben!!

Stacy:  “Dancing with Ben’s Grandpa and my Great Uncle Don while Ben played the guitar and sang the Jamie Johnson song ‘In Color.’  Both of my Grandpa’s have passed away and they were both such a huge part of my life.  It meant so much to me to be able to dance with my Uncle Don.  Plus, he is the best dancer I know, he actually has moves!!  The first time I met Ben’s grandparents I knew that Ben and I were the same people all the way through!  It was by God’s grace that Ben’s Grandpa was even at the wedding.  He has been going through various bouts with lung cancer and a few other illnesses, but being at the wedding was his goal, to see his 1st Grandson get married…and dammit he made it!  He walked up to the dance floor, threw his cane on the floor and hung on to me for dear life.  Singing the words that fit him so well and our families so well, it was perfect!  The wedding was about that – our families and friends and the people Ben and I are because of everyone who has touched our lives.”

Ben:  “When my Grandpa threw his cane on the ground.”  :)

Ben:  “The feeling of happiness from friends and family who came to celebrate.”

This dance floor was insanity!!!  What a hoppin’ party!  Kevin McCarthy knows how to keep a dance floor exciting all night long!  If you can get him (he has limited availability, so get in touch with him soon!!), you won’t regret it for one second.  (FYI:  You don’t want to miss the second to last photo in this set of the man who apparently has double-jointed hips.  Yes, that is his leg.  It is officially one of my favorite dance floor shots of all time!)Due to the bitter, horrifying cold, we set up our night shots in the upstairs of Park.  I love the way these turned out, and I love that my husband is a genius with lighting.  That is all.  <3
And, last but certainly not least, here’s some amazing wedding planning advice from one amazing couple:

“Do each little thing for the right reasons…do it because it makes you smile. Treat the endless wedding rules like they are all guidelines, if you like something and it defines who you are as a couple then do it! P.S. Remodel your house; you’ll never be stressed about the wedding!

The most overwhelming part of the whole wedding planning/wedding was the next day. It was about 8pm and we finally sat down to open our cards, it was so amazing the generosity we were literally in tears reading the cards. We are so blessed to have such amazing friends and family and we thank God for all the countless blessings in our life! Oh yeah, and of course…it snowed!!!”

Stacy and Ben – thank you so, so, SO much for choosing us to be a part of your wedding day!  It was such a genuine celebration of love and joy!  You are both such amazing people – so warm and kind to everyone around you, and we are so very grateful to be able to call you our friends.  Much love, J + B  :)

We loved Molly and Vinny the minute we met them. They are so cute together, and such a fun couple! I can remember sitting across from them at our initial meeting, and listening to them talk about what they had planned so far. I kept getting more and more excited as Molly described what Park Country Club would look like at Christmastime, and I couldn’t wait to see it in person! The wedding date they chose was also my birthday, so I knew it was meant to be. What are the odds?! After the meeting, Ben said to me, “Are you sure you want to work on your birthday?” I definitely thought about that for a minute before replying, but the truth is, I can’t think of a better way to spend my birthday than by doing what I love!

I’m one of those people who loves Christmas and all things Christmas-related, so I knew that it would be beautiful; but, I can hardly even find the words to describe how beautiful it truly was. We have shot at Park Country Club quite a few times now, but I have never seen it look as magical as it did that night.  It might just be me, but I really think that Christmas decorations can make anything more beautiful!  I started out the day with Molly and the girls at The Mansion on Delaware, which is always lovely, but of course, it was even more lovely than usual with all of the Christmas decorations!  Molly and Vinny were kind enough to share their Top Five Favorite Wedding Day Memories with us, so I will be including those throughout the post.  :)One of Molly’s Top Five:  “When my dad first walked into the room at the Mansion, and saw me in my wedding dress.”  That was definitely an amazing moment, and I feel honored to have been able to capture it!
After Molly and the girls were ready to roll, we took a few minutes to grab some portraits at the Mansion.  I love these so much!  Molly looked AMAZING!
Then, we hopped on the limo and had a fun ride over to St. Louis Church.  ;)Ben started out the day with Vinny and the guys at Molly and Vinny’s apartment.  I wasn’t there, of course, but from what I hear, trying to tie your own bow tie is pretty challenging stuff!

Here is one of Vinny’s Top Five:  ”Getting ready with the groomsmen and trying to figure out how to tie my bowtie!”St. Louis Church is one of the most stunning churches in Buffalo, and it’s always a pleasure for us to shoot there.  The time of day Molly and Vinny chose to have their ceremony was absolute perfection!  The light was gorgeous!

A few more Top Five Wedding Day Memories from our lovely couple!

Vinny:  “Talking with my best man right before the ceremony started.”  ”Seeing my beautiful wife for the first time as the church doors opened.”

Molly:  “Laughing and talking with my Dad in the back of St. Louis right before he walked me down the aisle.”  ”Saying my vows, and listening to Vinny say his.  That was an incredibly powerful moment – even with everyone watching you feel like the only two people in the world!”
Molly and Vinny booked the Historical Society as an indoor location for photos, which was such an awesome idea!  It was freeeeeeeeezing that day, so having a place that was warm and comfortable to take photos was key, and the Historical Society is oh so gorgeous.
We did manage to convince them to step outside for just a few shots with the beautiful Winter sunset.  I think it was less than 10 minutes total, but we still got some great shots!Then, we made our way over to Park Country Club for a rockin’ reception!  I walked in, and my jaw literally just dropped.  Park CC is so grand as it is, but never have I seen such a stunning display of Christmas decor!!  I was immediately reminded of Christmas time at Hogwarts, and I could barely contain my excitement!  I don’t usually blog the “introductions,” but these were especially fun, and I adore the red dresses.  ;)Here are two more of Molly’s Top Five:  “Our first dance.  I had a ball and loved hearing people cheer and clap as we did our turns and dips–the dance lessons paid off!”  ”My sister’s beautiful toast!”After the formal dances, the dance floor opened up, and it was off the charts!  What a party!!  We had a great time shooting it!And, here are the last of Molly and Vinny’s Top Five Favorite Wedding Day Memories!

Molly:  “Watching all of our friends and family on the dance floor!  After all of the planning, it is the most amazing and worthwhile feeling to look around and see so many people you love dancing, smiling, and celebrating the day!”

Vinny:  “The dance floor at Park, especially Shout!”  ”Classin’ up the evening with family and friends at Colter Bay and Jim’s Steakout!”  
Advice from Molly:  “Enjoy being engaged and don’t worry so much about the planning.  It all comes together in the end, and it will truly be the best day of your life.”

Advice from Vinny:  “Try to step back and enjoy the day because it goes by too quickly!”

Molly and Vinny – we can’t thank you enough for choosing us to be a part of your wedding day! What a stunning celebration it was!! We had such an amazing time, and we are very grateful for the way that you and your families made us feel so welcome! I can’t think of a better way to have spent my birthday! You two are absolutely awesome, and we wish you both a lifetime of happiness. Much love, J + B :)