*As a side note, I hope everyone is loving the Top Five Favorite Wedding Day Memories!!  We’ve gotten a lot of really great feedback on it, so we’re assuming that you’re all enjoying hearing from our couples!  If there’s anything else you’d like to see featured in our wedding posts, please feel free to leave us a message in the comments!

To start us off, a favorite wedding day memory from Corine:  “Getting ready that morning was a little crazy, so I was happy when my son wanted to try getting dressed himself. I had to help him with the tie and vest at the end, but he was so proud to be wearing his tuxedo and to be a part of the wedding! In fact he still wears his tie almost daily.”

Corine ordered custom made clutches for all of her bridesmaids from Etsy.  Each one had a personalized message from Corine stitched on the inside flap.  What a wonderful idea!!Corine looked incredibly beautiful…she really did.  She is just one of those girls who is beautiful inside and out, all the time.  (Our girl, Heather, did a fabulous job with hair and make-up!  If you are in need of a hair stylist/make-up artist for your wedding day, give Glam on Location a shout!  They’re the best in town!!)  This was our first time shooting at the Delaware Ave Baptist Church, and we were LOVING it.  What a gorgeous place!!  Can’t wait to shoot here again!
Here are a few of Mike’s Top Five Favorite Wedding Day Memories:

1. “The positive energy from our guests was leading up to the nuptials was palpable. I’ll never forget it.”

2. “Our flower girl took nearly 5 minutes to walk down the isle… She took her job so seriously and was moving petals to exactly where she wanted them. So cute, but agonizing having to wait at the alter looking for your bride to make her entrance.”

3. “How amazingly beautiful and happy my bride looked that day.”

Corine was escorted down the aisle by her adorable son.  He was a proud escort…it was such a sweet moment.  :)

Two more of Corine’s Top Five Favorites!!

2. “I have never seen my husband so happy before!  He could barely stand still at the alter as he tried to contain his excitement.”

3. “The kiss…Many have told us it was the best wedding kiss they have seen and I would have to agree. We were both so ready to seal our vows with a kiss!”

We had just a few short minutes to grab some portraits of Corine and Mike downtown on Main Street by Shea’s!  We love that spot, and could have shot there all night, but I’m happy with what we were able to get!The details were so fabulous!  I LOVE the “message in a bottle” guestbook idea, and would totally steal it if Ben and I could get married again!  Corine and Mike opted to work with a wedding coordinator, which is an absolutely wonderful idea.  Most couples immediately think that they either don’t need or can’t afford a wedding coordinator, but that’s really not the case.  If you can possibly swing it, it’s worth every cent.  It was awesome to watch Dawn and her team (Distinctive Occasions) completely transform the Mansion with lovely details.  Watching what they did all day long really made me think, “Wow…how does anyone do this without a coordinator?!”  She was amazing to work with.

How fancy is that sweet heart table with the sweet purple uplighting?!!  LOVE.

Corine and Mike’s first dance was adorable.  They were so genuine, and seemed as though they didn’t even notice the other 100 people watching them!

Two more favorites from our bride and groom!!

Corine:  “I will never forgot that outpouring of love from our family and friends.  This was my first time meeting most of Mike’s family and they were so welcoming and loving.  It was wonderful to see both of our families meeting and getting along so well!”

Mike:  “Our venues, Delaware Ave Baptist Church and The Mansion on Delaware were more beautiful than I could have imagined. Both were perfect for our celebration.”

And, the last two of the Top Five Favorite Wedding Day Memories from our lovely couple!

Corine:  “Towards the end of the night, I pulled Mike aside to the corner of the room to take everything in.  It was a perfect scene… The venue, the lighting, the packed dance floor and everyone there celebrating our love.  It was such an amazing day!”

Mike:  “How amazing some of the glimpses of pictures we saw from the photographers were, and how beautiful the pictures are going to look once we get them.”

Corine and Mike were kind enough to share some wedding planning advice for all of our lovely couples out there who are still making their way through the crazy journey!! Here’s what they had to say:

“My biggest piece of advice: If possible, hire a wedding planner! We had already chosen the major aspects of the wedding…venue, photographer, DJ. We hired a wedding planner to help with all the details of the day including invitations, programs, favors, etc. We planned our wedding in 4 months, so I knew it would be a necessity to have some help. Having Dawn, our planner, took so much stress off of us during the planning process. She came up with ideas that I never would have on my own. She was also there the day of the wedding to make sure everything ran smoothly. If you have a little extra money in your wedding budget, consider hiring a planner, you will be glad you did!”

Corine and Mike – thank you so much for choosing us to tell the story of your day with our cameras!! We had a wonderful time working with you both! It was an honor to be a part of such a heartfelt celebration. We wish you both all the happiness in the world!! Much love, J + B :)

Mary and John live in the DC area, so this was the first time we had the pleasure of meeting them! They are such an awesome couple, and we had a great time working with them! Mary is a proud native Buffalonian, and really wanted to incorporate some of the city’s most famous landmarks into their shoot, so we made quite a few stops that day.  We even stumbled upon a few new spots that we had never shot before!  It’s always nice to see new elements of our beautiful city.

We started out the shoot on Main Street in front of the always famous Shea’s Buffalo sign.  If that isn’t a Buffalo landmark, then I don’t know what is!!

Then, we walked around the city for a bit, looking for some nice colors and textures!  We found a lot of great spots that we had never used before.  We also found a fabulous Buffalo statue that we had never even seen before!  How cool is he?  ;)We had never shot in front of The Buffalo House before, so that was a fun new location for us!  I love these shots!  (I wish I could link to them, but alas, they don’t have a website.  I always find it so bizarre when I come across a business without a website these days!)We did this shoot in mid-November, so most of the leaves had fallen by then.  We did manage to find one with some pretty yellow leaves still left on it, though!Love this building.  We normally only get about 10 minutes there before a security guard comes flying out to shoo us away, but we take whatever we can get.  ;)Our next stop was the Naval Park area!  We shot here quite a bit in 2011, and we’re loving what they’ve done with the place.  It’s a great little spot.
Wow, Mary….you are simply gorgeous.  LOVE.
These next two shots are similar but different.  They were shot within 2 minutes of each other.  One is my shot, and one is Ben’s.  I love how we can be standing right next to each other, looking at virtually the same exact scene, yet we capture such different things.  Have I mentioned lately how important it is to have two photographers on your wedding day?  This is why.

Can anyone guess which one was me and which was Ben’s?  I think it’s easy, but that’s probably because I already know the answer.  ;)Mary and John wanted to incorporate some of their DC roots into their Buffalo shoot, so they brought along a DC flag!  I had no idea that states had their own individual flags!  How did I miss that?!Our last location of the day was the waterfront to grab some shots with our lovely Peace Bridge in the background.  We love this spot!  It’s beautiful all year round, in any weather, and in any season.  And, of course, what would a trip to this spot be without some shots on the break wall?!  In my last post, I mentioned that I had no idea what this walkway was called, and one of our wonderful readers was kind enough to clue me in!  Apparently, it’s called the Bird Island Pier!  Thanks so much, Whitney, you sweet thang!!  ;)
Mary and John – thank you so very much for running around the city with us! We had such a wonderful time with you two! It’s always an amazing experience for us when we get to work with people that we instantly “click” with, and that was you two from the first moment. We are beyond excited for the wedding, and cannot WAIT to hang with you two crazy kids again!!! Thank you so much for the delicious muffins, Mary! You are so very kind! We enjoyed them so much!! See you soon! Much love, J + B :)

Click the screenshot image to check out the whole post, and read about Bethany and Pete’s wedding!

We’d like to give a huge shout-out to our friends at The Tuscarora Inn for providing such a gorgeous backdrop, to my girl, Heather, at Glam on Location for styling all of the ladies with her fabulous hair and make-up artistry, to the lovely ladies at Flourish, who did an amazing job on the flowers, and of course, to Bethany and Pete for allowing us to be a part of such an incredible day!

Jill and Bob really wanted some shots on the walkway that goes under the Peace Bridge. They have spent time there together, walking and running, and it’s also where they got engaged! It’s holds very special meaning to them, so in spite of the weather, we were determined to make it work. I have never figured out exactly what the proper name for it is. Break wall running path? Lake Erie walk way? I don’t know, but it was COLD out there, and windy. SUPER windy. But, two people who are as much in love as these two are, wouldn’t even notice. Just look at those happy, freezing faces!!  I love these so much.
Our next stop was the Historical Society to grab some shots with the fabulous pillars.  Luckily, it wasn’t raining here, and the wind wasn’t nearly as crazy as it was on the lake!
I love this one…definitely one of my favorites!These two are just adorable!!
When you’re working in the rain, you have to get creative, so you tend to look at underpasses in a whole new light.  :)  I actually really love the way these turned out!Random breaks in the rain allowed us to grab some uncovered shots, which made us very happy.
But, then it started POURING, and we needed an indoor location on super short notice.  Did you know that there are pretty awesome subway stations in Buffalo?  Neither did I.  But, Ben insisted that we could shoot in one of these stations while waiting for the rain to let up, and what a great idea that was.  These are such fun shots (florescent lighting and all…eeeeeeekkk!!!)!!Another break in the rain took us to Allentown for these fun shots.  (Can you see me in the third one down?)  And, then, we headed over to the Theatre District to make use of the covered alleyway!  Jill had an idea for their Save the Date, and came prepared with a giant box of sidewalk chalk.  Ben had fun coloring, too!  ;)
Jill and Bob – you guys are the best! It’s so awesome that you didn’t let a little wind and rain bring you down…you look so happy in these photos!! Thanks for being such amazing troopers, and running all around the city with us! We had such a great time, and we really are SO excited for the wedding!! WOO HOOOOO!!! Can’t wait!! See you soon! Much love, J + B :)

Brittany and Shea didn’t really have any specific locations in mind for their shoot, so they left it up to us to choose, and boy do we love it when that happens!!!  There is this beautiful little park across the street from our house that has lots of ivy and mossy paths, and a really cool old cement wall that we had been wanting to spend some time shooting.  We suggested it to Brittany and Shea, and they were all about it, so that’s exactly where we headed first.  It’s such an awesome feeling when our clients trust us to choose locations for them!  I think this first spot was a great choice, don’t you?  So magical!  ;)

The second location we chose was another one of our favorite spots.  If you follow me on Instagram, then you’ve probably noticed that every other photo I take with my iPhone is at “Eighteen Mile Creek Fishing Access.”  This is the spot we go almost everyday to hike with Lily, and enjoy nature’s beauty.  If you’re ever looking for a new trail to hike, or a place to bring your dog where they can run off the leash to their heart’s content, this is the place.  We love it, and the unkempt  wildness of it all makes it an excellent choice for an e-shoot location.  :)
Our last location was a spot where the sunsets are almost always perfect.  The way the setting sun hits this barn is so very lovely, and we definitely wanted to capture that.  Shea really wanted some great shots on his fancy motorcycle, and we knew this area would be awesome for that, too!  I love the way these turned out!!  
Brittany and Shea – thank you so much for hanging out with us! We had a wonderful time shooting you guys – you were so much fun and so easy to work with!! We wish you both all the happiness in the world! Cheers to an absolutely perfect wedding day!! Much love, J + B :)

As you can probably imagine, we all had a pretty good laugh, and the story behind them makes me love these tree shots even more.  :)

Part two of our session with Laura and Jeff took place about a week later at Chestnut Ridge Park, so that their adorable little son, Greyson, could make an appearance.  He is SO cute!!  This part was pretty much a family session, but we were still able to grab a few shots of Laura and Jeff alone, while Greyson was still deciding whether or not he liked us.  ;)  Once again, they lucked out with an incredibly gorgeous Fall day.  We had an amazing time shooting this adorable little family!!
Laura and Jeff – thank you so much for spending some time with us! Great times were had during BOTH sessions…we really enjoyed shooting you guys! Thanks for being such good sports about the hunter/tree incident…not a story that will soon be forgotten! Greyson is ridiculously cute, and the three of you together are everything a family should be. We can’t wait to capture more wonderful memories for you at the wedding!! Much love, J + B :)

Although I could write volumes about these two wonderful people and dear friends, I promised Lindsey that I would have this post up today, so I’m going to refrain from blabbering, and let this fabulous couple do the chatting!!

Here are the first three of Lindsey’s Top Five Favorite Wedding Day Memories (in no particular order):

2. Walking down the aisle with my dad. I think as girls that’s such a big moment that we dream about our whole lives.  It certainly didn’t disappoint.  Amazing moment for me.  I thought I would be so nervous, but I was just beaming.

3. Hearing the priest give his homily at our wedding was so special to me because I have known him so long.  It was so special to have someone so close to me and Chris witness the most important day of our lives.

And, here are the first three of Chris’s Top Five Favorite Wedding Day Memories!!

1.  The hours before the ceremony getting ready with my groomsmen.  I was more nervous about the fact that I wasn’t nervous.  I just wanted to get to the church so I could finally see my bride-to-be.

2. The moment that sticks out the most in my head is the moment Lindsey appeared at the end of the aisle.  It was the only moment that I actually saw her before everyone in the church blocked her from my vision, but it was one of the best seconds of my life.

3. The ride in the limo after the ceremony.  It was one of the first moments where we could take a breath and relax, but the reality of the day hadn’t set in yet.
This group was absolutely hysterical and had us cracking up all day.  They were all so much fun to work with!!  Lindsey and Chris chose Forest Lawn Cemetery as the location for their photos, and we were loving it.  It’s such a gorgeous spot!After our epic photo session in the cemetery, we headed on over to Kloc’s Grove for a fabulous celebration!  A lot of these desserts were made by Lindsey.  Can you imagine?  With everything else there is to think about as a bride, and she was baking up a storm!  She’s pretty incredible.  ;)
Two more of Lindsey’s Top Five!!

4. First dance with my dad. The song that we danced to (“If We Hold On Together” by Diana Ross) has been my “daddy song” since I was a little girl.  I wanted to learn the song, so my dad wrote down the words for me; I still have that piece of paper.  When we were dancing my dad kept saying to me, “the only other time I’ve seen you look this beautiful was the day you were born.”  I’ll never forget that.

5. The last dance of the night.  After running around trying to see everyone, my husband grabbed me for the final dance and it truly felt as if the world stopped. There were so many people on the dance floor, but it truly felt as if we were the only two people in the room.  I thought I would be so embarrassed about the attention, but I didn’t even notice because all of my attention was on him.

And, two more of Chris’s Top Five!!

4. One of my favorite moments was my first dance with my new wife.  We were both so nervous about looking like idiots in front of our guests, that we took dance lessons.  When we were on the dance floor, neither one of us wanted to do the dance routine!

5. The end of the night we had been pulled out of the reception by Ben and Jenn for some photos.  It was really one of the few moments I had with Lindsey alone without people tugging us in all different directions.  It was nice to sit out in the open air with my wife and enjoy a few moments of quiet.
This dance floor was something else…I’m not sure I can even describe the energy that was in the room that night.  I think you had to be there.  When we pulled Lindsey and Chris out for the night shots, they actually asked if we would be in one of the photos!!  That was so cool!!!  I loved it so much, that I had to add it to the blog post.  What an honor!  ;)
Wedding advice from Lindsey: “Things are absolutely going to go wrong or not turn out the way you planned. It’s okay. The pianist at the church played the wrong song for the procession. My eyelashes started to fall off during the ceremony. It’s okay. At those times, remember the whole reason why you’re doing this in the first place. As long as Chris was waiting for me at the end of that aisle, nothing else mattered to me that day. You spend so much time and effort trying to organize every detail but the truth is you will remember the memories you create for yourself so make sure you put emphasis on all the good things that happened.”

Wedding advice from Chris:  “My advice is simple: just say yes to what she wants.  Ultimately she will be right and it’ll make life easier.”

Lindsey and Chris – thank you so very much for everything!! We’re so thankful that you found us, and that we got to be a part of such an amazing time in your lives! You two are the best, and we love the heck outta you! See you soon! Your buddies, J + B :)

We started out the shoot at a private residence built by Bridget’s grandfather. It was incredible! The landscaping was just stunning. We hung out there for a while, and then we headed downtown for some fabulous night shots at Market Arcade, the Fountain Plaza area, and nearby Shea’s. I love, love, love all of the night shots, but my favorite is probably the one with the waterfall fountain. Ben set up some pretty dramatic lighting for that set, and I was loving it. I was so excited, that I forgot about the umbrellas I had set down on the bench behind me. When, I went back to go grab them (literally 5 minutes later), they had been swiped!! That was a bummer, but I’m sure whoever took them really needed them…at least, that’s what I tell myself! Sometimes, when I’m shooting, I get really excited about what I’m doing, and I have a tendency to forget my personal belongings and just walk away, camera in hand. It drives my poor husband nuts, as he is always having to stop and pick things up after I walk away (a camera bag here, a lens cap there, umbrellas, etc.). I really have to try and be better about that!

These two were so much fun to shoot! They were so natural in front of our cameras, and so genuinely in love – it was easy to see that they are absolutely perfect for each other.

Bridget and Wally – thank you both for being so awesome to work with!! You guys rocked this shoot! We had so much fun, and we’re really looking forward to the wedding! Can’t wait! Much love, J + B :)

P and K decided that they wanted to meet up at Becker Farms for their e-shoot, too, and that was fine with us, considering that we’re such huge fans of the place.  ;)  It’s beautiful all year round, but it’s especially beautiful in late autumn, when the vines are loaded with grapes, and the apples are starting to fall off the trees and scatter.  We started out in the vineyard.  If these two were nervous about being photographed, we would have never known!  They were so genuinely happy and having a great time just being together, hanging out in the vineyard.  Their love for each other was so obvious, and it made us even more excited for the wedding day!

Paul made this awesome Save the Date sign himself!  He’s so crafty!  We took some real, card-worthy shots with the sign, I swear….these two were my favorites, though.  ;)The barn across the street from the main farm is one of our favorite spots.  It started to rain, so we just ducked in there for a few!  I’m sure everyone recognizes this location by now.  We’ve shot here quite a few times now, but it’s such a gem!  Every time we go back, we see something different and amazing.I love this shot!  You both look positively dashing here, guys!!  ;)Since the rain wasn’t letting up, we needed to find another “covered” location, so we headed into Lockport, and grabbed a few shots by the locks.  This spot is one of our new favorites!  Can’t wait to shoot there again!

Paul and Kerry – thanks so much for spending some time with us! It was great to get to know you a little bit as a couple…you are so much fun! We are so excited for the wedding, and look forward to capturing many wonderful moments and memories for you!! Can’t wait! Much love, J + B :)

I started out the day at Kaitlyn’s parents’ home.  Kait ran a little late at the salon, so I spent the extra time I had with this gorgeous girl!  Isn’t she beautiful?!  She is such a sweetheart!

Kait soon returned with her mom and sister, and started getting ready!Then, we were off to Zion Lutheran Church for a very beautiful ceremony!Due to the weather, Kait and TJ opted to just have photos done right in the church, which was fine with us!  It was really a beautiful space to shoot in!
Our next stop was Samuel’s Grand Manor for a super fun reception!  Kait and TJ booked The Ayres Photo Booth, so we got that all set up during cocktail hour, and it was ready to roll soon after!
After two beautiful and heartwarming parent dances, the dance floor opened up, and things got wild!  It was a fun dance floor for us to shoot!  Everyone really seemed to have an awesome time!  :)The Ayres Photo Booth was in full effect, and everyone really seemed to enjoy that, too!  Good times were had by all!!
Kaitlyn and TJ – thank you so much for choosing us to be a part of your wedding day!! We had a wonderful time! You two are such a sweet, adorable couple, and we wish you all the happiness in the world!! Much love, J + B :)