We hope that you find yourself smiling right along with them as you take a scroll through their day. :)

Love a good fall wedding?? So do we! Hop over here to see another!

Wedding Vendors Include:

Church: St. Louis Roman Catholic Church
Reception: Hotel @ the Lafayette
Wedding Coordinator: Exhale Events
Invitations: Oh Joyful Day
Hair and Makeup Artists: Top Knot Salon + Beauty Bar
Wedding Dress Shop: Lovely Bride Rochester
Wedding Dress Designer: Hayley Paige
Bridesmaid Dresses: Nordstrom
Groom’s Look: The Black Tux
Flowers: West Wind Florals
Cake: Romano’s Bakery
DJ: CJ Sound
Videographer: Black Horse Videography

Nikki and Bill had a beautiful outdoor ceremony at the always gorgeous Delaware Park Rose Garden, which happened to be especially stunning for N+B. So many colorful flowers in full bloom, and in OCTOBER! Who would have thought?? As our Ayres couples often do, Nikki and Bill made their ceremony not just about them, but about their families as well. They chose to have Bill’s children stand right up there at the altar with them, and kept those who could not attend there with them in spirit throughout the entire day. It was honestly so beautiful to witness the coming together of their family as one official unit in such a special way, and the fact that we were there to capture it all just means the world to us. Oh, and there was a very cute dog with a very beautiful flower collar, so … winning on all accounts. A true Ayres couple, through and through. We hope you enjoy this very sentimental and patiently awaited wedding day as much as we did.

Nikki: “Bill and I worked together at his office in 2011. He is an orthopaedic surgeon, and I was working for one of his partners. He would try to flirt with me and plan Happy Hours to get me out, but I never obliged. I never wanted to date a doctor. We remained friendly but never really talked much. He would try to email me here and there but I never answered, or I kept it very short and professional. I moved away to Mississippi in 2013, and later he operated on my best friend’s dad. I messaged him on LinkedIn – just something along the lines of ‘You better have done him well!’ After that we kind of became pen pals over the next year. We visited each other every 4-6 weeks, and then I ended up moving back to buffalo October 2014 and the rest is history!“

Nikki: “Our first date was for coffee at Spot on Elmwood Ave in Buffalo. I was so nervous! We still joke about it to this day – how I couldn’t even look at him in the eyes and how I was fidgeting the entire time. I actually made him an origami cat out of a straw wrapper while we were sitting there drinking our coffee – anything to not look at him I guess. He still has it to this day!!“

Nikki: “Bill and I both lost our fathers. On our wedding day, I gifted pins to my mother and mother-in-law that had pictures of their husbands. They wore the pins through out the day and night.“

Nikki: “Bill proposed on October 25, 2017 at the place where we had our first date! He was cute. He actually had his kids in on it! He texted me earlier in the day saying we had a college night meeting for his oldest daughter at Nardin Academy (right down the street from Spot) and the meeting was at 7. As we were about half way downtown, Cassidy texted us saying the meeting was at 7:30, not 7, so I suggested we just stop at Spot for a coffee before the meeting. I didn’t notice anything weird about Bill, which I normally would pick up on, but after we sat down he seemed like he was in a super rush to get to Nardin even though we had a half an hour before we had to be there. Finally I just said ‘Ok, fine! Let’s go!’. As we walked outside he stopped me, and I immediately knew what was coming. I was so nervous and caught off guard I couldn’t stop laughing. The poor guy was crying, stumbling over his words about how much he loved me and how I’ve turned our house into a home. I couldn’t understand anything he said. We joke now about how the only thing I remember him saying was that I was ‘stylish?’ He got down on one knee and proposed! I still was laughing. I couldn’t believe it! I couldn’t believe this beautiful ring was mine and we were engaged – it was all so crazy! Then to top it off, I really thought we had a meeting at Nardin! So I tried rushing him down the street – turns out there was no meeting! It was all a hoax to get us to Spot! After we got engaged the kids were blowing up Bill’s phone asking how it went. They were so excited and couldn’t wait for us to get home. On our drive back we stopped to get some cupcakes to celebrate with the kids. We got home, had a huge family hug, ate cupcakes and called EVERYONE. The best part? We had a 5:30 am flight the next day to Vegas, and neither of us were packed! Needless to say we got NO sleep that night!“

Nikki: “I was set on a dress at Victoria’s Bridal. I thought it was so beautiful, but it didn’t scream ‘bridal’ to me. I also felt I had found it rather soon, so I decided to make one more appointment at MA Carr. The woman I was working with showed me about 6 dresses. My dress was the last one. I put it on, and it fit me like a glove. It was the first time in my life when I actually looked in the mirror and thought ‘Wow, I look beautiful’, and that’s how I knew it was it!“

Nikki: “Bill and I are polar opposites and it just works out to be a really healthy balance. I am more high strung, while Bill is super relaxed. He doesn’t let anything bother him. I bring him up while Bill calms me down. I am very black and white, while Bill always knows there’s a grey area.“

Nikki: “Bill has 3 kids from a previous marriage so we rarely ever have free time alone together! If we do have an evening together, it’s usually out for sushi or something quick and then back home for jammies and a movie. We are usually pretty casual. We don’t do a lot but when we do, we always do it with the kids. We try to give them any and every opportunity to try and do new things so we have a lot of ‘FFF’ or ‘forced family fun’, as we call it.“

Nikki: “I think we both really value our families and just relationships in general. Mutual respect is another thing we both find important.“

Bill: “And Nikki is obsessed with her dog – there’s nothing in life she loves more than Kona!“

Nikki: “Bill is the most patient person on the planet. He puts up with and tolerates so much from me. I couldn’t imagine anyone else loving me the way he does. He loves all of my flaws and never asks me to be something I’m not. He’s my best friend and I couldn’t imagine life without him. He is the biggest family man and all he wants in life is to be a good dad, husband and man and just provide for his family while giving them an awesome life. He’s the hardest working guy I know and I appreciate all the sacrifices he has made for us.“

Nikki: “A perfect night in would be Bill grilling some steaks and chicken on the grill and eating dinner outside on our awesome patio. We’d take our dogs for a walk and then watch a movie, pups on our lap, and would NOT set an alarm for the next day! When we do have some time alone, we usually try to plan a trip somewhere for a long weekend, or head up to to Pillar and Post at Niagara on the Lake  for an overnight. We will get massages, lay by the pool and just have a nice dinner. We usually head into town to an old Irish bar for a few drinks (Bill loves that we are Irish). “

Nikki: “Our first dance song was ‘Summer Wind’ by Frank Sinatra. My husband chose it – he loves our last name- ‘Wind’.“

Nikki: “My best friend gifted me a charm that read ‘Love Dad’ in his handwriting that I tied around my bouquet with a picture of him. I clipped it on my wrist at the end of the ceremony and wore it as a bracelet for the whole night. I danced with my mom to ‘I Hope You Dance’. She used to sing that to me growing up, so it was special to us.“

Love seeing furry friends make wedding day appearances?? Us to! Click here to see another pet friendly ceremony!

Wedding Vendors Include:

Venue: Delaware Park Rose Garden and Marcy Casino
Invitations: Minted
Hair: Salon-A-Go-Go
Make-Up: Kassie Depke of Groom Service Beauty & Dry Bar
Dress Shop: MA Carr
Bridal Gown Designer: Mikaella Bridal
Groom’s Look: Jos. A. Bank
Florist: Fern Croft
Cake: Baby Cakes Cupcakery
Popcorn Bar: That Popcorn Shack
DJ: Artistic Audio

Dubbed as “the angel”, our new friend Sue gets full credit for getting these two lovely people together. Lindsey and Andy owe their entire relationship to the fact that Sue, like Lindsey, just happened to need to get her hair done. And she just happened to need it done on the same day, at the same salon, during the same time as Lindsey, and with a stylist who happened to work right next to Lindsey’s stylist. Now, if that’s not fate then I don’t know what is.

Lindsey took some time to share her “serendipitous” story with us, along with some other sweet things about her relationship with her beau, Andy. Check out their adorable engagement shoot at Knox Farm and read on to learn a little more about these two love birds and why the heck we all love Sue so much!

Lindsey: “I was getting my hair cut in Orchard Park and sat next to a lovely women, who would soon become a great friend, named Sue. We struck up conversation and since she is so easy to talk to, talking about my lack of relationship at the time just came naturally. After talking for much of our hair appointments (a solid hour), she thought I’d be a good match for her friend, Andrew Walker. When she said his name, I joked that he must be someone famous! ‘Andrew Walker’ just has a nice ring to it! She showed me his picture on Facebook and I said, ‘oh yeah, he’s cute!’ I was hesitant to give my phone number out, so I said he could find me on Facebook and gave her my information to pass on. Sure enough, the next day, I received a message from the famous ‘Andrew Walker.’ He asked me if I knew Sue and I said I met her at a salon in Orchard Park and knew all about him :) He said, (yes, I still remember it to this day), that I was the ‘prettiest Lindsey Erin on Facebook’.“

Lindsey: “We talked for about 2 weeks via text message and then after I backed out of our first date due to nerves, we met for coffee at Spot in Orchard Park, and it was a really good first date! I remember it was raining and I felt a little disheveled when I walked in to Spot, but he didn’t care. Andy ordered a hot chocolate and I ordered a chai latte. He even texted me when he got there and asked if he could get me something ahead of time. He’s such a gentleman!! We must have stayed at Spot for almost 3 hours and it felt very natural. Neither of us can say we knew we were the ‘ones’ for each other after our first date, but we can say we hit it off.“

Lindsey: “We enjoy hikes and nature. We LOVE taking our golden doodle, Nashville, along for the ride. He keeps us pretty busy! We love skiing and traveling together. We love going to concerts and Bills games! Walking through the village of Hamburg, with our pup of course! Checking out new places to eat (we love food). If you know of any good restaurant recommendations, let us know! Festivals in Buffalo, Albright Knox Art Gallery. Sharing a beer together at the Hamburg Brewing Company or a glass of wine at home. Oh, yeah and we LOVE snuggles and just relaxing together. Sometimes a good book, the couch and a glass of wine, makes for a great time!”

Lindsey: “We feel we compliment each other very nicely. We work as a team. Everything is better and easier when we are together. We have the same tastes, enjoy the same things – we also challenge each other to be our best self (we make each other better). We have a very strong friendship and solid foundation. We make each other laugh and accept each other for who we are! We may not always get along, but we always make up and come to a resolution.“

Lindsey: “We value kindness, honesty, friendship, happiness, understanding, peace, family. Oh yeah, and good food!! :)“

If you think Lindsay and Andy’s engagement shoot was adorable then you should probably hop over and see how amazing their wedding day was!

The day was made even more special because Caitlynne and Josh were finally making their adorable family “official”. They share two incredibly sweet boys together, and having those two little ones share in this day was such a beautiful thing to witness. Some of our favorite photos are the candid shots of their son, Garett, gazing at his parents in amazement and taking in everything that was happening around him that day. The joy on that little boy’s face is enough to make all that beautiful snow melt with ease (but we’re sure happy that it didn’t!!).

Happy One Year Anniversary, Caitlynne and Josh. We wish you and your beautiful family endless years of love, laughter, and snow made memories together.

Dreaming of warmer days?? Click here!

Wedding Vendors Include:

Venue: The Woods at Bear Creek
Wedding Planner: Ellicottville Events
Hairstylists: Summer Gayton of A Jason Clemons Salon and Jessica Erlandson of The Edge Hair Salon
Makeup Artist: Courtney George of A Jason Clemons Salon
Bridal Dress Shop: M.A. Carr
Bridal Gown Designer: Allure Bridals
Bridesmaid Dresses: M.A. Carr
Groom’s Look: Men’s Wearhouse
Flowers: William’s Florist
Cake: Cupcaked Bakery
Seating Chart and Itinerary: B in a Bonnet
Guest Board and Cake Topper: Kindled Grain

Danny and Jason opted to serve their sweet tooths (sweet teeth??) with trips to a few of their Buffalo favorite’s – Andersons Frozen Custard and Paula’s Donuts – and it … was… ADORABLE. Seriously, guys. This shoot was too sweet for words (pun intended).

Having a hard time picking a location for your photo session?? Click here!

Just like the majority of world’s population, Julie and Vinny had high hopes for beautiful clear skies on their big day, but unfortunately Mother Nature had other ideas. Luckily, J+V took it all in stride and we made the best of a very wet situation by sneaking in some adorable umbrella shots before the skies really opened up on us. Once the rain became too much we opted to move the rest of their photos indoors to their stunning reception venue, The Admiral Room, but those shots in the rain are absolutely some of our favorites of the day. (If you’re worried about the potential for inclement weather on your own big day, pop on over here to read about some great tips to get prepared for anything that good old Mother Nature might throw your way!)

Julie and Vinny are a true testament to the ability to turn a less than ideal situation into pure happiness, simply with their kindness and radiating smiles. We hope that scrolling through their story adds some extra brightness to your day :)

Julie: “We *think* we first met at a Canisius basketball game (I went to Nardin; Vinny was at Canisius), but, our first official memory is that my family hosted our sophomore date dance pre-party. Vinny was another girl’s date. My date was a dud and ate oatmeal as his late night snack after the dance. I noticed Vinny was a huge gentleman – carrying his date’s shoes, opening doors, etc. After that, we hung out sporadically as friends but started going on dates/eating at Teds (almost weekly), and ‘officially’ started dating in senior year.“

Julie: “One rule I always told Vinny is that I wanted the proposal to be a surprise, and I wanted our families there. Well, on May 19th we had planned a dinner with friends. We were running late, and Vinny got a call from his dad saying that he had set lights up in the wrong room of the Hotel @ the Lafayette (sidebar – they own CJ Sound, so I have 9 years of experience setting up and tearing down events. Vinny has 26 years experience.) We walked into the hotel and rushed through the lights. It was a tense situation – I was hangry, the hotel manager was yelling at Vinny, and we had 5 mins to move the lights. Vinny asked me to grab the last light, and I found a ring box on top. He proposed, and I was SHOCKED. Even more to my surprise, all of our friends and family walked in after. The last surprise – the room we had just torn down was actually the room for our surprise engagement party. Luckily, someone else was there to put all the lights back up :).“

Julie: “My dress was from Bliss Bridal in Hamburg, NY. It was the 2nd bridal shop I went to, but it took me 3 appointments there to find *the one*. I’ve always been known to be particular when it comes to choosing my outfits, so I was looking for something that felt different and beautiful. The store was so chic, the owner and staff were amazing, and they ended up picking the dress for me. The designer, Pronovias Atelier, has the softest lace I’ve ever felt. Typical story – I didn’t love it on the hanger but was obsessed when I put it on. The back was my favorite part – the train had raw lace edges that I couldn’t cover up with a cathedral veil.“

Julie: “We are always making each other laugh. Even after a tough conversation or long day, usually we end up giggling. It’s so hard to put into words, but we really just love each other. After 9 years with a few periods of long distance, we are so happy and feel so lucky to have each other.“

Julie: “We love to cook nice meals or go out to eat. We are obsessed with trying new places in Buffalo. When the weather is nice, we love going for walks and hikes. We also love our couch and throw blankets (aka, we need to be very cozy). We’ll get some good take out (Pho, Tappo, or Kaydara (RIP)). Usually we’ll enjoy some wine and watch a movie. If we are feeling adventurous, we love to entertain others in our apartment with some pretty fun parties. A perfect night out would be us enjoying a restaurant in Buffalo either alone or with other friends. Usually we’ll stop at Just Vino wine bar for dessert or some nice wine and a cheese tray. If there’s a music/dance event going on, we meet up with friends and stay out late enjoying ourselves.“

Julie: “Vinny and I DIY’ed our escort card ‘hoops.’ We love a good project, and this was something Vinny wanted to be involved in. He ordered the hoops online, and they came (disappointingly) dented and scuffed. Come to find out – they were fishing hoops and not meant to look nice! I think we were able to dress them up pretty nicely though.“

Julie: “One of my favorite parts of our reception was eating a brownie (after careful weeks of dieting – the dress!!!). My aunt actually moved a brownie to my seat before the reception started to make sure I had one ASAP!“

Vinny: “Moments before getting introduced – Julie and I were able to look over the crowd at the reception and appreciate the entire day.“

Julie: “Vinny and I have always said the ‘Wegmans’ Ultimate’ cakes were the best cakes we’ve ever had, (and we’ve tried a lot all over the world!). He prefers chocolate, and I like vanilla. So instead of getting a fancy cake for the wedding, we used Wegmans and had our own small cakes for each of us!“

Julie: “We danced to an acoustic version of Earth, Wine and Fire’s ‘September’. This was the song Vinny played after he proposed and our entire family walked in to surprise me with an engagement party!“

Julie: “Our values are very family-centered. We love each other’s families and know the importance of a strong family presence. We can’t wait to add to our great families with our own small unit.“

Julie: “My dad and I danced to Dan Auerbach’s ‘Stand By My Girl’ – Dan is the lead singer of the Black Keys, one of my dad’s and my favorite bands. It’s a little more fast-paced than typical songs, so we added in some freestyle dancing.”

Julie: “Vinny and his mom danced to ‘Volare’ by Dean Martin. They used to sing old Italian songs as a family while Vinny was growing up, so it brought back wonderful family memories.“

Vinny and Julie: “Working with Jenn and Ben was wonderful!! The were able to wrangle our large (sometimes rowdy) crew and the end product is unbelievable!! SO happy we had them capture our future family heirlooms.“

Don’t forget to grab our 6 Tips to Prepare for Mother Nature on Your Wedding Day!

Wedding Vendors Include:

Ceremony: St. Louis Church
Reception: The Admiral Room
Invitations: Calling Cards Unlimited
Make-Up Artist: Cheri Marie Salon & Bridal Lounge
Hairstylist: Shannon and Stacey of Mink Salon
Dress Shop: Bliss Bridal
Bridal Gown Designer: Pronovias Atelier
Groom’s Look: Tuxedo Junction
Florist: Buffalo Floral Arts
Cake: Wegmans
Dessert Table: Fairy Cakes
Live Painter: Peter Fowler
Favors: Park Edge Sweet Shoppe
Lighting: CJ Sound
DJ: CJ Sound
Videography: Fruit Tree Studios

1. Choose vendors that you trust. We can’t stress this one enough (pun intended). By choosing vendors who you feel a connection with, and who you can tell are passionate and in tune with their craft, you will have absolutely no reason to worry when your big day finally arrives. A trusted vendor is willing to meet with you one on one, and answer any questions you have, no matter how ridiculous they might seem. They have great communication with you. They are often just as excited about your wedding day as you are! They want to make all of your dreams come true and they want to do it by causing you as little stress as possible. If you’re getting married in Western New York, click here to download our trusted and preferred vendor guide!

2. Create a solid wedding day timeline with extra time built in. With all of the events that will take place on your wedding day, a timeline is a must. Between your morning beauty services, photos, ceremony, cocktail hour and the reception, and all of their moving parts and many pieces, it’s pretty important that the day is well mapped out ahead of time. BUT here’s where some couples miss the mark: you have to allot extra time for everything. Think about it… how often are you really running early or even on time for things on a day to day basis? Then factor in that there’s usually a great many other people, too. Do you really think that all of those other people are going to be running perfectly on schedule? There’s your bridesmaid, who was so late that she practically missed half of your shower, and your limo driver, who definitely 100% will not get struck in traffic at all. Unless you’ve got a secret time travel device that no one else in the world knows about (that would be crazy! And amazing!!), then of course things are bound to get a little off course! And that’s ok! The best thing you can do for yourself is to add a little extra time to each part of your day. Even just an additional 15 minutes longer than you’d anticipate can do a world of good. If you have extra time, what’s the worst that can happen?? You’ll have time to breath, to eat, to relax, and for goodness sake you’ll even have time to pee.

3. Keep everyone well informed. Remember that timeline we just talked about? Don’t just keep it to yourself. Make sure anyone and everyone who is a part of your day has a copy (and reads it!). They might think you’re crazy now, but come wedding day, when everything runs smoothly, no one needs to ask questions, and everyone knows right where to be and when, they’ll be thanking you, (while they’re relaxing and sipping champagne because of all that lovely extra time you built in).

4. Don’t over pack the day. Noticing a theme here yet? Time. You want more of it, not less. So although it might sound awesome to wake up on wedding morning and go grab a quick mani/pedi before your hair and make-up gets going, it’s probably a better idea to do that a day or two before instead. Take a few days the week prior to do your last minute self care, vow writing, gift wrapping, detail organizing, and any other small task you might be tempted to leave for wedding morning. When it comes to your photo locations, instead of trying to fit in a handful of different photo ops with your wedding party all over town, choose just one or two spots that are close in proximity to each other. Even better – try to stay close to your venue(s). The drive across town to get that one photo in front of that mural you guys love might not be worth missing your entire cocktail hour. Like everyone says, the day really does fly by, and it will fly even faster the more you pack into it.

5. Have help(ers). They’re your sisters, your best friends, your family. Your bridal party is not just there to pop the champagne for you (cause let’s be honest, that cork is scary!). They accepted the honor of being in your wedding party knowing that they’re there to help you with whatever you need. So let them! Designate “jobs” for each party member on wedding day. One to keep your accessories and details organized for the photographer to shoot (shoes, flowers, invitations), another as the day-of go to person of contact for all your vendors (make sure you give your vendors their contact info beforehand), and another to make sure everyone is where they need to be for photo ops, etc. Someone to keep the bridal suite clean, someone to make sure your belongings get to each venue. Each task is pretty easy when they’re spread out amongst all of your friends, but when you put every last detail on your own shoulders it can be just enough to send you right over the edge.

6. Hire a day-of coordinator. If you aren’t having a larger sized bridal party to dole out tasks to, or if you simply don’t trust your crazy college roommates to get the job done, then consider hiring a day-of coordinator! Just because you don’t have a full on wedding coordinator that you hired the second you got engaged doesn’t mean that you can’t at least have a little extra hired help on the actual day itself. Many companies offer this service at a fraction of the cost of a full on planning package. It might be just what you need to help you breath easy from sun up to sun down. Click here to read all about what a wedding coordinator can really do for you and your sanity! :)

7. Don’t plan your rehearsal for the night before. You’re likely going to have a lot going on in the days leading up to your wedding. Having the rehearsal the night before (and more often than not, some sort of celebration to follow) may not be the way you want to go if you’re looking to keep your stress at a low. Instead, consider scheduling it two days prior to the big day. This way you’re able to use the day between to complete those few last minute things (like, ahem, writing your vows), take care of the surprise or two that might pop up during the rehearsal itself (such as realizing that you never bought that aisle runner), and most importantly, spending the day re-hydrating after the multiple toasts from the night before and all those shots that your Uncle Marvin kept buying you in honor of you “taking the plunge”, (no really, Uncle Marvin … I think we’ve all had enough now). And best of all, you can even sleep in that morning and end your evening with a romantic and relaxing dinner date with your soon-to-be spouse, followed by an early night of rejuvenating pre-wedding day sleep. You’ll wake up on wedding morning feeling so much more relaxed and refreshed than you would if you were still nursing that Uncle Marvin induced celebratory hangover.

8. Have some alone time with your sweetheart. You’d think this one was a no brainer, but it’s actually something that you might have to put a little bit of thought into. Sure, it’s your wedding day – so obviously you’ll be with your sweetie all day, right? Maybe, but you won’t necessarily be alone… and trust us, you’ll want at least a few minutes to yourselves to really soak it all in together. If you’re planning a First Look consider doing it without any other family or wedding party members around so that you can really share the moment together with no witnesses. Think about maybe arranging a separate ride from the ceremony to the reception, just the two of you together. Sneak away from the party for 5 or 10 minutes, no interruptions, and just revel in the fact that you. are. MARRIED!! There’s just something so comforting, so soothing, so relaxing about being alone together during your wedding day. It’s an instant stress reliever and certainly a very special, intimate time that you won’t soon forget.

9. Get extra organized with your family formals. Believe it or not, the family formals portion of your wedding day can get very hectic and overwhelming if it isn’t properly planned out ahead of time. There are often so many moving parts to this small fraction of the day. Things often need to move quickly and annoyance can build at a rapid pace, even if you and your entire family gets along absolutely perfectly 100% of the time (if this is true then you’re family is a magical unicorn unit and we’re going to need to hear your secret to success). Our advice? Take the time before your wedding day to really sit down with your soon-to-be spouse and both sets of parents to discuss what shots are most important to them, who they absolutely have to have a photo with, and what their expectations are for this part of the day. Then, after you’ve made a list of the must-haves, be sure to pass it along to your photographer BEFORE your wedding day so that they can make sure there’s going to be enough time to capture all of the groupings that you’re hoping for. We could go on and on about all the ways to ease this part of the day. Oh wait, we already did! Click here to read all 7 of our stress minimizing tips for successful family formals!

10. Don’t forget what the day is about. It’s not about the wrong flowers being delivered, or a heel breaking. It’s not about the cake melting or your hair not looking exactly as you pictured it would. It has nothing to do with the escort cards being out of place or the food being lukewarm or getting all the steps right during your first dance. It’s about the two of you and the start of your brand new lives together. It’s about your family and friends coming together all under one roof to share in this love with you. To be part of your joy. To be part of your story. When things go wrong (and they probably will at some point) if you just look around you at all the beautiful faces, if you just hold his (or her) hand a little tighter, if you just remember to forget the small stuff and focus on the big picture, then that, my friend, is the one true foolproof way to eliminate stress on your wedding day.

Stressed about wedding day weather?? Don’t worry, we got you. Click here!

]]> https://www.ayresphoto.com/wedding/10-tips-for-a-stress-free-wedding-day/feed/ 0 30308 https://www.ayresphoto.com/engagements/catherine_pat_hoyt_lake_albright_knox_engagement/ https://www.ayresphoto.com/engagements/catherine_pat_hoyt_lake_albright_knox_engagement/#respond Thu, 09 Jan 2020 13:00:18 +0000 https://www.ayresphoto.com/?p=32869 It’s pretty evident that Catherine’s infectious smile has captured Pat’s heart for the long haul. How are we so sure of this? Well, for one thing, he told us. But even if he hadn’t, the proof is right here in their adorable engagement shoot. Sometimes you can just tell when a couple is going to go the distance, and we really believe that Catherine and Pat are going to be one of those couples. For starters, they both have a beautiful, radiating positive energy around them, seemingly at all times. How could anyone not want to be surrounded by that forever and ever??

Pat: “Catherine and I met at Thirsty Buffalo during a Syracuse Basketball Final 4 party. Catherine is a Syracuse grad and a big orange fan, and I was there with a few of my friends who went to ‘cuse as well. To my surprise we had some mutual friends and chatted throughout the night. Unfortunately ‘cuse lost that night, but when the night was over I asked for Catherine’s phone number and the rest is history.“

Catherine: “Our first date was at Sea Bar in downtown Buffalo. Like the gentleman that he is, Pat offered to pick me up for the date. I had moved home for grad school and was living with my parents at the time so I was a little nervous about someone meeting my family on a first date. To my surprise, rather than texting me that he was there, Pat came to the front door to get me. I can still hear my mom’s reaction when she met him ‘Oh, he’s cute!‘”

Pat: “It was a cool rainy day. We started the day by going to workout classes, and then I met Catherine for breakfast at one of our favorite breakfast spots, Kaylena’s Bakery. After, I arranged for Catherine to have a few hours at the spa to get her nails done and a massage. When she got back to our apartment she laid down on the couch with our dog Winston to take a nap after feeling relaxed from the spa. I came out of the bedroom and got down on one knee and asked her to marry me. She screamed and cried and it was the best day of our lives.“

Catherine: “There isn’t a day that goes by when I don’t feel loved and appreciated. Pat is one of the most patient people I have ever met, and he has a way of easing my worries and putting a smile on my face when I need it most.“

Pat: “Catherine is the most supportive person I have ever met, and she inspires me to be the best person I can be. She is always there for me when I need someone to lean on. She has an infectious smile that will brighten your day no matter how your day is going.“

When asked what they value most in life, Catherine and Pat said, “Each other.” (insert all the heart eyes)

Pat: “When its nice outside, you can find the two of us outdoors with our dog Winston. We love taking him to the park or the beach and grabbing brunch after at somewhere with outdoor seating for the big guy!“

Can’t get enough of the beauty of Delaware Park?? Check out this adorable couple who got married there :)

Ellie: “We knew we wanted to have a wedding that represented us – laid-back and a little eclectic. I’m a graphic designer and absolutely loved designing and crafting all the details, everything from the faux bouquets to the gold animal place cards. We made everything ourselves so the day truly felt like us.“

Ellie: “We chose a fall palette of navy and burgundy. My dress had lace flower details and I wore my hair down with a flower crown, sans veil. I designed my bouquet using faux flowers and succulents so that it was truly unique (and could last forever!).“

Dan: “I’m glad I got to see Ellie before we were in front of everyone. She had such a hard time not showing me her dress before the wedding so I could tell how excited she was for me to finally see it. She looked stunning.“

Ellie: “It was such an intimate moment to have a private first look with just Dan. I had wanted to show him my dress so many times because I’m terrible at keeping secrets with him. It was worth waiting. The smile he gave me when he first turned around made all my nerves for the day disappear.“

Ellie: “We wanted our bridal party to look organically mismatched so we had everyone pick their own dresses and suits within the palette. We love how all the different shades and textures came together!“

Ellie: “We recommend to decide the 2 or 3 things of your wedding that are most important to you, like the photographer, dress or DJ and don’t stress about the rest. Something will inevitably go wrong, but the bride and groom set the tone for the day so if you don’t let it bother you, everyone else will relax and have a good time.”

Ellie: “We chose our venue, Pearl at the Webb, for it’s simple and rustic-looking wood and brick, and accented it with only baby’s breath and white candles.“

Ellie: “We set the tone for the night with my walking down the aisle with my dad to the Game of Throne’s theme song. As expected, everyone burst out laughing and I think everyone relaxed and had a fun time after that.“

Dan: “Hearing the Game of Thrones song play and then seeing Ellie turn down the aisle beaming and laughing with her dad reminded me why I love her.“

Dan: “I knew my vows would make Ellie cry, and she did too. She made me go second so she could get through hers.”

Ellie: “Dan absolutely blew me away with his wedding vows. We both wrote our own, but he even memorized his! I was laughing and crying all at once because he so sweetly summed up our relationship. I love that my family got to see what a kind, creative, and humorous man I was marrying.”

Ellie: “My grandmother Marnie was very close to me and had passed, so I included her in our day with a photo charm tied to my bouquet.“

Ellie: “My parents are also crafty and helped create my vision. We cut and assembled accordion-paper-ribbon programs, painted 100+ toy animals gold and attached photo holders for the place cards, and my woodturner dad made all the wooden table number stands. My mom patiently made all 100+ chocolate buffalo-shaped favors.“

Ellie: “Try to think about your guests on your big day. They’ve probably traveled far and spent a lot of money to join you, so make sure they’ll be comfortable and have fun. Take the time to walk to each table and thank them for coming. Plan shuttles, make sure there’s enough seating, food, etc.“

Ellie: “We both like rap music and found a rare Drake song about love… kind of. Our first dance was ‘Hold On, We’re Coming Home’ and we had some fun with it.“

Ellie: “Dancing with my dad was one of my favorite wedding memories. Since I was little, my dad and I talked about choreographing a father-daughter song. But he also wanted to include a song that played on the radio the day I was born, ‘What a Wonderful World.’ So we started off slow and then about a minute in, to everyone’s surprise, the ‘Teach Me How to Dougie’ beat dropped. We mixed together a custom track of the dougie, whip and nae nae, and stanky leg and danced to each. He was such a good sport to learn to ‘dougie’ just 2 days before our wedding, and it totally encapsulates how supportive he’s been my whole life. I’m so glad we have a video to show my kids one day.“

Ellie: “We wanted a photographer who would capture the organic, candid, and emotional moments of our day and finding Jenn and Ben was a dream come true. They were a perfect fit for us. Jenn’s consistent communication and organization immediately let us relax through the planning process. Jenn and Ben are genuinely kind people, so people naturally felt comfortable around them on the day. We cannot recommend them enough!“

Looking to see another DIY wedding?? Well, good news … we’ve got one right here for you!

Vendors Include:

Getting Ready Location: Lofts on Pearl
Wedding Venue: Pearl at the Webb
Hair and Make-up: Rachel Rizzo Hair and Makeup with Del Monte Hair System
Dress Shop: MA Carr
Officiant: Kim Salt of Kimberlily Creek
Cake: Elm Street Bakery
DJ: Jammin Sound
Videographer: Asa Shutts of Shutts Production