[Laura and Greg, the wedding]

simply euphoric.  I really could stop there...that is the only thought I had in my mind as I drove home from Laura and Greg's wedding last Saturday.   Not only are they among the sweetest people I have ever met, but so was everyone else at the wedding!  AND, it was at Park Country Club in Williamsville, the same place that my sweetie and I were married ten years earlier...and can you believe, that in around 9 years of photographing weddings, that this was the first time I had the opportunity to photograph there?  So interesting to see it through new eyes.  But back to l & g, they had a perfect fall day (a little too perfect with that bright sun, but who am i to complain?) perfect venues and perfectly beautiful everything for me to photograph.  And even by the end of the evening Greg was still game for anything I had in mind (LOVE that in a groom!)  So here they are.....my second last wedding blog post of the year!

I absolutely love fall wedding bouquets...these were a really eclectic mix of flowers that came together perfectly!







St. John the Baptist Church in Kenmore, I think my favorite one for the light...



...and the angles



Laura checking out her new ring, she later said "this is honestly one of the best parts of today"



I only hope I can remember this when my kids get married....the smaller candles are actually Laura and Greg's baptism candles.







Pretty cool that the number on the trolley just happens to be the same as their wedding date...



Some of my favorite pictures from my own wedding were out in front of Park, so I took an opportunity to shoot some here...








We went inside for a quick peek at the reception goodies...*swoon*.  My apologies here for being somewhat redundant, but I couldn't stop taking pictures, and couldn't decide what to edit for the post.



If only the bands were chocolate rather than fondant....it would have been the absolute most perfect wedding cake ever, but this is pretty darn close :)



My husband just commented on the "Harry Potter" fireplace....I wouldn't mind having one of these right about now.



Back outside for some shots out back (photos!)  Well, some drinks too.







I think possibly my favorite ring shot of the year....I'll have to go back and look.



First dance...






Apparently Greg and his brothers were really into wwe as kids....Greg was thrilled at how realistic the belts were and couldn't wait to sport his later on.



Laura's dad was just beside himself all day....I love emotional dads :)

The second that the dance floor opened up, it was packed all night.   You don't know how badly I wanted to get out there and get my groove on!

And at nearly eleven o'clock at night, they were looking just as good as when the day began.  Thanks, Laura and Greg for such an amazing day!

[Kelly and Mike, the wedding]

At nearly every wedding I photograph, I marvel over the closeness of family, the happiness of the day and the beginning of new family, and how much this all means to the couple in the spotlight.  Yet I have never before been a part of a wedding that comes close to the meaning that this one held for Kelly and Mike.
I photographed their engagement session nearly a year ago, and shortly thereafter, Mike fell gravely ill.  Since then it has been nothing but an uphill battle, and after much time on the path to recovery, Mike is now the picture of health.  I truly did not know what to expect for the wedding day (I kept finding myself thinking about it while say, driving to work and choking back tears), but there were far fewer tears than I expected. Rather, the day was purely euphoric and a perfect beginning to their next chapter in life.

Too true.

Throughout all of this, Kelly was a pillar of strength.  Each time I corresponded with her, she was so positive and enthusiastic about the day...I have to admit this whole experience really made me think about life a little differently, and how even the small bits of time we can enjoy with one another are so very important...



And Mike, looking positively dapper, is also one of the most resilient people I have ever met. Nothing was going to deter him from having the best day ever.















I just love this image- "we've made it at last!"







"Talking Woody doll if you smile for the picture!"  I love a good bribe :)



Kelly and Mike wanted nature for their photos, and Nature they received.  We went out to Tifft for some pictures, and the autumn light could not have been more incredible....

Pearl Street reception and Lego people!  Does this day ever stop being so perfect?!

During the speeches, it all hit home a little bit, but that didn't stop the rest of the evening from being the mot spectacular night....nearly everyone was out on the dancefloor, and it was one of those types of parties where I seriously wanted to ditch my camera and jump right in!

I am so thankful that I could have been part of something so profoundly important.  This is really why I photograph weddings....for certain, they satisfy my cravings for visual stimulation, but when it comes down to it, i really fall in love with my subjects, and their families and friends...and just a little bit, it reminds me of how important my own family is to me.  Thanks guys, for allowing me to be a part of your day!

[Ryan and Alissa, the engagement]

Is there an eclipse?  A sudden tidal surge?  Have I finally just gone off the deep end?  TWO BLOG POSTS IN ONE EVENING?! Plus an entire session edited?  My husband is calling 911 as we speak.....

 Seriously.  I was super excited to go through these pictures from Ryan and Alissa's engagement session this weekend, since the day was extraordinary, and then I got carried away and actually got something accomplished!  We met up at Tifft, (second time last weekend, the wedding post will come later this week!) along with their best buddy, Dublin, and then wandered into the more secluded parts of the city to close out the evening.  Ryan is a fellow art teacher in my district, and it was really fun being able to hang out with him and not talk shop!  And Alissa, what a sweetie!  I really look forward to their wedding next July.

[Woof!]

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I volunteered to do some photography for a calendar project that my friend Tom was embarking upon (um, no pun intended there...)  In any case, I thought I'd share some of my favorite pictures with you.  Funny, photographing dogs has its own set of challenges for certain....while they are not self conscious about being photographed (nor do they need a glass of wine prior to the shoot :) ) they definitely fidget quite a bit, and if I tried to lay on my tummy to photograph them, well, it was all over- they only wanted to play!

The calendar will be sold through Hospice of Niagara County in time for the holidays...I'll post a link when I get that info!

[Miranda and Mark]

My first wedding in almost a month!  Mark had been a groomsman in Christa and Sean's wedding a couple years back (thanks you guys yet again!!) and I actually didn't realize this until I saw him at the church...as well as realizing that many of the groomsmen were the same that I had worked with back then, and were as hilarious as ever.  Miranda's girls were pretty hilarious themselves, and the day was an fantastic one, complete with wonderful families and friends, despite the frigid early October temperatures (thanks goodness as I am writing this the warm and beautiful October temperatures have returned!) 

On to the Hamlin House in Allentown, where Christa and Sean had their wedding as well...beautiful old mid 18th century building with lots of secrets upstairs (I'm a curious artist type, what can I say?)











Miranda had been an Irish dancer....the more I see, the more I want my daughter doing this!