…soon you will have answers!

As a wedding photographer, I am keenly aware of how people look. Especially how brides and grooms look (and feel) on their wedding day. A long time ago it became apparent to me that the more put-together the couple looks (the perfect dress, the perfect shoes, the perfect hair, etc) the more confident and beautiful they will feel, and with that, they will have the perfect day! So with that in mind -

Sara Lovell, a Rochester MUA/hair stylist has agreed to an interview with me in an effort to educate and help brides prepare and look gorgeous on their wedding day. Sara has a huge list of tips already, but we are still interested in getting more questions so that the interview can be more productive and more informative for you! So, ask away – and in two weeks, your questions will be answered! Use the Facebook comments tab, or the native blog comments, and please please please also share this with your friends/girlfriends/family/coworkers – we want A LOT of questions, so we can have a GREAT interview, so it can ultimately help you have the wedding day you always dreamed of!

My birthday usually falls around Labor day. For the past three-four years it has been super busy with two, sometimes three, weddings in one weekend. So I get to celebrate, while doing what I love, while EATING CAKE. Just sayin’.  Angela and Matt’s cake not only looked gorgeous, it was delicious!

We showed up at Brookwood Inn and were greeted with this amazing sight of the big train on a beautiful wedding dress.

Again, the DRESS!!!! Wow. Angela, you looked simply stunning in it.

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We had a few minutes to spare so we staged an impromptu session on the stairs to show off the long train, and then one more with all the bridesmaids.

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What a nice way to remember a loved one by.

Cutie pie alert!

Here comes the bride

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St. Mary’s in Canandaigua has always been one of my favorites to photograph wedding ceremonies in.

During the vows, I knew I’d need to stand off to the side. ( PSA: always hire an experienced professional )

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What a gorgeous, unusual bouquet of cascading white orchids.

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The newlyweds rented the Sonnenberg Gardens for their bridal party shoot. Thank you thank you thank you, what a great experience and a feast for the eyes and nose!

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We had a teensy bit of time left before the reception was set to start, so we walked around the Casa Larga building into the vineyards and got a few more pictures among the grapes.

Angela fell in love with these stairs at the Casa Larga tasting room after seeing Kelly and David’s wedding pictures I had blogged. I was happy to oblige her with a similar shot.

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First dance

What a beautiful family! And great toast from MOH, too.

Cake topper.

This little man celebrated his own special day – a birthday!

The shoelywed game was a battle of opinions!

Adding to the sugar high (birthday present to self), I got a scoop of ice cream with sprinkles and hot fudge. YUM! One of my 2012 brides talked about getting an ice cream bar for her reception – I say, DO IT.

Ok, now the CONTEST!!!
1. If you have Facebook,  “like” this post.
2. Comment! Any valid comment* will be eligible.

50+ LIKES will earn the couple $25 in account credit with PhotoKisses.
25+ COMMENTS will earn the couple $50 in account credit with PhotoKisses
You could essentially be helping them upgrade their album or get an awesome wall print. Yay freebies!
A reasonable time frame of one month (so, until 3/2/12) will be given so that anyone who wishes to “like” and/or comment may do so.

*A random number generator will be used to pick a lucky commentator, who will receive a gift card to my favorite addiction store Starbucks

BONUS! Ha, you thought it was going to be another ring shot. Nope, not this time! Angela came by a few weeks after the wedding to pick up her image disc, and she brought her best friend along. Poor baby was too shy to play with my puppy Myla, but he posed for a few pictures from the safety of the newly minted Mrs. Moore’s legs. What a cutie pie face! I love how his doggie tag looks like a bow tie. Because, you know, bow ties are COOL.

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Jenn and KC’s wedding at the Woodcliff Hotel & Spa was a spectacular event on a beautiful and warm September day. I was particularly excited because in the past, I would go to Woodcliff to photograph brides getting ready, or to the reception, but never the whole shabang – Jenn got ready in one of the many beautiful suites there, got married outside on the patio overlooking Victor, and in the distance, Rochester, and also had the reception in the ballroom inside. So, an excellent day for celebrating, all in one place!

If you’d like to comment on individual pictures from this wedding, or share them with your friends, I’ve also posted A LOT MORE PICTURES!!!! to a gallery on my PhotoKisses Facebook page – so go check it out, and tag people you know in the pictures!

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Isn’t the back of Jenn’s dress simply spectacular?!

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Because the newly made Burritts wanted to enjoy their cocktail hour, we decided to do a First Look a few hours before the sunset ceremony.

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The beautiful bouquets were provided by Sarah from Kittelberger Florist

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I loved that both of Jenn’s parents walked her down the aisle.

After the ceremony, we took a few more minutes for some newlywed portraits, since the sun was setting and the whole Woodcliff hill was covered in soft hazy light.

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One of my favorite images of the whole season!!!

Then on we went to have fun at the reception.

There were many excellent deserts including a cookie and chocolate fountain bar – YUM!

Hide as much as you want – you can’t escape me  =)

Ok, now the CONTEST!!!
1. If you have Facebook,  “like” this post.
2. Comment! Any valid comment* will be eligible. (preferably more than two words)

50+ LIKES will earn the couple $25 in account credit with PhotoKisses.
25+ COMMENTS will earn the couple $50 in account credit with PhotoKisses
You could essentially be helping them upgrade their album or get an awesome wall print. Yay freebies!
A reasonable time frame of one month (so, until 1/21/12) will be given so that anyone who wishes to “like” and/or comment may do so.

*A random number generator will be used to pick a lucky commentator, who will receive a gift card to my favorite addiction store Starbucks

Reminder: If you’d like to comment on individual pictures from this wedding, or share them with your friends, I’ve also posted A LOT MORE PICTURES!!!! to a gallery on my PhotoKisses Facebook page – so go check it out, and tag people you know in the pictures!

The Hoffman wedding blog post contest has ended! Congratulations to comment #10 Stephanie Gatas – you have randomly won a Starbucks gift card! Email me your address so I can send it to you. Happy holidays!

P.S.: New blog post coming later tonight, so stay tuned.

I am still wayyyy behind in blogging weddings (I just got through August’s) but I couldn’t resist showing you a few images from Sarah’s Trash The Dress session we did not too long ago. I had a few crazy ideas (where crazy = awesome, obviously ) and Sarah stepped right up and volunteered to help me carry them out. I wanted crazy hair and crazy makeup, and being the amazing make up artist she is (hey Sarah, will you do my makeup for my wedding?!) we got some stunning photos. These were all shot in the final hour before sunset, I loved how saturated the colors became when the light reflected off her big white wedding dress.

Sarah would make a stunning silent movie star, don’tcha think? (left image processed with a B&W film filter)

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Sarah’s hubby provided shade, courtesy of my winter jacket (so high tech!) and then I filled in the shadows with a tiny bit of flash.

Yay for cowboy boots!

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Will I find similarly fabulous leafy locations in Orlando next year? Methinks not.  Sigh.

For all of you Black Friday shoppers who already had their fill of shoving and elbowing to get that perfect TV or electronic thingamajig or toy thingamabob, it’s time to relax and spend some time shopping online (that’s what I’m doing today!) It is also the perfect time to remember that your family would LOVE a print from your engagement, or even better, wedding day, for Christmas. With that in mind, I offer you: 40% OFF ALL ORDERS OVER $100. Just enter code “SMOOCHES” when you check out and VOILA, you’ve saved mega bucks! Oh, and I should also mention that shipping is only $0.01 when you spend $100, so add a few more items to your cart, also at 40% off, and enjoy the savings! Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

* offer valid 11/25-11/28
* minimum purchase $100
* one coupon per order
* can be combined with any credit you have in your account

Earlier this summer, everyone in New York got quite a scare when Hurricane Irene passed through in a flurry of rain and high force winds.  I knew one very important thing about Shannon and Eric’s wedding ceremony – it HAD to be held outdoors. That was the only thing (well, besides getting married) that really mattered to Shannon. She picked a gorgeous lakeside location on the lawn of Belhurst Castle, but with the hurricane, all plans were up in the air (thankfully not literally!)

When Shone and I arrived at the Ramada Geneva where everyone was getting ready, spirits were low but not crushed. There was so much going on that weather reports got put on the back burner and everyone just concentrated on getting dressed and pampered.

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The girls got their make up done at the Ramada and then continued getting dressed at one of the beautiful suites in Belhurst. They were able to peek through the windows and make sure the ceremony site hadn’t blown away with the winds.

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Shannon and her whole bridal party sported fabulous 1940′s hair up-dos and make up.

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Stacy K Floral provided whimsical yet elegant boutonnieres for the guys, as always including her signature feather accents.

A funny thing happened on the way to… the ceremony. At that point of the day it had been decided that no matter what, the ceremony was going to be held outside. The wind was strong but the rain had slowed down from a sprinkle to barely anything at all. The music started, the grandparents got seated, the groomsmen walked to their designated spots… But where was the bridal party? Turns out, someone “lost” the wedding vows. The bride was panicking. Guests were waiting in their seats, getting blown about by the winds. People were dispatched back to the hotel to search for the elusive piece of paper, the bridal suite was getting turned inside out, and Eric, well, Eric was calm as a cucumber – he knew he’d get married no matter what, handwritten vows or not. I think his calm energy transferred to the bride, because soon the panic stopped, the vows were located, and the ceremony could begin. Again.

With plenty of anticipation built in, Eric finally saw his bride Shannon walk down the aisle toward him. Not a dry eye in the house with these two!

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Belhurst just recently installed a small romantic fountain area near the ceremony site, and it added to the overall rainy feel of the day. I enjoyed being able to walk around and get all perspectives of the ceremony, a great benefit of getting married on a big lawn! (Although I do wonder if somehow the whole shebang could be turned around so that the guests could look towards the castle instead of the lake as the couple gets married) Random thought, moving on.

Uh oh, sprinkles! Not an issue if you’re having a great time!

Reading the vows. It definitely was worth the wait.

Surprise! As the new Hoffmans were announced, the whole bridal party started dancing to “All the Single Ladies”

Amazing job, Stacy.

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A quick change later… (Stacy made the birdcage veil for Shannon using purple feathers and a gorgeous brooch that complemented her 1940′s style)

Bridal party formal

… and not so formal.

… and even LESS formal!

Thankfully, no one fell in!

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I may or may not have said something inappropriate.

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The elegant cake was expertly crafted by Premier Pastry

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A “cigarette” girl served jelly beans and candies to the guests at cocktail hour.

First dance

more cake. and rings.

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Thanks hurricane Irene for bringing us this amazing evening sky.

It also colored Belhurst Castle with purple hues.

Party time! (with Deb from Paper Moon Productions capturing every moment on video)

OMG is that swing music I hear? MUST. DANCE!!!

The best weddings are ones where I make new friends. You guys rocked.

Ok, now the CONTEST!!!
1. If you have Facebook,  “like” this post.
2. Comment! Any valid comment* will be eligible. (preferably more than two words)

50+ LIKES will earn the couple $25 in account credit with PhotoKisses.
25+ COMMENTS will earn the couple $50 in account credit with PhotoKisses
You could essentially be helping them upgrade their album or get an awesome wall print. Yay freebies!
A reasonable time frame of one month (so, until 12/21/11) will be given so that anyone who wishes to “like” and/or comment may do so.

*A random number generator will be used to pick a lucky commentator, who will receive a $10 gift card to my favorite addiction store Starbucks

If my calculations are correct, Mary Kate is the SEVENTH Fredonia bride I’ve photographed in the last 5 years! I love staying in touch with all my friends from school, and it is such an honor when I get asked to photograph their weddings. Mary Kate married Cory in Buffalo in July. I was very impressed with the amount of personal details they incorporated into their day. Orange, penguins, and legos featured prominently in all their details and activities.

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The ceremony was held at the majestic St. Louis Church in Buffalo.

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My favorite picture from the ceremony, perhaps the even the whole day. <3

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Watch out for party crashers in the back row!

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Lego place cards!

Penguin cake toppers – so cute! (Cake by Susan Lobsinger)

We took lots of pictures in the park area and around the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society grounds. I love the venue but I think they really should invest in some portable air conditioners. It was ridiculously HOT at the reception.

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Some newlywed pictures in the Japanese Garden.

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Cheers to the new Mr. and Mrs. Morrow!

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First dance

Father-daughter dance, choreographed

Amazing entertainment for the evening – the Nickel City Pimp Choir. These guys rocked the house!

Fredonia friends

We were in Chamber Singers together.

Party time!

One can never have too much COWBELL.

Ok, now the CONTEST!!!
1. If you have Facebook,  “like” this post.
2. Comment! Any valid comment* will be eligible. (preferably more than two words)

50+ LIKES will earn the couple $25 in account credit with PhotoKisses.
25+ COMMENTS will earn the couple $50 in account credit with PhotoKisses
You could essentially be helping them upgrade their album or get an awesome wall print. Yay freebies!
A reasonable time frame of one month (so, until 11/20/11) will be given so that anyone who wishes to “like” and/or comment may do so.

*A random number generator will be used to pick a lucky commentator, who will receive a $10 gift card to my favorite addiction store Starbucks

Drunk guests = awesome goof booth! Part 2 of the Senator wedding spectacular at Shadow Lake. Enjoy!

The amazing flying pants!

Pretty pretty princess

Courtney and Kevin’s wedding blog is here! I’m so excited about these pictures, the people – and puppies! – were super amazing, we had so much fun and made some gorgeous, lasting photographic impressions of everyone having a great time. Mr. and Mrs. Senator, you were the BEST!

Furry kids at Courtney’s house. The wienerdog wasn’t too thrilled to have a big scary camera in his face. He sat on mommy’s lap and tried to hide.

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“No sitting on mommy’s wedding dress!”

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Courtney, you’re STUNNING.

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The ceremony and reception were held at Shadow Lake.

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Proud parents

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What a perfect location for a wedding!

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Corinne from Personal Designs provided the beautiful bouquets.

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We did bridal party formals and had some fun on Shadow Lake grounds.

Happy smiles! Love that dress!

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Introduciiiiiing… Mr and Mrs SENATOOOOOOOR!

First dance

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Cheesy Eddies wedding cake. OMG yum!!!

You guys are next, right? RIGHT?! Call me!

Shake that booty!

Ok, now the CONTEST!!!
1. If you have Facebook,  “like” this post.
2. Comment! Any valid comment* will be eligible. (preferably more than two words)

50+ LIKES will earn the couple $25 in account credit with PhotoKisses.
25+ COMMENTS will earn the couple $50 in account credit with PhotoKisses
You could essentially be helping them upgrade their album or get an awesome wall print. Yay freebies!
A reasonable time frame of one month (so, until 10/12/11) will be given so that anyone who wishes to “like” and/or comment may do so.

*A random number generator will be used to pick a lucky commentator, who will receive a $10 gift card to my favorite addiction store Starbucks

I also will post even MORE images from this wedding on my Facebook fan page today, so be sure to check it out, like my page, and of course feel free to tag yourselves in the album. Oh and PS, Goof Booth pictures are coming in the next few days, too, right here on this blog.