Congratulations to Nick and Nicole who celebrated their wedding this past weekend with family and friends near Syracuse, NY. My day started with the getting readies at the Genesee Grande Hotel and bouncing back and forth between Bride and Groom. One unique feature about this wedding were the bridal party shoes. I usually have to worry about someone (or everyone) complaining about how much their feet hurt, but the Converse took care of that. Also, everyone was great about sticking to the timeline, and I was even lucky enough to find a small church yard next to the hotel to serve as a backdrop for creatives. First off, though, was the First Look. I took Nick over to the church, got him set up, and went back for Nicole. At this point, we hadn’t pinned on Nick’s boutonniere, so Nicole’s sister thought it might be a fun trick to sneak up on Nick before Nicole got there and surprise him. It definitely had the desired effect and was a great laugh for everyone. After the First Look and some time with the bridal party, we headed over to the family house for the ceremony and reception. Nick’s aunt was the officiant, and warned me that both Bride and Groom were going to cry, and she wasn’t lying. I love having the opportunity to photograph such heartfelt emotion. The sun was hidden behind cloud cover, so unfortunately there wasn’t a chance for “sunset” photos, but I still was able to commandeer the neighbor’s yard for some one-on-one time with Nick and Nicole. BBQ dinner and lots of dancing monopolized most of the rest of my night. Instead of a cake, there were stuffed donuts, which Nicole discovered were VERY full of cream, but no harm done! We capped the night off with sparklers. These were nearly nixed from the schedule to the level of intoxication of the Couple’s guests, but I assured them it would be fine. I think the pics speak for themselves….. some of the guests behaved and some didn’t, but Nick was a true gentleman and protected his wife. All too soon my time was up and I said my goodbyes. Thank you again to Nick and Nicole for a wonderful day and I wish you both all the best for the future!
