Christina contacted me from the west coast– we Skyped a few times but didn’t meet in person until the morning of her wedding! I knew the moment I met her it was going to be a great day. The energy was so joyful and relaxed in the hotel room with the ladies– so relaxed that 10 minutes before the limo arrived I was the one getting panicky that she didn’t have her dress on yet! But her simple, classic dress was as easy to put on as it was beautiful, and we got going right on time with smiles all around (including her sweet daughter, who was the most joyful and cooperative baby I’ve ever seen be part of a wedding!)
We did a “first look” with Addison, and then the wedding party hiked down the infamously steep Libe Slope on Cornell’s campus for some portraits and group shots. This wedding party made portraits seriously fun– If you’ve ever talked to me about wedding photography you know I try to keep group portraits short and sweet… You should be off enjoying your day, not posing for me. So I usually keep it simple, line people up, make them laugh, then let them free. But when the guys self-organize for some goofy extended prom-pic inspired group shot, I’m not going to stop them. Then the ladies got inspired for some fun shots too. And that’s what I enjoy the most too- when it’s a good photo because of them, not because of me.
The smooth sailing continued from there, with a beautiful ceremony at Sage Chapel, a fun limo ride to the reception at LakeWatch Inn, and an energetic and super joyful party with DJ Mike Melice. Thank you, Christina and Addison, for letting me be part of your day!
Thank you so much to Christina for these kind words:
“Coming out of the experience, I think there are a few things I think are worthwhile to invest in at a wedding. A photographer is certainly one of them. Before we booked, I was experiencing a bit of ‘sticker shock’ with how expensive everything about a wedding was going to be. My biggest concern (especially since I know very little about photography) was finding something within our budget that was also fair to the person providing the service. I had very little idea of how to gauge what that would be, but as we spoke you were kind and helpful in finding something that fit with our budget. Right off the bat, I could tell you were passionate about what you do, and that alleviated almost all of my fears.
Having my picture taken is not so much my favorite thing – in general, I think Addison and I prefer not to be the subject of photographs because posing for pictures makes us feel ‘fake happy’. I loved that your style is more ‘fly on the wall’ and involved documenting us as we are… not as we ‘should’ look in a posed photograph.
So grateful we had the opportunity to work with you to document our wedding. You captured us as we are.”