Anna & Jeff – Mendon New York Wedding Photography

I would be hard-pressed if I had to choose just one word to describe Anna and Jeff’s wedding at Westminster Chapel in Mendon, NY. Family. Love. Happiness. Each word could equally stand on its own; however, combined they equate more than they would otherwise individually. And, actually that is very much a testament to the bride and groom.

Weddings inherently involve the merging of families – some big, some small, but altogether two families ultimately come together to form a family anew. Anna and Jeff’s wedding was no exception and their families were a pleasure and joy to work with a be a part of while photographing Anna and Jeff’s wedding.

What would any wedding be without love, right? Anna and Jeff’s wedding had love abound; it was evident from the night of the rehearsal just how much these two loved each other, and there was no shortage on the day of the wedding either! Even after subjecting Anna and Jeff to a lengthy formal wedding photography session – thank you both for you patience – these two newlyweds were so enamored with one another they did not seem to mind one bit!

Finally, Anna and Jeff’s happiness is evidenced throughout their wedding photographs. From their first kiss during the ceremony, to the formal wedding photography session immediately following, and throughout the entire wedding reception, Anna and Jeff are one happy couple!

Anna and Jeff, congratulations to you both and thank you for the opportunity to be a part of your special day in what is sure to be a long, happy, and prosperous marriage. I thoroughly enjoyed photographing your wedding and capturing the myriad of special moments on your wedding day. Here are just a few of my favorite wedding photographs from Anna and Jeff’s wedding at Westminster Chapel.

A Beautiful “Thank You” Card!

I received a beautifully created (and very artistic) thank you card over the weekend from Caitlin & Erich whose wedding I photographed earlier in August. Their kind words really blew me away! I was humbled and very blessed to be their wedding day photographer. Caitlin & Erich – You both are very welcome, and thank you for the opportunity! 🙂

Ryan,

Thank you simply does not express our gratitude for your beautiful photographs of our wedding day. We were so impressed with your professionalism, kindness and relaxed tone throughout the entire wedding planning process and day. It was so reassuring to know we needn’t worry about our photos as they are in your skilled hands.

So many friends and family remarked on how impressed they were with you. The resulting photographs only reaffirmed these opinions. Thank you for recording our special event in such a lovely, artistic way.

All our best,
Caitlin & Erich

Wedding Fit for a Queen at the Belhurst Castle

The Belhurst Castle, located in Geneva, NY was the backdrop for Sarah and Brian’s wedding; the day couldn’t have been more perfect and the wedding more eloquent. No detail was spared, from the center pieces that Sarah meticulously created herself to the chuppah that Brian built out of lumber from nearby woods – with his groomsmen assisting with the finishing touches.

Sarah began her day at Scott Miller Salon & Spa around 10am for hair and makeup before returning to the Belhurst in Geneva for final preparations. Set facing Seneca Lake, the ceremony was perfectly executed with a very classy-dressed bridal party in black with bride’s maids holding green, long-stemmed lilies. Sarah’s dress couldn’t have been more perfect for the venue and was absolutely brilliant!

For her wedding photographs, Sarah wanted a high-end, fashion magazine feel – this translated toward more contrast and moodier photographs to arrive at wedding photographs with an edge. For some of the black and whites, I experimented with adding an ever-so-slight blueish cast to just the shadow areas. This made the photos stand out from a traditional, straight black and white print. I think it’s key however to strike a balance between the high-end fashion and classical – therefore not every photograph was treated with an edgy look.

Carmen and the entire staff at Belhurst are top-notch; if you’re looking for a truly spectacular location for your wedding, take a look at the Belhurst Castle in Geneva, NY. Below are a few of my favorite photographs from Sarah & Brian’s Belhurst wedding. Enjoy! And, a special thanks to Sarah & Brian for being such an easy couple to work with and so laid back! 🙂

Leslie & Brandon – Rochester Wedding Engagement Photography

This past weekend I photographed an engagement session for Leslie & Brandon, two Fairport natives whose wedding I’ll be photographing in a few weeks! For this engagement session, I traveled to Erie and spent the afternoon talking with them about how they met, various stories growing up, oh and taking some photographs along the way too. 🙂

Engagement photos are a great precursor to wedding photographs – Leslie and Brandon were able to get a feel for how I will photograph their wedding, and I can get a good idea of how they react to the camera. During the photography for their Rochester wedding, I’ll be able to draw on the engagement session to achieve more fluid and less invasive wedding day photography. As a Rochester wedding photographer, I’m committed to delivering the very best wedding photographs – engagement photos are one way that I differentiate myself and offer truly exceptional wedding photography.

Here are a few of my favorite photographs from Leslie & Brandon’s engagement session. Enjoy!

Sarah & Brian – Belhurst Castle Wedding Photography – Geneva, NY

In May I’ll be photographing the wedding of Sarah & Brian at the Belhurst Castle in Geneva, NY. Today was the first time I had an opportunity to met with them (they currently reside out of state), and I’m even more excited to be a part of their wedding day! I spent the afternoon touring the grounds with them in preparation of their wedding photography – discovering areas to shoot their formal wedding photographs and to get an overall feeling for the schedule of their wedding day.

The events coordinator, Carmen, has been a part of Belhurst for over 20 years and she was extremely helpful at answering Sarah and Brian’s wedding-day questions and putting them both at ease. Part of the stress of planning a wedding is answering the question, “Who’s going to do what – when?”. Belhurst’s attention to detail and customer-oriented approach is exceptional, putting any wedding-day jitters to rest and reassuring the wedding couple that every detail is masterfully and thoughtfully taken care of.

The possibilities for wedding photography on the grounds of the Belhurst Castle are more or less limitless; it really depends what style of wedding photography the bride and groom gravitate toward. For Sarah and Brian, I’m going to concentrate on edgy, sexy, fashion-inspired wedding photography with a look similar to that in a high-end magazine spread. We even discussed some ways of shooting the formal and bridal party wedding photographs in unique and different ways to really punctuate the desire for artistic and truly original photographs.

I brought my camera along and took a dozen or so photos while walking around the Belhurst grounds, talking about the wedding day in general and specifically the wedding photography. I’ve included a few of my favorite photographs below (I really like the photograph of Brian looking out at Geneva Lake and the photograph of Sarah silhouetted while standing next to the wrought-iron door inside the Belhurst Castle).

Caitlin & Erich – Rochester Wedding Photography

Spring is almost here and that means we’re inching closer to the beginning of another fantastic summer wedding photography season in Rochester, NY! I’m especially anxious to get back outside and start photographing what are sure to be some truly amazing weddings this year. So far, I’m scheduled to photograph weddings in a variety of unique locations from Sonnenberg Gardens in Canandaigua, NY to Gathering’s at the Senator’s Mansion in Churchville, NY.

In August, I’m photographing Caitlin and Erich’s wedding in Scottsville. This is a couple who is very on top of things – finding time to assemble a wedding web site blog with details on places to visit and things to do for guests visiting from out of town. Creating a wedding web site is a fantastic idea as it allows easy dissemination of information to a large group of people quickly and effortlessly – the blog format increases readability and maintenance too. Blogger.com is a free service from Google that allows you to setup a wedding web site blog effortlessly – try it now and spread the news that you’re getting married (and that you’ve found that perfect wedding photographer)!

As an aside from wedding photography, I was downstate last week and took a few photos of the Lain family farm in Westtown, NY. Here are a few of my favorite pics, and one additional photograph of my cousin Michelle during my trip down to Florida over Christmas. Enjoy!

Rochester Wedding Photography? Now Is A Great Time!

If you’re getting married in 2009, or maybe if you’re already planning for a wedding in 2010, now is a great time to talk with Ryan about your wedding photography – even if you’re not getting married in Rochester or in the surrounding area. “A lot of clients ask if I only photograph weddings in Rochester. Actually, I’m able to travel anywhere a bride and groom are getting married – I really love traveling!”

If 2009 is your year to get married, but you haven’t decided on a wedding photographer, or maybe you haven’t had time to research a local wedding photographer, today is a great day to get in touch with Ryan, setup an appointment, and discuss exactly how you envision your wedding being photographed and how best to achieve that vision. There are still several dates available during the summer of 2009 – however, with the wedding season fast approaching, it’s best to contact your Rochester wedding photographer as soon as possible to lock in your wedding day!

“With reception dinner, bridal and bride’s maids’ dresses, cake, tuxes, invitations, and transportation costs, a wedding can be an expensive undertaking! I’d like to help by saving couples some money on their wedding photography. After all, next to your own personal memories and stories of your wedding day, your wedding photographs are the only assets that truly preserve one of the biggest days in your entire lives!

During the month of February, I’m giving couples who book their wedding photography by the end of the month 10% off any wedding photography package – including customized packages! This is a really great way for couples to save up to $500 or more on their wedding photography costs.”

There’s a simple wedding photography contact form that you can fill out to get started, or call Ryan at 585.217.7510 and he’ll setup a day and time to meet with you personally and put your mind totally at ease – if your wedding is in less than a week or if it’s more than a year away!