Buffalo Wedding Photography by Nickel City Studios

Archive: May 2011 | View all recent posts

May 31, 2011 - Weddings

teresa + dave

Admittedly, we're behind on the blog. I kinda thought this would happen with bambino #2, but we're not too far behind, so we'll be playing catch up in the next week. And I think after that we'll be right back on our normal schedule for the rest of the summer. Anyway, lots of blog posts coming! We had two weddings this weekend and two last (plus a couple of portrait shoots!), so we're on our second wedding from last week, the epically awesome Teresa + Dave.

Let me just talk about about the detail in the middle of these detail shots - the cool branchy pin? Yeah, Dave did that :) It was his gift to Teresa, and I thought it was pretty epic that he designed that for her. For our wedding, Rich got the ever amazing gift of marrying me. I do what I can :)

I don't know why the topic of wedding gifts has been coming up so much lately. Some brides and grooms do that, some don't. And some grooms do it hysterically. Do you remember the wedding where the groom gave the bride candles that he took from their house and wrapped in tin foil?

Yes, yes I do :) Can I just say how much I love shooting in trolleys? Of course, I understand the appeal for a nice, tinted windowed limo, but from a shooting perspective, I lurv that all that light!

Also? I love your Dave's missing torso shot :) Totally fun :) (I'm smiley face happy today, sorry about that. I swear, I'm really not a 12 year old. LOL, LMAO, [what else do the kids say these days? BRB - that's probably way late 90s, huh? I'm so old I just pulled a gray hair off my shirt. It was clearly yours, Rich.])

If I had hair, yes, it might be gray. But it all fell out when I turned 25. Thanks for bringing it up. Speaking of light, we shot in a great little church we'd never been in before, Holy Spirit RC up off of Delaware.

It goes without saying I was really into this couple. Teresa is one of the sweetest brides I've ever met while doing this job and Dave is a lucky dude (and vice versa, because Dave is also one hell of a great guy). But they know that - I just feel like we were pretty damned lucky they chose us for their wedding day. We couldn't have been happier shooting you guys.

Teresa and Dave used to have date nights every Friday at the Albright Knox, so we headed there for some wedding party photos after the ceremony. And, completely amazingly, we didn't have to fight for space with four other bridal parties. I generally like to avoid the wedding photo mecca of the land of the white columns because you can sometimes wait for 30 or 45 minutes just to get near the museum, but when it works out - it can be pretty awesome-looking.

Yeah, I was pretty shocked there was only one other limo when we arrived since there's usually a line of at least four. But since the museum was a special place for them, we went, and it was like the universe had their back. :)

After we shot there for a while, we headed over to the 20th Century Club. I really, really love that place, but we shoot there so rarely. I think it's because you can't just have your wedding there, but have to be sponsored by someone who is a member, so it's a little harder to get in, but if I could shoot in that garden every day, I don't think I'd get tired of it.

No kiddin, huh? The club is a FANTASTIC place to shoot. Great wedding day staff. A plus. Also, A plus on this shot, hon.

Thanks :) Luckily, it was a stunningly beautiful day, so they got to have their cocktail hour in the gardens = major win.

And then it was party time!

T + D also rocked out the mini photo studio for their reception. We just got an email from her saying she hoped we weren't too traumatized by some of the shots :) But your guests clearly had a lot of fun (also, some alcohol :), so no trauma! So, here are some of our favs from the booth (and you can play spot the photogs if you'd bored at work today, because even we can't not jump in!). Guys, thanks so much for having us with you on your amazing, amazing day. You were so much fun to shoot, and we were so thrilled we got to be there for your day.

add a comment (20) link to this post share post: email facebook twitter pinterest

May 27, 2011 - Weddings

lauren + justin

Yay! We're officially at the stage where we have at least one wedding a week until Murph's birthday weekend! Last weekend, we had two spectacular weddings, starting with Lauren + Justin at the Avanti on Friday. It seemed like it was going to rain the whole day, which is a bummer on any wedding day, but much more so when you've planned your wedding in the killer gardens outside. Luckily, it held off, and literally as the first bridesmaid came down the steps, the sun came out. It was a beautiful day. We'll start off here with my fav from the day - you guys looked stunning!

No kidding. It's been since last year that we got to shoot L + J, and I was pretty pumped for this past weekend. Hey - what's better than the bride sneaking a peek at the groom arriving? The entire bridal party and moms sneaking a peek. These crack me up and are completely awesome, hon.

Avant Mansion Wedding getting ready photos

Thanks - yeah, as soon as everyone figured out what Lauren was looking at, the entire room rushed the window. It was way cute! So, how about the time Lauren fell in love with a $700 beaded belt for her wedding dress, decided it was crazy to spend that much, and hand beaded every tiny bead on a belt for herself. And it looked killer.

More Avanti Mansion getting ready photos

Hell yes it did! I was totally stoked about all the little details and since I didn't get to see the bride at all prior to the ceremony, she came out of the Avanti and I was all, "Daaaaamn, Gina!!!"

Meanwhile, of course, I was hanging with the groomsmen. Justin and Lauren had pretty large parties on both sides and sometimes that makes things a little extra crazy - but as soon as I was hanging out I totally got it. Everyone in the party was incredibly chill and relaxed. Even you, Vega.

Aaaand, I'm just gonna type a little more here before my wife inevitably makes a lot of fun of me for dropping a Martin line in a blog post.

Funny thing is, I had no idea what that quote was :) I was going to ask you sheepishly since I'm in this random pop-culture black hole, and I embarrass myself constantly asking you what random thing you're referencing. Besides, I would never mock you in such a public place as this :) Like, I would NEVER mention you used to have a Star Fleet Academy ring. That would be mean.

Seriously guys, killer ceremony. Rich - that second full-sized ceremony shot is my fav of yours. Awesome.

Black and White photo set from the Avanti garden island

Tilt-shift and the truth. And, yes, when I was about 12 I went to a Paramount theme park with my family and my cousin Bonney's family and they had Star Trek stuff and I bought a Starfleet Academy class ring. I'll own that (though I gave the ring to friend long ago - or I would go put it on right now to piss you off). How about you take ownership the many, many photos I have of you with your family (Alyssa's parents were in a celtic throwback group called Caslelgate in the 80s) in full-on Ren Fest attire. Go ahead, throw the nerd insults - I have photographic evidence of your past nerdery, M'Lady. Doth thou deniestest it???

And there it was - the moment you broke me.

crossing the island bridge post-ceremony

Okay, but really, I just don't see how that's nerdy.

And for that, I'm totally dressing our entire family up when we take Murphy this year. Yeah, laugh now, but when you're stuck in a codpiece come August, you might rethink that decision.

I knew a guy who made his own chain mail in college. I'm pretty sure he's now living in the woods somewhere hand-carving boxes and making his own thermite. I'm not getting dressed up to go to Sterling. At best I'll drink beer from a "flagon" and maybe eat one of those Emu legs or whatever those giant drumsticks are. And maybe I'll bring my twenty-siders if shit jumps off. Wait, what?

We need to get off this train before we lose the entirety of our blog readership. Back to Lauren and Justin!

There are many, many reasons the Avanti is a rad place to shoot - not the least of which being that right behind the ceremony site is always a great instant green backdrop for gorgeous brides and bridesmaids. You guys looks GREAT.

Um, and can I also say how ridiculously great the guys looked in the CK linen suits they bought! I love, love, love this look and think it looks way classy. Also, now they all have suits :) I think it cost them less than the tux rentals, too. Super rad.

You know why I love you? You just started humming the Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves song. You are awesome :) Also awesome? Lauren had her hair and makeup girls come to her for their getting ready. AND she also hired a masseuse for the morning to give the girls massages while they were getting ready for the day. If I've ever heard of an epic wedding day thingy (sorry, I don't sleep and my brain doesn't like words), that's it.

Words are overrated. Let's let these photo talk a little. (Also, they won't mock me, ALYSSA. :)

they had a gorgeous, gorgeous wedding day

And then, after threatening to drench us all morning, it was a gorgeous and cool and just absolutely rocked. Sometimes, having a later ceremony is exactly the right thing on the right day. Congrats, you guys :).