Lakeside October Wedding with Hand-Made Decor || Rochester, NY
One of the secrets of being a wedding photographer is that in observing your couples so closely, you get to learn not only the unique ways in which they communicate with each other, but also their effectiveness. In my time getting to know and photograph Jenna and John, it is safe to say that if the adeptness in nonverbal communication equates to compatibility, then these two are definitely soulmates. In the hecticness of a tight schedule, traffic and the need for food, both parties arrived feeling a bit anxious, but the minute Jenna called John to check on their progress, I could see Jenna’s shoulders visibly relax. And then, from the moment that the ceremony began, all prior anxiety gave way to the purest joy.
While I’m partial to the now-popular first look because it allows for a more unbridled reaction, going the traditional route in this case in no way lessened John’s teary-eyed gasp-turned-grin when they saw the beaming Jenna, accompanied by her parents, for the first time in her wedding dress.
In true Jenna and John fashion, their ceremony featured a clinking of their wedding rings. This was one of many personal touches, as they (and Jenna’s mom!) also spent countless hours creating and painting every floral bouquet, designed dice with their wedding date specifically for the occasion, and were serenading by many of their extremely talented musical friends during the cocktail hour and reception. These two also smartly took care of the legalities of their marriage the morning of so that their good friend could preside over the ceremony, which resulted in a ceremony equally full of giggles and happy tears.
My favorite part of the day, always, is stealing the couple away for portraits after their ceremony - particularity when beautiful natural framing offers the perfect excuse to give them a brief moment alone while I capture epic environmental portraits. Even better when I aim to take some emotional closeups and all of their supposed “awkwardness” has completely disappeared, allowing me to document their joy as the reality of their marriage begins to set in.
Getting to travel out of state for a wedding is always a delight for me, especially as this one allowed me to see Lake Ontario for the first time in my pre-wedding creative practice. But also because it meant that Jenna and John particularly trusted me not just to document their memories, but to set them at ease while I stuck a camera in their faces.
As always, thank you so much for the honor. And thank you to everyone who made their day so special!
Bridal shop: Lovely Bride ROC
Hair & Makeup: Awaken Wellness and Beauty
Florals: Jenna's mom (Gail)
Décor: Gail, Jenna, & John
DJ: Encore Events
Photographer: Adrian Etheridge Photography
Videographer: Godin Visual Productions
Baker: Wegmans
