Month: March 2018

kara + brian // Hotel @ the Lafayette

Filed in weddings shot by on at

If ever there was a wedding day that would make you fall in love with love, it would have to be this one. Kara and Brian are the sweetest people alive, and their love for each other is so genuine. They have the kind of connection that you just don’t see every day, and I know it seems cliche to say this, but it was honestly a privilege  to be there and witness it first hand. I’ll just be super candid for a minute here, and tell you that it isn’t always easy for Ben and I to work together. We disagree on things sometimes (like all couples do I’m sure), and sometimes if we’re having an extra tough week in our own marriage, working at a wedding together and hearing people speak the most heartfelt words of commitment (often through tears) is enough to make us forget whatever it was we were mad about in the first place. After all, ten years ago, it was us up there saying those same words with no idea what life had in store for us or even what it meant to be married; but, we were eager to take on whatever it would be TOGETHER. I can distinctly remember Kara and Brian’s wedding day as one of those days where we started out giving each other the stink eye, and ended the day not able to even remember why we were mad at each other in the first place. That’s what happens when you spend time around a love as beautiful as Kara and Brian’s – it’s contagious – and it reminds everyone it touches of what’s truly important in life.

K + B were kind enough to share some of their favorite wedding day memories, thoughts, and feelings, and I’m so glad they did!  The photos do a great job of expressing how much love was surrounding these two all day long, but reading their words really takes the whole thing to the next level. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as we did!!

Kara: “I found my dress on NYE 2015… less than 9 months before the big day! My mother and I had been to a dozen appointments and while there was so many that I loved, I couldn’t decide on ‘the one’. When we arrived at Victoria’s Bridal Shoppe the assistant recognized me from a previous appointment and began pulling dresses. I saw it hanging out in the open; someone must have just tried it on. It was the first one I tried and within minutes I said YES! My Mom, anticipating this would be another long appointment, came running from the other side of the store! She couldn’t believe I said yes so quickly!

Brian: “Ben came over to the house that morning to take a few photos before heading down to the Ellicott Square. I remember feeling incredibly awkward as I despise being the center of attention (it was at that moment I realized I needed to get over that real quick!), but Ben was awesome. He was snapping away, joking to just do what he says, these pictures aren’t for you.

Brian: “I don’t exactly fit the GQ mold; Kara often jokes that I’m ‘dangerously low maintenance’. I buy the cheapest watches I can find because they’re just going to smashed, scratched, or otherwise destroyed. Regardless, my wife’s gift to me on our wedding day was a beautiful watch to make sure all the I’s were dotted & T’s crossed; my new favorite watch.

Brian: “Once we got everybody downtown I remember hiding in the corner of the building waiting for the girls to arrive, so that I didn’t accidentally catch a glimpse of my beautiful bride prior to our First Look. We did our First Look outside the square, during a break in the rain. It truly was magical. I was briefly paralyzed taking in my stunning bride to be.

Kara: “I was so happy we ended up doing the First Look. The morning was so crazy and even felt rushed at times. It was so nice to spend a few moments together before everything began. I will never forget the way his face lit up when he finally turned around, and how handsome he looked… and smelled! We bought new cologne and perfume just for our wedding day. To this day, when I smell it, I think back to that exact moment.

Brian: “Kara and I love our family. At the time we only hand our husky-shepherd mix Finnegan, and he NEEDED to be a part of out special day. We had him brought downtown for photos outside and the poor guy was pretty stressed out with all the commotion downtown. It was awesome that we were able to have him down there with us, if only for a few photos.

Kara: “In lieu of traditional favors, we donated to our favorite animal rescue, Joyful Rescues! We’ve rescued two dogs from there. On our wedding day our pup, Finnegan, was able to share in the day with us and take a few pictures with us before our ceremony. There was construction going on in the street while we were getting our pictures taken. He was so scared of the jack hammer going off in the background!

Kara: “I really hate being the center of attention, and waiting for the ceremony to begin was incredibly nerve wracking for me. I remember pacing in the Conference Room with my MOH Kayla, and in walked Brian for backup. He placed my hand on his heart which was beating just as fast and mine was. He told me that we were in this together, and I just had to keep my eyes on him and the rest of the room would fall away. He pulled this beautiful diamond necklace out of his pocket… a gift he was initially waiting to give his ‘wife’ after the ceremony was over. I hurriedly took off the one I was wearing, and made the swap shortly before the ceremony began! And Brian was right- standing up on that staircase with him, I barely noticed anyone at all.

Kara: “The Ellicott Square Building is not only a beautiful venue, but one very important to me filled with decades of Hannon history. My Grandfather managed the Building in the 60’s, and my Dad has worked there since he’s been 18 years old. I have fond memories of playing on the staircases as a child with my brother and playing hockey in that lobby- we’d use the staircases as nets! Most wedding ceremonies that are conducted here are actually performed on the opposite staircase so the bridal party can line up in the long entry way behind the opposite stair case that empties out onto the street. It was important for my Dad and I to walk out of his office together, and so I insisted we do it the other way.

Kara: “When my Mom was pregnant with me, one of the first people she told was her brother, my Uncle Jimmy. His response to her was, ‘and she will be a girl, and we will name her Lavender Rose.’ These flowers have always been special to me- knowing this, Brian tracked down a dozen of them off of a delivery truck our first Valentine’s Day together in 2008… nearly a decade later, hues of lavender roses made up most of our wedding flowers. Having no children of his own, Uncle Jimmy and I developed a special bond through the years, and so I chose to have him walk with us down the aisle. I learned recently, after he had passed away, that he told our cousin Kathie that it was one of the best days of his life, as he got to ‘walk Lavender Rose down the aisle.‘”

Brian: “As for the ceremony itself, it was like something out of a movie. Everything was beautiful & perfect, not a complaint to be had. Watching my bride walk down the aisle, and embracing her father before walking up the stairs together to exchange our vows is the most vivid & powerful memory I have from that day. I will truly cherish that for all time.

Kara: “It rained so hard that day. POURED. It began right as I was getting into the limo, and kept raining well into the night. Both the Ellicott Square and the Hotel Lafayette are very old buildings, with very old roofs! There were buckets spaced out both venues to collect the rain- and it didn’t bother me at all.

Kara: “Our first dance song was, ‘When you Got a Good Thing’ by Lady Antebellum. We loved the message it gave and have felt this way since it came out in 2010. Brian and I used to drive and listen to music together when we were first dating, and this song has always given us those warm and fuzzy feelings :)

Kara: “My Aunt Beth had her friend’s daughter created our Candy Table for us! We love bulk candy. We were so impressed with the detail and how everything had matched our colors and theme – Beth even used some of my Mimi’s glass dishes to make it extra special.

Kara: “My Dad and I have always bonded over country music, and ‘My Little Girl’ by Tim McGraw has always been a song we would dance to whenever it came on. I am in all ways a Daddy’s Girl- this song and their lyrics couldn’t be more perfect for us.

Kara: “Wedding planning can be so overwhelming. You want to check all the boxes while making choices that will best represent you as a couple. The day is a beautiful magical blur- so focus on the parts that are important to you when planning… ceremony, vows, music, favors, etc. You won’t regret spending the extra time (or money) on those details, and leave the rest to the professionals!

Jenn and Ben were incredible to work with. You’d be surprised at the vendors that are less than helpful and/or enthusiastic about their work and your big day! Jenn helped us find additional vendors in the early stages and always offered her support and encouragement whenever I needed it. Ben kept the guys laughing and on task on the big day!


How adorable was Kara’s First Look with her dad?! Click here to see more special Ayres Father/Daughter First Look moments!


Wedding Vendors Include:

Ceremony: Ellicott Square Building
Reception: Hotel @ the Lafayette
Hair and Make-up: Lox Salon
Dress Shop: Victoria’s Bridal Shoppe
Dress Designer: Eddy K
Bridesmaid Dresses: Victoria’s Bridal Shoppe
Groom’s Look: Tuxedo Junction
Stationary: Hoopla House Creative
Cake: Ohlson’s Bakery
Florist: Jane Ricotta
DJ: The Hitmen

 

lauren + james // Ellicottville Backyard Wedding

Filed in weddings shot by on at

It’s so special when couples choose to get married in a location that has sentimental value to them. Maybe I’m biased because that’s exactly what Ben and I did. We got married in our house that we had just purchased. It was huge (to us) and very empty because we couldn’t afford to buy furniture right away, but it was such a special place for us; the place where we would build a life together. And so we have. :)

Lauren and James chose to get married in Lauren’s parents’ backyard, in the very same spot where they were married 20+ years prior. It’s a place with history and family roots, and as beautiful as this wedding was, I think the story behind the location makes it all the more beautiful.

Lauren and James’ love story is also the absolute sweetest and lucky for you, they were kind enough to share it! Be sure to read their comments as you scroll and I have no doubt you’ll just adore them as much as I do.

Lauren: “Our story begins like any other; we met through mutual friends. Except instead of love at first sight and a ride into the sunset in each other’s arms, we began our friendship with regular Monday evenings at the Salamanca Bowling Alley with our friends. As is typical in the beginning of any relationship, we acted like we were not interested in each other, and were also convinced that the other was not interested either. Now fast-forward to St. Patrick’s Day. Enter Jim and Robin Holtz (my parents).

I happened to have spent the weekend in Erie, PA with my friends from college to celebrate the holiday. In typical Gannon Alumni fashion, I awoke at 5am that day for Kegs and Eggs at The Cellblock. Sometime that evening, my parents stumbled into The Gin Mill and were tended to by James. After several St. Patrick’s Day cocktails, and having no knowledge of mine and James’ friendship, my mom assured James that he should ‘date her daughter’ (seriously, when does that ever work?).

Soon after, James and I exchanged phone numbers, and shared our first kiss on the roof (yes, the roof) of Balloons in Ellicottville after a prom-themed party.

Lauren: “The dress I chose was actually not at all what I had in mind prior to shopping, but I had to have it after trying it on at Dalia’s. My dress was full length and all lace. After the work that my rock-star seamstress (Jill Monroe) did, the dress fit me like a dream and I felt amazing in it.

Lauren: “One of my favorite parts of our wedding day was seeing James for the first time. We decided to do a First Look to ease our nerves and have a special moment to ourselves before the excitement started.

James: “Seeing Lauren for the first time in her dress was moving and very special. Lauren definitely cried… maybe I cried too; it’s hard to recall!

Lauren: “The first moment of our wedding day that stands out to me is when our florist came to my suite to drop off my bouquet. Prior to that moment, I’d spent the entire morning feeling like it was any other, normal day. Being handed my wedding bouquet made me cry my first happy tears of the day and made everything feel so real and amazing.

Lauren: “James proposed on December 24th, 2016 at the final Bills game of the season. James happens to have a lot of friends within the Bills organization who were a huge help in planning the surprise. After tailgating with our friends, we arrived at the field early, as we had on-field passes. James was able to get us on the field during warm-ups, where he proposed. After the proposal when I realized what was happening, I looked up and all of our friends and some of our families were there cheering us on.”

James: “Having an outdoor wedding is very rewarding and yet very challenging. We had 3 days straight of the heaviest rainfall that I can remember in recent history. The tent company got their truck stuck in my in-laws’ lawn and we couldn’t set tables and chairs up until the day of the ceremony because the grass underneath the tent was soaked. But both of our families and close friends came together to make our very special day happen, regardless of mother nature’s actions.

Lauren: “Saying my vows and hearing James’ vows during our ceremony was another favorite moment for me. I’d put off writing my vows until just before I put my dress on that day and by that time, I was so full of love, gratitude and excitement that the perfect words came to me right away. During the ceremony, James’ vows made me so emotional and full of happy tears that I could barely get my own vows out.

James: “My favorite part about our wedding was seeing how many special people we both have in our lives, I really feel that these feelings get taken for granted sometimes and seeing that in action was truly special.

Lauren: “In planning our wedding, we decided on a ‘theme’ that felt authentically US. James and I have a collection of vintage cake stands, Pyrex and milk glass items in our home, so it was only fitting that we incorporated that into our wedding decor. The tables at our reception were decorated with mismatched vintage glassware, candlestick holders and milk glass vases. Our desserts (Paula’s Donuts) were displayed on various mismatched cake stands as well.

Lauren: “The speeches that were given during our reception are something that I will never forget. It was incredible to hear our best friends Connor and Kristy deliver speeches that spoke of family, friendship and support of our marriage. Those speeches really made us feel even more loved. In addition to those speeches, we asked my brother, Matt, to give a toast before dinner. Matt’s toast spoke of love and history. The property where James and I were married was mine and Matt’s childhood home and also the same property where our parents were married more than 30 years prior. The speech was beautiful and incredibly meaningful not only to us as newlyweds, but for my whole family.

Lauren: “The song we danced to was the San Francisco Symphony version of Metallica’s ‘Nothing Else Matters’. Being big Metallica fans, we’ve always joked about it being ‘a Metallica love song’, so it only seemed fitting. After the ceremony was finished, I surprised James by telling him that his wedding band had been engraved with the name of the song.

Lauren: “Halfway through our first dance, we invited my Dad and James’ Mom to come up and dance with us.

James: “I was a HUGE fan of Lauren’s decision to bring in Paula’s Donuts instead of doing a traditional cake, it was very unique and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Lauren: “The portion of the evening when our DJ started playing songs still gives me butterflies when I look back on it. Anyone who knows me well knows that I don’t particularly love dancing at all, let alone in public. Our DJ played mostly 90’s hip hop after dark and James and I spent the entire night singing and dancing with our friends and family. I can honestly say that I don’t know if I’ve ever had more fun that I did that night.

A few words of advice from Lauren and James to those currently planning: “Everyone tells you this when you get engaged, but having been there, our best advice to anyone in the planning process is to delegate. There are so many things that need to be done, appointments that need to be scheduled and decisions (big and small) that need to be made. There’s a good chance that your wedding party and families are dying to help, so let them! There is no reason to take on all of the planning, DIY’ing and coordinating yourselves. Also, if things don’t go as planned, don’t sweat it. We promise you won’t care by the time your ceremony starts.

Lauren: “Jenn was seriously amazing and we are so happy with how our wedding photos came out. Her documentary style of photography was exactly what we were looking for, and she caught so many great candid photos from our wedding day that we will cherish forever. She did an excellent job making us comfortable in front of the camera and captured photos from all aspects of the day.


Want to see another amazing backyard wedding?? Click here!


Wedding Vendors Include:

Getting Ready Location: Brickstone Suites
Venue: Private Residence
Dress Shop: Dalia’s Bridal
Dress Designer: Enzoani
Make-up Artist: Kelsey Koebel
Groom’s Look: Jos. A Bank
Florist: Flowers off the Farm
Dessert: Paula’s Donuts
Tent/Linens/Lighting: Cayas Canopies
Furniture Rental: Flowers off the Farm
Band: GRAVY