A Wedding at The American Hotel in Sharon Springs NY: Michael + Scott

We first met Michael and Scott at the Victorian Festival in Sharon Springs. We were there along with hundreds of other people enjoying the festivities, taking photos for our own enjoyment and buying Christmas gifts.

Tim took a photo of two gentleman dressed in Victorian garb, texting each other from two feet away with their iPhones. 

We posted it here on the blog and Scott and Michael wrote to say how much they loved it. We saw them again the next year and then again this past winter when we were there photographing children of all ages with Santa to help raise money for Hurricane Relief. 

So when Scott contacted us to photograph their wedding, we felt like we were talking with old friends.

   

We started out with a nice casual portrait session to let them warm up to the camera (if you can warm up to anything in upstate NY in February!).

We took a walk through town and our couple enjoyed a good laugh with friends Maria and Pete who were busy as bees working on a secret project for Beekman 1802 Mercantile inside the Roseboro Hotel. 

Scott and Michael both look pretty handsome here for a few individual portraits. 

We couldn't resist setting up a similar photo of these two with the iPhones. 

I asked Scott if he had any thoughts on the iPhone photos, Scott's responded, "They say communication is key to a good relationship. Not sure if that was meant to include via 140 characters at a time!" It seems to be working pretty well for them!

After our walk around town, we went back to the American Hotel for a little cocktail party. Everyone was having a great time celebrating the anniversary of Scott and Michael's 22nd year together. They were all in for a fun surprise, though, because instead of just a party, our couple had decided to fully celebrate their love with a wedding.

Scott loves the following photo since "it expresses the evening with a disco ball. Party! Celebration! Event! Not a boring ol wedding...and that was our plan, a party that just happened to have a little matrimony with the salad course!"

Here Doug Plummer, the proprietor of the American Hotel (along with his husband Garth Roberts) helps the guys with their ties.

Their matching cufflinks were darling little llamas from The House of Tiaras  fashioned after a very famous llama with her own twitter feed, Polkaspot!

As an ordained Quaker minister, Doug also performed the wedding ceremony. Talk about a full service establishment! 

A bit overwhelmed with the cheers from the dining room. This is happening! 

And of course, following the vows, they both immediately updated their Facebook statuses.

A quick kiss as Doug signs the marriage certificate.

It’s always fun to try to get all the guests in one photograph.  We had to be quick though, because Tim was standing on a ladder out on Route 10!

As in any wedding we certainly can't achieve all these wonderful photographs without the contributions of other wedding vendors. As professionals we all work together to create a memorable day for our couples, their guests and their families.  Our good friends Doug Plummer and Garth Roberts who own and run the American Hotel are as much fun in real life as they look in these photos and they can always be counted on to serve fabulous meals.  

The florist for this occasion was Johnstone's located in Palatine Bridge, NY, and were the florists for my own wedding and many other happy occasions in my life.

At this wedding I was lucky to meet Gail Luna  of Luna Cakes by Design and and see and eat(!) some of his amazing art work. 

The wedding cake -- faithful readers know my love of wedding cake -- was not only delicious but specifically designed to represent the very first meeting of our couple at a Halloween party in college. One dressed as a sailor (the hat) the other a soldier (the boots). I will admit, I did have a piece and it was delicious! 

 One more portrait of our handsome couple! 

Thank you Scott and Michael for being such a wonderful couple! It was truly a pleasure photographing your wedding.

 We wish you much happiness and love,

Tim and Dana

Sharon Springs Festival in the News! Winner of the First Annual Festie Award

 I was excited to read that the Victorian Christmas festival in Sharon Springs had received a "Festie Award" as one of the top five festivals by New York State Festivals website. We attended the festival in its first year and had so much fun.

Real Country Chic: Carrie and Matt's Engagement Session

We've taken a bit of a break from blogging these last few months but our latest engagement session has inspired me to get back into the storytelling aspect of our photography. I have always loved to build a picture with words and Tim has been telling stories with images since he picked up his first camera.

Carrie and Matt were originally going to have us photograph their 12-12-12 wedding, but when they came in to see us, Carrie mentioned that she might like to have an engagement session done at their home with their two horses and dog.  She wanted to "show that part of our story too." So here they are, the whole family: Carrie leading Luke, and Matt with Eddie and the dog Mary Jane.

The image above was taken on the way back to the barn after the more posed-type images.  We work to create photographs at engagement (and other portrait sessions) that couples can hang on their walls as an art piece--something beautiful and timeless--just as we do for wedding photos.

We all love the posed family photos too. This was a difficult shoot with two people, two high spirited horses and a dog -- you can't always tell an animal exactly what you want them to do. They (and their people) have to be guided, sometimes nudged a little... and you have to get their attention.  All of them.  At once.

 
 And when they are all ready, in place, and happy, we have to be ready too. Okay on three...

Thanks for having us photograph this part of your story too, Matt and Carrie. And a big thanks to Luke and Eddie for paying attention! And Mary Jane? Extra cookies for that good girl.

Romantic Castle Wedding at Beardslee's Castle Little Falls NY

At "The Castle" -- as we like to refer to Beardslee's Castle in Little Falls NY -- we know we have the perfect background for romantic wedding photographs. This beautifully restored Irish limestone Castle nestled in the Mohawk Valley, minutes away from the Adirondack Forest Preserve, is a delightful setting for a fairytale-style wedding. With D.J. Ritchie's lights in the castle windows, the stone steps and a beautiful backlit pose, this shot certainly looks ethereal. It's one of my favorites so far this year!

We had a lot of fun photographing Ashwini and Peter and their wedding party at their reception at the Castle and their ceremony at the United Methodist Church in New Hartford. It was a pleasure to photograph a couple so obviously crazy in love with each other.

Chels designed this beautiful inspiration board to showcase some of the detail shots and the color scheme of Ashwini and Peter's wedding. We know there is a tremendous amount of time and thought that goes in to the planning of a wedding, and so we make sure to capture the bits and pieces that our couples have spent months and even years thinking about, searching for and choosing to make their wedding day their own. 

Along with the details are all the little moments during the day that we capture: Peter showing off his ring to the groomsmen; the bridesmaids tying up the back of Ashwini's dress. The special moments that are so fleeting are what we endeavor to capture in our photojournalistic coverage.

The groom and his groomsmen. It was a great crowd - hilarious and friendly - and they knew how to have fun on the dance floor! 

Just one final shot of the bride and groom cutting the cake... Because we know how much I love cake. And this image is so gorgeous!

Thank you, Ashwini and Peter, for having us as part of your wedding day! Once again, we had a great time working with you and your bridal party ... full of fun & romance!

Love,

Dana, Tim, and Chels

Wedding Photography I Jim & Brie: An outdoor wedding, Pat's Barn, Upstate NY

We loved the unique country chic vibe of Jim and Brielyn's wedding. The ceremony and reception were both held at Pat's Barn in Rensselaer, NY, a reconstructed Dutch barn over 250 years old, with a gorgeous lawn and nearby creek.

Jim and Brie chose to do a "first look", the opportunity to see each other before the ceremony. This option has grown in popularity in the last few years, not just because it allows the couple to enjoy their cocktail hour with their guests, but because it allows for a more private moment when they first see each other. And of course it is a great chance for a few romantic photos taken without an audience!

Brie and Jim broke with a lot of other traditions as well, allowing their wedding to reflect their own style. Brie's knee-length white cotton bridal dress was trimmed in eyelet lace which was perfect for the hot day: cool and comfortable but still stylish. Their choice of tattooed wedding bands is probably the best example of how their wedding reflected their style and their commitment.

For their processional, they walked up the aisle together. Their ceremony was performed by Swami Bruce under a beautiful arch constructed by Brie's dad, made of aged cedar from an old water tower. Brie's brother was her man of honor and Jim's brother was his best man. As part of the ceremony, the two brothers bound the couples hands together. 

Since we had already taken all of the group, formal and couples photos earlier, Brie and Jim not only had time to enjoy their cocktail hour but to greet each guest in a receiving line as they entered the Barn.

The details and decorations were reflective of their style as well. Brie designed and made each of the invitations. Pages from the scrap book Brie and her guests made at her bridal shower were used to decorate the walls. The cake plates, signed with good wishes at the shower, were used to hold the table place cards.

The guests enjoyed listening and dancing to the music provided by DJ Mike. They also had a lot of fun posing for our open air photo booth with props provided by the bride and groom. And of course there were those guests who needed no props or music, but amused themselves...

Jim and Brielyn: We want to thank you both so much for having us as a part of your special day.

Wishing you much happiness and love,

Tim, Dana and Chels

Guest Blogger Thursday: A Bride's Eye View

This week's guest blog was written by one of our 2011 brides, Larissa Bates.  Larissa and Dennis were married one year ago this week. I thought it would be great to have her input on planning a wedding and she was gracious enough to share her thoughts. Thank you so much, Larissa!

Planning a wedding may be one of the most exciting times in a woman’s life, but it may also be one of the most stressful. From budgeting to being bombarded with family and friends’ varying opinions, the planning process can be very overwhelming. I am hoping that by sharing my experience when planning my wedding, it can help other brides, and grooms, during their planning processes.

I did not have any forewarning that my husband was going to propose to me on May 20, 2010. I never wanted to be one of those pushy girlfriends who pressured my boyfriend into popping the big question. Even though I knew that marriage was something that I wanted in my future, I figured that I would let things just happen naturally. I also wanted to be surprised by the ring that he picked out for me, without my help. I could never understand why some women wanted to be part of the ring shopping process. To me, it takes away from the element of surprise that comes with being newly engaged. So when my husband did propose, I had to start from scratch with the wedding planning process because before that time I had no idea that a wedding, make that MY wedding, would be in my near future. Luckily, I had been in a few weddings as a bridesmaid and attended some wedding shows with other brides-to-be, so I had some planning experience under my belt.


One of the biggest decisions was the reception venue.  I had fallen in love with the beauty and elegance of Saratoga National Golf Club during the Summer of 2009 when my husband and I had taken a casual drive up to Saratoga Springs one evening. We decided to venture down the long driveway that passes through the golf course and leads to the beautiful building.

High School Senior Portrait Photographer: We love these grad cards!

We made this image for one of our high school seniors as part of a graduation party invitation.

It is a combination of an image taken in the studio, and a few taken on the football field. The combination of the photos with the design elements makes a really powerful portrait, one that works well for our senior, a football player and all-around athlete.

This is the front of the invitation; we used the back of the card to illustrate his love of baseball. We will feature that in a later post - it's a surprise for him and I don't want to spoil it!

"Walk About" Senior session at The Classic Image

Our "Walk About" senior portrait session is a great way to show you being you and looking good!

Give us a call today to make your appointment 518 993 4199

Jessica & Jason: A Sagamore Wedding on Lake George

 

Lake George in itself is an impressive background for wedding photos. But the perfect moment comes when the Lac Du Saint Sacrement is right behind the wedding party!

Starting the day.

 

 Jessica and Jason

I love this shot of shot of Jason's arms around Jessica. This is one of my favorite ways to capture the details of a wedding because of how much it captures in one image: the bridal bouquet, the engagement ring, the intricate details of the wedding dress and the finishing touches on both bride and groom. I love it for the way it encompasses all those things and includes the couple -- rather than a series of product shots.

Our pre-ceremony photographs included a "first look" - when the bride and groom spend a private moment together before the ceremony.  While not for everyone, pre-ceremony photos allow for an intimate moment together before the action starts - a chance to take a moment out of the day and enjoy the thought that you will soon belong to each other. It makes for great memories -- and of course, gorgeous photographs.

The signing of the Ketubah or wedding contract was held in a private meeting room with their witnesses and immediate family. Then a round of good wishes and loving advice was given.

 The next part of the wedding ceremony was held lake side. 

Jessica and Jason's chuppah was built by On Thai of Surroundings that morning. Isn't it amazing? His floral work always blows me away.

The ring exchange.


                      

Jessica is just so gorgeous. She and Jason were both delightful to work with. With that great smile, you wouldn't even know how chilly it was!

The candle lights and flowers for the evening reception on Shelving Rock.

        

The little kitty cake topper was so adorable. The cake was made and decorated by the Sagamore in-house!

Is that really the groom with those amazing dance moves?

So who knew? Turns out Jason and his friends belonged to a break dancing group in college so when they told the DJ they were going to be doing some break dancing, he wasn't sure if they were pulling his leg. We had discussed it with them earlier so we assured the DJ that there would be some pretty awesome moves on the floor that night.

And this was only the beginning of a night of great dancing!

The horah is always a lot of fun to watch and it looks like our couple is enjoying it too!

See what I mean about these flowers?




Thank you Jessica and Jason for being such a wonderful couple! It was truly a pleasure photographing your wedding.

 We wish you much happiness and love,

Tim and Dana