It is always the biggest honor to be invited to photograph the wedding of a sibling, family member, or friend of a past couple. I had the pleasure of meeting and photographing bride, Jane, several times over the last few years – first for her sister Sarah’s wedding and then for their good friend Ashleigh’s wedding. So when Jane reached out to me with the exciting news that she herself was about to be married, I was so honored and so, so overjoyed with excitement. After meeting with them over coffee pre-pan, I could tell they were an amazing match for one another. And I’m pretty sure their families and 300 wedding guests would all say the same.
The morning of their wedding, Buffalo experienced it’s first snow! I pulled up to the house and Jane’s dad was thoughtfully shoveling the driveway for when the girl’s would need to leave. Makeup and hair were fully underway by the incredible Mallory Reid of Makeup by Mal and Kassie Depke of Groom Service Buffalo. A few of the girls were putting together a well-thought out Reel for Instagram that was so fun to be witness to (ladies, I might seriously need to hire you to get me going in the reel department haha), and Jane and Billy’s nieces were all smiles, ready and excited to be a part of their special day. Everyone was stunned when Jane came down the stairs in her wedding dress – a dress perfectly fitting for their wedding styling, and I’m pretty sure Billy’s velvet suit takes the cake for all suits in existence!
The ceremony was held at the church Jane grew up going to in South Buffalo, St. Thomas Aquinas, and mass performed by Father Dave Richard, Billy’s cousin’s cousin. Following their exchange of vows and family portraits, we headed to Billy and Jane’s favorite bar, Eddie Brady’s, for some casual wedding party photos before stopping by the Electric Tower for more formal photos with their group. And finally we headed the Curtiss Hotel (where Jane and Billy actually got engaged!) for sunset photos on the rooftop and the remainder of their wedding party portraits.
We arrived at their reception venue, Statler City, at the start of cocktail hour – yay! (Side note for anyone planning a wedding: I LOVE and highly encourage couples to do this on their wedding days so it a) gives you a chance to be a part of your day mixing and mingling with guests, and b) gives me time to photograph your reception details as well as candids for the full duration of cocktail hour, vs losing that time to portraits. Win, win!).
After cocktails, their families and wedding party members were introduced and then it was probably my favorite part of the day (second only to personalized vows!): time the speeches! I’m a sucker for speeches, guys. Even the really long ones! I LOVE getting to know my couples ahead of their wedding days, but sometimes hearing more about them on their special day from those who have known them often their entire lives, really gives me an even greater insight on their relationship and interests and I love that so much. I also love that these speeches and the stories told often bring out the emotions of the couple and their parents and let me just say, I am HERE for it (and on the look out to give you photos of those emotions)!
A Frank Sinatra signer, Joe Bolognase, sang music during dinner and afterward, the dance floor was packed thanks to the musical talents of the live band, Party of Nine. We took a few classic but freezing cold end of the night photos outside of Statler City and just as I was about to pack up for the evening, Billy’s dad and a few other men came to the front of the stage and did a dance routine that was wild and I’m so glad to have still been there to catch that action!
You guys. Jane and Billy’s wedding truly was the perfect day from start to finish, with the most incredible people surrounding them both the entire day through! And it gives me an unbelievable amount of joy to finally share these highlights!
Thank you so, so much Billy and Jane for having me document your day. I hope this is just one of many amazing days to come in your relationship and love story together. <3
And thank you all of you for being here to relive the moments they shared! If you’re still here, drop a comment below with your favorite part of a wedding day! I’d love to hear!
Special shout-out to all the vendors:
Ceremony Venue: St Thomas Aquinas
Reception Venue: Statler City
Officiant: Father David Richards
Photographer: Dawn M Gibson Photography (Second photographer: Kelly)
Florist: Williams Florist
Caterer: Statler City
Cake/Bakery: Muscorelis
DJ/Band/Entertainment: Band- Party of Nine
Transportation: Zoladz Executive Transportation
Invitations: Shine Wedding Invitations
Hair: Kassie Depke - Groom Service Buffalo
Makeup: Mallory Reid- Makeup.By.Mal
Bride/Groom Attire: Groom- The Blk Tux / Bride- Lovely Bride (Designer: Vagabond)
Shoes: Monoloblonics
Accessories (jewelry, hairpiece, cufflinks, ties, etc): Necklace - Zoe Lev Hairpins- Jennifer Behr
Wedding Party Attire: Groomsmen - The Blk Tux Bride Bridal Party- Black MIDI/Gown Dresses
Decorations/Decor Design or Rentals: Buffalo Balloon Co. Jessica Kane- Signage
Late night food/snacks: McDonald’s
Cocktail Hour Music: Violena Music
Dinner Entertainment Music: Frank Sinatra singer - Joe Bolognase
