Mid August I was sitting in my office. It was about 8:00 PM. I received a call from a young lady who asked me if I had October 7th available. I did. we spoke a little about her plans and scheduled a day and time to meet to discuss all of the particulars and sign a contract. Before we completed the call, Brenda asked, “This is going to be a gay wedding. Are you OK with that?” I was at first glance a little puzzled by the question, but quickly responded, “Absolutely!” The rest as they say is history and you can see that history in the words and photos which follow. Once again, I hope you enjoy reading and seeing the photos as much as I enjoyed making them.

Brenda and Linda have been together for 20-years. That’s a lifetime in the married world. If you’re lucky enough to see 20-years in today’s married world, you know you have achieved a mile marker of greatness. To be together for 20-years and then to get married means so much more. I think it’s a travesty the couple had to wait to get married and still have trouble wrapping my mind around the fact until very recently, marriage was only legal to members of the opposite sex.

I won’t get into the politics here because that’s not what this site is about. This site is about the couple’s who share their love enough to want to enter into an agreement until “death do us part.”

I met with Brenda and Linda at the Westwood Country Club. The couple said their vows and partied the night away at an absolute jewel in Western New York.

One of my favorite things to photograph on a wedding day are the details. There are so many ways to shoot a table, etc. I also think it’s one of the more important photos to get. Too many times we miss those details and I usually hear the couple say, “We never got to see “that” because we were so busy with everything else.

The couple completed a wince and chocolate ceremony often called “Bittersweet love.” This was my favorite part of the couple’s ceremony. A little bit more about this in the next post.

True love and happiness. Promises fulfilled after 20-years of waiting.

One of the most beautiful cakes I have seen.

I’m going to add another post specifically detailing the couple’s ceremony. I thought with all of the photos it needed its own post.

I hope you enjoyed.

Namaste.

Chris

What can you say other than…beautiful!

Katie called me on Monday a full-week before her wedding and expressed concern about the weather we have been having so far this year. I have a feeling this is going to be one of those seasonal changes which traverse directly from Winter to Summer with the only division being the lack of snow.

Katie and I discussed the weather and my eternal optimism that the weather was going to be nice for her wedding. Katie was concerned about her post-ceremony photos while I was more concerned about the actual ceremony as it was an outdoor wedding.

We discussed alternate locations for post-ceremony photos. Katie chose the Barton Hill Inn and Spa. The hotel  was very generous allowing us the use of an unbooked room, small ballroom, accompanying terrace and foyer. Within the hotel we found many props to which Paul instantly gravitated like a child finding themselves locked in a room with an endless supply of candy.

We prayed to the rain gods and they responded by holding the foul weather at bay

On the way to the Grand Island Holiday Inn for the ceremony, Katie stopped at the Mt. Olivet cemetery where Katie’s dad was laid to rest. Katie and I walked to his headstone, she knelt and wiped the top of the stone clean and laid a wreath in his honor on top of the stone. Katie talked of her love for her father and her wishes he could have been present to see her and walk her down the aisle on one of the most important days of her life. We spoke and agreed he was watching her from above. At that moment I felt a drip of water on my face. It was a tear of happiness as well as sorrow.

The guitar was her father’s bass guitar. Her father was an accomplished musician who played in a band during the seventies called “Stillwater.” Katie’s mother talked of her husband’s musical prowess and broke into tears. She said, “Chris, you would have loved his music.” As Katie’s father grew older and the prospect of remaining an active member of a band faded like a dream which we can no longer recall after we wake, he began spending more and more time playing guitar in his church’s folk group. Katie’s mother stated, “That made him so happy.”

Katie looked beautiful.

Namaste.

Chris

Enjoy! I did!

I met Jenny with her bridal party at Sass Salon in Orchard Park, NY. We were joined by the mother’s of both the bride and groom. The shop was warm and welcoming. I love meeting with the bride and her bridal party as they get their hair and makeup done. Meeting at the salon gives me an opportunity to meet the girls in a really relaxed atmosphere. I also have an opportunity to spend time with my camera’s best friend…hair spray.

When we finished with hair, we traveled back to Jenny’s house where Jenny and the rest of her wedding party had their makeup done by a local Mary Kay rep.

After hair and makeup it was time for Jenny to get dressed. Jenny’s young sister was dying to help out and finally convinced her mother to trust her to handle the crochet hook to button the back of Jenny’s beautiful dress. (Don’t worry Jason. We packed the crochet hook in the bride’s bag.) Hopefully Jason required no assistance using the crochet hook!

After pictures in the family’s back yard, we traveled to the Avanti Mansion in Hamburg, NY where the ceremony would later be held. The Avanti is a beautiful old mansion with photo opportunities around every corner. Ceremony and reception locations, when they are in the same location are a huge bonus. There’s no additional travel and the ability to get that many more reception detail shots is a plus.

I hope you have enjoyed reading this post and looking at the photos as much as I enjoyed making them.

We are booking up fast for 2012 and are freezing our 2011 prices, so call now.

Chris

I wanted to update you with some recent updates. For all of you who have been following my blog, you know I capped off the 2010 wedding season by photographing Carrie and Jim’s wedding. This is just a quick sneak peak at this wonderful couple’s beautiful day.

Please enjoy!

Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed this post.

Namaste.

Chris

Two weeks ago I had the opportunity to photograph the wedding of Priscilla and Kevin. I love all of the couples I have an opportunity to photograph but there is something special for me about the couple’s who I photograph who I don’t even have a chance to meet until the wedding.

At first Priscilla did not want any detail shots. So as she was getting dressed I snapped some quick photos of her shoes. I showed Priscilla the shots which changed her mind.

We took this photo in the backyard of her parent’s home in Tonawanda, NY. The landscaping was amazing and provided an awesome backdrop. Priscilla looked absolutely gorgeous in her dress and the smile on her face simply lit up the entire area.

Like I said earlier…the landscaping in the backyard was awesome. Priscilla was radiant and the background complimented her.

I wasn’t kissing when I told you she had one of the most beautiful smiles I had seen in a long time.

St. Mary’s Church in Swormville, NY. This is the old church which they will keep open for weddings and other events. I didn’t have an opportunity to visit the new church. I love the size of this church. The lighting was beautiful and enhanced by the stained glass windows.The cloth draping hanging from the ceiling was absolutely beautiful.

Same photo from a slightly different persepctive.

The couple’s first kiss after they exchanged vows and rings. Beautiful!

The love that was visible between Priscilla and Kevin was obvious from the first moment I met them. Priscilla’s smile was infectious. One look at her smile and it is easy to tell she enjoys her life and enjoys having fun.

Thanks everyone for reading and keep coming back. I’ll have additional photos to post from the couple’s wedding next week.

Chris

It was a hot drive down to the salon in Northeast Pennsylvania. The smell of hairspray was strong in the air and on my tongue. Jamie looked beautiful as she had her hair done. She chatted easily with family and friends and didn’t appear anxious.

I’ll stop talking now and allow the photographs to speak for themselves.

Jamie’s ruby slippers.

I love when I can find a suitable location to do an outdoor dress shot.

I loved the detail on Jamie’s dress.

Jamie did her own makeup and did a wonderful job.

That’s all for now. I’ll post more from this couple’s ceremony later.

Thank you Jamie and Michael for placing your trust in me and allowing me to be a part of a very special day in your life. Congratulations!

Thanks for reading.

Chris

I arrived at the salon for the hair and makeup photos and Ronda pulled me aside and said, “I need to tell you what the plan is. You’re the only person other than Mike who knows this but when he goes to get the garter he’s going come out with a derringer pistol in his teeth.” I asked where the pistol will be and Ronda responds, “tucked into my garter.” Of course, why didn’t I think of that. So this is where I tell you, faithful reader that Ronda and Mike are police officers. Henceforth the interest in firearms.

We completed the shoot at the salon which by the way was a pretty awesome place. It was Marcel’s in Jamestown, NY. I arrived at the church located in a town called Stillwater just outside Jamestown. Now if Stillwater sounds like an old western name keep reading. So I see the groom and the groomsman all dressed in tuxedos that are reminiscent of what Doc Holiday might have worn, complete with cowboy hats, cowboy boots with spurs and bollo ties. The guys in the bridal party also wore badges which denoted the groom as the “Marshall” and the groomsmen as “Deputies.” Now, before I forget every groomsmen also wore a holster containing a sidearm, a six-shooter to be exact. I would find out at the conclusion of the ceremony the guns were real as the bridal party fired blanks into the air to celebrate the couple’s union. There was also one member of the bridal party who sported a shotgun, and yes he fired it as well. Now Ronda had mentioned this to me but I’m not quite sure what I was thinking because when the guns were fired it took me by total surprise.

I hope everyone enjoyed the post and the photos. Thanks for reading. There are many more photos to come. You can also click here for a slide-show.

Chris

Beth spent the morning at the wonderful Belezza Salon located in Williamsville, NY. Beth and her Maids of Honor spent the night in the beautiful Avant Hotel in Downtown Buffalo. This was my first time in this beautiful hotel. The designers saw the need for a mixed use building. In addition to the hotel rooms there are also 26-luxury condos and five-floors of office space. Beautiful.

The couple exchanged their vows in the Unitarian-Universalist Church in Buffalo, NY. Once the ceremony was completed we drove to the Coast Guard Base on Furhman Blvd. and with granted permission were allowed to take photos at the base of the lighthouse.

After post-ceremony photographs, the couple celebrated with family and friends at the celebrated Saturn Club in Buffalo, NY. Music was provided by Whirlin’ Disc Sound.

Thanks for reading. Next week I’ll some additional photos from this and some other recent weddings.

Chris

Anyway, I met Michelle and her bridal party at -”All That Jazz” Salon on Military Road in Niagara Falls. Michelle said she wasn’t feeling nervous and judging by her facial expressions I would have to agree. Michelle smiles easily. It’s a neat smile where she wrinkles up her nose and squints through eyes which have been transformed to mere slits. It’s a great smile really one that you know is genuine and followed by a deep laugh.

Nice salon. Beautiful job. Not that the girls needed any help…I’m just sayin’. Michelle had her hair done and we were off to the the couple’s home where Michelle did her makeup and slipped into her beautiful dress. I met with Suzanne who was hired as the videographer. My first opportunity to meet Suzanne when I nervously photographed my first wedding three years earlier. Suzanne was just what I had remembered; easy going, professional and results oriented.

After the girls got dressed at the couple’s home we headed to the church where the couple exchanged their vows. We then traveled to Niagara University where the couple had attended classes and Bryan works in the admissions office.

Photos were completed and we traveled to the Niagara Falls Conference Center which is one of my favorite venues in which to shoot. I love the great big windows that open floor to ceiling onto a pedestrian walk way and flood the room with natural light. The couple had their favorite band, Widowmaker play their wedding. I was happy I remembered to bring my earplugs as my ears just don’t tolerate such exceedingly loud sounds. The band wrapped up and guests began to leave. I grabbed the couple and we went for a quick walk outside and were able to capture photographs to cap off the evening.

Thanks so much for reading. Stay tuned for more.

Chris

Link a post with more pics to this post.

After Audrey and her brides maids had their hair and makeup completed, they headed back to the hotel where Audrey began to get dressed. The groom and his groomsman headed to the church. I followed close behind. Raindrops began to speckle the windshield and hope the good weather would remain began to sneak away. The sky grew darker as I approached the church. Shortly after arriving at the church we were forced inside as the rain arrived with great intensity. The limo bus arrived and the girls disembarked. the leas to leave the limo and enter the church was Audrey. She did so under the protective covering of a large umbrella. Thoughts quickly turned to the marriage of Audrey and Michael.

Audrey looked beautiful. Her face shined with happiness as she was escorted toward the alter and her future husband by her father. Vows were exchanged.  Two individuals were pronounced as one. Welcome Audrey and Michael Paveljack. During the mass the rain had come and gone. It was if God had said, “Don’t worry. I’ll ensure your day remains beautiful.” It did indeed.

Once the nervousness of the day began wear away, Audrey allowed her beauty and confidence to shine through.

Audrey and Michael wrote very beautiful letters to each other. I always love to see the emotional reactions on the faces of the bride and groom as they read each others words. Remember and cherish these words always and remember the rock on which you built this strong love for each other.

The rain wasn’t going to dampen anyone’s spirits, especially Audrey’s.

The flower girl and ring bearer were a hoot throughout the day. The young “couple” thought they were going to get married that day.

Mike was stylin’ the GQ pose. Nice!

We navigated the busy streets of Niagara Falls, NY thinking of the Maid of the Mist. The couple had been engaged at the same location and it was only fitting to have their first photographs as a couple at the same location.

On Saturday night as dinner was about to begin, the groom’s best man stood, raised his glass and proposed a toast to the couple. He spoke of the couple’s love for each other and of their willingness to share this love with each other.

My toast to you, Audrey and Michael, is that great love and happiness finds you always.

Witnessing the couple from behind the lens provided me with a unique opportunity to see what others might not have seen. As a wedding photographer I spend a great deal of time watching and observing; looking for that moment to capture in time. The moment which the couple and the guests did not recall but which was captured to be viewed later as a reminder of a very special night. For me it is capturing the details; a tear in the corner of the bride’s eye, the smile as she has her first dance with her husband and her dance with her father. Even writing this brings tears of joy to my eyes.

A wedding, the union of two people is a beautiful thing. It represents much for the couple as they become one and join each other’s family’s and embark on an adventure;  forming their own uniqe bond.

A slideshow of the couple’s photos can be viewed by clicking here.

Contact me by clicking here. I’d love to discus your wedding plans with you. You can see a slideshow of photos from the couple’s wedding by clicking here. Click here to see all of the photos.

Thanks for reading.

Chris

Marliena and Adam were married Saturday May 15, 2010. The ceremony at St. Gabriel’s in Elma was incredible. I no longer attend church services on a regular basis as my belief system clashes with that of the Catholic church. I don’t do guilt and have found other spiritual practices which help me meet my spiritual needs much more effectively. When I heard the sermon from Fr. Dan I was impressed. I caught myself listening to his sermon very intently as I was trying to “get the job done” for the couple.

Marliena made her first stop of the day at the New Dimensions Hair Salon. The salon is located in West Seneca, NY at 3100 Transit Road. What a great group of professional stylists. They did an awesome job with the girl’s hair. Evertime I witness a makeup artist applying makeup I realize it is an art. Henceforth the title “makeup artist.” Marliena looked great before the makeup was applied and after…well absolutely stunning. go check out this salon. First class.

Like I said, Marliena looked beautiful. Marliena’s mother had commented about the couple’s engagement photos. I thanked mom and explained to her that I had a wonderful subject in Marliena with which to work. When I have a bride as stunning as she is the majority of my work is complete. Marliena smiles all the time and even though this was her wedding day she dealt with her nervous energy like a pro. She just kept smiling and she allowed the vendors to do their jobs and do the worrying for her.

I love this shot of the dress. Marissa, my daughter and assistant has a good eye. Thanks Marissa for this wonderful idea.

The two flower girls were absolutely beautiful. Emily, the older of the two explained she is an old hat at this wedding thing as this was the second wedding in which she participated as a flower girl. You go Emily.

Angelic. What else is there to say?

Thanks for reading. Come back later in the week for a lengthier post for Marliena and Adam’s wedding. I have to give another shout out to Marliena and Adam. You both were awesome to work with and your smiles and willingness to trust my artistic eye meant so much. Congratulations again to both of you.

Chris

All morning, no rain. As we drove to the church raindrops began to strike the windshield as if to thumb their nose at us. We arrived at the church and the drops began to fall with increasing ferocity. Plan “B” was now a very real option. As the bride exited the limo the rain began to fall harder. Audrey entered the church under the protective covering of a large umbrella. Plan “B” loomed large. As the ceremony progressed I noticed the rain had ceased. I poked my head outside and again was greeted by the sun. We were saved. The remainder of the day was rain free and we were able to stick with Plan “A.”

Audrey looked absolutely beautiful. She was nervous but corageously smiled as her bride’s maids assisted her getting dressed. I spoke with Kayla, the flower girl while Audrey was getting dressed and she asked, “Why are you in the room? There’s no boys allowed.” I explained my role as the photographer and she said to me, “We’re going to a party later. It’s only for the girls but you can come.”

What is there to say about this photo? I should submit it to Hallmark!

Audrey could not have looked more beautiful. Congratulations to both of you!

The bubbles. It’s all about the bubbles.

What can you say about Michael…He’s as cool as he looks.

The couple had gotten engaged on the Maid of the Mist in Niagara Falls. It took some serious fanangling to get everyone on the boat in the midst of a busy tourist season but Michael and his best man were quite persuasive. Thank God for a second deck and a wide angle lens.

That’s the Rainbow Bridge in the background. True story; the original bridge called the “Honeymoon Bridge” was accidentally destroyed in 1938 when the Niagara River froze and the weight of the ice flow crushed the bridge supports and brought the bridge down.

The rock bridge on Goat Island. This bridge connects Goat Island to the smaller Three Sister’s Island.

Congratulations Audrey and Michael. I enjoyed spending the day with both of you, your family and your friends. Thanks so much fo allowing me to be a part of your very special day.

Stay tuned for a full post.

Christopher

As we entered the church I was introduced to Peter of “The Wedding Producer.” I have had the opportunity to work with other videographers during weddings. Peter and Mark were awesome to work with and were the ultimate professionals. The communication between videographer and wedding photographer was constant.

It’s inevitable when you have a guy with a still camera and a couple of guys with video cameras in a small, tight church, your going to run into each other. I love the video. Click the link at the end of the post and see for yourself. Hire The Wedding Producer…you won’t be disappointed.

Megan, you looked so beautiful!

Sit back and enjoy the video from the couple’s wedding and enjoy some of the photos I’ve added from their photo-shoot.

Megan and Rob\’s Wedding Video

Thanks for coming back and thanks for reading.

Namaste.

Christopher

I awoke Saturday morning, brewed a cup of coffee and stepped outside. The sun was rising ever so slightly in the East and showed a small sliver of orange. That was all I needed to see. The cold, brisk January had what I refer to as an “untouched” smell to it. It’s the smell in the air when the exhaust fumes of the previous day have settled and the air smells crisp and fresh. There was not a sound in the air. As I stood on the porch I heard a bird take flight and when I looked toward the bird feeder I noticed a pair of blue jays. Another omen of a day that was to be special. The new year had just turned and with the cold January breeze we are also greeted with hope. Hope for good weather. Hope for the love of a young couple to be buoyed and carried on this breeze as they start their lives anew. I love weddings. I’m a sucker for the love of a young couple, for what can be. It is my pleasure to document the couple’s wedding as they embark on a new life together. The smiles on the flower girls and ring bearer say it all.

The girls got ready at the home of Megan’s parents. Busy is about all I can say. When I shoot these photos I enjoy taking a number of shots then sitting back and watching as the nervous energy begins to turn toward talk of hope and love. The love of each other and hope for the future and for what can be.

The wedding ceremony took place at Our Lady Help of Christians Chapel. The reception was held at the Ramada Inn in Getzville, NY.

I had the opportunity to work with two great videographers, Peters Bisuito and Mark Flanders of the The Wedding Producer located in East Aurora, NY. These guys are pretty incredible and great to work with. Go to their website and check out their videos but not until you’ve read the rest of this post.

Once again, thank you reading. Keep coming back.

Christopher

My only concern about the couple’s January wedding was having the grey skies that come with winter in Buffalo, NY. Megan and Rob’s prayers were answered again and we were blessed with beautiful weather. What I remember most about their wedding day was Megan’s smile and the beautiful blue skies we had. Light streamed through the stained glass windows during the ceremony and Megan’s beautiful smile filled in the shadows.

I absolutely loved photographing this couple. The smiles came easy and the fun never stopped. Congratulations Megan and Rob!

After we arrived at the Ramada Inn for the reception I was amazed at how beautifully the reception area was decorated. The step-father of the groom explained to me Megan had done the majority of the work and as a result of her efforts had been offered a job by the hotel. Once we completed photos at the Ramada Inn I spoke with the event coordinator for the hotel. Alison explained to me she walked three couples through the hall Megan had decorated and booked two of those three weddings as a result of Megan’s efforts. That’s awesome.

More photos to come in a lengthier post. I hope you’ve enjoyed these. Please leave a comment below. Again, congratulations to both of you!

Christopher

Two months ago I received a phone call from Jim asking if I was “doing anything on December 26, 2009?” Other than spending time with my family my response was “No.” I asked him what he had in mind and he informed me he was getting married again and wished I would complete the wedding photography. As a wedding photographer I absolutely jumped at the chance. We discussed the couple’s plans. The couple quickly agreed they had no desire to have any photos from the ceremony. The reception would be held at Salvatore’s Italian Gardens located on transit Road in Depew, NY. The only people in attendance with the couple to celebrate their day were their four adult children. The couple also said they wanted “nothing fancy.”

I have only been in Salvatore’s on one occasion and I didn’t venture much past the lobby. WOW! is all I can say. If I could not use some of the millions of decorations as backdrops then I just wasn’t doing the couple or the restaurant justice. We were able to convince the management to open up an area that was locked and scheduled for a wedding party on another night. It was great, we had the entire room to ourselves. Beautifully lit Christmas trees, decorations and the marvelous wrought iron gates.

The only people in attendance other than the couple were their four adult children. Mary Ann’s son Michael and Jim’s children; Douglas, Kathy and Gregory.  The bride and groom asked that I begin with family portraits so each family member would have photos for their family.  Dinner was what it was or at least what I have heard it is at Salvatores. AWESOME! Photos during dinner and then at the Italian Gardens hotel down the street on the Williamsville, NY portion of Transit Road.

Normally I have very little difficulty getting someone in the bridal party to smile. This evening was different and it was the bride and groom who experienced difficulty smiling. Tonight we abandonded my normal approach of candid photography and we used all “staged” portraits. These turned out nice and seemed to be a better fit for the couple and their personality.

Thanks for reading and please scroll down and leave me a comment.

Christopher

I hope everyone has enjoyed my posts. I know some of you were struggling to see football related posts on a wedding photography blog but for me photography and football go together. Football is my son’s passion and photography is mine. It is wonderful when I have an opportunity to mix both passions and reward my son with memories he will cherish forever. I write football posts in the same fashion as I write posts related to weddings and engagements, with a high degree of passion and the goal being telling a story through my photography. 

It’s important for me to reach out and say ’Thank you” to those clients who have hired me throughout the year. Without all of you my ability to follow my passion and work toward turning it into full-time employment would be much more difficult. Thank you!

As most of my readers are aware, I have and continue to spend a significant amount of time giving back to my community. Giving back is not so much a part of me as who I am. 

It’s myvolunteer work especially with Make-A-Wish which helps me to remain grounded and focused. I enjoy sharing my photography with others and especially enjoy seeing the smiling faces of family’s who now have photographs to adorn the walls within their homes. I am truly blessed to have the opportunity to do something that I truly love and to give back.

To say “Thank you” I’ll be giving away a family portrait session to one lucky family. What I would like my readers to do is nominate one family who you believe to be deserving of such a gift. The one thing I ask is that you nominate a family who for whatever reason cannot afford the cost of a portrait session. From those submissions I will pick a winner. There is one important qualifier: The family must reside in Western New York. The nomination process will close by December 1, 2009 so I have an opportunity to photograph the family so they can receive their prints before Christmas.

If you know of someone who would love to have a free photo session completed, please send your nomination to me at christopherkijowskiphotography@gmail.com.

The couple called me a few weeks later and announced I had gotten the job to photograph their May 2010 wedding. I had suggested the couple complete their engagement shoot during the fall as their June 2010 wedding would not allow for the beautiful, full foliage to sprout on the trees in the area. Two weeks ago Bryan called me with some options for dates. Once the date was defined we hoped and prayed we would have nice weather. We were blessed with one of the most beautiful nights we had had in the past month. I mentioned the fantastic weather to Bryan and he explained he had “called in a favor.” Nice job Bryan. make sure you call in that same favor for June 5, 2010.

We met in Niagara Falls at the Starbucks restaurant which coincidentally was right across the street from the church in which the couple will be married and also from the couple’s reception area.

Michelle explained she had struggled through several clothing changes to decide what she was going to wear. As we began we walked for 10-15 minutes and just talking about how things had been going since we first met in May.

This was one of the first shots of the evening. I just love picnic tables. When I see one I think of some great childhood memories where the entire family would gather together outside for a meal together and celebrate the warm weather, a family member’s birthday or a holiday. Sometimes I can actually smell hotdogs, hamburgers and corn on the cob.

I just love this photo. Michelle smiled so easily and you could tell she was comfortable in front of the camera right from the start. As the sun began to descend toward the horizon signalling the end of the day, the colors became more brilliant, more golden. It’s no wonder this time of day is referred to as the “golden hour.”I love sunsets. As I have said in many earlier posts this has to be one of my favorite times of day. I absolutely love the way the sun was framed between the couple as they kissed. By the way, getting the couple to kiss was not a difficult task at all. Long after I stopped shooting, the couple continued to kiss. Of course there are worse things…I just love black and white. I think this is the best photo of Bryan an his smile. This smile looked so easy and natural.Again, black and white. Need I say more?This was an interesting shot. Both Bryan and I thought he was more flexible than he really was. I can totally relate to that so we allowed Bryan to “cheat” just a little bit by bending his knees.I just love ring shots and I love them even more when they show the hands they will soon be adorning.Bryan had to quickly replace the ring because Michelle was afraid he might drop it.This was one of my favorite shots of the night, I have a tendency to be a pretty emotional person and a true romantic at heart. When Bryan decided to kiss Michelle’s hand with no direction from me it gave me some additional insight into his warm heart and love for Michelle.

I love you guys and had a great deal of fun with you for your engagement shoot. I can’t wait for the wedding. P.S. Michelle, I don’t think you’ll have any difficulty knowing what to wear for your next photo shoot.