I've known Mary for a few years now, seeing her occasionally out in the city or at a party, but it wasn't till a Murder Mystery Party last winter that we reconnected and I was introduced to her fiancé, Brendan. I made a joke or two mentioning that I was a wedding photographer if they were interested, and to my surprise a few months later, Mary reached out! I was instantly excited when I heard it was going to be "outer space" themed because it falls on the night of a meteor shower! (This included an flower "alien" - see photos below of course) As soon as they hired me, I couldn't stop talking about how excited I was.
The morning of the wedding day arrived and I left the 86° Buffalo, NY and headed to Ithaca, NY, I checked the radar before hitting the road to see 65° and rain!! I panicked hoping it would pass by the time I arrived around 12pm, no one wants rain on a wedding day - especially the photographer! Never hitting rain once on the almost 3 hour drive, I felt in good spirits. I arrived to the New Park Retreat and Events Center in Ithaca, NY with the sunshine, but a few puddles on the ground. Thankfully the rain had passed and we were in the clear for the rest of the night. Mary and Brendan requested a "glamping tent" for me, which may have been my favorite part of the night! King sized bed in an air-conditioned tent, it was pretty awesome, but enough about me...
Let's talk about Mary and Brendan. My favorite part about their wedding was that it was not your traditional wedding with a wedding party. Instead of a "Best Man" and "Maid of Honor" they decided to have their "wingmen" from the night they met be their witnesses, and have a few close friends do readings during the ceremony. Mary and Brendan didn't meet on the internet or through a dating app, it took a night out in Allentown and a little confidence. During the toasts, their meeting story was told from the point of view of Kelsey and Ryan, the "wingmen of the night", it was perfect.
The day as perfect from start to finish, the sun came out shining, everything ran so smooth and it was a ton of fun. I am so excited to finally share these photos with you.
Shout out to the venue - New Park Retreat and Events Center, it was so beautiful and very accommodating.
Also, all the details and decorations were handmade, with help from a mutual friend Josef and his Cricket 😀
