This weekend was a “double-header” for me with weddings on both Saturday and Sunday. The oppressive heat of Saturday was replaced with a very pleasant day on Sunday, the day on which Joshua and Emma were married at The Fontainebleau Inn. It seemed that rain might fall, but it turned out to be a very nice day.

After the formal introductions, Joshua and Emma had their first dance to “I Will Follow You Into The Dark” by Death Cab for Cutie. This was followed by toasts by the Best Man, Dan and Maid of Honor, Darcey.

Joshua and Emma had selected some fun music for dancing and the dance floor was busy the entire evening.

It is always fun for me to observe how every couple does something original for their wedding and Joshua and Emma had come up with something I’d never seen before. I’m not even quite sure what to call it, but in lieu of a conventional guest registry, there was a framed piece of art in the silhouette image of a tree. Next to the frame was an inkpad. Each guest was instructed to “leaf” their thumbprint on a branch of the “tree” and then put their name below their thumbprint. It was a beautiful and very unique way to have a record and great remembrance of this special day.Josh and Emma, you were such a nice couple to work with and I hope you have an amazing life together! All my best to you both. Enjoy these photos.

2011 has got to be a year that will be remembered as one for very strange weather. Today, typically a “entering into Fall” type of time of year turned out to be one of the hottest, most humid days of 2011. It was HOT. The Sherwood Inn had the AC cranking and Catherine & Charles along with all the guests didn’t seem to let the hot weather put any sort of damper on the festivities. In fact, this was one fun group of people.

The Bride and Groom had their first dance to the “Train Song” by Sim Redmond Band. Toasts by the Best Man, John and Maid of Honor, Mary followed and then a toast was given by the Groom’s Grandmother, Grace (otherwise knows as G.G.) After a wonderful meal the other formal dances took place. The Father/Daughter dance was “Have I Told You Lately” by Rod Stewart and the Mother/Groom dance was to “My Boy”, Neil Young.

It was quite a fun night of dancing that included a special Polish Toasting Song presented by the Bride’s Father and Uncles.

Just a great group of people that danced the night away and enjoyed the  celebration of Catherine and Charles’ wedding day. I especially want to thank the Father of the Bride for his assistance in providing me with some energetic polka music which added a great deal to the polka dancing section of the evening.

Wishing you the best in your marriage Catherine and Charles. Thank you for letting me be a part of your day and enjoy these photos I took.

This weekend was the weekend in which Hurricane Irene was to have wreaked havoc of historic porportions up and down the East coast. Obviously all eyes were on the weather forecast for today and with a bit of luck, Kristin & Sam were able to dodge the worst of the weather. Remarkably, while it rained for most of the early part of the day, by the time I arrived at the Fontainebleau Inn, the rain had stopped and all that remained was some cloudiness. It was a great relief to everyone.

The Fontainebleau Inn is a historic location and the original property included a beautiful chapel, Lawrence chapel, just a short walk through the woods. It was in the chapel that the wedding ceremony took place.

The caterer for the wedding reception was Word of Mouth. Tina and her staff provided attentive service and great hors d’oeuvres followed by a beaufiully presented and delicious buffet meal. Prior to the meal, Toasts were given by the Best Man, Tony and the Matron of Honor, Julie. The Bride and Groom chose “Only You Can Love Me This Way” by Keith Urban as their first dance. At the end of the meal, Kristin and her Father danced to “In My Daughter’s Eyes” by Martina McBride.

I remember speaking with Kristin a week prior to the wedding day and she explained how her family loves to dance and enjoys all the participation type dances. I was not surprised then to have practically every single guest join into a conga line during the very first song I played to kick of the open dancing.

What was really great was that we got a little ahead of schedule during the meal which extended the open dancing time that enabled this group of dance lovers to really enjoy themselves. It was awesome to see everyone dancing and that continued the entire evening.

It was so obvious to see the love that exists between Kristin and Sam. It was a joyful day and one that I feel so fortunate to have been a part of. This is the kind of wedding that I remember and I give thanks to the Bride’s Mother, Janet and the Bride and Groom, Kristin and Sam, for letting me share in this special day.

I wish you a long and happy marriage Kristin and Sam and hope you enjoy these photos that I took.

Neither earthquakes or hurricanes could deter the wedding of Jessica and Jason. Upstate New York had experienced some of the shudders accompanying the earthquake in Virginia recently and with the impending arrival of Hurricane Irene, I wasn’t sure what to expect… would the winds be howling? Would it be raining? In fact, it was a beautiful day and because of the amount of thin, milky clouds, an amazing sunset appeared which cast such a beautiful pinkish light over the scene.

The wedding ceremony and reception both took place at Miles Wine Cellars on the West side of Seneca Lake, a magnificent location right on the water. How I have not been aware of this beautiful place until now I can’t understand but now that I’ve met the owners, Suzy and Doug, and visited this amazing place, I’ll be back for certain. The owners are in the midst of adding a B&B and café and this will only make a great place to visit even better.

Once the ceremony was completed, guests enjoyed a leisurely cocktail/hors d’oeuvres hour. Catering was provided by Pure Catering and Events; simply outstanding service & quality of food presentation.  Formal Introductions took place which were followed by the Bride and Groom first dance, “My One & Only Love” by Ella Fitzgerald. Between meal courses, Jessica and her Father danced to “Daughter” by Loudon Wainwright III and Jason dance with his Mother to “The Man You Have Become” by Molly Pasutti.

It was a very relaxed evening with gentle breezes, pleasant temperatures, music and dancing enjoyed by close friends and family. Pure Catering and Events provided a level of service that you just don’t experience very often and the photographer Michelle Neumayer covered all the angles and captured beautiful images that will surely be cherished for a lifetime. Kate of Lovewell Celebration Design did a fantastic job coordinating everything. I was fortunate to be able to share this day with Jessica and Jason and wish them well in their new life together.

Here are a few photos I took during the wedding reception. Enjoy!

Amy and Luke had their wedding and reception at Tioga Gardens, in Owego, NY.  This was the first time I had been to Tioga Gardens so I gave myself a lot of extra time to make the drive to ensure I would have some time to familiarize myself with the venue. I was so glad I had extra time because the drive down Route 38, through Dryden, and all the small towns along the way was beautiful with spectacular scenic beauty around every bend in the road.

I arrived at Tioga Gardens and immediately fell in love. Primarily a Florist and Garden Center, it also has gorgeous grounds with meticulously maintained perennial gardens, a separate area to have a wedding ceremony surrounded by lush, exotic water features including an arched bridge & small gazebo and a pavilion. Photo opportunities abound.

After the ceremony, everyone leisurely made their way to the reception area while enjoying the gardens and peaceful bucolic setting that Tioga Gardens offered. Guests enjoyed a nice assortment of hors d’oeuvres during cocktail hour and then a delicious meal provided by Red & White Catering.

For their first dance, Amy and Luke selected a tune by Bunny Wailer, “Dreamland.” Toasts were then given by the Best Man, Michael, the Maid of Honor, Genna and the Bride’s Father, Phil.

Amy and her Father danced to “God Only Knows” by the Beach Boys and then Luke and his Mother danced to “A Song For My Son” by Donna Lee Honeywell. A short time later the wedding cake was cut and the dance floor was opened for dancing.

Highlighting the evening was a Slovak wedding ceremony called the Redovy. In this ceremony, the bridal veil is removed by the Godmother who then gives it to the Mother of the Bride. Following this, the Mother of the Bride places a bridal cap (The Cepec) on the Bride’s head and the Bridal Dance begins (The Redovy.) The Bridal Dance is an opportunity for the guests to dance with the bride and then each guest receives a drink and a small piece of wedding cake. It was wonderful traditional dance that I had not experienced before.

And then there were the Polkas! Wow, did the guests enjoy that as well as the rest of the dance music that was played. All in all, it was a fantastic time for everyone and the bride and groom enjoyed every second of it.

It was great fun to be able to share this day with Amy and Luke. Congratulations to the bride and groom and here are a few more photos that I took during the evening. Enjoy.