It’s been quite a remarkable summer as far as the weather has been concerned. Last year it seemed to rain weekend after weekend. This year it has been beautiful with little rain to wreak havoc on weekend weddings. Today was just a tad drizzly for brief periods but overall it was a fine day and no amount of rain could have dampened the spirits of all who attended the wedding and reception of Tatia and Simon.

The wedding reception took place in Ithaca at the historic Carriage House Café. Originally built in the mid 1800′s as a carriage house, the structure had experienced a devastating fire in the early 1900′s and had fallen into a state of utter disrepair. In the early 2000′s it was carefully restored and is now operating as a restaurant and event facility. The ground floor  is a beautiful café/restaurant and the location for the cocktail hour. Upstairs  is a room affectionately referred to as The Hayloft and it was here that the dinner and dancing took place.

A deliciously prepared buffet meal was enjoyed by all those in attendance. The buffet featured  Salmon with a dill and mustard sauce, roast duck, a portabella mushroom linguini, rice pilaf and string beans. At the conclusion of dinner were a series of speeches by the Maid of Honor, Best Man and the Groom. The bride and groom then cut their wedding cake.

For the first dance,  Simon and Tatia danced to the song “Couldn’t Love You More” by John Martyn.  Open dancing began and the floor was jam-packed all evening. It was a fun group  of guests and they were quite eager to hear a good dose of funk so I accommodated them with James Brown,  Prince, Aretha Franklin as well as Michael Jackson along with a good smattering of newer artists including Lada GaGa and Black Eyed Peas.

Since everyone was enjoying themselves so much the dance time was extended an extra hour and the festivities wound down at midnight.

This was my first time working at The Carriage House Café and it was a wonderful experience. The staff was very professional, the food was fantastic and the space itself is very inviting with it’s “rustic elegance” and charm. James Bass was the photographer-on-duty and this was my first time working with him as well. It’s always a pleasure to meet and work with  new talented professionals.

Congrats to Tatia and Simon. Thanks for having me be a part of your wedding day and enjoy the rest of the photos from your wedding reception…