You only get one chance to capture your perfect day, and for this reason, couples want their wedding photos to be perfect. Many brides spend months, even years, looking at bridal magazines and wedding albums, and when they come to me to photograph their wedding they often have a very specific idea of how they want the photos to look.

When I approached Kailey and Matthew about where they wanted to do their shoot, I expected the usual strong opinions. What happened instead, however, was that they left it up to me. I can’t thank them enough for having faith in me, because the freedom they gave me allowed my vision to come to life and I couldn’t be happier with the results. 

On the big day, Kailey got ready in a quaint townhouse in Elliottville, and Matthew at Holiday Valley. I wanted an elegant yet rustic look for this winter wedding shoot, and so brought the couple to an abandoned parking lot on the way to the venue. “Abandoned parking lot” doesn’t exactly sound like every couple’s dream photoshoot location, but Kailey and Matthew had total faith in me and the natural landscape was a perfect complement to the bridal party’s neutral color scheme.

Kailey and Matthew tied the knot at 4:00 pm in a ceremony at Youdler Lodge at Holiday Valley, where the natural wood beams and red and green accents elegantly tied together their wintery theme. The ceremony was followed by a reception in the same location.

In a testament to this couple’s willingness to try anything, we snuck back out to the parking lot during cocktail hour to squeeze in a few more photos. And really, look how beautiful they are- can you blame them?

I loved everything about this couple and this wedding, and am especially grateful to them for trusting my vision. It can be hard to give up the reins for even a moment on a day you’ve been dreaming about forever, but I promise you, it’s worth it. When you trust your photographer, magical things happen.

A huge congratulations to Kailey and Matthew- hoping you never cease to bring each other warmth and light even in the depths of winter.

XO,

Amanda

Buffalo Wedding photographers // Amanda & Sarah from Seventh Arrow Studio

Dresses ~ MA Carr // Suits ~ JC Penney // Venue ~ Holiday Valley Resort // Video ~ Filmwell Studios // Favors ~ Paula's Donuts // Cake ~ Elm Street Bakery // Florist ~ Maureen's Wholesale