BUFFALO WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY|MR. AND MRS. LEWANDOWSKI

Tonanwanda Castle is one of my most favorite wedding venues! Before Amber and Dave had said their "I do's", it had been a couple of years since I had visited this site. In those short years, the gorgeous old aromory had been renovated and made even more beautiful than ever before! 

July 10th, 2016 brought us stunning light streaming through these old windows. The weather was perfect and the bridal party was excitedly getting ready for what was to come :) Amber and Dave opted to have their entire affair at the castle for the ease of their guests. Because they had a smaller guest list, using the chapel located in the armory was a perfect fit for them.

Because the reception was to immediately follow the ceremony, Dave and Amber decided to have a "first look"! I love when couples build these into their wedding day plans. A first look gives modern couples a way to have everything they dreamed for their wedding without having to sacrifice hours in between the ceremony and reception for portraits. After the couple have gotten ready for their big day, a meeting place is set to see each other for the first time before guests arrive at the ceremony. This meeting allows time for the couple to spend with each other before the craziness of the day starts. Many couples today have been together for years before planning their wedding. Relationships are very different from those of even 20 years ago and the wedding planning process is often split evenly between the two. After all the hard work and decisions, your partner deserves to be the first one to see you before your guests do. The first look takes away the aisle jitters and allows extra time for portraits so that all you have to do is enjoy the party you have been planning all this time!

Dave and Amber's ceremony was so sweet. A violinist played as the attendants made their way down the aisle. A family friend officiated, and a beloved aunt read a beautiful passage. Light poured into the chapel through the old curved windows and made for a stunning backdrop.

At the reception, speeches were given by the best man and maid of honnor. Both brought laughter and tears to this very happy day. Dinner was served buffet style and I cannot speak highly enough about Tonawanda Castle's food service! The chef is very skilled at making the dishes taste homemade. 

After dinner, it was time for dances. Amber and Dave started their first dance and ended the song with the entire wedding party out on the floor! Amber's father is a band leader and they danced to a song he wrote and recorded for his little girl when she was 8 years old and invited all of the other fathers and daughter out on the floor with them. Not to be outdone, Dave and his mom coreographed their first dance to Lunchmoney Lewis - Momma. Yes, it was as awesome as it sounds :) 

As the end of the night rolled around, Amber and her besties wanted a few fun cigar pictures with Dad and his car. I was more than happy to grab these for them! 

Dave and Amber, your day was a blast! Your friends and family were so fun to be around. If your wedding is any indication of your future together, I have no doubt in my mind that you will have a happy and incredible marriage. Congratulations you two!!