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September 1, 2012

Anniversary Party for McKay’s Photography

About Heather McKay Business General Living Wedding Planning

I really can’t believe I’ve been a wedding photographer for TEN years. Phew, what a ride. This anniversary party and customer appreciation day was so much fun. Wow. Wow. Wow. What a party! I am humbled, honored and so stoked by the amazing love and support in my life. I’m surrounded by the most wonderful friends and clients and even luckier that those lines constantly blur. To say that my big 10th Customer Appreciation Anniversary Party was a success would be an understatement.

reviews and testimonials for top ny wedding photographer in Rochester

Thank you to the hundred or so people who stopped by to help me celebrate! I felt like a Bride looking over the faces from my past, present and future. It was so surreal and I feel truly blessed.

10 Years of Wedding Photography:Heather McKay of McKay's Photography

  • 100+ weddings photographed
  • only 5 divorces (pretty good odds!)
  • 68 couples invited (lost track of a few early ones)
  • 19 couples attended, including my first Bride & Groom + their kids
  • 9 vendors helped throw this bash + a professional clown, sporting my vintage clown outfit
  • A few parents and siblings of Brides showed up, including mine! My zany parents were supposed to be closing on their home in Houston, so it was a complete shock that they flew in for my party. And they did it in style… wearing vintage wedding attire.

vintage wedding gown and tux

Here is video of my reaction to my parent’s surprise arrival….

Pam and George McKay

These photos don’t show how PACKED it was, but here is a smattering (my camera got passed around…). There was also a photo booth and that was FUN. Towards the later part of the evening, people were dressing up in the vintage clothing and it was hilarious.

A very special Thank You to all of the amazing Rochester small businesses that made this night the party I hoped it would be:

Catering by John’s Tex-Mex

Desserts and cake by Premier Pastry

Custom cocktails by Marshall Street Bar & Grill  ||  Beer by Roc Brewing Company

Skatepark coffee blend, Debajo del Puente, by Joe Bean Coffee Roasters

Custom jewelry crafts by JMW Silver  ||  Party location at The Yards

Custom Floral Arrangements by Sassafras Flowers

Vintage Costume Rentals by Kamay Vintage Rentals  ||  Professional Clown, Nicole DeMauro-Allen

And the biggest shoutout…. to my good friend and favorite Rochester wedding professional: Erika and Gallery Salon. She went ABOVE and BEYOND in so many ways, including:

Hair and makeup for myself and my hostess, Kristina, by Gallery Salon

Custom Eyelash Extensions by Emily Hildmann, Gallery Salon

Gel manicure/pedicure by Samantha Velez, Gallery Salon

Serving and photo booth assistance by Gallery Salon girls

photo booth rentals rochester

Maura Harrison Sassafras Florist

Kara & Matt Austin

10th anniversary party photo booth

Jane Wineburg and Mike Mahoney

 

10th anniversary party for McKay's Photography

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This month, I am honored to be the Featured Photographer by my web gallery host and album manufacturer, Digilabs Pro! ~ article written by Stephanie Weber Eco-friendly weddings Heather McKay, a Rochester NY photographer is one of those people that you just don’t ever forget. I had the pleasure of meeting her in person at WPPI when we were doing some usability testing and customer feedback sessions on our new web galleries. Before this I had only “met” her through Facebook but upon meeting her in person I felt as if we had known each other for years. Heather started McKay’s Photography and said it took her, “years and years to finally fall into weddings.” She has been a photographer since she was a child… she use to dress people up in silly costumes just to take their pictures for fun. Over the years she moved into Fine Art photography and swore off weddings. “I wish I realized earlier that there are other people like me that don’t want the traditional wedding photos of the 70′s and 80′s,” said Heather. It wasn’t until a friend of hers was getting married, and seeking wedding photographers that Heather started making the transition. Her friend’s wedding is where it all began! As Heather says “My goal has always been to photograph wedding as a photojournalist and as a friend. To capture the essence of the person, as only a friend would know how.” Now she is happily photographing weddings and meeting some amazing couples. Want to learn more about Heather McKay and McKay’s Photography? View her website, subscribe to her blog, like her on Facebook, add her to your LinkedIn or follow her on Twitter. Don’t forget to view her sample gallery and prepare to get inspired! PS – Bring out that box of tissues – there is a moving story down there… Seriously, get that box out, you are going to need it. Describe your personal style. A mixture of Eddie Bauer and Anthropology. Very functional, with a hint of modern trends. Someone recently described my work as artistically real. I like that. Country Club weddings in rochester ny by McKay's Photography What photographers inspire you? Sebastiao Salgado, Joe Buissink, Gary Isaacs, David Williams, Julia Margaret Cameron. Toronto is churning out some amazing wedding photographers right now. Wedding Photographer Heather McKay What gear or gadgets can you not live without? My Fuji S5 cameras, Aperture and my camera bag. I guess I like the underdogs. I would buy 20 more Fuji S5s if I could. Aperture is the key to my album and print sales. My camera bag, which is actually a high end diaper bag, is the BEST camera bag I’ve ever owned. Name a person, place or thing you cannot live without. Everything is temporary. I guess my health. I’m really active and can’t imagine not being able to move my body. Artisan Works weddings in rochester ny by McKay's Photography How does your studio set itself apart from the multitude of new photographers out there? By trying to invent the next trend, focusing on pure quality of image without gimmicks, quality time with each client and selling wedding albums. I do lose weddings because I don’t provide the digital files with wedding coverage, however I think this is the biggest disservice to my clients and their eventual offspring. Not to mention photographer’s bottom lines. My customers are SO happy when they get their heirloom wedding album. It is one of those things that you don’t know you are missing out on until you go through the process. What is the biggest challenge you have had in your business so far and how did you overcome it? I have had just one nightmare couple. Just one in 9 years! They taught me SO much about what I needed to have in writing and how to be preemptive. I would not be nearly as successful (with super happy couples) had it not been for them. All of my success with albums is due to the chaos these people brought into my life. Now, my couples cry tears of joy when I deliver their final wedding album and they send me thank you notes! I even got a thank you note from a bride’s Grandma this year! It is hard to explain here how important the album process is. For my business and for my couples. If it wasn’t for this couple, I wouldn’t have the backbone I have today with my policies and procedures. You live and learn, right? modern wedding albums created by mckay's photography What is the most successful marketing strategy you have implemented in your business? I was a very early adopter of Facebook and it brought me a lot of business before other photographers caught on. 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