What the hecko just happened?? This wedding at the Canandaigua Inn on the Lake was my last wedding to photograph this year and holey moley, what a way to end the 2014 season! From start to finish, this wedding day was a whirlwind of awesome sauce!
By the end of the night, we were joking that it was just “puppies and rainbows and then a unicorn showed up!”
There are very few times when everything completely clicks into place and there is not one annoying or unfortunate thing to happen on a wedding day. Both from the couple’s standpoint and from mine. As a long time wedding photographer, I’ve seen and done it all and can tell you that there is always something that is not ideal.
Most of the time, it is bad lighting due to the harsh summer mid-day sun or someone forgets the rings or a parent forgets that this day is not all about them…. with SO many moving parts, I always come home exhausted and stay up all night thinking “oh, shoot, I should have done that this way” or “dang, why couldn’t the groomsmen just behave for 5 minutes” or “if I’d known they were going to stand there for the ceremony, I would have moved them over 3 feet”.… whether my clients ever know it or not, there is always something I would have done differently. Part of this just comes from being a perfectionist and also knowing what else they could have had. All wedding photographers would agree, even if they won’t admit it.
So, I have to say that this was the first time I’ve gone to bed and said: “yep, we nailed it!”
Mostly, because this crazy, hair-brained idea happened (and worked!):
My luck began with Martha’s mom and sisters having a dance party while getting ready:
Then I saw Martha’s awesome camouflage leggings (I KNEW there would be some hint of hunting at this classy country wedding!):
Then to the intimate moment that I was tasked to capture: Jimmy receiving his recently passed Grandfather’s handkerchief {the puppies}….
To amazing clouds and lighting all day long that was very easy to balance with a little flash (and made everything look like a destination wedding!)…
We had just enough cloud cover and sun to play with and get interesting in-camera shots like this {the rainbow}…
Normally, I HATE getting this type of wedding photo below because it is total mayhem, takes TOO long and no one is ever looking at the camera + the lighting is always terrible.
BUT WE NAILED IT! Everyone below gets a gold star! (here is a tip, for those of you who try this again… you have to use room 203 or 205 at the Canandaigua Inn on the Lake!).
Afterwards, we celebrated with the Moms taking a shot out of the flask… right in front of me…
And the icing on the cake…. the ONE thing that I really really really wanted to do…. get into Martha’s great-grandfather’s handmade antique wooden boat (that her Dad restored!) and take a sunset cruise around Canandaigua Lake for their Bride and Groom formal portraits. YES!
You see, when I heard about the history of the boat, I came up with the idea of using it as a getaway car. and these sorts of ideas come to me all the time and never ever actually happen, for one reason or another.
When I showed up on Saturday, Jimmy assured me that the boat was way too low in the water and Martha and I would not be able to get into it. I told him we were doing it anyway (and actually thinking, “UGH, just once could my cool ideas pan out???!!!). I went to see Martha, told her about the boat issue and she said, as emphatically as I did: “We are getting into that boat!” {I love this chick!!}
It all paid off and we thank Butch for being our amazing boat Captain!
Just as I had hoped, my assistant brought the Bridal Party over to the boathouses just as we pulled up! BEST BRIDAL PARTY PHOTO EVER…
This was my view from the front of the boat. So great. {ps- it was not classy or flattering trying to get into/out of this spot}…
So, then, to top it all off, we got photo bombed by a hot air balloon {the unicorn} while doing the girls’ pictures…
And the next thing you know….. IT IS RIGHT THERE NEXT TO US!!!! What???
So, there are always trendy bridal party photos with them running or jumping in the air and I loathe those pictures. Mostly because I’m thinking: “why are they jumping???” So, here we have a bridal party running for real!! HA! Chasing the balloon down the pier!
Then we get back to the serious task of taking the formal Bridal Party photos and I said “we have an amazing sunset forming, cue the birds!” and the birds came and POOPED on Megan!!!
But a little bird poop didn’t ruin anyone’s day (and luckily I always keep alcohol wipes and tissues in my bag)… minutes later, she is laughing and enjoying the day again.
More great sunset light, especially since we mis-calculated and ended up with an extra hour of photo time (another thing that NEVER EVER happens!)…
A SPECIAL thank you to my assistant, Alan, for helping me wrangle families all day long, pose them and carry most of my gear so I could travel light in the boat!
Thank you all for such a wonderful day and congratulations to the happy couple!
Top Finger Lakes Wedding Vendors:
photography by Heather McKay // second photographer: Alan Presutti // ceremony & reception: Canandaigua Inn on the Lake // DJ: Finger Lakes Entertainment // flowers: Chase’s Greenhouse // Cake: Sweets by Marie // Suits: The Men’s Warehouse // gown: The Wedding Dress // officiants: the Mayor of Canandaigua and the Mayor of Honeoye Falls
Heather, thank you SO MUCH!! You were such a great addition to the party, and these are amazing! Can’t wait for the album! Ps thanks for the shot of the shot…I’m so classy…not. MOTB!
Ha! Ann, you were awesome. Between the dance party in the room and you doing shots, you win Most Fun MOB award!