Kelli got married on January 16, 2010 at the Westminster Chapel in Mendon and had her reception at Bristol Harbour in Canandaigua.

What was your favorite part of the day?
Opening my eyes in my hotel room and FINALLY being able to say “I’m getting married today!!”

Looking back do you feel you made the right choices in choosing the venue, the details, the type of ceremony?
I think the ceremony went perfect.  The bridal party did a great job! I do feel like I made the best choice as far as the venue.  We wanted a non-denominational ceremony, so being able to find a chapel that could accommodate that was really important to us.  The readings were beautiful.  We had several compliments on our selections. We hired a string quartet for the ceremony and they were great!

Did everything go as planned?
I made sure to follow-up with all my vendors and the Wedding Coordinator at Bristol Harbour several times before the big day to ensure everyone was on the same page and there were no surprises.

What was your vision? Did you have a theme, a concept, colors that you used?
Given the look and feel of Bristol Harbour I decided to go with a Rustic Elegance theme.  It was fun to incorporate winter with a rustic feel.  We used a lot of browns, ivory, dark greens and red.  There were pinecones of all sizes, curly willow, birch bark and moss.  Small votive candles hung off the curly willow centerpieces to give the tables a soft warm glow.  There were tealight lanterns hung from the ceiling above the dance floor to give the feeling of dancing under the stars.  There were amber uplights throughout the room that shined onto the walls, adding to the soft romantic feel.  The decor’ and ambiance of the room complimented each other perfectly.

Did you have any surprises for your guests?
We did have a firework display that no one knew about.  It ran about 15 minutes long and it was a great show!

How did you make your reception fabulous and memorable?
We had a photobooth for the entire duration of the reception.  I don’t think the booth was EVER empty.  There were props for the guests to use and it really allowed them to be creative and funny.  I have the scrapbook now that the company put together for us as well as a CD slideshow and I am very happy with it! We also had a cozy sitting area in front of the fireplace with furniture we rented.  On the coffee table we had an album showing pictures of Eric and I throughout our relationship.  We also hired Nik and the Nice Guys to play through our entire cocktail hour and reception.  This was nice not only for the people on the dance floor, but many guests remained at their table to watch the band perform.  I do wish Nik and the Nice Guys were a bit more personable.

Can you say something small about how you chose your vendors, and what your impression of them is now that it’s all done? Florist, caterer, band, etc?
I chose my vendors through other vendors and word of mouth! It actually started with Rochester wedding photographer Kristina at Photokisses.  Both my sisters recommended her at different times, so I reached out to her and from the first meeting I knew Kristina was perfect for what I wanted.  We clicked right away! She knew my vision and I really felt like she was excited to work with us.  That is very important to me as far as vendors go.  I want to work with someone who is excited to work and doesn’t look at it as “just another wedding.” My florist, Bouquets by Bonnie was wonderful! She was recommended by a couple different vendors.  She had great ideas and was excited to work with me.  Deb who was the videographer at SEVideo was great to work with also.  The bakery [Vanilla Swirl] where I got my Wedding cake was AMAZING! She did a beautiful job decorating the cake to look just like the picture I sent her.  It was a 4 tier cake to look like tree stumps with our initials sketched on the front.  There were chocolate pinecones, acorns and leaves that were all edible.  The only complaint was the cake was leaning.  Kristina did a great job capturing Eric and myself leaning with the cake! hehe I also hired Kelli Berg with Simply Beautiful Weddings to give her wonderful ideas and thoughts on all our decor.  She provided all linens, lights, pinecones, and other decorative items and did a wonderful job setting everything up just the way I had envisioned it.  The nice thing about all my vendors was that they have all worked together in the past, so it really makes for a smooth ceremony/reception.  I wouldn’t have changed a thing with any of them.  Well, no I take that back! I do wish I had Kristina and Deb from SEVideo stay until the end of the reception.

What advice would you give to newly engaged ladies just starting to plan their wedding?
Take your time and make the wedding your own.  Really get a sense of your vision and don’t commit to anything right away.  Make sure to go to a Bridal Show and make sure to grab all the coupons from all the vendors.  You can save a decent amount of money by doing this.  Really focus on your photographer and definitly have a videographer.  These were my most important as they are the ones who will allow you to relive your memories through their work.  Try not to get stressed out.  This is an exciting time for you and your Fiance.

What advice would you give to the couple on their wedding day? Or, what advice do you wish you had been given for yours?
My husband and I really took the time to stop and look around.  We managed to sneak into the reception room just before all the guests came in.  It was a special moment to be able to share it together alone. Don’t sweat the small stuff.  So what if the bows on the chair aren’t tied the way you thought, or that your Wedding cake is leaning…. laugh about it instead! Finally, just have fun enjoying what hard work you have both put in for your special day!

The dress had sleeves, which I don’t think added much warmth.

The flowergirl getting her hair done

Yours truly photographing Kelli’s earrings on Andrea’s (from SE Video) black pocket. Hey, you gotta be creative! (Earring picture in the slideshow below) Thanks to my assistant Amanda for getting this shot

Amanda also captured this great shot of Kelli putting her earrings in.

The ceremony was held at the Westminster Chapel in Mendon. While the boys were getting their boutonnieres pinned on, Kelli changed from her travel boots into her wedding shoes, got her veil on, and took a few deep breaths.

Because of the cold weather, we did most of the family formals at the Chapel. But we did get to photograph outside at Bristol Harbor, too.

Hey, where did all the snow go?

Amanda is so sneaky! Here’s another candid shot of me and Deb from SE Video workin’ it out with Kelli. Isn’t the view at Bristol Harbor simply gorgeous?!

Kelli and Eric’s reception hall looked nothing short of spectacular!

They hired a photobooth service, and folks were lining up for it before dinner had even started. I am so excited to offer this service myself this season – it will be a blast!

Toasts

Photobooth sillies

The cake didn’t fare so well… but we made the best of it and had some fun.

The dance floor looked beautiful with tea candles hanging from the ceiling and soft yellow lights illuminating the walls. Cozy and romantic!

I photographed the couple’s rings on some pine cones.

Eric getting funky with it

Eric and Kelli had a huge surprise for their guests  – at 9pm everyone was treated to a gorgeous fireworks show just outside the reception hall.

Want more photos? Enjoy the slideshow below ( individual images to all you RSS readers) Want even more? The online proof gallery is available to all who attended the wedding.

I took this image with my cell phone immediately upon receiving the printed copy of the magazine, so the quality isn’t the greatest.

Later I received a PDF version of the page in which my image appeared. Yay for photo credit!

Kelly (the bride) always wanted to be in a magazine – well, your wish has been granted Kelly!

I started the day by photographing the bride getting ready.  Here she is getting laced into her dress.

In the mean time, my fabulous assistant Michael Hanlon was hovering around the guys at Casa Larga while they were getting ready. He caught David helping with his dad’s tie as mom and dad watched.

The ceremony was cute, funny, and emotional.

The happy newlyweds

For the second time this year I get to photograph police officers! Both Kelly and David are Moroe County Sheriffs!

Kelly had pink handcuffs and wasn’t afraid to use them!

Sweeeeet… (more in the slideshow gallery below)

Thanks to Google Images, this photograph was discovered by the Hampton Roads Bride magazine shortly after I posted the teaser in September, and I got PUBLISHED in January. I’ll show it in my next blog entry.

Steve Otto did a great job introducing the bridal party at the reception! Everyone was cracking up.

Can you guess the wedding theme for these Harley-loving newlyweds?

Cutting the cake… er… cupcakes.

And of course, the ring shot. There’s always a ring shot! Actually, this time you get two – the other one is in the slideshow gallery below.

And now for the gallery (which will show up as individual images in your RSS reader):

Rochester, NY – January 19, 2010 – WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, just announced that PhotoKisses has been selected to receive the 2010 Bride’s Choice Awards™ for wedding photography!

The annual Bride’s Choice Awards™ recognizes and celebrates excellence in quality and service within the wedding industry, as determined by recent reviews and extensive surveys from over 500,000 newlyweds.

PhotoKisses is among the top five percent of all vendors in the WeddingWire community, which includes over 100,000 wedding professionals across the US and Canada. Awards were given to winners across 19 different service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers.

“We are excited to recognize and honor the success of the top wedding professionals within the WeddingWire Community” said Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “The annual Bride’s Choice Awards™ program has given us the unique opportunity to highlight the best wedding professionals in each region as reviewed by brides and grooms who have utilized their services in the past year.”

I am happy to announce that  PhotoKisses is among the very best wedding photographers within the WeddingWire Network, which includes WeddingWire and Martha Stewart Weddings. I would like to thank my past newlyweds for nominating me for the 2010 Bride’s Choice Awards™.

For more information, please visit my WeddingWire Storefront today.

Favors are one of my absolute favorite parts of the wedding planning process! In one simple gesture you can add a personalized lasting impression of your big day. So what to choose? The sky is the limit, but to help you out, here are my picks for fabulous favors of 2010.

Who doesn’t like candy?? A candy buffet is a fun way to incorporate your wedding colors and your favorite candies into one interactive station. I’m planning a beach wedding this July and the couple plans on incorporating a variety of their favorite blue and green candies (M and Ms, gummy bears, salt water taffy, etc.) along with red twizzlers because they’re the bride’s favorite (and it is her day after all!). Wondering where to get the best deal on bulk candy? Check out your local BJs or my favorite online candy super store where you can sort the candy by color: Candy Warehouse. Hunt through the Christmas Tree Shops or Pottery Barn in January for glass canisters to showcase the treats. Use cellophane bags or personalized favor bags or boxes for guests to stow their goodies in. Oh, and the candy bar always creates a fun place for professional photographers to get those snazzy and creative ring shots!

Planning a Green wedding? Consider a variety of eco-friendly favors from plantamemory.com. At $1.99 per favor, these eco-pot favors that include a card, a biodegradable pot , a packet of tree seed, and a soil pellet, are a steal!

Or you could go completely DIY and simply buy packets of your favorite seeds and present them in homemade envelopes. Check out some directions on how to do this by a savvy bride here.

Perhaps you’d rather the money spent on favors goes towards a good cause. In this case, consider a charitable favor. You can choose just one favor for the two of you, or each of you could pick a favor close to your heart and give to two different charities. One neat way to present the charitable favor in a total DIY fashion is brought to us courtesy of Style Me Pretty. I would tweak this slightly by replacing the guest name on the front with your monogram or your names and the date of your wedding; this way you don’t have to worry about seating cards at the tables. I love the idea of incorporating the charity pins to the donation card.

Edible favors really hit home with couples, especially since the memories of many first dates are made that much sweeter with a signature treat. My favorite unique favors include whoopie pies, smore kits, sentimental cookies, and maple candies. On the last idea, I admit I’m biased. I grew up in Vermont and my husband was born in Montreal, so they were the favors at our wedding!

Are you a pragmatist at heart? Practical, yet sweet and still innovative, useful favors are always a hit with guests. My favorites for 2010 include personalized ice cream scoops and wine stoppers. One fun way to present the wine stoppers is to purchase 3-4 varieties to add depth to the tablescapes.

Last but not least, I’m getting more and more emails from clients interested in a Photo Booth. This is a fun and interactive way to give your guests something personal to take home and to give yourself the gift of a photo scrap book from your wedding you’ll cherish forever. The way it works is that guests can take pictures in the photo booth, keep a copy for themselves and include the other copy in a photo guestbook along with good wishes for the bride and groom. For the price of the photo booth rental, you cover added entertainment for your guests, favors, and the guest book all in one. It’s a win-win-win situation! (PhotoKisses will soon start offering the Photo Booth service for the 2010 season!)

Also, this is the first time I am using the newly updated Prophoto blog theme, so please forgive any dust that may have settled during construction. Those of you on RSS may need to click through to my actual website to view the following slideshow. I’d love to get some feedback in regards to slideshows vs. posting individual images, so please leave a comment!

Oh, and I’ve added Facebook compatibility! How geeky is this!  (PLEASE let me know if it works! Go comment!) *Edited: took off the Facebook comment script, it doesn’t seem to be working right*

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