VIEW FROM ACROSS THE ROOM

Here is an image from Christina and Nick's wedding at the Avanti Mansion!

This is not the normal view you would see of the ballroom. Neal had Christina and Nick stand at the top of the staircase and had them an intimate moment. Their reception dance party was at the bottom of the stairs. Neal told them to hold each other in their arms and reflect on the day. Neal shot this from the opposite end of the room standing on a chair. They did a great job posing as well, since Neal was not able to yell directions across the room. They nailed it on the first few shots.

Even after Neal was finished with the shot, Christina and Nick stayed at the top of the stairs and started dancing. Their guests took notice and began to cheer them on and took photos themselves. I think they actually stayed up there dancing for a few songs! Once they had their moment we moved on to other areas for some intimate photos that turned out beautiful as well.

Photographing weddings at the same venues frequently will always be a challenge. We need to make sure that each wedding is different and we aren't repeating the same shots. That can mean shooting from different angles, or using different lighting. In this case, I think Neal found a great new perspective!

-Danielle

Buffalo Wedding Photography: Neal Urban Studio

Buffalo Wedding Ceremony and Reception: Avanti Mansion

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

I know this may seem a little different, but I really liked this image. It is Rose and Ramin at the Delaware Mansion.

This was right after they had their first look. We did some portraits inside before heading to Canalside with the wedding party. Delaware Mansion has amazing old wooden sliding doors. I grew up in a house that had doors similar to this (much smaller haha) and I feel they will never go out of style. You do not see them often, so we wanted to use them for photos.

Do you get the feeling that Neal is sneaking in on them? If so, that's sort of the idea. I was behind the doors with Rose and Ramin telling them when to look at each other or maybe have a kiss. Neal was shooting from outside the doors. I love how he decided to only keep the doors open a tiny bit. You can still see how happy and giddy Rose and Ramin are. They are in their own world and having a wonderful moment alone. (well almost alone)

-Danielle

Buffalo Wedding Photography: Neal Urban Studio

Buffalo Wedding Ceremony and Reception: Delaware Mansion

Buffalo Wedding Photo Location: Delaware Mansion, Canalside

Buffalo Wedding DJ: Whirlin Disc Sound

THE AFTERMATH OF SPARKLERS!

If you logged into yesterdays blog, you saw the group image of Ashley and Dan's guests with sparklers. After they cleared out, this was the aftermath!

There were so many sparklers, that it created tons of smoke. It looked really cool. To add to fun, a few family members stayed behind and lit a few more for fun. We had them hold off a few seconds so we could get some of our lighting ready. Once everything was in place, they lit up a few more. Then they started running around everywhere spreading the smoke.

It was great! They helped to create this smoky, but beautiful image of Ashley and Dan. The smoke paired with the color of the sky was amazing! 

-Danielle

Buffalo Wedding Photography: Neal Urban Studio

Buffalo Wedding Video: Bella Star Productions

Buffalo Wedding Ceremony: Queen of Heaven

Buffalo Wedding Photo Location: Shea's Performing Arts Center, Private Residence

Buffalo Wedding Reception: Private Residence

SPARKLER FUN!

Time to get all the guests involved for some sparkler fun!

This was towards the end of the night at Ashley and Dan's wedding! Their reception was at a private residence with a lot of open, dark space. It was perfect for sparklers. Dan helped gather everyone up and gave them all the instructions. "Listen to Neal!" Their guests were very cooperative too! They did an amazing job getting all the sparklers lit in a record time.

We had Ashley and Dan right up front. Their friends and family were yelling and cheering them on with congratulations. We had a hard time communicating with them, so we just let them be in the moment. We took a series of shots and they looked different in almost every photo. I liked the way Dan was looking toward the camera and Ashley is just enjoying the fun surrounding her.

The smoke looked awesome around them and helped to create this amazing image! Come back tomorrow and you'll see what we created right after this, it's beautiful!

-Danielle 

Buffalo Wedding Photography: Neal Urban Studio

Buffalo Wedding Video: Bella Star Productions

Buffalo Wedding Ceremony: Queen of Heaven

Buffalo Wedding Photo Location: Shea's Performing Arts, Private Residence

Buffalo Wedding Reception: Private Residence

A moment of reflection

We were so happy to walk into Amanda's room at Hotel at the Lafayette and see they had two full length mirrors in the room.

The ladies decided the guys really did not need theirs that much and they had it brought down the hall to their room. Great idea! Once I saw these, I knew Neal was going to use both for a shot. I love this and think it is so beautiful. Amanda looked stunning, so why not have two more of her! 

The rooms at Hotel at the Lafayette have great windows that light pours in. We tested the placement of the mirrors while Amanda was doing a few touch ups. So, when we brought her in, it was all ready to go. We did a few different poses with this set up as well. This was my favorite, with her fabulous feather bouquet. (Really cute idea instead of flowers)

This is a beautiful image of Amanda before her ceremony. It is just timeless!

-Danielle

Buffalo Wedding Photography: Neal Urban Studio

Buffalo Wedding Ceremony, Photo Session, Reception: Hotel at the Lafayette

Buffalo Wedding Band: The Boys of Summer

"Love you 'till the end"

Let's take a look at an amazing image from Kelsey and Jarrett's wedding!

To be honest, when we set this shot up, I wasn't really sure where Neal was going with it. So, I quickly glanced over it while starting their basic edits. Neal asked me a few times, "Bring up the image with Jarrett holding the umbrella." I kept pushing it off and selecting different photos. Finally, I sat back and really looked at it and noticed how beautiful it really was and what Neal could do with it. I knew it would tell a story when it was finished.

He turned it into one of his fine art edits, which took this image to a different level. Kelsey is patiently waiting for Jarrett to come up the stairs to cover her. Her pose is beautiful and almost shy. Jarrett is slowly in motion going toward Kelsey to give her the protection she needs. We needed some extra light on Kelsey, as it was getting pretty dark out quickly. This is also a little different view of Albright Knox Art Gallery and Delaware Park. We didn't want the museum to be the focal point either. Neal used the lines of the building to lead your eyes to the Bride & Groom.

I guess I shouldn't second guess some images anymore when Neal asks for them!

-Danielle

Neal here! Okay, sometimes you really have to read into some of my images, some more than others! I was building off our "The Singing Brothers" (mid-left photo from above) and the "Dance with me my loves" photo (mid-bottom photo from above). When I'm not shooting I do a lot of studying of photos & paintings I come across in life. Whenever I pass by an image that inspires me I take a photo of it with my phone and keep them as inspiration. I do this a lot when we're shopping at Antique shops for studio props. If a painting is of a landscape and the colors are beautiful, I will take a photo of it to keep the color palette in mind for future edits. This photo has a color palette that was inspired by a vintage photo of a cityscape on a rainy night from the 1970's.

I'm thankful for couples who choose to do an engagement session & follow us on social media. This gives us an opportunity to get to know our clients better. If you know this couple personally then you'll understand the true meaning behind this image :-)

-Neal

Buffalo Wedding Photography: Neal Urban Studio

Buffalo Wedding Video: Nigh Video Productions

Buffalo Wedding Ceremony: Salvatore's Garden Place Hotel

Buffalo Wedding Photo Location: Delaware Park

Buffalo Wedding Reception: Salvatore's Italian Gardens

Buffalo Wedding DJ: Moving Music

NIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY AT THE DELAWARE MANSION

Time for a night image from Rose and Ramin's wedding at the Delaware Mansion!

I love the Mansion all lit up at night. This was on the side courtyard. I really like how the lamp lights up the whole area. We did need to add a little extra light to the scene where Neal will explain below.

It was a chilly night in December, so we didn't want to keep Rose and Ramin outside too long. They got nice and close and looked at each other. It has such a magical feel to it. I love it!

-Danielle

Neal here, this was a fun shot to light. This was a three light set up. I placed a light directly behind the couple for some backlight, then a kicker light that was low to the right behind the plant which helped separate the groom from the background. Danielle lit the couple from the front right side for the main light and the ambient light from the lamp post was used as some fill. The image screamed black and white as soon as I saw it especially with the architecture from the building that gives it a timeless look. 

Buffalo Wedding Photography: Neal Urban Studio

Buffalo Photo Session: Canalside Buffalo 

Buffalo Wedding Ceremony and Reception: Delaware Mansion

Buffalo Wedding DJ: Whirln Disc Sound

ALBRIGHT KNOX ART GALLERY WITH THE BRIDE AND GROOM

Kelsey and Jarrett recently got married and we went to Delaware Park and Albright Knox Art Gallery for their photos. This was the last photo before we headed back to Salvatore's Italian Garden's for the reception.

It was a chilly day for Kelsey and Jarrett's wedding, so we were moving pretty fast. Instead of taking the photo straight on with the Art Gallery in the back, we changed it up. Kelsey and Jarrett got really close and glanced at one another. I love the soft glow of light that is on them. That is from the street lamps that line the walkway. And I love how the gallery is more off to the side. 

This image almost looks like it was taken at the end of the night. It was about 4:30 in the evening. Thank goodness the days are already getting longer now! But it was a great way to end their photo session before the party!

-Danielle

Buffalo Wedding Photography: Neal Urban Studio

Buffalo Wedding Video: Nigh Video Productions

Buffalo Wedding Ceremony: Salvatore's Garden Place Hotel

Buffalo Wedding Photo Location: Delaware Park and Albright Knox Art Gallery

Buffalo Wedding Reception: Salvatore's Italian Garden's

Buffalo Wedding DJ: Moving Music

LAST DANCE

Ashley and Dan are back!

This is from the last shot of the night. With about an hour left of their reception, Ashley and Dan's party turned into a rave! There was smoke, strobe lights, and glow sticks. It was so cool. All we did was ask them to dance a bit closer to us to have their party in the background. And their friends and family sure could party. Just as they kissed, one of the strobe lights flashed right at them like a ray of light. It looked awesome.

It was the perfect way to end the night! 

-Danielle

Buffalo Wedding Photography: Neal Urban Studio

Buffalo Wedding Ceremony: Queen of Heaven Parish

Buffalo Wedding Photo Location: Shea's Performing Arts Center

Buffalo Wedding Reception: Private Residence

Buffalo Wedding Videography: Bella Star Productions

Park at Night

Erica and Steve had a very cold day for their wedding. However, they both toughed it out for photos outside of Park Country Club.

The reception followed directly after the ceremony. We only had about 20 minutes to get the wedding party photos and bride and groom portraits. Luckily, Park Country Club is so beautiful outside at night, that we didn't need to go far. Erica and Steve stayed nice and close to each other to keep warm. They had some wonderful moments between each other. They began to kiss and Erica slowly turned her head to get a nice kiss on the cheek. It was almost as if she knew we were go to ask them to do that. Then she closed her eyes! That was a wrap. Time to go inside and get warm!

-Danielle

Buffalo Wedding Photography: Neal Urban Studio

Buffalo Wedding Ceremony, Photo Location, Reception: Park Country Club