When Emily and Brandon said that they wanted their wedding to be forest/winter-themed, they didn’t know what they were getting themselves into!

I checked Ithaca’s weather early in the week, saw that they would have 5-9 inches coming down on their big day and sent Emily a text: You’re getting your winter wedding tomorrow!

She responded: I know! It’s going to be snowing for photos!

You can tell by the gallery that we were both right.

As a Wedding photographer, a lot of the work I do involves prep time before the actual day. Since I was traveling for this wedding (I’m based in Albany, New York), I rented out an Airbnb, made sure I got plenty of sleep, drank tons of water, had a relaxing morning, and wrote down ways that I could best serve Emily + Brandon that day.

Through that time of journaling, I remembered that Emily + Brandon’s wedding was not about me. It was about them, their love for each other, and celebrating with their closest people. The best thing I could do to serve them was to be a calming voice in the midst of a lot of hectic activity, manage the timeline the best I could while also leaving room for them to just “be” and enjoy the moment.

We had planned to go to Cornell for a first look and then take some couples photos at Ithaca Falls. After driving around to the locations before getting ready, I asked them if they were ok with doing the first look at the church and taking photos at Ithaca Falls after. They were totally fine with it and it definitely made for a less stressful wedding!

Emily + Brandon were such troopers. We took a few photos inside and outside, and they braved the cold to get some natural light in their photos. They kept their bridal party small, only their best friends, and it made for a very relaxed and joyful day!

Although I didn’t take any pictures at the reception, I absolutely LOVED the ceremony and spending time with them on their special day. They had found me when they were guests at a wedding I shot last year, and I’m SO glad and honored that they decided to choose me to document their day. Enjoy these photos. 🙂

Also, if you ever need an Airbnb in Ithaca, New York, check out this place: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/53442192? I stayed with them throughout the weekend and they were absolutely amazing to work with. They asked me when I needed to head out for the wedding and made sure that the snow from the driveway had been cleared in time, and were so thoughtful.