I love first looks. There is something so intimate, so tender, so magical about a bride and groom seeing each other for the first time on their wedding day, quietly and (almost) alone. There is none of the pressure of standing in front of hundreds of friends and family, no particular time-line to get on with (so if the bride has to take a few minutes to bawl her eyes out and then get her makeup fixed, it’s okay!). But mostly there is the opportunity for them to hold their husband/wife-to-be and really soak in the beautiful enormity of what they are embarking on that day. In those moments nothing else exists. No details to finish up, no flowers, no color palettes, no menus, no guests lists, and…dare I say it?…no photographer…which is one of the things that I loved to watch most of all. There is no awareness of being in front of the camera at all. Everything – EVERYTHING – else melts away and it is just them and their love. It is very hard for me not to cry. Which, of course, is why I do. Every time.

When I first met Deb and Gary I was struck by the warmth and intense affection that they had for each other. It was truly wonderful to witness that again in their first look.

Deb and Gary worked closely together to design a wedding day that was so personal and full of details that really expressed them as a couple, from their artistic, quirky personalities to their cultural backgrounds and world views. They wanted their wedding, on a visual level, to reflect a kind of vintage/industrial feel (which they also incorporated into their engagement shoot, in downtown Buffalo), and we wanted to make sure we had plenty of time for portraits that captured that look.

Thing is, there are added practical benefits to first looks as well. Since the bride and groom have already seen each other, it opens up the opportunity to do couple (and even family!) portraits before the ceremony even starts. This is especially a plus for weddings with later ceremonies (which get increasingly tricky as the summer winds down).  Since Deb and Gary’s ceremony and reception were in the same room at Pearl Street Brewery in Buffalo, and they wanted to glide seemlessly between the two, we took advantage of the time and light before the ceremony and rocked out portraits!

The tenderness that these two shared overflowed to their friends and family, whom they brought into every aspect of their day.  I never get enough of watching two people be so incredibly happy!!! It is absolutely one of the best parts of my job.  From their first look to the end of the night both Deb and Gary literally glowed.  I love watching days like that unfold.

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So…yes. Things are CRAZY around here at Tammy Swales Photography. We are right in the thick of the craziest part of summer and (with the help of an unmentionable amount of caffeine) we are LOVING it!!! Myself and the team have been hard at work, but we realized in a rare moment of breathing recently, that we have been surrounded by some fantastic people. Seriously, I have the most fantastic clients!!! I feel so blessed.  And a special shout out to Kristi Hedberg who was a FABULOUS second shooter at both Julianne and Jessica’s weddings!

So…back to work, but first, here’s a snippet of some of that fantastic-ness for you, and a taste of what we’ve been up to lately. August, here we come!!!!  And frankly, how can it be August already?!

Aww, heck…why not two snippets?!?!

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Weddings are, in a big way, about ceremony and tradition, traditions that have been around for a long time and that are shared by so many other couples and families. It makes me SO happy then when I see a couple really set out to take the traditions and rites that are at the foundation of their wedding day and really embrace them, claim them, mold them and make them their own. It’s powerful to watch traditions that are so time honored lived out in genuinely present and personal way. This is what Anat and Josh set out to do in their wedding, and they did it so elegantly, so almost effortlessly it took my breath away.

I could tell from the moment I first met these guys that they knew, they really KNEW who they were as a couple. When they decided they wanted to shoot part of their engagement session in an Olympic-sized pool (Yes! In the water!!) because Josh was a competitive swimmer, I knew their wedding was going to be a beautiful celebration of who they are. 

They share so much tenderness and love.

That tenderness and love made its way to every little detail of their day. Josh and Anat took their traditional Jewish wedding and filled the entire day with gorgeous details and really personal touches. Both their wedding and reception were held at the beautiful Rabbit Room at the Lower Mill in Honeoye Falls, and every last detail from Anat’s dress to the desserts was gentle and sophisticated, natural and warm, and complimented the atmosphere of love and laughter that these two share with their family and friends. Even the centerpieces were a touch from home, as Arena’s Florist worked with Anat’s own personal collection of vintage glass bottles.

But while Anat and Josh’s wedding was a stunning expression of their love and their relationship, the day was not just about them either. They were surrounded by a very warm and loving crowd of friends and family, and you could tell that their wedding was also a beautiful celebration of the people in their lives who are so close and dear to them.

There was so much warmth and affection that radiated from these families, and myself and Brandon Vick, who I had the pleasure of having as a second shooter, were touched. Thank you, Anat and Josh, for making me a part of your beautiful day!

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Everyone likes to open presents. I love to see the delight and wonder in people’s eyes as they wrestle with ribbons and pull off paper and ooooo and awwwww over what’s inside. And……I know my brides are going to be opening their fair share of gifts. The martini glasses and quesadilla makers, blenders and Le Creusets.  There is so much wonder and excitement when couples first see their wedding images, when they can first relive their incredible day without all the hustle and bustle and nerves of the wedding day.  So we thought, why not couple the wonder of opening an amazing gift with the wonder of receiving and seeing your wedding images??!!! Totally makes sense, right?! Right. So…a fabulous new husband and wife just received another wedding gift…

Wait. What? You mean you don’t know what this is?! ‘Cause you got to open it, Silly!

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  You still don’t know what it is? Let’s open it a little more!

Aaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!!!!!! And along with images and other sundry necessities, there are also a few little surprises. No. I’m not telling you what they are. You’ll just have to wait to find out. ::wink wink::

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