Weddings-Engagements

New Blog coming soon!

I have so much to share from this season! Stay tuned for my new blog.

Cary and Karen in New York City

Last weekend I had a very memorable (they always are, lol) trip to New York City. Part of the weekend I spent with Cary and Karen whose wedding I will be photographing in October. It was great to meet them before the wedding and to play in New York. It was a little chilly but we had fun regardless. Thanks Cary and Karen!

One of the reasons I have fun shooting in big cities... the crowds. I love this guy on the phone with Cary and Karen in the background. You can't pose this stuff.

We took the ferry to Dumbo for this shot with the Manhattan skyline as the backdrop.

On the ferry.

Does this look familiar?

Not bad, right?

I think the banana peel on the right makes this shot for me...

Hell,yes- I'll see you guys October 4!

I love getting mail...

Ever since I was a little kid I have loved getting the mail. I order so much stuff through the mail these days that I am keeping the tradition alive. Today I received a nice surprise from Cary and Karen whose wedding I'm shooting in Vermont in October. Thanks guys, this is the coolest Save the Date I have ever seen- hands down.

It arrived in a poster tube!

Love it.... Can't wait for the wedding!!

It's nice to come home to notes like this...

More Egypt soon... I just wanted to post this note from my 6.9.07 bride Nicole that made my day when I returned from Egypt:

Hi Karin,

We were so pleased to return home from our honeymoon to find our wedding album waiting for us! It truly captures the day and brings back all the wonderful memories. We’re so glad we found you and are thankful for all the photos you took that really captured the mood of the day. People who couldn’t attend now feel like they were there just by looking at the pictures. You’re great at what you do, from an artistic and professional standpoint.

Thanks very much,
Nicole & Ben

Tue - January 22, 2008

Stay tuned for photos from Selena and Eric's Puerto Rico wedding!

In the next few days I'll post some more photos from Eric and Selena's wedding last weekend in Puerto Rico! It was a great trip! Below is a photo from the rehearsal the night before the wedding.

Posted at 05:25 PM

Tue - January 8, 2008

Thanks Kristen and Ryan!

I have so much to blog! I had the most incredible New Years of my life and two days later I was in Florida for the Digital Wedding Forum convention in Tampa. I'm back in Rochester now, briefly, before I head down to Puerto Rico for Selena and Eric's wedding! I received this great thank you e-mail from Kristen (I shot her wedding in Jamaica back in November) when I returned home last night and wanted to share it. It means the world to me to get notes like this!

"I just wanted to let you know that Ryan and I love, love, love our pictures! I was intrigued by photojournalism because of how it truly captures the emotion of the day, and your work does exactly that and beyond. It was a really overwhelming day that went by so quickly. I love that we can look at our pictures and not only remember the day and all of the events but also remember how we and our guests felt. You captured Ryan in his most nervous moments before the ceremony, my excitement to marry the man of my dreams, our friends and family offering moving toasts, and of course my brother-in-law getting the party started on the dance floor (all of our guests took pictures of him but yours captured some of the most ridiculous moments).

One of the most important traits for a destination wedding bride is flexibility since there is so much uncertainty…flying to a new country, having unexpected weather, delayed flights, etc. It was great to work with you because of your flexibility, laid back nature and complete professionalism.

Finally, I want to thank you for being so prompt. We were able to see some of our picture on your blog only days after the wedding while we were still in Jamaica!! I know so many brides who have to wait months to get their digital files and we received ours in less than a month…not to mention we received hundreds!!!! My parents didn’t have a photographer at their wedding so I was always bummed that I couldn’t see what their wedding was like. I’m so excited to share these pics with my children someday…cheesy I know :)

I know you will continue to be successful in your career because you are so talented and you really understand brides.
Thank you for being amazing!!!!"
-Kristen (and Ryan)

Posted at 05:24 PM

Mon - December 17, 2007

December 15, 2007 Kristin and James

Kristin and James hired me without meeting me because they live in New York City. It's pretty common for me not to meet with my couples because so many of them live out of the area. When I was up in New York City for Fourth of July I made a point of getting together with them and it made me so excited to work with them. They were such a warm, sweet couple. It was more of the same at their wedding! I felt so at home with them. Their wedding took place near Syracuse at Greystone Castle. My friend and incredibly talented photographer Gary Ventura was kind enough to accompany me to the wedding, which turned out to be a very interesting night because Western New York was hit with a major snowstorm!

Posted at 03:58 PM

Wed - November 21, 2007

November 10, 2007 Leslie and Joe

Leslie and Joe were married at the beautiful Hall of Springs in Saratoga Springs, New York. Saratoga Springs is a beautiful town in the Adirondack Mountains. The ceremony was candlelit and intimate with a reception following at the Hall of Springs, which as usual, did an incredible job on the food. The entire evening had a romantic warmth which fit the season of the wedding well. Congrats Leslie and Joe!

A pint before the ceremony...

The beautiful Hall of Springs.

I love the ceiling there!

Posted at 04:13 PM

Wed - November 14, 2007

Out of town (again!)

I'm leaving Thursday November 15 for Puerto Morelos, Mexico to photograph Aleta and Deji's wedding! I'l be back in town late Sunday November 19. I will have limited access to e-mail and no phone during that time. I can't wait to meet Aleta and Deji, they were sweet enough to send me one of their beautiful invites. I'll post photos when I return!

Posted at 11:34 AM

Tue - October 30, 2007

Back to Negril, Jamaica!

I will have limited access to e-mail and no phone access from October 31- November 4 because I will be shooting Ryan and Kristen's wedding in Negril, Jamaica! I will respond promptly to e-mail and voicemail upon my return. Below is a shot taken last year at Ben and Meg's wedding in Negril.

Posted at 11:23 PM

Wed - October 24, 2007

October 21, 2007 Monica and John

What an amazing and emotional day with Monica and John this past weekend! It was another Simply Beautiful wedding with Kelli Berg coordinating. Kelli was amazing as usual. Monica and John live on the island of Oahu and I was secretly hoping they would change plans and switch locations midway through planning and get married on one of the Hawaiian Islands but our day at Esperanza Mansion turned out to be pretty tropical, at least for Upstate New York in late October. The temperature hit 81 degrees on Sunday! The day was highly emotional, which of course for photos, I love! It was truly a heartfelt celebration from start to finish. Thanks John and Monica. If you want to do a vow renewal in Hawaii in five years let me know... Lol!

The luminous bride....

The face she made when I asked her to think of her groom...

What a face! One of four beautiful flower girls.

Husband and wife!

I love the Finger Lakes, the vines were still beautiful.

The view of Keuka Lake from Esperanza.

Loved the emotion during the father-daughter dance.

Last dance of the night...

Posted at 09:15 PM

Sun - October 7, 2007

October 6, 2007 Nichole and Jason

I think Nichole and Jason had the most popular wedding date of the year with the exception of 7-7-07! Everyone I know was either shooting a wedding, attending a wedding, getting married, or in a bridal party! It was a rare occasion for me in that the wedding was a five minute drive from where I live in contrast to most of my weddings which usually involve some travel. The ceremony was held in downtown Rochester at St. Mary's Church and the reception was held at the wonderful Inn on Broadway. The weather cooperated for us to take some photos at Mt. Hope Cemetery (yes really, it's beautiful there: see below!) and Cobbs Hill Park before heading to the inn. It was a great wedding seamlessly coordinated by Kelli Berg of Simply Beautiful Weddings. If you have the option of working with a wedding coordinator I highly recommend Kelli- every time I shoot a wedding with her I know the event will be stunning! Plus it takes so much pressure off the bride and groom on the big day. Nichole and Jason were great and tremendously gracious. Have fun in the Dominican Republic guys! I have a wedding there next year so I can't wait to hear how you liked it.

Aren't Nichole's shoes great!?

The music during the ceremony was great!

A funny moment during the ceremony.

Jason doesn't love being the center of attention, so I think he was pretty relieved to have the ceremony over!

Mt. Hope Cemetery.

Isabella looks for the hand hold.

Then improvises...

Great moment...made my day.

Nichole's dad was so fun!

Posted at 08:55 PM

Sat - September 29, 2007

September 23, 2007 Mimi and Salil

Last Sunday I traveled to Geneva, New York for Mimi and Sal's wedding at Belhurst Castle. I have a lot of intelligent couples but I think Mimi and Sal get the award for the biggest overachievers. They are such a bright, gentle spirited couple- and adorable together.

Loved the rubber ducky on the edge of the jacuzzi tub at Belhurst.

The line of cameras was so funny! I've never seen so many cameras at one wedding before!

Mimi's dad having his turn of tasting the cake.

Posted at 05:18 PM

Wed - September 19, 2007

September 19, 2007 Erin and Fernando

Erin and Fernando's wedding was a first for me in that it was held on a Wednesday! It was great: small, intimate, and at one of my favorite venues, the Fontainebleau Inn near Watkins Glen. Erin and Fernando seemed truly at peace on their wedding day- you could see that they both truly felt fortunate to have found each other, which was uplifting to see and great for the photos as well!

Being pronounced husband and wife.

Isn't she gorgeous?!

Love this shot...

Posted at 11:34 AM

Sun - August 19, 2007

August 18, 2007 Kelly and Ian

I had a great day with Kelly and Ian yesterday at Thendara Inn in Canandaigua. Kelly and Ian traveled from Boston to get married in the Rochester area where Kelly is from. They brought their dog Bailey, who was a riot to photograph. It's funny because the last wedding I had at Thendara the couple also incorporated their dog into the wedding! I was feeling really creative and inspired during the wedding- partially because Kelly is also a photographer and I love the freedom working with other artists affords me!

I love Ian's expression after seeing Kelly for the first time during the ceremony!

How cute is Kelly's mom?

Love this series of Ian's dad and his grandson watching the disco ball.

Posted at 06:40 PM

Sun - August 12, 2007

Sunday editing

I've spent most of my Sunday editing my last couple weddings and this pic gave me a laugh as I was going through my take from Emily and Erik's wedding last month. I'm off to take a much needed break and catch some sun on the roof deck of my building!

Posted at 02:20 PM

Thu - July 26, 2007

July 7, 2007 Emily and Erik

I had such a wonderful time with Erik and Emily. They are a great couple- it's such a wonderful job to be around couples who are so in love! The ceremony was held at Sonnenberg Gardens in Canandaigua, which was perfect for photos following the ceremony. The reception was held at a private residence on Canandaigua Lake. I got along so great with Emily, Erik, and their families- it was just such a relaxed day for me because I was working with such genuine people! I'm thrilled with the photos, here are a few:

Did I mention how gorgeous Emily is??

Rubbing the Buddha's belly for good luck...

Emily and her son...

Posted at 11:22 AM

Fri - July 20, 2007

June 30, 2007 Sharmeela and Todd

I traveled to Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada the weekend of June 30 for Todd and Sharmeela's elegant wedding at Queen's Landing. It was an incredible day! Sharm had three wardrobe changes, Todd had two. The ceremony was intense and beautiful with live music throughout. The reception was exquisite- they really went all out. I was overwhelmed trying to decide which photos to blog! Here are a few from the day:

Sharm getting her hair done.

I can't recall what Todd and Sharm had to eat during the ceremony, but this is Todd's reaction to his first taste of it.

The happy couple. We took a carriage ride around town after the ceremony.

Greeting the horse...

Incredible flowers at the reception!

There were some great toasts. Sharm reacts to something funny her dad said.

They hired some great dancers for entertainment during dinner.

Posted at 02:20 PM

Wed - July 4, 2007

Carlos and Maria: July 4th in New York City

I met up with Carlos and Maria in New York city over the 4th of July holiday to shoot some engagement photos in Central Park. I'm so excited to photograph their wedding in Puerto Rico is a little less than a month! Despite the rain we got some great shots.

Posted at 05:55 PM

Sat - June 9, 2007

June 9, 2007 Nicole and Ben

I love winery weddings! I wish I shot more of them. Nicole and Ben were incredibly lucky as the weather was perfect for their outdoor ceremony at Sheldrake Point Winery on Cayuga Lake. Their rings were so amazing, check them out below. And feel free to make your own caption for the photo of the little girl dancing with the little boy, that shot gave me a laugh when I was editing. Thanks Nicole and Ben!

Posted at 10:27 AM

Sat - June 2, 2007

June 2, 2007 Nina and Craig

Nina and Craig traveled back to their hometown of Buffalo from Manhattan to be married at St. Louis (my all time favorite church in Buffalo!) and to celebrate at the Buffalo Club. Nina and Craig's family and friends have been waiting for this day for awhile: Nina and Craig first coupled up in middle school! There are so many great shots from their day I had trouble choosing which to blog!

Posted at 01:37 PM

Sat - May 26, 2007

May 26, 2007 Lisa and Barry

Memorial Day Weekend I traveled to the Chautauqua Institute for the first time. It was amazing! Barry and Lisa came in from D.C. to have their wedding at Chautauqua because Lisa grew up nearby. It was a really fun celebration that reminded me how lucky I am to work with such genuinely wonderful people! Lisa and Barry: I hope you are having a great time in Italy!

Posted at 07:10 PM

Sat - May 19, 2007

May 19, 2007 Jill and Gregory

I was in the Buffalo area Saturday May 19 for Jill and Gregory's wedding! We had a perfect day, it was a truly gorgeous. The wedding day was perfectly organized by Jill's wedding planner since Jill and Gregory were planning from out of town. I highly recommend to my out of town brides that they work with a wedding planner, it will help keep you sane! The reception was held at the Brierwood Country Club, they did an amazing job!

Getting ready at Jill's grandmother's home in Silver Creek.

I fell in love with this mosaic at the church. Isn't it incredible?

Kneeling in church.

The beautiful bride!

The happy couple.

Detail shot of the cake, which was excellent by the way!

The amazing tulips!

Dancing during the reception. I love the sweet expression in Jill's face in this shot.

Posted at 05:36 PM

Fri - May 18, 2007

May 18, 2007 Brent and Patty

My 2007 wedding season officially started Friday May 18 with the wedding of Patty and Brent at Rochester's Inn on Broadway- one of my favorite wedding sites in Rochester. Brent and Patty's love was contagious, they made me smile all night long because they were so giddy and sweet with each other. Here are a few shots from the evening.

The gorgeous cake by The Little Bakery, another one of my Rochester faves.

Patty looking stunning in her beautiful Marisa gown.

Thank heaven for...

Brent's reaction to seeing Patty for the first time at the start of the ceremony.

They were so cute, this was right after their first kiss.

Kittleberger did an amazing job with the flowers.

What a great couple. Thanks Brent and Patty for sharing your day with me.

Posted at 01:04 AM

Sat - May 12, 2007

May 12, 2007 Bob and Kelly

I started the season with a unique experience for me: being a guest at a wedding! My dear friend Kelly was married May 12 in Kalamazoo, Michigan. I naturally grabbed a few shots but also took a chance to enjoy the day as a guest. I'm so excited for my season to start! I promise there will be many more blog entries starting next week!

Kelly's little nephews make their make down the aisle.

Kelly and her dad prepare for their entrance at the church.

So many great looking guys at this wedding!

The flowers were phenomenal.

Chinese tea ceremony.

Did I say the flowers were phenomenal??

Quite possibly the coolest cake I've ever seen. Tasted really good too!

Just gorgeous!

Kelly dances with her dad.

Kelly watches her parents dance.

Posted at 12:41 PM

Mon - November 6, 2006

Thanks Jenelle!

My 8-5-06 bride was thoughtful enough to send me the sweetest thank you note last week. It makes my day receiving notes like this one:

Dear Karin,

Thank you so much for being our photographer and capturing such beautiful pictures of our wedding. The finished product exceeded our hopes! We really appreciate your patience and flexibility on our wedding day and thereafter. Perhaps someday we'll meet again when you photograph our children (if you are able!). Thanks again!

Regards, Jenelle and Bryan

Posted at 11:58 PM

Thu - October 26, 2006

Yara and Khamen: the engagement shoot in Puerto Rico

Yara and Khamen hired me for their wedding in Puerto Rico and I had the pleasure of meeting them beforehand for a quick engagement shoot on the grounds of the Westin Riomar. I always encourage my destination wedding couples to have me shoot an engagement session for them, it's a nice chance for us to be able to meet (most of my destination wedding couples are hiring me from out of state) before the wedding and it gives me a sense of their personalities and how to go about photographing them.

Posted at 12:18 PM

Fri - October 20, 2006

October 7 Jennifer and Kirk

Jennifer and Kirk were married on the most beautiful Saturday in several weeks in Rochester. The ceremony took place downtown at Chapel Hill and the reception took place at the beautiful Monroe Country Club in Pittsford. The day went very smoothly due to Jennifer and Kirk's meticulous planning! It was a stress free day. Thanks so much for choosing me to photograph your wedding!

Getting ready at the Delmonte Lodge in Pittsford.

Jennifer was such a happy, relaxed bride.

Chapel Hill is one of the most beautiful chapels in Rochester.

The vows.

The chapel.

Portrait time.

First dance.

Jennifer takes a ride in a chair!

Posted at 08:02 PM

Mon - October 9, 2006

September 30 Melisssa and Jonathan

Congrats to Melissa and Jon on their beautiful wedding September 30. Their ceremony was at the University of Rochester's Interfaith Chapel with the reception at the Genesee Valley Club. This was a truly elegant event. Kudos to the couple, their families, and Kelli Berg- their wedding planner for pulling everything together so exquisitely. It was truly a pleasure for me to photograph.