“From the moment Sophie & Max inquired with us we knew they were a perfect fit for our style. They emphasized wanting to capture the joy and love of their relationship as natural as it was. We decided to complete a lifestyle approach to their engagement by starting in their home, (where they played a private concert for us), and then we moved down the street to one of their local favorite bars. In turn, we got a set of photos that represented what their lives were like on a day to day basis. We couldn’t be happier to work with couples that appreciate “natural” more “documentary” style of photography.” – Shaw Photography Co.
How did you find your photographer?
Max and I live in Portland, Maine, but are both from the Western New York area. Maine is a dreamy place to have a wedding, but we felt the same way about Chautauqua County with its lakes and rolling hills and unmatched sunsets. In planning out wedding we wanted to use as many local vendors as possible. Brian and Christina of Shaw Photography Co. were recommended to us by another Buffalo area-based photographer that we stumbled upon online (they happened to be booked). We are so grateful for that connection!! Photography was important to us because we knew that throughout our marriage it would help us remember and re-live this special year in our lives. We loved Christina and Brian’s artistic, natural approach, but unlike some more “indie” photographers, they captured a wide range of emotion in their work. Their photos were fresh and dramatic, but also lighthearted and joyful. Also, we were interested in trying out a more documentary-style photo shoot for the engagement session, and they were totally down for that! They even made it all the way up to Portland to spend an evening with us in our apartment and around the corner at our favorite neighborhood bar! For the wedding, we hoped for some special pictures of the two of us, sure – but we also wanted them to capture the spirit of the whole day. The looks on the faces of our friends and family as they witnessed our commitment and caught up with each other and danced and laughed and cried. Christina and Brian totally got where we were coming from.
What are you DIY-ing for your wedding?
Gosh. A lot. Our venue is a beautiful, fairly blank slate – an old farmhouse with a dreamy yard and great big barn wrapped up in twinkle lights. Max’s mom – one of the most intelligent, wise, and loving women I’ve ever met – married us. We have written our own vows, and family and friends are playing music during the ceremony. My aunt and uncle, part of the Barbara Dempsey and Co. will play during cocktail hour. I picked out all of the items for the tables… linen runners (which seemed a little more elegant to me than burlap), linenesque paper napkins in a sweet, French country-inspired red plaid, and lots of candles in votives to add more twinkle. The vases I collected at yard sales and Goodwills across the great state of Maine. My parents also picked some up in Chautauqua and on a trip to Virginia, and we filled them with wildflowers, greens, herbs, and perennials from a local farm. My parents hired a bartender from their favorite neighbhorhood restaurant to man the kegs (all from Southerntier! Our local brewery) and mix and drinks. We bought cheese from a local cheese house and a caterer with a back-yard garden cooked the barbeque.
What are you looking forward to the most?
Seeing the wedding list come to life. I can’t wait to see all of these people in the same place.
