City Lights Studio : A Very BIG Announcement!

City Lights Studio has a BIG announcement! After much hush-hush time, I am absolutely thrilled to announce... drum roll please... ready? Really ready? Are you sure?? Okay, okay... Here it is: City Lights Studio has been invited to join the wedding professionals inside the Hotel @ the Lafayette! I am overjoyed to be joining such incredible businesses in such a gorgeous and historic building! It's a big move, and I can't wait!

"This landmark French Renaissance-style building was designed by Louise Blanchard Bethune, the first professional woman architect in the U.S. and built in 1904, during Buffalo’s industrial heyday for the Pan-American Exposition. Today the Hotel @ The Lafayette is a mixed-use building, incorporating a boutique hotel, magnificent banquet rooms, a brewery, restaurants and apartments."

Photo via Foss & Co. 

Photo via Foss & Co. 

While this is the biggest part of the news, I'm also incredibly excited to be partnering up and sharing a space with the ever-talented made by anatomy! If you're not familiar, made by anatomy is a lovely made-to-measure design studio and wedding shop, specializing in truly unique bridal wear. Owner Ali Eagen is my partner-in-crime and in business for Buffalo Indie Weddings and With Love magazine and we share many of the same clients. After realizing how much we work together, and how often we're at each other's spaces, we knew it was time to team up for real!

 Isn't her work incredible?! 

Photos by Ayres Photography

After three fun-filled years on Main Street, I am sad to leave my studio, which I've loved ever since I first saw it as a raw, rough, empty building. I am so thankful to the building owner, who believed in my vision and renovated the space around my dream studio, from the ground up. I've had so many incredible shoots and events here, and 515 Main will forever hold a place in my heart! The block is changing rapidly, and while I've loved being a part of that journey and seeing the transformations unfold, I am excited for the next step for that building and for City Lights Studio :) 

We will be officially moving into the Hotel by mid-November. We hope you'll stop by for a visit, and please do save the date for our Holiday Open House on Thursday 12.04 to view the new space & enjoy some cocktails and treats, explore the first-floor bridal shop and enter to win a free portrait session and other goodies! 

We can't wait to celebrate this exciting announcement with you inside our beautiful new space! Stay tuned for an official invite :)

XOXO!

Nicole, PJ, Aedan & Emerson | Buffalo Family Portraits | Chestnut Ridge Park

I was so excited to see this sweet little family again, and get to meet their new addition, Emerson! When Nicole emailed me to book their session, she told me that Chestnut Ridge was their special place, and we just knew that we had to shoot there. It is truly magical there this time of year, and I had so much wandering the woods with this crew :) I especially loved all of the little touches that Nicole thought of, including Aedan's favorite book, and a gorgeous handmade flower crown that she had crafted that afternoon. They are such a beautiful family & I am so happy to have been able to capture this special time for them! Welcome to world, Little Wolf!

Bryan & Caitlin | Buffalo NY Fall Family Engagement Session | Delaware Park

I absolutely loved getting to spend an evening with this little crew for Bryan & Caitlin's engagement session :) They of course wanted their sweet little babes in the photos, and we had a gorgeous Fall day for our shoot. We started at their house, played in the leaves, met the pups, and then headed over to their favorite spot in Delaware Park to do some exploring! Abigail & Dylan are the cutest, and this lovely family totally rocked their session! I especially enjoyed setting aside some time at the end of the shoot to capture some moments with just B&C, celebrating their engagement & their love story as a couple :) I can't wait to hang with you all again on the big day!

Cate & Kevin | Letchworth Engagement Session | Buffalo Portrait Photographer

Can you think of a better start to a beautiful day then a fall hike with a great pair of people?! I loved kicking off my Sunday with Cate & Kevin at Letchworth State Park. The air was cool, but the sunlight and changing leaves were perfect. It was a magical place to be, and by getting an early start, we beat most of the crowds. We don't do too much travel for e-sessions, but are always up for it! When Cate emailed me saying that Letchworth was a place that held a lifetime of memories for her, we knew we had to go. I'm so excited we could make a new memory here, capturing these photos during this exciting time in Cate & Kevin's journey together :) 

In a sea of people there for the huge annual arts & craft fair, we hunted for this shot. This is the tree that Cate's family planted in memory of her father, and she knew she needed a shot with it. There were cars, trailers, trucks and people everywhere, but this quiet, sweet moment happened perfectly :) 

Thanks for being so much fun, C&K! Can't wait to party with you in July ;)