Wedding | Zach & Katie
Aug 16, 2019
Talk about a dream wedding… Zach and Katie’s day was perfect and I’m so glad you are here to experience it for the first time or to relive it with me! Whatever the case, welcome!
Zach and Katie’s entire wedding day took place downtown Buffalo, New York at Hotel at The Lafayette! You know I appreciate a wedding where everything is in the same place! It’s so nice to unpack and get situated for the day. I talked more about there here.
I photographed a wedding here over the spring, but they had their ceremony elsewhere. Check out this blog post to see more of Hotel Lafayette for getting ready pictures and a different room altogether for the reception!
You are going to LOVE this story. Zach and Katie grew up at the same school in Buffalo and met in 8th grade! They started dating their freshmen year of high school and have been together ever since! They were just babies and one of the pictures framed at their reception shows it (keep an eye out)! Their college years (and grad school) were spent long distance but now they finally live together in Washington DC! Yay!!
The foundation that these two share is unbelievable and I have no doubts that they have a bright and happy future ahead of them! The way their families are already intertwined speaks volumes to how supportive everyone is of this union!
One of my favorite parts of this wedding was the unique bridal party situation! Zach’s sister, Michele, was Katie’s Maid of Honor! And Katie’s brother, Lucas, was Zach’s Best Man! How amazing is that? Other members of the family had important jobs including [but not limited to] Zach’s dad performing the ceremony, one grandparent of each the bride and groom read during the ceremony, Zach’s cousin made the cake (it was beautiful!), and of course Katie’s other sister was a bridesmaid.
Let’s get into the wedding pictures!
Katie and Zach each had a suite at Hotel Lafayette to get ready in. These hotel rooms make for the most beautiful pictures of the bride and groom getting ready!
Over to Zach's room!
And back to the gorgeous bride!
The ceremony was held in the Crystal Ballroom. The perfect intimate setting for this size wedding. I thoroughly enjoyed witnessing this family-oriented ceremony, it was so special!!
After the ceremony, we took family pictures!
Time to head outside for bridal party and bride and groom portraits! I’m in love with these photos!
The reception took place in the Courtyard Room upstairs at Hotel Lafayette! This beautiful reception room is perfect for weddings more on the industrial or rustic side! There are some windows on the ceiling in part of this long, narrow room making it bright and sunny during the day. The bar is in the same room, the bathrooms are right next door, and the Courtyard Room has private access to a courtyard.
Don’t you just love the greenery and florals they decorated with!?
This cake from Blackbird Sweets was stunning and the perfect centerpiece for the entire room!
The reception started with introductions, and cake cutting!
Toasts were kicked off by the bride’s father. Then the Maid of Honor and Best Man both shared a speech, followed by the groom!
Dinner at Hotel Lafayette is always something I look forward to! Every meal option is delicious, so much so that I don’t get the same thing every time because they are all too good!
Like other rooms available for receptions at this wedding venue, there is a courtyard reserved just for you and your guests! The last wedding I did at Hotel Lafayette used the Greenhouse Room and they had their own courtyard to use! This is one of my favorite parts about Hotel at The Lafayette.
The First Dance kicked off the dance floor!
My time with Zach and Katie concluded with some of my favorite pictures of the entire day! These nighttime shots in the courtyard!
Zach and Katie, I am so grateful to have been chosen to spend your wedding day with you! You are both entirely too kind and so so trusting. It truly was a dream come true to have been a part of your day. I am grateful to have celebrated with you and your family, and I hope these photos allow you to relive the day over and over and over again. Thank you for choosing me. Thank you for trusting me. You two are the best! Congratulations!
Vendors:
- Photographer – Hannah Kathleen Photography
- Venue – Hotel at The Lafayette
- Ceremony – Crystal Ballroom
- Reception – Courtyard Room
- Hair – Lox Salon
- Makeup – Lox Salon
- Florist – Flowers by Nature
- Engagement Ring -Jared
- Wedding Bands - Jared
- Bride’s Shoes – Michael Kors
- Bride’s Earrings – CrystalAvenues
- Bride’s Gown – Bridals by D
- Bridesmaid Dresses – Bridals by D
- Cake – Blackbird Sweets
- DJ – DJ Jimmy from CJ Sound
- Officiant – Michael Repka (Zach’s dad)
- Tuxes – Mens Wearhouse
- Ties – Mens Wearhouse
- Wedding Stationery Designs - Minted
- Venue Coordinator – Pearl Street Catering
Born and raised in Buffalo, New York, I am a portrait photographer specializing in weddings! I love to travel especially for photos! Don’t hesitate to reach out an introduce yourself, I love making new friends!
SEEKING HELP: If you are able to connect me with someone in Paris or Disneyland Paris that I can take photos of while I'm there this fall, I will thank you with a free photo session back home in Buffalo!
Take a look at my travel calendar and let me know if you want photos anywhere!
Want to see more weddings!?
Click here to see more of my wedding photos!
Click here to see more wedding blogs! Here are a few of my favorites:
AJ & Brittany | Hotel Lafayette Wedding
Jordan & Melissa | Avanti Mansion Wedding
John & Christian | Deerfield Country Club Wedding
Ryan & Nicki | Templeton Landing Wedding
Hop on over to my website and say “hi!” Follow along on facebook or instagram!