Buffalo Wedding Photography | Heather & Phil | Knox Farm, East Aurora NY - City Lights Studio

Ok. So I don’t even know where to start with this wedding!! Heather & Phil’s day was just *magical*. I really can’t think of a better word! We had perfect weather, an insanely gorgeous venue at Knox Farm State Park, beautiful decor, details galore, happy moment after happy moment, and two of the sweetest, most loving clients! The entire day ran smoothly, thanks to Gabby & Pat at After 5 Events. From getting ready, to photos, to an emotional ceremony, and wild party… everything was amazing. I can’t wait for you to see for yourself in the photos below! Enjoy more of Phil & Heather’s story as you scroll 🙂

Isn’t this place just stunning? It’s a gorgeous mansion, with lovely grounds for ceremonies and tented receptions. We had a field day shooting on this property! Both the girls and the guys got ready here, and I love the images that were captured.

Before we headed down for photos, Heather had a moment with each of her parents, and gave them each a special gift. It was so sweet!

“We really enjoyed putting our own touch on our day. My mom was SUCH a great teammate in all of the planning and decorating. Phil & I & our families put thought into little thing because we are pretty sentimental.” – H

Isn’t she STUNNING?

Meanwhile… Colin was with the boys & captured all the fun 😉

Phil surprised Heather by exchanging little Polariods of each other on their wedding day. He sent a camera up with one of her bridesmaids for a shot of her, along with a letter and photos of him. They’ll have these little prints forever, and of course, I love everything about this.

Once photos were done, we headed to the back field for their ceremony. The sun kept coming and going, and right before Heather walked down the aisle, it was very dark and looking a bit gloomy. As she came closer to Phil, the sun came out, bright and lovely as ever. It was just MAGICAL. Add to that, an emotional groom, a joyous bride, and some seriously cute reactions from the crowd… One of my favorite processionals ever!

Let’s take a minute to recognize Phil’s best man/brother, Corey. He is an Army Ranger who is deploying overseas *today*. Heather & Phil wanted to give him a shout-out : “We love you, Cor! Thank you for being the greatest best man and boo-in-law we could ask for. We couldn’t imagine our special day without you. Be safe & hurry back to us!”

“Our wedding day was everything we could have hoped for and more. A moment I will never forget was walking down the aisle with my Dad and seeing how handsome and emotional Phil was. My Dad and I were SO happy and I wanted to sprint down the aisle into Phil’s arms. Having been together since we were very young, you can imagine we had thought about that moment many times but actually living it, it was more that I could have ever dreamed. In that moment I felt so loved, so proud and so so lucky.” – H

Phil faced away until his brother told him it was time to turn around. His reaction was priceless.

“My favorite moment, was the second I turned around and first saw my wife. I can’t even describe the feeling, it was just the happiest moment of my life.” – P

“The ceremony was so important to us and we cherished every minute.” – H

Heather’s parents AND grandparents are high school sweethearts, all still going strong. How cute is that!?

“My ‘something borrowed’ was my mom’s 10th anniversary ring, she and my dad have now been married for 34 years.” – H

Heather surprised Phil with a visit from their dog Bronson! It was so nice to have him in the photos too 🙂

We had to do a few more shots in front of this incredible altar that Heather’s dad & Phil built. It’s made of an old door that will become their dining room table. See what I mean about the details here?

Prepare to fall in love with all of their details & decor! There was so much at every turn, and Gabby & Pat did an incredible job setting it all up! From a photo booth, to vintage china, to a gorgeous floral curtain, to photos galore, to bean bag toss games, to delicious food and dessert spread by Frontier Catering, this wedding had it all.

“Our signature drink was a Carolina Sour using an organic whiskey from North Carolina, which is now home for Phil and I, and our life in NC is very special to us.” – H

“At the very end of the reception, Phil and I were holding each other in the center of the dance floor and all of our friends and family were surrounding us chanting our names. It was just the coolest. We are so blessed with the most wonderful family and friends who came to celebrate us from all over… New York, North Carolina, California, Colorado, Hawaii… And that was the perfect way to end the night!” – H