Using historic Buffalo as a wedding day backdrop

I love shooting in Buffalo New York.

The city provides such a rich history in architecture. Many of the buildings and structures we are blessed to shoot in and around date back to the nineteenth century. At that time Buffalo was thriving as an important port city, the sixth largest in America. The city attracted giants of industry. The stately mansions they lived in still stand today.

The Butler mansion is one of these. It sits at the corner of Delaware Avenue and North Street. George Williams, who built the house in 1896 chose that corner because it was considered the most prestigious corner in Buffalo at the time. Edward Butler bought the home after Williams left Buffalo in disgrace. I love to shoot on the grounds of the estate. It has a 19th century European vibe to me. The first picture is with Lindsey and Chris at the Butler mansion.

The scenery adds a special quality to each image.

The Albright-Knox Art Gallery was originally intended to be the fine arts pavilion for the 1901 Pan-American Exposition. However, construction delays caused it to remain uncompleted until 1905. Today it is the single most popular location for wedding photography. On any given Saturday in the Summer you can find an endless row of limousines parked in the back. Here is Lindsay and Mark in a sexy pose against the columns at the top of the stairs.

With the construction of the Erie Canal complete in 1825 Buffalo soon became a major grain port. Buffalo had the largest capacity for storage of grain in the nation by the turn of the 20th century. Over thirty concrete grain elevators located along the inner and outer harbors of the Buffalo River and Lake Erie. Today they have become a popular backdrop for wedding couples who appreciate our industrial past. The grain elevators at Riverworks at the inner harbor stand proudly behind our bride Alyssa.

Inside these historical landmarks also make for interesting imagery. The Karpeles Manuscript Library houses the largest private collection of manuscripts and documents in the world. Buffalo has two such libraries. The one featured in this photo with Karen and Jimmy in on the corner of North and Elmwood.  It was also originally the First Church of Christ, Scientist built in 1911.

We’ve just scratched the surface of the many historical structures used today in Buffalo Wedding photography. I will feature more in future posts including the magnificent grand churches, cathedrals and basilicas another day.