Kalah and Brent were born and raised in the northeast but followed their careers to San Francisco. They are coming home for their mid-October fall and harvest moon inspired wedding. They made it back for a spring engagement session at Green Lakes State Park, these two were just delightful to work with even when we had man-eating mosquitos attacking us (a big thanks to Kalah's mom for rescuing us with the bug spray)!
Read moreLauren & Chris - Lourdes Camp Engagement Session
Lauren and Chris got up in the middle of the night (literally) to prepare for our sunrise shoot at Lourdes Camp on Skaneateles Lake. I was amazed at how fresh and happy these two were at that hour, I suppose love has that effect! I am looking forward to their Emerson Park Pavilion wedding in 2014!
Read moreVidda & Kyle - Franklin Park Engagement Session
The U.S. Air Force brought Vidda and Kyle together years ago and now they are planning a rustic fall wedding at the Mandana Barn. They live in Franklin Square in Syracuse and I was psyched when they told me they wanted to shoot their engagement pictures in their own backyard at the peak of the bloom, just an awesome backdrop for a romantic evening shoot!
Read moreAbigail & Matthew - Skaneateles Engagement Session
Abigail and Matthew met years ago when they were teenagers bussing tables at Rosalie's Cucina in Skaneateles, the perfect place to start and finish our engagement session. They have been together through college, a move to Louisiana, the home buying experience and now they are preparing for their Skaneateles 2014 wedding. Can't wait to spend more time with this adorable couple!
Read morePhotobooth at Skaneateles Middle School 8th Grade Dance
The photobooth has become somewhat of a staple at Skaneateles School dances and I couldn't be more pleased to spend the evening with such a great group of kids! This is the third year that I have been asked to spice up the dance with the photobooth at the Skaneateles Middle School 8th Grade Dance. The kids shot 850 images in 3 hours! Here are some of the highlights and keep an eye out for a fun video to follow...
Photobooth at Skaneateles Junior Prom 2013
The photobooth was a huge success at the 2013 Skaneateles Junior Prom. Nearly 700 images were snapped in less than 4 hours by the 180 guests in attendance, you could say it was a hit! My thanks to Skaneateles Schools for having me and many thanks to the wonderful students in attendance, you are a delight to work with!! Here are a few of my favorites from the evening...
Amy & Joe - Skaneateles Engagement Session
Amy and Joe are a cool and very down to earth couple that love living in Skaneateles and enjoying the outdoors. Their October Mandana Barn wedding is sure to be a stunner while showcasing their earthy style and love of bluegrass music! I can't wait to show off what this couple has in store for their nuptials!
Read moreSherwood Inn Wedding Show - 2013
I was delighted to attend the Sherwood Inn's latest wedding show this past Sunday. Skaneateles is a wonderful place to get married, there is a great variety of distinct venues and it's no surprise that you need not look outside of the village limits to find outstanding vendors! I was honored to be the featured photographer and I was surrounded by amazing floral creations by our best local florists; Wild Flower, Fleur de Lis, and Folls Flower Farm. The always cheerful Michael Cheney from the Patisserie was in attendance to discuss his beautiful confections and the Sherwood Inn provided many tasty hors d'oeuvres and a generous sampling of Fingerlakes wine and Champagne cocktails. Additionally, our very own Pomodoro, Too! was on hand to offer advice on fine stationary for all your wedding needs. The only thing missing was the bride and groom!
Read moreSanibel Revisited - 2013
Charlotte and I were lucky enough to return to Sanibel to hang out with my family for most of April. It was a wonderful shot of summer; I drank in the sun, the bath-temp waters, the soul-soothing warm breezes, and a few dozen margaritas! There is so much life on the island--everywhere you look there are exotic plants and animals that are just begging for an impromptu portrait session. Here are a few of my favorite moments and memories from another wonderful trip.
Read moreHappy Easter from the Buttolph's
We have had a lovely Easter filled with friends, egg decorating, slightly intimidating easter bunnies, egg hunts and enough candy to give us all diabetes. Hope you all had less candy (or more will power) than we did!
Read moreHappy Valentine's Day
Hope you all are having a lovely Valentine's day! We went all out this time and here are a few pics of our V-day process this year! This is Charlotte's look when mommy pesters her with the camera before she has had her morning chocolate chip pancakes (she is going to make an awesome teenager)...
Read moreHappy Valentine's Day Card
I have never made too much of a fuss over Valentine's Day until my little Charlotte got a bit older and I was reminded of how much I loved stuffing little cards in decorated brown paper bags taped to our school desks. I want Charlotte to have as fond of memories as I do so here is this year's custom designed Valentine's Day greeting...
Happy Valentine's Day from Mary Buttolph Photography
Sanibel Island Vacation
Charlotte, Lee and I just got back from a very sunny and warm vacation to the lovely Sanibel Island on the gulf coast of Florida. The trip has become something of an annual tradition to visit Lee's parents, they know how to pick a good spot (they've been escaping to Sanibel for decades). This visit was full of eating, swimming, tennis, biking, birding, shelling and napping. Lee and I took advantage of the built-in babysitters and ate out a lot! We had three excellent meals at three very different restaurants on the island. The first night we chose to eat at Traders. We were both a little apprehensive since it had a gift shop attached but we were blown away by the great food and excellent service--the key lime pie is not to be missed! If you are looking for a tasty breakfast head to the Lighthouse Cafe, they boast "The World's Best Breakfast" and it's a great breakfast, just skip the grits and opt for the potatoes instead (they seem to have forgotten how to make grits in this neck of the woods). We saved the best for last, Il Cielo. It is truly an outstanding fine dining experience just be prepared for a bit of sticker shock when the check arrives! Other highlights that are not to be missed are the birds at J. N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge, the awesome shelling (literally every beach offers amazing finds), the tropical bird show at the aviaries at Periwinkle Trailer Park, a beach sunrise, and set out to watch the wildlife and fisherman at the Point Ybel Lighthouse fishing pier.
Read moreLodge at Welch Allyn Group Tasting 2013
On Friday I had a great time photographing the Lodge's group tasting--the term 'tasting' is really misleading since they basically put on a full-blown reception for dozens of their 2013 and 2014 couples--about 130 in all. It was memorable not just for all the tasty food but also due to the great vendors they brought in to pull off the elaborate event. Unbelievable lighting design was provided by Visa Versa Entertainment, Michael Cheney from the Patisserie provided delectable sweets, Backyard Garden Florist showed off their floral style, and Young Explosives Corporation put on a $3000.00 fireworks show at the end of the evening! I also had the pleasure of meeting Lauren Buerkle Ciciarelli with Stella and Dot Jewelry, she was there showing off very stylish baubles great for your wedding day or for any 'ole day (next time I promise to shoot your jewels and shop less)! Visa Versa Entertainment can light the h*ll out of a place.
Read moreWelcome Baby William - Skaneateles Session
Tara & Marty have been busy lately! They've been keeping up with their darling 2-year-old daughter, renovating a new house, and a move all in preparation to welcome baby William to their expanding family. I had the pleasure of shooting in their new home where there was lots of great light and big sis, Dawson, felt comfortable. I often get asked if I have a studio and I have to explain that I do all of my sessions on location because I like to incorporate meaningful elements from my subjects and that is only accomplished by having my subjects choose the settings. In this case, we spent almost the entire time in the sun-washed and simple master bedroom. I am just delighted at how this lifestyle shoot turned out--we saw the total range of emotions from both kiddos and I loved capturing all the tears, curiosity, frustrations, sweetness, and love!
Read moreSamantha & Mike -Skaneateles Engagement Session
Samantha and Mike met as undergrads at their beloved Colgate University and then attended law school together in Lexington--they have already shared so many experiences and they haven't even been engaged a year! When I asked them where they wanted to do their portrait session Sam told me they LOVE living in Skaneateles (Mike proposed across from Clift Park and in June they will be married here) and they couldn't think of a more perfect place to tell their story. I loved the idea of shooting in a winter-wonderland and I couldn't have asked for a better couple, they were delightful throughout the chilly marathon shoot. Take a look...they make a STUNNING pair and I can't wait to document their Skaneateles wedding!
Read moreMirbeau Inn & Spa New Year's Eve 2012
I had a memorable evening ringing in the New Year at Mirbeau Inn and Spa with my husband. Despite the pneumonia that was circulating in my household we were able to rally due to the great tunes (and a z-pack). The music was provided by New Day Band--their tunes were so good that I am adding them to my preferred vendor list!
Read morePhotobooth at Mirbeau Inn and Spa New Year's Eve 2012
The photobooth was a huge hit at Mirbeau Inn and Spa's New Year's Eve 2012 party! The guests took nearly 500 images during the festivities, one of the partygoers was so impressed with the photobooth that he sent me this note... "Just wanted to thank you for the great images from Mirbeau on New Year's Eve. As a photographer myself, I was very impressed with your setup. The bright white screen and the ability to shoot free style and see the images was just fantastic. Quite a lovely collection of images on the site. More fun with each hour of alcohol consumption too! Thanks for doing this. It was a very professional setup."
I couldn't be happier to have spent my New Year's Eve at Mirbeau and I look forward to being back for 2013!
Merry Christmas from the Buttolph Family!
I have never sent a Christmas card in my life but I wanted to share a little something after receiving so many wonderful cards this season...Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas from Skaneateles
Merry Christmas from Skaneateles
Merry Christmas from Skaneateles
Merry Christmas from Skaneateles
Merry Christmas from Skaneateles
Aurora Inn - Winter Wonderland in the Finger Lakes
There is something magical about Christmas in the Fingerlakes especially after the first snow and this year we are going to have a white Christmas! I have been able to visit some lovely Fingerlakes locations during the holidays and they happen to be some of my favorite wedding venues as well. With all the vibrant decorations and sparkling lights it makes me wonder why more couples don't have Christmas weddings. The Aurora Inn in charming Aurora, NY is elegantly decorated in any season but during Christmas with the roaring fires and lovely garlands it warms the heart.
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