Destiny Burke Photography

Matt + Sarah

Feb 11 2022

Matt and Sarah contacted me last year to discuss their wedding plans for May of 2022 and all the beautiful details to come. I couldn’t wait to start planning their Engagement session this winter however the snow didn’t seem to come at the times we needed it to or with little warning for planning so instead I suggested one of my favorite locations, Lamberton Conservatory at Highland Park. I love the gardens inside and the private session time gives us the freedom to walk through without anyone in our shot. I must admit though, the cactus room is my favorite, it has the most beautiful glowy light coming in!!

We made our way from garden to garden and while I was showing them some of the most common posing we will be using for their wedding day, little by little their confidence started to come out and their natural smiles started to shine! It’s very normal to feel a little shy when first starting your engagement session but it is my job to show you how to relax and enjoy your time with your fiancé. They did just that! I am so excited I had the chance to work with them for the first time in a non stressful environment, they will be ready for their wedding day when we are in much more of a time crunch!

Here’s a few of my favorites from their session!

Brian + Riane

Sep 23 2021

Riane’s Maid of Honor had mentioned that she should look at my website last September for wedding photography. When she contacted me and told me all about the details of their day, I knew their time line was perfect for photographs in/around Rochester and I was ESTATIC when they booked!

When I arrived to Riane’s parent’s house the morning of their wedding, I saw the bridemaid’s in their stunning burnt orange dresses getting ready then Riane as she walked down the stairs in her robe, about to get dressed. She looked beautiful and I couldn’t wait to see her in her wedding dress! We took a few minutes to capture everyone getting their finishing touches wrapped up, Riane in her dress and headed out to have a first look with her Dad. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house. It was a very touching moment for all.

We then headed off to St Monica in Rochester for the ceremony. It is a B-E-A-UTIFUL church with lots of natural light inside and out. The music began to play and one by one each of the bridemaid’s made their way down the aisle until it was Riane and her Dad’s turn. Everyone turned to look as they made their way down the aisle and Brian choked back tears and just looked her and gleamed. They met at the alter and Riane’s Dad handed her hand to Brian as they made their way to Father Ray. They had an amazing ceremony as their friends and family watched on and also vowed to be a part of the strength in their marriage.

After they kissed, they walked back down the aisle as husband and wife and shared another kiss before heading out of the church to start family formal photographs. After family formals were done, we switched gears to Bridal portraits between husband and wife and I am IN LOVE with how they came out!

We let the family go on ahead to the reception as we finished our portraits at the church and then made our way to High Falls for some bridal party fun! Those burnt orange dresses paired next to the navy blue suits were a perfect blend! Those beautiful bouquets are just stunning and were done by the very talented Jodi Rowcliffe!

We finished up the bridal party photographs and made our way to Highland Park for a quick shoot with just Riane and Brian before making our way to Max of Eastman Place in Rochester where we finished out portraits in the STUNNING twinkle light courtyard! These were some of my absolute favorites from their day!

Because of the ample time Riane and Brian left us for photography, we were able to sneak in for some details shots of the reception hall before anyone came in to sit. Before introductions, Riane asked if we minded following them to their favorite bar, Salingers, just a block away so they could have a quick drink and I knew we would be able to get a few good shots of them getting to take it easy for a few moments before the rest of the night continued!

We left the wedding party and walked back to Max of Eastman Place to get ready for introductions and dances! Once the introductions were done, we got to witness (and capture) dances between Riane and her Dad, then Brian and his beautiful mother. THERE. WERE. SO. MANY. TEARS! And DJ Keyyo from Roc The Party did an amazing job!

We finished up dances and started dinner where we had an amazing meal and went outside to give the wedding rings their proper photoshoot before our time was complete with this beautiful couple, and of course I found the twinkle lights!

I couldn’t wait to come home to edit my favorites from their day! The weather, the locations, the colors, the love… it was all perfect. We are so thankful we were trusted to capture their day. Congratulations Brian and Riane! It was our absolute pleasure to document your stunning wedding day!!

Here are some of my favorites (sorry, not sorry, it was really hard to narrow them down haha!)

Brian + Caralyn

Sep 03 2021

Caralyn and I have known each other since our younger school days and she has trusted me to take her family’s photographs over the last few years. While it was always great to see them once a year, it was a TREAT when Caralyn told me that her and Brian had gotten engaged and she wanted me to photograph their wedding!

Over the next months, we decided to meet up for coffee every few weeks to become closer friends and of course, talk wedding details! She told me about the fall colors of her bridesmaids dresses and what visions she had for their alter that a friend was building for them. I couldn’t wait to see it all come together! Weeks came and went and as we got closer, Caralyn showed her concerns for the weather showing for stormy but I assured her not to pay too close attention to that until we were days away… unfortunately even the eve of their wedding it showed storms throughout the day and we were trying to come up with a way to keep everyone covered during the outdoor ceremony. We met at the rehearsal that evening and when Caralyn’s father was asked to lead us in prayer he said “The weather man says one thing, Lord, but you say another… ” and after the rest of his touching prayer for their wedding day, we all said “Amen”.

The next morning, I immediately jumped out of bed to check the weather forecast and to my absolute shock, all the rain predicted vanished and it was set to be a clear day!! It was truly a miracle!

After photographing Brian and his groomsmen, we switched gears to Caralyn and her bridesmaids before allowing them all to get in cooler air before the ceremony started. Beautiful music started to play as we watched the processional began. We watched each of the bridesmaids walk down the aisle before Caralyn made her entrance. Once she was visible to Brian, it was obvious that to each other, they were the only ones there in that moment. Her Dad flashed her a big smile and she gracefully walked her way to Brian who had been choked up since he first saw her. They had an amazing ceremony and a beautiful kiss to seal the deal!

We went on to family formals and bridal party photos with their various colors but then onto my favorite part of the day which is Bridal portraits between the couple! We didn’t have long before they were being announced into their reception so we did some portraits in the pathway near the lodge and planned to go back out after dinner when the sun would be lower to the horizon line and that’s exactly what we did!

After dinner and some dancing, we went out for more Bridal portraits, where Brian and Caralyn were able to have a little alone time as I asked them to cuddle on the bench under a beautiful tree, then ended with a trip to the ice cream truck they had hired for dessert. (9 Cone Cone) I couldn’t let this opportunity pass me by so we documented them having their wedding day treat in lieu of cake before Dan and I left for the evening. I’m so glad we did!

I am so humbled when Clients trust me with their wedding days, always, but when a friend allows you to capture the day as you saw it, it pulls on the heartstrings just a little more. Congratulations Brian & Caralyn!!

Here are a few of our favorite from their day!