The Best of the Wedding Sparklers and Fireworks // Happy 4th of July!!

There’s something truly magical about sparklers and fireworks. Maybe it’s the nostalgia they bring. Memories of being small children and running through the darkened yards of our neighborhoods with something bright and beautiful and a little dangerous. Maybe it’s the way they bring people together; how you can light a hundred sparklers from the sparks of another. Or maybe it’s just the reminder of the sweet, intoxicating feel of warm summer nights, holding your loved ones close while the sky is illuminated in a way that only happens otherwise during an extraordinary lightening storm. Whatever the reason, sparklers and fireworks hold a dear place in the hearts of us Americans. And perhaps that’s why we see them used so often during a wedding send off. They are a visual representation for the excitement and joy we feel for the happy new couple, ready to embark on their new life together. They’re the perfect ending to a beautiful beginning.

And with that, we give you some of our favorite sparkler and firework photos from over the years. Some brand new and some from way back when. We are honored to have been able to freeze these brief and beautiful moments in time, captured at the end of a day filled to the brim with emotion and love and adrenaline, surrounded by family and friends. Because really, isn’t that what it’s all about?

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jenny + mickey // Riverworks, Old First Ward and Hamburg Village

Confession: I don’t usually check the weather forecast until the day of a session, because a) it can change every single day during the week leading up to the session, and b) I actually really love rainy day shooting. As long as its not pouring, shooting in the rain can be SO BEAUTIFUL!! I’m always hesitant to cancel or reschedule due to rain. Jenny and Mickey’s engagement session at Buffalo River Works and all around the Old First Ward is a perfect example. :)

The first hour of their shoot was just drizzle and some sprinkles, and I loved every minute of it. Toward the end, though, it did start pouring, so we had to call it quits. I offered to meet up with them again to take a few more non-rainy photos on another day, which is why you’ll see a combination of rainy and sunny photos throughout the post. I thought I would just mix them all together and share my favorites from both sessions!!

My favorite part of this whole post, though, is that they were kind enough to share all the details of their love story with all of us. We get to read about how they met, how they fell in love, their engagement story, and what they love most about each other!  They are the absolute sweetest, and I know you’re going to love them as much as we do! <3

Jenny: “Mickey and I met at a wedding in Ellicotville on September 13th, 2017. I was invited to be the date of the best man, his name was Ryan and I have known him since 2nd or 3rd grade. The wedding was beautiful. The ceremony took place at the bottom of the ski hill and we quickly moved into cocktail hour and were asked to find our seats for dinner. It was then I found myself sitting at Table 1. Shortly after sitting there Mickey took his seat next to me. I learned quickly that he was the date of a bridesmaid who needed a date also. Mickey and I kept the conversation very light through out dinner. We danced a little through out the evening and were both invited to spend the night with the rest of the bridal party and their dates at a ski cabin just down the road from the wedding venue. It was a huge beautiful house. All of us stayed up really late into the night playing games, eating snacks, etc. It was during these late night hours Mickey and I got a chance to talk and get to know each other a little better. We joked and laughed throughout the night. I left very early the next morning and we parted ways with out exchanging contact information. It was about 12 hours later when I received a new friend request on Facebook, and it was Mickey.“

Mickey: “I knew by the time the reception had ended that I wanted to go out with her.“

Jenny: “Mickey and I went on our first date just a few days after we met. We met in the municipal parking lot in the Village of Hamburg and drove together to Hoak’s Restaurant. I was actually pretty nervous. By this point, I knew I liked Mickey and I really wanted the date to go well. I never told him this, but I even looked up different interesting things to talk about when I was getting ready to make sure the date went well. Of course, I didn’t need this at all. The conversation went great and I was liking him more and more by the minute. After dinner, we drove back to the village and headed to Braymillers. We got some beverages and played darts. We bowled a game and then ran into Mickey’s long-time friend Mark and shortly after we were joined by another friend, Trevor. Normally, I think this would be weird and awkward, but Mark and Trevor were really entertaining and did not realize we were on a first date. We all sat and talked and kept getting to know each other for a while until it seemed like it was time to go home. Mickey walked me back to my car, where we shared a very modest and shy first kiss. I drove home to Silver Creek with a grin, ear to ear, excited to see what this relationship would bring.“

Jenny: “Mickey and I love to share good meals together. When we first started dating, we visited tons of restaurants around the Buffalo area together. Now, we have started to spend more time at home having home cooked meals. We enjoy watching different movies and TV series together. We also love seeing our friends and family.“

Jenny: “In late May, I went on a family trip to Florida for a week. Mickey couldn’t come due to a lack of vacation time and I missed him horribly. When he picked me up from the Buffalo airport and he had a haircut, he was wearing a new shirt, he had my favorite Starbucks drink and a long stemmed rose. I just thought he was being sweet because he missed me. The flight got in very early so I was interested in getting breakfast, but Mickey promised he had something at home that I would like a lot. We got to our recently purchased home in Hamburg and Mickey asked me to temporarily leave my bags in the car so he could share the surprise. He had me close my eyes and walked me into the living room. There he had me sit on the couch and promise to keep my eyes closed. Next thing I knew, Mickey had placed our cat, Pearl, in my lap. He told me he got her a new collar and asked if I liked it. The tag on Pearl’s collar had the date, 5/26/2017. I didn’t get it, but then Mickey told me to turn the tag over. It was then I realized what was going on. The other side of the tag read ‘Will you marry me?’ By this time Mickey was down on one knee, holding the ring out for me. He asked me out loud if I would marry him and I yelled ‘Absolutely!!’ I then got the chance to take in the moment and saw that our whole living room was filled was vases full of pink, red, and purple flowers of all kinds. I also learned that Mickey set up a Nest camera to record the entire thing. We spent the rest of the holiday weekend meeting with fiends and family to share the good news.“

Jenny: “Mickey makes me happier than anyone else in the world. We have been able to help each other through difficult times and celebrate with each other when the times are good. He has become the first person I turn to for support. We share similar outlooks on what we would like in life and we make a great team.“

Mickey: “Jenny and I have the same faith and values, the same goals and ideas of a peaceful life, and feel happy in each other company. We support each other and contribute to each other.“

Wondering what you can do to prepare for weather surprises during your engagement shoot or wedding day?? Click here!