meghan + travis + baby nora

When you begin your journey as a new photographer, you shoot anything and everything you can to see what feels right for YOU. It’s a very important step in the process. I knew pretty early on that I loved photographing family sessions, but it took years to figure out that I had preferences. I now know that my specialty and greatest strength is photographing emotion. My goal with everything I shoot is always “to tell stories that matter.” Every time I click the shutter button, I do it with 100 years in mind. I think about the people in the photos and what I want them to feel when they look at my work now and 100 years from now. I think about the people who aren’t even born yet, but to whom these photos will someday be priceless treasures. It’s pretty incredible to think that the work I’m producing today will bridge the gap between generations for so many families. Today’s family sessions are tomorrow’s family heirlooms.

These are my dear friends Meghan and Travis, and their sweet baby, Nora. We photographed their wedding so many years ago, and we’ve loved them ever since. It meant the world when they asked me to come take some photos of them as a family in the perfect little house that they’ve made their home. <3

8 Unique and Whimsical Gift Ideas to Wow Your Wedding Party

There’s a reason why you choose the people you do to stand up next to you on your wedding day. They may be your siblings who have been with you since the beginning and will be with you til the end, regardless of how many times you pulled their hair and they stole your clothes. Or maybe you two met at the bus stop on your very first day of school with your matching Ninja Turtles lunchboxes in tow and have been inseparable ever since. Or perhaps you bonded on that first nerve wracking day of high school and helped each other get through your awkward and emotional teenage years by rocking out hard to Death Cab for Cutie (…or The Backstreet Boys). Maybe it’s your sister from another mister or brother from another mother. No matter who it is, you know they’re each special to you in a way that is hard to put into words. And although you love them all equally, your relationship with each one is so unique from your relationship with another. That’s why it’s important to select an equally unique gift for each of them that not only says, “Hey- thanks for agreeing to hold my dress while I pee” but also says, “You mean more to me than words can say, so here’s a special gift to show just how much I appreciate YOU being here with me on the most important day of my life.”

So how exactly do you go about choosing such unique gifts for such important people?! It can certainly be overwhelming, especially when you add it to your ever growing list of wedding to-dos (seriously – does anything ever get crossed off that list?!). Lucky for you, we’re here to help! Whether you’ve always had a hard time picking out gifts for other people (a gift card can be meaningful… right???) or you just need a little inspiration to help you along because your brain is absolutely fried from trying to figure out what color napkin is that perfect shade of blush pink you were going for, we’ve got you covered :)

These are just some suggestions to help guide you on your path to selecting the perfect gifts for the people you love most on your wedding day, (the girls AND the guys!). As you read through the post, scroll your mouse over the text and click on the links to bring you to shops that offer these fun and whimsical gift ideas! Do you have some other super awesome ideas that we didn’t include?? Feel free to share them with us in the comments!!

1. A custom drawing. (And don’t worry – no one expects you to bust out your Crayolas and draw these yourself. Thank God for Etsy, am I right?!) This is one of our favorite unique and meaningful gift ideas. It could be a fun and whimsical drawing of the two of you together or maybe a watercolor of their beloved dog, Chewbarka. Or maybe a cool art deco drawing of their hometown or your alma mater! If you’ve been friends since you were little kids you could go even more personal and give them a drawing of the childhood house they grew up in – the house you spent hours playing in together when you were just wee little tots. The options are endless and are sure to show just how much your special friends mean to you.

2. Personalized jewelry. You might be thinking, “um, this is not a unique idea. Everyone gives jewelry to their bridesmaids,” but not like this they don’t! Leave the matching pearls and color coordinating earrings at home and opt for more customizable ideas like these beautiful Latitude & Longitude bangle bracelets or these super sweet and dainty monogrammed necklaces using just her initials or go true bff style and use hers and your initials together. Or these! Or these! There are so many unique jewelry options on the worldwide web you’re sure to find something special and unique for each bridesmaid!

3. A handmade journal filled with memories. Ok, this one takes a little extra work on your part but if you have a small wedding party made up of just a couple of your absolute closest and longest friends and you happen to be a little crafty or extra sentimental then this might just be the option for you. Find a cool journal like this or this and personalize it to include inside jokes, special memories, the story of how you met, what you see for your future together as best friends forever, photos of you looking wonderfully and horribly 90s together, meaningful song lyrics, poems and other special things that represent your unique and sometimes awkwardly fantastical friendship. 

4. A hand embroidered heirloom handkerchief because who wants to carry around a wad of tissues all day?? (And seriously.. where are you hiding those things anyway??) If you know your ladies (or guys!) can get emotional and you’re expecting some tears to be shed on wedding day then give the gift of beautifully dry tears! These gorgeous personalized handkercheifs are the perfect accessory to carry around with them throughout the day and also make great keepsakes (after you wash them, of course!).

5. Locally made goods. Who doesn’t love something that was handmade with love by someone in their own hometown?! Locally made goods like these truly have a special place in our hearts. For those of you who, like us, are native to Buffalo, there’s the deliciously scented bath and body goods from Zandra Beauty, (one of the most incredible, sweet as pie, talented teenage Buffalonian entrepreneurs ever. Seriously – this girl is still in high school and she blows our mind with how amazing her products are and how humble and sweet she is). The super awesome scrubs, lip balms and beard butters from EllePeaTee. There’s also the incredibly beautiful handmade customizable decor and kitchen goods from Kitch Studios. These are just a few of our favorite Buffalo makers but there are tons more out there! And if you’re not from Buffalo, fear not! Etsy has the search ability to find makers based on your specific location so we’re certain that you, too, can find amazing makers near you!

6. Handmade soy candles. What’s so special and unique about a candle, you ask? Well, THESE are not your average candles. First off, we have to say, thank God for Ms. Betty and her amazing sense of humor- perfect for the wedding party who isn’t afraid to get sassy and sarcastic (seriously… click that link. The labels are incredible). And then for our more PG friends who love to bond over books, there’s Frostbeard’s handmade soy candles for book lovers. Whether your friends are Potter Heads, or into the classics, there’s something at Frostbeard’s for every book nerd! If you’re looking for insanely deliciously scented candles without the silly and sarcastic labels, try out Linwood Candle Co. (another amazing Buffalo maker!). The Sweet Grapefruit scent is our favorite!!

7. Handmade beer and wine bath products. Yes, you read that correctly. For your friends who love wine and craft beer, give them the gift of bathing in it! Well, sort of. But really- these handmade all natural wine and beer based skin care products and craft beer soaps are pretty freaking awesome. Who knew that wine actually had amazing anti-oxidants in it, perfect for skin care?! And on that note, what guy wouldn’t want to slather his face in craft beer shave soap for the best shave of his life?! Heck, we’re even thinking of growing some facial hair ourselves just to be able to try it out!

And last but not least…

8. The perfect greeting card because what gift is truly complete without one?? If you’re like us and absolutely dread dragging yourself to the drug store just to stand in the middle of the card aisle and stare mindlessly at the over abundance of painfully sappy and horribly bland greeting cards, you’ll LOVE Silla Rojo. Created by one of our very own Ayres Photography brides, the ever amazing Sarah Mosser, Silla Rojo is stocked with absolutely hilarious, unique and colorful greeting cards. If you really are sorry for what you said when you were hangry, Sarah gets it. And she’s probably already designed the perfect card for you and your friends. (And, flashing back to idea #1, she also does super amazing pet and home illustrations!! A woman of many talents). If you’re a Buffalonian who loves to stay loyal to the locals, there’s also the ever talented Rust Belt Love, located right in the heart of Downtown Buffalo in the Market Arcade building. With a wide variety of greeting cards ranging from “potty mouth all the way down to sweet” you’re definitely sure to find the perfect cards for your perfect wedding party!

Hopefully this list filled with fun and sentimental gift ideas helped you to zero in on that perfect present for your incredible and unique friend(s)! We’d love to hear which ideas were your favorite and what items really struck a cord with you. Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Looking to get a super amazing wedding day gift for your fiance?? Check out what this bride bought for her groom!