Upstate New York Wedding Photographer
Some weddings feel like the start of something new.
This one felt like the soft exhale of something long and deeply lived. Andrea and Rusty had already built a life together. Over ten years of love, laughter, shared routines, and hard-earned peace. Two people who had seen enough of life to know what truly matters — and chosen, again and again, to walk through it side by side.
Their wedding wasn’t about beginnings. It was about devotion. Steadfastness. And honoring the love they had carried for so long.
They stood in the sun-drenched yard of their riverside farm — the Oswegatchie winding gently behind them — surrounded by every soul who had mattered along the way. Family, childhood friends, Army brothers. All gathered to bear witness not to a brand new love, but to the persevering kind that has already seen the storms and still chooses light. Penny, Rusty’s dog, trotted down the aisle as the ring bearer. Paddycake, Andrea’s loyal pup, joined us for portraits after the ceremony. And in the background, the horses grazed quietly — part of the rhythm of the place they call home. It was intimate and elevated, personal and full of presence.
After the vows, they tucked into the shade to make it official — signing their marriage license at a small table with Andrea’s mother standing proudly as witness, and Penny resting quietly by Rusty’s side.
As an upstate New York wedding photographer,
— these are the kinds of weddings that leave a lasting imprint. Not just because of where they happened — though the backdrop of the Oswegatchie River was undeniably stunning — but because of who they’re for.
While the ceremony took place on their private farm along the Oswegatchie River, this celebration was deeply rooted in the heart of the north country including Northern and Central New York. Since relocating to this area, north of Syracuse, back in 2020, I’ve come to know that love stories here carry a particular kind of weight — it’s resilient, grounded, and full of soul. These quiet towns, rolling riverbanks, and rural roads are more than just a backdrop; they’re part of the legacy. It’s why couples like Andrea and Rusty choose to celebrate right at home — surrounded by the land, the animals, and the people who have shaped their story from the start.
Rusty, whose long and decorated Army career shaped much of his life, retired after 20 years of service to his country. He carries a strength that is both visible and quiet — and on this day, as the effects of a long-term illness continued to change the way his body moves, that strength looked like presence. Like reaching for Andrea’s hand. Like smiling through fatigue. Like making sure the woman he loves is protected and cared for, legally and emotionally, in the time they have left together and after.
And as the officiant uttered those fateful words “you may kiss the bride,” his strength looked like a fist bump in the air and a victorious, joy-filled shout of “I WIN!” — because nothing had been able to get in the way of him marrying the love of his life.
Because even in the face of uncertainty, their love has never wavered.
There’s a sacredness in that.
And that’s what I tried to honor with my camera.
From the moment Andrea walked across the grass with her heart wide open, to the soft touches and stolen glances between them, every image felt like a quiet promise — not of forever, but of now. Of showing up. Of seeing and being seen. Of holding joy and grief in the same breath and choosing love anyway.
Their wedding was a testament to what it means to live fully in the moment. To create something beautiful and true even when the timeline is uncertain. It was deeply personal — not just because of the circumstances, but because of the kind of love it takes to say, “I choose you, no matter what comes next.”
Rusty and Andrea, thank you for letting me into your story.
For letting me witness a love that is as grounded as it is extraordinary.
Your day will stay with me — not because of the weight it carried, but because of the light that broke through anyway.
This was more than a wedding.
It was a vow to keep showing up, to keep loving fiercely, and to keep holding each other close in every season.
👫✨ Here’s To Happily Ever After! 🥂
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