NNY Living Weddings Autumn 2016

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PHOTOS

MONEY

cakes

unwind

9 pages of wedding photos from local photographers

Build a worry-free wedding budget

Plain white no longer top in taste as new traditions take off

Tips for brides to relax the night before big day

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>> Inside AUTumn 2016

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18 16

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DEPARTMENTS

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6 CONTRIBUTORS 6 MARKETPLACE 8 editor’s note |

PLANNING

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jefferson Co. planner LEWIS COUNTY PLANNER ST. LAWRENCE PLANNER Franklin PLANNER

COVER STORY

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10 POLISHING A GEM A Brantingham Lake chapel is restored for weddings.

FEATURES

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ADVICE

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14 let them eat cake When it comes to wedding cakes, plain white no longer rules as the top in taste.

19 RELAX THE NIGHT BEFORE

16 GETTING social Local experts say sites like Pinterest offer great ideas but are best used as planning tools.

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18 WHAT’S ON THE MENU? For north country caterers, appetizers with complex flavors are becoming popular and savory menu items.

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21 tips for ordering cakes 22 craft a budget plan FEATURE PHOTOGRAPHY

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27 BEST WEDDING PHOTOS Four wedding photographers share some of their best shots.

JASON HUNTER AMANDA MORRISON Patty sourwine nathan lashomb

ON THE COVER | With temperatures too cold for an outdoor photo, the bride and groom slipped away to a dressing room in the Clayton Opera House while their reception was being set up for a series of backstage shots. With a bride active in community theater, it meant a lot for her to incorporate stage life into her wedding. [Amanda Morrison photo.]

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C o ntr i b ut o r s JOLEENE MOODY is a freelance writer, blogger and speaker who lives in Oswego County with her husband and daughter. She writes about managing expectations with Pinterest weddings and offers tips for brides to relax before the big day. (pgs. 16, 19)

MARKETPLACE

GABRIELLE HOVENDON is a former Watertown Daily Times reporter, north country native and freelance writer who is pursuing a Ph.d. at the University of Georgia in Athens. She writes about wedding cake trends and popular menus for receptions. (pgs. 14, 18)

Chairman of the Board John B. Johnson Jr.

Publishers

John B. Johnson Harold B. Johnson II

Magazine Editor

Kenneth J. Eysaman

Magazine Associate Karee Magee

Contributing Writers

Joleene Moody & Gabrielle Hovendon

Photography

Justin Sorensen, Jason Hunter, Amanda Morrison and Stephen Sowfford

Cover Photo

Amanda Morrison

Director of Advertising Michelle Bowers

Magazine Advertising Manager Beth Hornbarger

Ad Graphics, Design

Brian Mitchell, Heather O’Driscoll, Scott Smith, Todd Soules, Rick Gaskin

Circulation Director Mary Sawyer

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NNY Living Weddings is published twice a year by Northern New York Newspaper Corp., 260 Washington St., Watertown, NY 13601, a Johnson Newspaper Corp. company. Š 2014-2016. All material submitted to NNY Living Weddings becomes property of Northern New York Newspaper Corp., publishers of the Watertown Daily Times, and will not be returned.

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Submissions Send all editorial correspondence to keysaman@wdt.net Advertising For advertising rates and information in Jefferson and Lewis counties, email mbowers@wdt.net, or call 661-2456 In St. Lawrence County, e-mail gvalik@wdt.net, or call 661-2358 Printed with pride in U.S.A. at Vanguard Printing LLC, Ithaca, N.Y. a Forest Stewardship Certified facility.

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Monday-Friday

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e d i t o r ’ s n o te

Help us tell your stories

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e are excited to deliver our autumn edition of NNY Living Weddings.

This is our sixth issue and, from a content perspective, we continue to cover a wide range of topics that relate to planning and executing the perfect north country wedding.

When we published our first weddings edition of NNY Living in January 2014, we knew we were Ken Eysaman on to something good. To our great surprise, advertisers have continued to respond with an overwhelming level of support. Little doubt remains that we will be able to continue to publish a twice annual weddings magazine. Your support of the dozens of quality advertisers and wedding entrepreneurs who have successfully carved out their own niche in this fast-growing industry will help us to improve our effort.

But to make future issues even more exciting and fun, we’d like you to share your real wedding stories with us for publication. From engagement to planning to your walk down the aisle and exotic wedding trips, we want to tell your wedding stories in NNY Living Weddings.

Our next issue is scheduled to publish in mid-December in advance of the NNY Bridal Showcase, the region’s largest local bridal show, which is set for Sunday, Jan. 8, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Dulles State Office Building in Watertown.

Please contact me by mid-October if your “ultimate north country dream wedding” took place in the past two years and you would like to share your story and a few photos. Not all who contact me will be featured in print, but we will do our best to share your story on nnyliving.com.

Email me at keysaman@wdt.net. We’d love to share your joyous story.

KEN EYSAMAN is editor for NNY Magazines.

Contact him at keysaman@wdt.net or 661-2399.

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THE knot

Chapel going to the

in the pines

LONGTIME BRANTINGHAM SUMMER RESIDENTS BRING HISTORIC SITE BACK TO LIFE FOR WEDDINGS TEXT BY KAREE M. MAGEE | PHOTOS BY ELLEN NICOL PHOTOGRAPHY

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When it came to her wedding DAY Tara Pirkle had an unwavering vision of her perfect day filled with love, intimacy, family and nature, a dream symbolic of her relationship with her husband Alan Smodic.

From the beginning, indecision never even factored in to their relationship.

Tara had been working at the Wounded Warrior Project in Jacksonville, Fla., for six years since it was a small organization. As it grew larger, she made an effort to introduce herself to coworkers she didn’t know.

That was how she met Alan on his first day of work and it was destiny for them.

Within two weeks they were dating and a year later they got engaged on March 8, 2015, on the swing of her parents’ Southern Living-style porch after church.

“We knew instantly,” Tara said. “The moment we met we knew we were soulmates.”

She approached her wedding with the same certainty, choosing for her bridal

venue her favorite place, Brantingham Lake in Lewis County.

Tara’s grandfather, who was originally from Albany, discovered Brantingham Lake when her mother was 13 years old and bought a house on its shore. Since that day, the lake has held special meaning for the family.

Tara’s mother, Dianna Pirkle, grew up on the lake during the summers and she made sure her three daughters, including Tara, did, too.

“It was what I looked forward to all year,” Tara said. “It’s so different from Jacksonville. There’s something so peaceful and relaxing about it.”

Brantingham Lake was also one of the first vacations that Tara and Alan took together and he fell in love with it, she said.

It made sense to her that Brantingham Lake would be the backdrop to her wedding and the perfect place already existed.

Coming up Brantingham Road, a small white chapel peaks out from

THE knot The Chapel in the Pines at Brantingham Lake, Lewis County.

Facing page, Tara Pirkle and her husband, Alan Smodic, on their wedding day, Oct. 10, 2015.

crazy,” she said.

Her mother took a trip to the chapel in June 2015 to check on the state of things.

When she arrived she found the building in dire need of renovation. The chapel had peeling paint, there were only floodlights for fixtures inside, the front doors were rotten and in place of steps was an upside down orange crate.

“It was heartbreaking,” Tara said. “I wasn’t aware of the state the chapel was in. It was really sad to see that it had fallen apart.”

Dianna approached Aldersgate about renovations, but the organization did not have room in the budget at the time.

As a designer, she took it upon herself to rally the local community and family life campers to renovate the site and she collected more than $5,000.

“You can imagine my excitement when she told me she wanted to renovate it,” Tara said. “We’re a really close-knit family, tight family. We’re always there for each other.

With the help of volunteers and a carpenter from Sackets Harbor, the chapel was painted, steps were built, lights were installed and Dianna refurbished the altar herself.

“It was a labor of love and the end result was really beautiful,” Dianna said.

Thanks to the work of her mother and the community at Brantingham Lake, Tara got her perfect wedding location and it was the scene of her dream.

“I pictured it being this beautiful fall day in the mountains with the fall leaves and the crisp air,” she said. “I love that type of weather.”

Despite the changeable weather of Northern New York and the pouring rain during the rehearsal dinner, she got her wish.

“It was the perfect day,” she said. “The fall leaves were there that day.”

On Oct. 10, 2015, about 60 people, including the bridal party, packed into the small Adirondack chapel to see Tara and Alan say their vows.

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within the pines surrounded by a large meadow on the way to the lake almost like a part of the forest.

Owned Aldersgate Camp & Retreat Center, the Chapel in the Pines was built in the early 1800s and served as a United Methodist Church before it was moved to Brantingham Road in 1949.

Its simple, rustic charm made it the ideal place for her wedding, but it was the family connection that made it so important. Tara’s uncle was married in the same chapel in 1977.

“I knew how much Brantingham meant,” she said. “When I told my grandmother I wanted to get married there she lit up.”

It meant a bit of a rush, though, for Tara because she wanted to get married in the fall, but she did not want to have to wait for more than a year to walk down the aisle.

“With that we had to move quickly because the winters up there are pretty

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THE knot “It was really a great ceremony with that intimacy,” she said. “It was personal like it was just for us.”

After her sisters’ big weddings, a small mountain wedding was exactly what she wanted and she was determine for it to be elegant, but at the same time true to the simple, rustic charm of the north country.

She used neutral colors and white flowers at the chapel and Tug Hill Vineyards for the reception. Decorations were subtle, including silver and mercury candle holders, lanterns and string lights.

“I didn’t want to compete with the natural colors,” she said.

After the ceremony, the wedding continued at Tug Hill Vineyards, overlooking a scenic view of Lewis County.

“You get this breathtaking view,” Tara said. “It was such a gorgeous setup.”

A bar was set up outside for cocktail hour, but a buffet-style dinner was held inside where the room was dominated by a large head table for the bride and groom, as well as the bridal party and their spouses.

After dinner, dancing and the traditional reception activities, guests were once again invited outside into the crisp autumn air to enjoy a s’mores bar.

Although it was a lovely reception, Tara said that the guests’ favorite part was overwhelmingly the chapel.

“People were so pleasantly surprised,” she said. “People are used to larger churches and larger weddings.”

For her, the wedding was the perfect dream come true.

“There was a lot of love,” she said.

“So much of the wedding and the day is blacked out in the happiness. It was an overwhelming feeling of love.”

Tara Pirkle and her husband, Alan Smodic, on their wedding day last October at the Chapel in the Pines, Brantingham.

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KAREE MAGEE is a magazine associate for NNY Magazines. Contact her at kmagee@wdt.net or 661-2381.

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The details / Tara Pirkle and Alan Smodic October 10, 2015

Groomsmen: Daron Christopher, Josh Patitucci, Josh Register, Chris Blaich, Matt Linn

Hometowns: Bride: Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. and Brantingham Lake (bride) and Pittsburgh, Pa. (groom)

Hairdresser: Grazyna Mercado, Jacksonville, Fla.

Parents of the Bride: Dianna and Dale Pirkle

Parents of the Groom: Deborah and Walter Smodic Ceremony: Chapel in the Pines, Brantingham

Tuxedos: Men’s Warehouse Cake: Chrissy Beanz Bakery, Sackets Harbor

Officiant: The Rev. William R. Wheeler, Greig

Florist: Lisk’s Floral, Glenfield

Reception: Tug Hill Vineyards, Lowville

Bar: Tug Hill Vineyards, Lowville

Matrons of Honor: Lisa Blaich and Jennie Register

Catering: RJ’s Catering, Adams Center

Best man: Ryan Smodic

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Bridesmaids: Allison Burgoyne, Paige Velasquez, Casey Clarkson

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F E AT U R E S

Choose your just ‘desserts’

When it comes to cake, plain white no longer reigns top in taste

JASON HUNTER | NNY Weddings

Cindy Murdie adds frosting to a wedding cake at her business, Cindy’s Cake Shop, at 2738 State Highway 68 in Canton. Mrs. Murdie said she’s seen elaborate design elements fall from popularity in the past 18 years.

BY GABRIELLE HOVENDON

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Let them eat cake — naked, curdfilled sculpted cake.

The plain white cake is no longer queen in the world of weddings. Instead, ribbon trim, ombre shading and even nearly bare

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cakes are all part of a growing trend to color and customize the wedding cake.

Cindy A. Murdie, owner of Cindy’s Cake Shop in Canton, said that she’s seen elaborate scallops, curlicues and architectural elements fall from popularity during her 18 years in the business.

“It used to be everyone wanted the traditional white wedding cake with flowers, ruffles, fountains, stairs,” Mrs. Murdie said. “Now it’s simpler. We do naked cakes where there’s a bare minimum of frosting and you can see the cake peeking through. It’s got more layers of filling in it, and sometimes there’s fresh fruit or fresh flowers.”

“People like to put real flowers on cakes these days instead of fondant flowers,” agreed April L. Johnson, owner of April’s Cake Shop in Watertown. “Fresh fruits and ribbons are getting more popular, too.

With the fresh fruit, they’re putting them on naked cakes where you have little to no icing, and they’re also putting them between the layers. They want it intentionally looking like the fruit is oozing out.”

According to the local cake makers, one of the most popular cake styles this year is a rustic look. Cakes are frosted with textured buttercream and ornamented with burlap, roughed-up icing or even edible paint to resemble birch bark.

The rustic look doesn’t mean that wedding cakes are becoming simpler in their flavors, though. For example, April’s Cake Shop, which averages around 60 cakes a year, sees lemon, red velvet and almond as some of its most popular flavors alongside vanilla and chocolate.

“We do carrot cakes and spice cakes and funfetti and strawberry and red velvet,” said Mrs. Murdie, going on to list

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F E AT U R E S Cindy’s Cake Shop fillings such as cream cheese, Bavarian, chocolate mousse and even citrus curd. “Last weekend, it was a maple-flavored cake and a raspberryflavored cake.”

Thanks perhaps to TV shows like the Food Network’s Ace of Cakes and TLC’s Cake Boss, themed cakes are also becoming popular in the north country. For example, Todd L. Soules, a graphic artist by profession, creates a handful of sculptured, 3-D wedding cakes each year for guests with elaborate visions.

His recent designs include a beachthemed cake, an autumn cake and a diamond-studded cake with three tiers.

“I’ve done flowers, I’ve done sculptures, I’ve done seashells,” he said. “Usually, I try to make the entire thing completely edible. I don’t like to buy decorations. …

For me, it’s almost like being in art school.

Something’s always different, and there’s always the challenge of trying to figure out how to do it.”

One thing to consider when choosing a cake — be it elaborately sculpted or nearly naked — is guests’ dietary restrictions. Local caterers said they can often

couples’ responsibility to label their dessert options carefully.

“It’s one common kitchen, so if anyone has a nut allergy we want them to tell us,” said Ms. Johnson. “That way, we can use extra precautions such as disposable bags when we’re piping. If they’re concerned about a guest, maybe on their invitation they could have a small disclaimer that states the cake may or may not contain nuts.”

Meanwhile, though some couples are opting for themed or unfrosted cakes,

STEPHEN SWOFFORD | NNY Weddings

April L. Johnson, owner of April’s Cake Shop, Public Square, Watertown, decorates cupcakes in her shop. Ms. Johnson said fresh fruits are growing in popularity among wedding cake clients.

accommodate a special diet by creating a batch of gluten-free or sugar-free cupcakes, but they cautioned that it is the

others are doing away with the cake entirely. Tiered stands of cupcakes, platters of colorful macarons and even assorted dessert bars are all becoming more popular in the north country.

“Cupcakes are big. We do a ton of cupcakes for weddings now,” said Mrs. Murdie. “They’ll get a small, 6- to 8-inch top cake and then maybe 300 cupcakes on a stand below. Customers love it. The bride and groom cut a cupcake and feed each other, and then they just tell the guests to help themselves.”

Other departures from the traditional Please see CAKES, page 21

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F E AT U R E S

Like what you see on Pinterest?

Experts: Social sites are best as planning tools to help guide process

BY JOLEENE MOODY

A UTUMN 2016 | NNY LIVING WE DDI NGS

Thanks to the explosion of social media and all of its radiant platforms, anyone, anywhere can find an image of someone or something they like and click the “print” icon.

Brides everywhere know this, and scour the likes of Instagram and Pinterest mere seconds after the engagement ring is placed on their finger. This is the moment they’ve been waiting for. This is the time where they get to create the most amazing day ever. From gowns to flowers to pictures to cakes, it has to be perfect. And Pinterest, for many, is where that perfection lies.

There’s only one tiny problem.

Pinterest images can be a bit deceiving.

Suggested pricing can be misleading. This makes for some complicated conversations for professionals in the wedding industry.

“Sometimes I don’t hear about their Pinterest ideas until after I’m hired,” said Lauren Harrienger of Lauren Harrienger Photography & Design out of Adams Center. “So sometimes that makes it stressful because Pinterest can give people a very inaccurate idea of what their pictures will look like.”

As Ms. Harrienger explains, the lighting and the settings in the pictures the brides bring forth from Pinterest are not only shot at a very specific time of day with additional lighting, they are shot in places that don’t even remotely match the backdrop of Northern New York.

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Wedding industry experts caution that offerings on social media platforms like Pinterest should be used only as a guide, and not as an exact solution.

NNY Weddings FILE PHOTO

“Some of the photos they bring me are shot in the Bahamas near the water or on the top of a mountain,” she said. “They’re also shot at a very specific time of day to capture the right lighting. When they show me what they want, I talk a lot more with them about their expectations and make sure they know when the ideal time for pictures is.”

Monica Atanasova, owner of Europe Cakes in Watertown, can relate. Her brides often bring images and ideas from Pinterest and want the exact same cake replicated.

And while she can certainly do a replication, she has to explain how expert photography can put a bit of a damper on their

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wedding cake expectations.

“All of the cakes they see on Pinterest are coming from a professional photographer,” she said. “They’re beautiful. But in reality, the exact colors can’t always be replicated. When we do the cake, we try to make the colors on the cake the same as the colors in the photo. But that can be hard to do sometimes because the photographers’ lighting changes it.”

So how does a bride get exactly what she wants? And what about those neat infographics and printables on Pinterest that tell brides how much they should be paying for a service, and why?

For many brides-to-be, Pinterest of-

F E AT U R E S fers a wealth of information outside of images, including proposed budgets or what some experts say something should really cost. Some of these experts create large-scale infographics that give brides a ballpark price of what that cake they want should really cost, or what professional grade pictures should price out at.

Both Ms. Atanasova and Ms. Harrienger have had these kinds of conversations, too. And again, they have to advise their brides of the reality of the situation.

“The pricing is so very different,” Ms. Atanasova said. “Sometimes they expect to pay what is recommended on Pinterest. But it doesn’t work that way. I have to explain that some cakes take more work than others.

I get paid per hour. So they have to understand that they have to pay the price for an eight-hour cake and not a one-hour cake.”

For Ms. Harrienger, it’s a conversation she has to nip in the bud right away.

“I try to be flexible, but if their expectations on pricing don’t match the workload, I tell them I simply can’t do it,” she said.

If you’re visiting Pinterest to lay out your perfect wedding here are some tips that our experts offer: Be flexible with your expectations Understand that the majority of images on Pinterest are done as a style shoot with professional models, high-end dresses, plastic cakes, and the best of the best of photographers. Some colors may be slightly off.

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Listen to your professionals Some professionals in the field are ready for the Pinterest or Instagram conversation. They’ve had experiences before where expectations weren’t met, and are ready to discuss what you should really expect.

Use Pinterest as a guide industry professionals can certainly recreate what you want to the best of their ability and at an agreeable price point. Bear in mind that the offerings on the social platform should be used only as a guide, and not as an exact solution. Getting an exact replication can be rare.

Joleene moody is a freelance writer, blogger and speaker who lives in Oswego County with her husband and daughter. Contact her at takeyour voiceback.com.

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Ask questions If your professional doesn’t talk to you about your expectations, ask questions so you are clear on them. Ask about lighting, availability of props, and colors.

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feature s

Don’t let choices overwhelm menu Small bites with complex flavors gain popularity in north country

BY GABRIELLE HOVENDON

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What’s on the menu for north country brides and grooms?

For starters, appetizers of all kinds.

Across the country and in Northern New York, small hors d’oeuvres with complex flavors are becoming popular at weddings.

For example, Embellished Catering and Events in Henderson Harbor offers a popular bacon-wrapped scallop appetizer and a sausage-stuffed mushroom appetizer with roasted red peppers and parmesan and asiago cheeses.

“One of the things that we also do is assorted crostini,” said Michele M. Warner, co-owner of Embellished Catering. “They seem to be pretty popular because there’s several different variations of them. We’ve done pork belly with fresh nectarines.

We’ve also done pine nuts and walnuts with blue cheese and strawberries or blueberries with feta. There’s so many variations, it makes for a nice presentation.”

At the other end of the meal, mini desserts are also become more popular. With Embellished Catering, guests might have a choice between various flavors — lemon, strawberry, chocolate, etc. — of puddingbased desserts with cookie crusts, all served in a 2- to 3-ounce shot glass.

“There’s chocolate options, lemon options, white chocolate and blueberry and all different flavors,” said Michael Simpson, chef and owner of the Clipper Inn. “Sometimes wedding cakes can be a little bit boring, and so the mini dessert gives people a chance to have several different tastes of desserts, which is more fun than one.”

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The local caterers agreed that the wedding’s main meal has changed very little: the typical proteins are still popular, with chicken a perennial favorite. Beef, pork and seafood options are also still common.

What’s changing, though, is the way these dishes are served.

“I think the trend that we’ve seen in the last year or so is a turn toward a family-style dinner as opposed to a buffet or a sitdown dinner,” Mr. Simpson said. “In family style, we put down platters of each item — starches, vegetables and proteins — on the table and they take whatever they want.

It’s appealing because they can get exactly what they want, and they don’t have to get up. It’s a convenient way to go.”

A less common but still important trend in weddings across the country is the emergence of sustainable or farm-to-table menus. In the north country, Boo Wells, chef and owner of the Farm House Kitchen catering company in Sackets Harbor, talked about preparing seasonal and locally sourced menus for her clients.

“I don’t know if this is an industry trend or just my demographic, but my clients want as much local produce as possible,”

she said. “Everyone is concerned about environmental impact and waste. I think people are getting more mindful.”

Local caterers say small, flavorful bites, like this shrimp appetizer, are gaining in popularity.

Special to NNY Weddings

The Farm House Kitchen, which caters about two fully locally sourced weddings and many other partially locally sourced weddings each year, uses everything from Sackets Harbor greens and herbs to Rodman asparagus in its wedding menus.

Embellished Catering also tries to use seasonal produce whenever it can, particularly for vegetables.

“We try to source from local businesses as much as possible. We shop a lot at the Little Barn Bulk Foods, and occasionally we try to use the farmers market in Watertown,” Ms. Warner said. “I think that people like the idea of keeping it local and supporting local business.”

Offering locally sourced produce requires extra creativity on the part of the

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feature s caterer — and relinquishing some control on the part of the couple — as everything from crop failure to bad weather can impact the menu at the last minute.

“The most critical thing for brides is they need to be flexible,” Ms. Wells said.

“With the farm-to-table dinner that we did last Friday, we were really finishing up that menu on Thursday night. We’d been to the farmers market, and we’d gotten all our deliveries from the various local farmers, and then we had to decide what would be good together, how to prep it, all of that. But it’s really fun for us, because it exercises that creativity, and you also get this amazing food.”

A final trend in local weddings is a growing awareness of dietary restrictions.

The caterers agreed that gluten-free and vegetarian diets were among the most common meals requested by their clients.

“Those are things that sometimes resonate more with a wedding,” Mr. Simpson said, adding that the Clipper Inn offers various dishes to accommodate these special diets. “Some people have a lot of friends who are either vegetarians or have lactose or gluten issues.”

Ms. Warner recommended that couples tackle these dietary restrictions by maintaining open communication with the caterer, who can often substitute glutenfree or vegetable entrees for guests.

“As long as you have a menu that’s full of whole foods — kind of what we do anyway — you’re not impacted,” Ms. Wells said. “We have beautiful salads and beautiful sides, and since we’re making everything from scratch, we know what’s in it. It doesn’t really stop us.”

GABRIELLE HOVENDON is a former Watertown Daily Times reporter, north country native and freelance writer who is pursuing a Ph.d. at the University of Georgia in Athens. Email her at ghoven don@gmail.com.

Tips for brides to relax before big day

BY JOLEENE MOODY “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”

The infamous line from a “Tale of Two Cities” by Charles Dickens suggests an age of radical opposites. Any bride knows that they will experience their own radical opposites planning a wedding that can fluctuate between fun, exiting moments, and extremely stressful moments.

The stressful moments are the ones we can do without. But when the heat is on and the clock is ticking, it’s almost impossible to thwart it. We asked out experts how the brides they’ve worked with unwind in the days before their wedding.

Here is what they offered:

Take a yoga class Yoga is a practice that speaks to the mind, the body, and the spirit. It’s a sort of meditation, and when you’re in the right room with the right yoga teacher, some pretty blissful things can happen.

Nancy M. Pfeil of the Kripalu Yoga and Wellness Center in Adams said, “Yoga is a science that works on the whole body, not just the superficial muscles. It works on the body, mind, and emotions.”

When emotions are running high, taking a yoga class could be the solution to bring you back down to earth and to a peaceful state.

Read a book in peace Disappear into another world with a novel. Dissolve away worry with a self-help book. Whatever your book of choice, reading is one of the best ways to relax. Research conducted by Mindlab International at the University of Sussex

shows that just six minutes of reading can be enough to reduce stress levels by more than two thirds.

If you stress about the perfection of your wedding, reading can allow you to let go of that perfection and accept things as they are.

“Just enjoy the day,” said Monica Atanasova of Europe Cakes in Watertown. “Don’t worry if the details aren’t perfect or the colors aren’t the perfect blue or the perfect gold. Just enjoy the day. You only do it once.”

Get a massage Plan a spa day for yourself or go all in with a group of girlfriends.

Everyone knows that a good massage is a fantastic way to relax. In a study conducted by Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, researchers found that a single session of massage caused biological change.

Lauren Harrienger of Lauren Harrienger Photography & Design said, “A spa or pedicure day with bridesmaids is popular. The girls will take a whole day and do massages, pedicures, get their nails done, all of that. They just get pampered. They tell me it’s the most fun day ever because there is no stress and no planning. They’re hanging out with friends right before one of the biggest days of their lives.”

Keep a gratitude journal One of the benefits of keeping a gratitude journal is that it lowers stress levels.

According to Lauren Jessen, contributing writer of the Huffington Post, a gratitude journal can help you focus on what really matters. It can also help you become Please see RELAX, page 25 A UTUMN 20 16 | NNY L IVING WEDDI NGS

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F E AT U R E S Cake makers offer advice for choosing cake designer

First, figure out what your needs are.

“The best advice would be to make sure you have your head count as close as possible. It does throw things off,” said Todd L. Soules, who creates a handful of sculpted 3-D wedding cakes each year. “And it’s important to give whoever’s doing the cake enough time.”

Next, decide on your preferences for style and taste.

“We have a lot of people who come in and do cake testings. We make up a bunch of cupcakes, and they can come in and try them and see what their wedding cake will taste like,” said Cindy A. Murdie, owner of Cindy’s Cake Shop, Canton, who noted that a good cake maker will offer photos of past creations for their customers to look at. “I’d be leery of getting a cake from someone whose work you’ve never seen pictures of. Try to get a taste of what it’s going to be like.”

Lastly, be sure to plan ahead — far ahead.

“I would suggest booking your cakes six months to a year in advance,” said April L. Johnson, owner of April’s Cake Shop, Watertown. “Space is limited for a lot of bakeries.

If you’re expecting an extravagant cake last minute, the space and availability may not be there and you may have to settle. Whereas if you plan ahead, you’ll have priority and you’ll get everything you wanted.”

— Gabrielle Hovendon

CAKES, from page 15

GABRIELLE HOVENDON is a former Watertown Daily Times reporter, north country native and freelance writer who is pursuing a Ph.d. at the University of Georgia in Athens. Email her at ghoven don@gmail.com.

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wedding cake include groom’s cakes, a bonus cake that often features chocolate or fruits. While these are still comparatively rare in the north country, Mr. Soules recalled a recent groom’s cake he made that featured — in the form of hand-molded Rice Krispies, fondant and chocolate — a sculpted bass jumping out of water.

But for those who are trying to cut costs, choosing a simple option may be the most economical answer to your nuptial sweet tooth.

“A lot of times, when the bride is on a budget, we offer sheet cake options that remain in the back, unseen,” Ms. Johnson said. “A lot of people are doing that. They want to keep it simple, and they have just a small decoration cake for the reception. Very rarely are we doing four and five tiers anymore.”

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F E AT U R E S

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Couples engaged to be married have a lot on their plates as they begin planning their weddings. Whereas tradition once demanded parents of the bride pay for a couple’s wedding, nowadays more and more engaged couples are completely or partially financing their own nuptials. That means prospective brides and grooms must develop wedding budgets that won’t ensure their first act as Mr. and Mrs. is paying down debt.

In its 2015 Real Weddings Study, online bridal resource The Knot found that many couples still receive substantial financial support from their parents to pay for their weddings. The survey found that, on average, the bride’s parent’s contributed 44 percent of the overall wedding budget in 2015, while couples financed 43 percent (the remaining 13 percent was financed by the groom’s parents and additional sources). Couples who hope to follow that formula or pay for their weddings on their own can heed the following tips to build wedding budgets that won’t break the bank but will still ensure a day to remember forever. n Examine your collective finances.

Few couples know the details of each other’s finances before getting engaged.

While some may still hesitate to share their personal financial information upon getting engaged, an open and honest discussion and examination of each person’s finances is the only way to develop a realistic wedding budget that both partners can live with. Once couples know what they can contribute, they can then consult their parents to determine if their mothers and fathers are intending to contribute. n Develop a preliminary guest list. A preliminary guest list can give couples an idea of how large and expensive their weddings will be. According to the Real Weddings Study, the average cost per wedding guest in 2015 was $237. While that cost can vary greatly depending on geography and other factors, couples should keep that figure in mind when drafting their guest lists. If need be, keep costs down by trimming the guest list so it includes only close family

F E AT U R E S members and friends. n Don’t count on gifts. Many couples justify runaway wedding budgets by telling themselves that they will ultimately get the money back via wedding gifts.

While many guests will give financial gifts, counting on such windfalls is a recipe for accruing debt. Do not build potential wedding gifts into your wedding budget. If you do so and your expectations fall short, you could be facing considerable debt upon returning home from your honeymoon. n Gather quotes before choosing where to tie the knot. Where couples get married will have a great impact on how

Build extra costs into your budget. When determining a budget you can live with, remember to include extra for unforeseen costs. Weddings are large undertakings.

It’s reasonable to expect some unforeseen costs.

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much money they will spend on their weddings. For example, the Real Weddings Study found that, in 2015, the average wedding in Manhattan cost couples slightly more than $82,000, while the average Alaskan wedding cost just over $17,000. Venues within the same city can vary greatly with regard to pricing and offerings as well, so couples should give themselves ample time to gather quotes and find an affordable venue they like. n Build extra costs into your budget.

When determining a budget you can live with, remember to include a little extra for unforeseen costs. Weddings are large undertakings, and it’s reasonable to expect some unforeseen costs to arise.

Building such costs into your initial budget will make these unforeseen circumstances that much easier to handle.

Budgets can help couples stay on track and avoid debt as they plan their weddings.

— MS Features

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F E AT U R E S RELAX, from page 19 more self-aware as you move through one of the most incredible and unpredictable times of your life.

Start your journal a few months before your big day and write in it every night.

By sorting through what you’re grateful for, you negate the scary, stressful pieces that you experience during the planning phase. From the littlest of things to the biggest, write down all you are grateful for.

The journal will make for a nice keepsake to look back on years down the road, too.

Take a hot bath Taking a nice hot bath the night before your wedding day can relax your muscles and your mind. Theknot.com suggests you add bath salts that will moisturize your skin and help you loosen up with a soothing scent.

“As long as you’re lying around in warm water, use a pumice on your feet and a loofah on your knees and elbows for extra polish. You’ll step out of the tub feeling completely refreshed,” TheKnot. com suggested.

Consider candles and aromatherapy, too. Essential oils can also calm the mind and ease the senses as well.

Joleene moody is a freelance writer, blogger and speaker who lives in Oswego County with her husband and daughter. Contact her at takeyour voiceback.com.

The Unparalleled Beauty of the Tug Hill Countryside and Vineyard is a Perfect Background for Your Destination Wedding.

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Go for a walk Before bath salts and candles, before yoga and journaling, the single greatest form of stress relief was going for a walk.

It still is.

Brisk walking boosts endorphins, which can reduce stress hormones and alleviate mild depression. Per WebMD.com, regular exercise, through the production of feel-good endorphins, can improve mood and self-esteem.

“I’ve been making cakes for brides for ten years and I see so many stressed out women. It’s never going to be exact. This is one of the most important days of your life. Let it come as it should and enjoy it,” said Monica Atanasova of Europe Cakes in Watertown.

Take a walk at night in the days leading up to your wedding. Or take a walk in the middle of the day when stress levels might be high. Breathe in the air and enjoy the scenery. Northern New York has a lot of beauty to offer.

Your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life. Let it be memorable. Relax into it. And enjoy every second.

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feature d w e d d i n g P H O T OS

‘Summer lights’

R

ight, although I often setup lights to shoot weddings, I prefer natural light. Outdoor weddings often provide the opportunity to photograph the bride and groom with beautiful evening light like this summer wedding in Norwood.

‘Serene sun’

T

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he setting sun always makes for a beautiful portrait backdrop like this summer wedding in Norwood. I had already taken formal portraits, but I asked the bride and groom to stand in one more photo when I saw the sun dropping low in the sky.

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Special packages and rates available. Call Pam for more information or to make an appointment to come see us.

feature d w e d d i n g P H O T OS

‘All in the details’

D

etails and color always catch my eye, as was the case with this summer bride in Lisbon with her floral arrangement and floral headband. I often choose to blow out the background with a shallow depth of field to separate the subject from the background.

‘Dance fever’

T

he dance floor is one of my favorite locations to shoot at a wedding, capturing not only the bride and groom, but the bridesmaids and their guests, as was the case in this photoat a summer wedding in Lisbon.

Jason Hunter, Potsdam Jason Hunter Photography jasonhunterphotography.com

Shop Online at www.asherwoodflorist.com

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Our Flowers Speak For Themselves!

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‘The garter toss’

E

ven though this was the first wedding I shot as a college student 10 years ago, when my skills were nowhere near my abilities now, this is still one of my favorite wedding images. I love the expressions on the faces of the guys in the background, and the quirkiness of the miner’s helmet is still something I mention at weddings I photograph today. It may not be technically perfect, but the moment in the photo is enough to make it stand out as a personal favorites.

‘Bat shoes’

I

t pays to discuss wedding themes and plans with a couple before their wedding day. Sine I was tipped off that there would be a super hero theme to the wedding day, I made a point to capture as many super hero-related details as I could. Noticing the custom paint job on the bride’s shoes as the couple walked away from a portrait session was just one example of the theme shining through the wedding.

‘Photo booth fun’

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hoto booths and backdrops are becoming more and more popular at weddings. Photographers are able to snap candid moments of guests having a good time. The Christmas light decor and some depth of field adds a fun flair to the photo.

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feature d w e d d i n g P H O T OS

‘River wedding’

A

cold day can force a photographer to speed up shooting. Thankfully the sun and a breeze cooperated so that we were able to get a nice photo on the water, even though the spring temperatures were reminiscent of winter.

‘Preparing the aisle’

I

prefer to carry my journalistic style into wedding shoots, which results in working a scene as I would for a newspaper. The technique of shooting close, from low-angle and wide-angle lenses, is something I often do while covering events, and helped make this mundane part of the ceremony, setting up the aisle runner, more interesting.

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‘Fit for a king & queen’

A

destination wedding for an out-of-town couple who had never visited the ever-popular Boldt Castle in Alexandria Bay prior to their wedding day. Heart Island and the castle offer infinite opportunities for capturing meaningful images that are also unique and timeless.

‘Summer in bloom’

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blossoming field made for the ideal backdrop for this summer wedding couple. Quite often, setting the right stage in just the right location plays an important part in capturing classic, but fresh photos. In this case, Mother Nature helped to provide a colorful environment.

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‘Early autumn afternoon’

T

his was a beautiful afternoon fall wedding in the heart of the 1000 Islands. This shot was taken at the Thousand Islands International Tourism Council Visitor’s Center near the 1000 Islands Bridge.

‘A castle’s corner’

A

north country couple takes advantage of the beautiful Boldt Castle in Alexandria Bay’s Heart Island for their wedding day. The classic photo is from a summer wedding at the popular Jefferson County venue.

Patty Sourwine, LaFargeville Sourwine Photography Facebook.com (Sourwine Photography)

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CATERING • BARTENDING

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‘A towering church’

B

rianna and Josh Ooms were married at the First Congregational Church in Malone earlier this summer. Built in 1883, the 133-year-old church is itself a work of art that provides a great stage for this shot on the lawn after the touching ceremony.

‘Embracing the moment’

J

eremy and Michelle Hendricks make every moment count during this early summer wedding this year in Massena at the Copper Still. The sky provided a dramatic backdrop for this post-ceremony kiss.

‘Around the bend’

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ewlyweds Brianna and Josh Ooms are ready for anything that’s just around the bend. The couple took a walk along the highway near Titus Mountain during this summer wedding earlier this year.

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t es n w I n!

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feature d w e d d i n g P H O T OS

‘A subtle kiss’

J

eremy Hendricks kisses the forehead of his bride, Michelle, after this early summer wedding ceremony this year in Massena at the Copper Still. The warm, green environment provided ideal contrast.

‘Details that matter’

‘A field of dreams’

B

ride and groom Racheal and Michael steal a moment on the hillside of their farm after exchanging vows during this summer wedding in Massena earlier this year.

F

or bride Brianna Ooms, the details that matter are modeled here.

Brianna’s Dress was fashioned by Sposa Bella, Canton, and her fresh floral bouquet was arranged by Verville’s Flowers, Massena.

Nathan Lashomb Forevermore Studios, Massena forevermorestudio.com A UTUMN 20 16 | NNY L IVING WEDDI NGS

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