Canisius College and Hotel Lafayette Wedding | Buffalo, NY | Rachael and Nick

Rachael and Nick’s Buffalo wedding at Canisius College and Hotel Lafayette was the perfect way to kick off my New York wedding season! Rachael is an old friend of mine from high school, and I loved getting to celebrate with her and spend time with her family. Even though it had been 15 years (!!!) since seeing everyone, it felt like just yesterday! And after meeting Nick’s parents during the engagement session, it was great to see them again and meet the rest of Nick’s family and friends.

And just as I expected, this crew knew how to party. Photos with the bridesmaids and groomsmen were a blast, and make sure you scroll to the end of the blog to see all the fun dance floor photos!

Rachael and all of her bridesmaids started the wedding day at the Lofts on Pearl for hair and makeup. I just love the giant brick wall along the whole length of their suite! Such a beautiful backdrop for their getting ready photos.

Rachael looking GORGEOUS in her dress. ❤️️❤️️❤️️

One of my favorite wedding traditions - when the wedding couple writes letters to each other to read beforehand!

Nick and the groomsmen got ready at Nick’s parents’ house just outside of Buffalo. Then they all piled in to the Bills Bus! Nick and Rachael invested in this amazing mode of transportation with a few of their friends, and they regularly use it to attend Buffalo Bills games. Why not break it out for a wedding day too?!

The wedding ceremony was held at Christ the King Chapel on the Canisius College campus. The inside of the church is beautiful, and so is the outside!

The navy and blush color combination for the wedding party attire is one of my favorites.

I love the detail on the back of Rachael’s dress!

Our next stop for photos was Eddie Brady’s - the bar where Nick and Rachael had their first date!

Rachael got to ring the bell behind the bar, and the whole place (filled mostly with wedding guests), erupted into cheers!

Hotel Lafayette has these adorable little courtyards with string lights in the middle of the building. So of course Rachael and Nick wanted to sneak out there for a few minutes before going into cocktail hour!