WellWed in New York

This isn’t the first time Alisha Clark and Luke Walker’s wedding pictures have appeared on these pages, but it’s the first time they’ve actually been the stars of the photos.

Alisha and Luke are a much sought-after wedding photography team in Upstate New York. In fact, wedding photography brought them together: The couple met at a photography conference in Los Angeles. That meeting turned into a long-distance relationship as Alisha, who hails from St. Louis, Missouri, and Luke, who’s from Upstate New York, forged a friendship that blossomed into love. Eventually, Luke managed to persuade Alisha to join him in his wedding photography business in New York, and the duo created a romantic and professional relationship that grew to include a booming business and a beautiful daughter named Lillie.

Luke plotted a marriage proposal designed to appeal to the photographer in his wife-to-be. With the help of his friend Jessica Claire, a celebrated wedding photographer in her own right, Luke tricked Alisha into a location Jessica had scouted for maximum visual impact. Thinking she was meeting Jessica for lunch and a quick headshot, Alisha was blown away when Luke dropped to one knee in front of a construction site in downtown New York City and asked her to marry him. Jessica caught every moment on film. “It was all about the photos,” Luke jokes.

Since Alisha and Luke are part of the wedding industry, they had no trouble finding vendors who could help them pull off the wedding they envisioned. And there was no question that they’d be celebrating their wedding in Upstate New York. Alisha and Luke loved the Finger Lakes area and thought it would make a gorgeous wedding backdrop as well as a terrific weekend getaway for their guests. Alisha also wanted to introduce her extended family to the beauty of her adopted home.

The wedding itself was all about special moments. During the ceremony, Alisha and Luke presented Lillie with a necklace, including her in their ceremony. “I knew if I gave Mommy a ring, I had to give Lillie something special, too,” Luke says. Luke’s favorite part of the wedding was the fun the couple had hanging out with their friends and family before the sunset wedding ceremony. Most of the guests were spending the weekend at the sprawling house Alisha and Luke had rented, and they spent the summer afternoon swimming, kayaking, and playing frisbee on the lawn. And because Alisha and Luke are wedding pros, they didn’t even flinch when one of their centerpieces was smashed by an errant gust of wind just 30 minutes before the reception was slated to begin. “We knew we’d have at least one ‘oh crap’ moment — every wedding does,” says Luke. He knew he had hired good people who would solve any problem that blew in, which meant he and Alisha didn’t have to waste time getting stressed about things going wrong.

Of course, there were good surprises, too: During the dancing, Alisha sneaked out of the tent and returned with a fabulous 1950's dress and a haircut to match. For Luke, who loved her hair short but had understood why she wanted to grow it longer for their wedding, Alisha’s surprise mid-reception transformation was one of the highlights of their celebration. The biggest surprise, though, was how amazing the whole experience was. Alisha and Luke have participated in a lot of weddings, so they’ve seen firsthand what an emotional experience the day can be.

“There’s no way to prepare for how special it’s going to be until you do it,” says Luke. “We spent a decent amount of money and time on our wedding, and honestly, it was the best money we ever spent. It was the best time of our lives. I don’t think it can ever be topped.”

Alisha & Luke's Advice
1) Surround yourself with helpful, caring people, whether they’re vendors, friends, or members of the wedding party.

2) Have fun. Your wedding day is supposed to be about having a good time with the people you love the most, and if you’re missing that, you’re missing the point.

{Other Professionals}
Cake & Catering: Aurora Inn
Coordination: Proposing Dreams Weddings
Event Rentals: BBJ Linens & Bella Umbrella
Favors: Bella Bites Truffles
Gown: Elizabeth Fillmore
Hair: April Scheffer
Invitations: Papeterie, Lucky Luxe
Photography: Jason Groupp | Jennifer Davis
Reception Site: Aurora Inn