I’ve photographed so many weddings at Hollow Brook Golf Club by now, but every single one never ceases to be different and magical in its own way. This venue just seems to call in the most endearing souls, surrounded by the best people. And this is exactly how I felt about Courtney and Steve’s wedding day there - they and their families and friends are just the most endearing and enjoyable people ever.
As a wedding photographer in the Hudson Valley who has photographed hundreds of weddings by now, it is not often that I get to celebrate a marriage twice, on two different days, in two different seasons - but that wasn’t the case with Jenn and Chris, who hosted a ceremony at the Orange County Arboretum in April, and a reception at West Hills Country Club in October. It was the most joyous of joys to be able to spend two different days celebrating with these two souls, who are some of the warmest and cutest people around.
As a wedding photographer who primarily works in the Hudson Valley, it is not often that I get to journey to Albany for a wedding day, but when I do, it’s always a treat. There’s something about the hustle and bustle of Albany that is appealing to me, and I feel like there are so many hidden gems in that city that are often overlooked, especially in the outskirts and actual neighborhoods of Albany.
Bre first reached out to me on Instagram (I love connecting with people there!), and then met via Zoom prior to officially deciding to work together for her sweet Albany microwedding. Although hers and Luke’s original wedding plans had to be changed due to the pandemic, their eventual December day was such a joy to be a part of.
So, you’ve been invited to a wedding - yay! You’re about to have an awesome day celebrating awesome people; it is such a joy to be invited to share in someone’s marriage celebration.
With that being said, I’m sure you’re wondering how you can allow your presence at the wedding to be a gift to your people above anything else. I’ve been photographing weddings for14+ years now, deeply care for my clients and everyone in their orbit (AKA - you!), and so wanted to share everything I’ve seen guests do RIGHT as an extension of that care. Read the tips below, take them, and run with them so that you can be the best wedding guest ever for the best couple ever. 💛
I first meet most of my couples via a half-hour Zoom chat in which we get to know each other, and discuss any wedding questions before deciding whether or not we will be able to work together. I often remember these Zoom meetings vividly - I like to be incredibly locked in to these conversations, no distractions, bright-eyed and eager to hear about and meet the two new souls in front of me so that I can retain a mental picture for our journey ahead together.
When I first met Katelyn and Nick, I was struck by how sweet and kind they seemed on camera. They were no fuss, and just incredibly confident in their love for one another, and comfortable in each other’s company. People like them are my favorite to photograph because there are no overarching expectations for their wedding day except to celebrate their love, and that freedom brings a lightness to the day for everyone involved.
Sometimes the universe sends you people who are just an absolute delight to spend time with and take care of - Marissa and Anthony were two of those people for me. From the moment I chatted with Marissa, I knew I wanted to spend her wedding day with her and her fiance. They are some of the warmest and funniest people I have ever met.
I feel like I’ve known Nicole and Matt for ages now - maybe because I actually have, or maybe because they have always felt like kindred spirits to me, as if we have always been connected.
Nicole and Matt were one of the last of my pandemic postponements, and witnessing the way they navigated their change of plans with such grace, optimism, and humor (their new save-the-date featured a photo of them wearing masks and riding scooters - I remember because I thought it was so clever that I have it saved and featured on the love notes wall in my office) kept my heart afloat when things felt less than ideal. In 2020 and 2021, it was my clients’ sense of love, duty, and desire to protect those around them that brought my heart such joy and comfort.
I don’t even know if I can express how special, monumentous, and serendipitous it felt (still feels) to have gotten to know Sarah and Joe throughout their wedding journey. They are such gifts to me - I don’t really know how to best put it into words. If I try really hard with words that don’t quite convey what I want to say, but maybe do a little bit, I can tell you that their souls feel sparkly, and their combined presence feels warm. I feel both smarter and more compassionate when I’m around them. They make me want to be a better person. Their generosity of spirit inspires mine. They are top tier, cream of the crop people. I am still in awe that they are in my corner. I am still in awe that I get to be in theirs.
I remember almost every single wedding consultation I host, and I distinctly remember Meagan and Mike’s. They were sitting on their couch, sharing their story with me. The blinds behind them were closed, but some light was peeking through. They told me they live near the ocean, and I was so enamored with that - I haven’t lived near an ocean for over a decade now, and I miss it. What struck me about Meagan and Mike was their body language. It was welcoming. They were comfortable. I was being accepted into their story from the moment we met.
Essie and Mikhail are some of my favorite people to spend time with. At this point, I’ve spent multiple days with them - engagement session, wedding, family session. They’re fun and funny, and feed off of each other’s down-to-earth yet humorous energy. Essie is direct and matter-of-fact, with a giggle thrown in at the end. She calls things like they are, and Mikhail is right there with her. They are realistic yet go-with-the-flow…
As I’ve been chronologically working through all of the galleries I want to blog about (there are so many, y’all 🤦🏼♀️), I’ve been looking forward to being able to blog about this one. 🥹I’ve never been more appreciative of and enamored with a couple, their group of friends, their family as I am with Alyssa and Jordan. They are the type of people you hope to always have in your corner. They are so incredibly thoughtful, so kind, so aware - they are pure joy to spend time with because they understand that the simplest things in life are what make life the best. They are inviting and welcoming and never make you feel like an outsider. To spend time with them feels like you’re in a sparkly snowglobe of warmth.
There are some couples - their journeys, their weddings - that just stay ingrained in your mind and memory forever…Alexa and Travis are one of those couples for me. I distinctly remember adventuring through a local trail for their engagement session; the first time I spoke to Alexa about her wedding to Travis (and bonding over our love of cats); meeting their furbabies at the end of their engagement session; every sweet and adorable and sunkissed moment on their beautiful October wedding day. When I think of our journey together, I breathe in the sweet vibe of their wedding day, and exhale with a feeling of peace.
Working with Alexa and Travis was all things precious, from beginning to end.
Kristen and Nick have been together since middle school. They met in study hall, and as soon as Nick saw Kristen, he was completely smitten. After being friends for a while, he asked her out, and she originally said no - funny how things change, and now they are married.
When I think back on Kristen and Nick’s wedding day, I think about how beautifully raw and emotional it was. The way Kristen cried when she read the note from Nick at the beginning of the day. The way they choked up when reading their vows. The way they hold each other so gently, and speak to each other so sweetly.
Their love is pure, and you can tell.
Rebecca and Tom first met through mutual friends at a Halloween party several years before their wedding. When they filled out their inquiry form, they noted that they had “been together ever since,” after that first party meeting. I hear this phrasing a lot, and I think it is so dear - it has an air of completion to it, like the path is now filled in because the two are now together.
Rebecca and Tom’s couple portraits are some of my favorites - we really got to enjoy the venue’s space together, and prioritized taking photos in all of the lush greenery that the space provides. The large tree near the reception space had my heart that day, and it played host to what I believe are some of the most beautiful moments documented on their wedding day.
Noelle and Dennis are as warm, funny, kind, and easygoing as they come. Working with them was effortless - they are the loveliest of souls, surrounded by other lovely souls. Photographing their microwedding just felt like being at the warmest and sweetest family reunion - like a pure celebration of these families becoming one.
When I opened up Jena and Pierce’s Hollow Brook Golf Club wedding gallery to start this blog post, I couldn’t help but smile. This adorable couple had THE best day, and I remember it so vividly. The perfect weather. The absolute joy. The excitement that could barely be contained. The way Jena and I giggled like old friends.
It’s my hope and dream that every wedding day feels like Jena and Pierce’s - light, free, vibrant, and full.
I’ve spent so much time with Lauren and Andrew. Consultation and timeline meetings before the wedding. Time spent visiting Lauren’s family’s house just to say hi while planning. An engagement session and dinner spent together in Charleston, NC. A maternity session in New Paltz, NY a few years after their wedding.
By now, they feel like home to me.
It may be an unpopular opinion, but I love, love, love July weddings - and I especially love July celebrations at gorgeous locations like Hollow Brook Golf Club, working with amazing people like Dani and Jimmi.
July just feels celebratory, it feels like growth, it feels like vacation. It holds all of the hope of the summer, and all of the long and lazy days. It brings with it the love of being outside while also embracing the cool rush of the air conditioning when you walk back inside. It feels like school is finally out, and you have so much summer ahead of you to enjoy…
Melanie may not know this, but she is one of my favorite people in the whole world. She is warm, kind, fun, patient, intelligent, and accomplished. She lights up every room she walks into, and I can’t help but think that the kids she teaches music to are beyond fortunate to be able to learn from her.
When she asked if I would photograph her quickly-planned microwedding to her love (military things, amirite), I couldn’t not be there. I said yes right away.
