New York locals, this (ridiculously adorable) couple wanted the feel of a destination wedding weekend while keeping the travel as easy as possible for their friends and family – enter Cedar Lakes Estate! This gorgeous venue is popping up everywhere all thanks so it’s gorgeous property and endless amenities in the heart of Hudson Valley. Guests enjoyed a weekend of yoga, canoeing, swimming in the lake… it’s the perfect little escape outside of the city. Amanda Savory Events brought the bride and groom’s romantic wedding dreams to life while Tin Can Studios completely wow’d us with their floral instillations. The lovely Rebecca Yale was there to capture every moment – including the sweetest father-daughter first look reaction ever! See it all at the full gallery!
From Rebecca Yale Photography… Britt and Brian were married on a beautiful September weekend at Cedar Lakes Estate, a former camp just a couple hours outside of New York City. They found the venue early on in their search- in fact it was the very first venue they looked at! It came highly recommended from Brian’s mom’s best friend and they knew right away that it would be perfect for them. They wanted to plan a destination wedding weekend, but since they’re both local to NY they wanted to make the travel easy on their guests and CLE delivered on exactly that.
With the help of Amanda Savory Events, the couple planned an incredible weekend of fun events for their friends and family, who mostly stayed onsite in the beautifully renovated cabins. Activities included: color wars, canoeing, jumping onto the blob into the lake, yoga and an incredible welcome party on Friday night for all of their guests. Britt says “It was nice to spend time with everyone in a more relaxed setting and to allow guests from each side to get to know each other. I think it really set the tone for the rest of the weekend.” Guests dined on farm to table fare and sipped flights of tequila at the bar. The tables were decked out in beautiful tequila bottles that they spent a year leading up to the wedding collecting for decoration. Guests ended the evening making s’mores over the fire pit and then dancing the night away.
Britt used instagram to help her plan the day and select her vendors, using review sites and recommendations from friends and family to help vet them. She picked elements that she loved from various weddings on instagram and then as she put it “completely trusted the experts (i.e., our planner, florist, photographer, etc.) to take all the disparate elements and make them into something coherent. I wasn’t too tied to any one detail, so I mostly let them run with it. I think the final product was absolutely incredible and it was fun to be a little bit surprised at how it came together at various moments throughout the weekend.”
Tin Can Studios created the most incredible surprise moments first by creating a soft organic feel in the cathedral of trees for the ceremony where the bride and groom said their I Do’s on a dock as the sun streamed in behind them. Then later the big surprise was the reveal in the barn where the reception took place, which was decked out with large floral hoop installations strung up all over the dance floor, creating a fun and festive mood for the guests when they entered and gasped at the vibrant colors and fun atmosphere.
Britt said, “the ceremony was undoubtedly the most special part of the wedding day for both of us. It was amazing to be standing up there together surrounded by all of our friends and family. We wrote our own ceremony, so every word of it was meaningful to us. The ceremony was what I was most looking forward to, and it was exactly as beautiful and surreal as I had imagined.” Her advice to other brides and grooms? “During your ceremony, take a moment to turn around and look out at all of your guests who are there to celebrate your love. It’s an incredible sight. Your wedding should be all joy because it really is this amazing opportunity to express yourselves as a couple. The entire celebration should just be so authentically you and all of your loved ones should see your values and tastes woven throughout the weekend.”
Photography: Rebecca Yale Photography | Videographer: Elysium Productions | Planner : Amanda Savory Events | Florist: Tin Can Studios | Stationery: Robinson Press | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Fame And Partners | Makeup: Kimara Ahnert | Hair: Styles On B | Lighting : Event Lights | Groom's Attire: Hugo Boss | Venue : Cedar Lakes Estate | Bride's Dress Store: Mark Ingram Atelier | Dress designer: Mira Zwillinger | Entertainment- After Party DJ: Dash Speaks | Groomsmen: The Black Tux | Rentals: Patina | Vow Books: Wedding Story Writer | Wedding Day Band: 45 Riots | Welcome Party Entertainment: Imperfections