It’s been such a treat getting to know Kate and Stefan over the last year as they planned their Lake George wedding. When I first received their inquiry, they told me how they love spending time outdoors hiking and on the water, how they have nerdy jobs but creative hobbies, and that I’d photographed them at their friends Laura and Tom’s wedding at the Liberty Hotel (they’re the couple laughing together at dinner in black and white). And then when we talked on the phone, and Kate told me the early part of their relationship felt a little like a Hallmark Christmas movie – meeting with the help a dating app, immediate chemistry, and a date to go ice skating and out to dinner that also included a trip to the ER for a broken arm. But my heart really melted when Kate told me she wanted someone with whom to share an unabashed love and that she knew Stefan was the one right away, and when Stefan said he felt a deep sense of relief when he met Kate – that she was exactly who he’d been looking for.
Like so many 2020 couples, Kate and Stefan’s plans went through many iterations. Rather than postponing, these two moved their wedding date up from fall to summer to take advantage of the better weather when folks could more reliably gather outside. The leaned into the season with brightly colored flowers, beautiful vintage china from each of their great grandmothers, and rosé and gazpacho on the menu. And while Kate considered a simpler dress, her dad encouraged her to wear her original gown because you just never know.
So many little memories and vignettes stand out to me from this day – an emotional ceremony led by Stefan’s uncle, efforts to make Kate’s veil fly on a day with no wind, the neighbors raising their glasses in a toast from a distance, all the hugs between Stefan and his mom, Kate’s first communion veil sneaking into a few photos, and an impromptu first dance on the lawn during cocktail hour. Oh, and Kate and Stefan’s incandescent smiles and pure joy the whole day.
Bride’s Attire: Lea-Ann Belter from Something Bleu Bridal
Florist: Renaissance Floral Design
If you like what you see, and are interested in having me photograph your Lake George wedding, please get in touch.
