Q: What’s better than a Finger Lakes wedding in the Fall??
A: One that is sandwiched in between two wine tours!
I was lured in from the very first email which promised “vineyards, vineyards, wine, more vineyards, more wine and a wedding thrown in”. Yes, please. Where do I sign up? And the rest is history. That’s how this weekend came to pass.
Friday, we piled into two vehicles and toured around Seneca Lake for our wine and brewery tour, with dinner in Watkins Glen. It sure was a great way to get to know everyone and fun to be the unofficial tour guide (no one else had been to the Finger Lakes before). I ended up part tour-guide, part photographer, part drinker and newly adopted family member.
Somehow my pictures ended up getting better as the day (and beverages) went on….
(VERY special Thank You to my awesome parents for going and letting the Bride’s family dog out while we were boozing it up!!)
Seneca Lake Wine & Brewery Tour:
Saturday, Sarah and Nate had a very small wedding at Sonnenberg Gardens in Canandaigua. Just as I promised, as soon as the ceremony began the morning rain and cold moved out and the sun moved in. It was a running joke because I promised the families that there is a ‘sun curse’ on me. You see, any time I have a photo shoot, there is bright sun and it drives me nuts. So, yes, as soon as Sarah stepped up to marry Nate, the sun came right out.
Honestly, it was a blessing though because the clouds broke up a little and gave way to some blue sky, not to mention that it got warmer.
It was a beautiful ceremony, with only the closest of friends and family present. I absolutely loved Sarah’s bridal bouquet, which wasn’t real flowers, but a fabric flower bouquet. Similarly, the Groom didn’t have a boutonniere but a pin. I love these non-perishable details.
After the ceremony, we took all of the family formal portraits, then pictures of the new Husband and Wife and that was it. Yep, that was it.
This was a short wedding for me, yet so refreshing. Not only did they book plenty of time with me and the location, we also had a trolley to take us all around the gorgeous Sonnenberg Gardens for their wedding photos.
Sarah and Nate are shy and low key. So much so, that I hadn’t had much contact with them until Friday’s wine tour. Ironically, they were complete naturals when it came to their formal portraits. I had to give them very little direction or posing. It was so very seamless. It was also wonderful to not have a reception to rush off to! I stayed a little late, but time just flew by.
Well, I’ll let you take a look at the rest of the teaser images right here. Thank you so much to Tracy for finding me and luring my Irish blood in with lots of wine. It was so wonderful to spend the weekend with both families!
Sarah, you too are my adopted sister and I’m so so so happy that you two had a much better experience than you were expecting. That’s my goal! Congratulations again!
PS – your homemade granola bar was GOOD!
Small Sonnenberg Garden Wedding:
Wedding Photography by Heather McKay // Wedding Ceremony Officiated by: Reverend Kris Miller // Wedding Ceremony Location: Sonnenberg Gardens
These photos are amazing! You captured every special moment beautifully!
Amazing photos Heather. I really did enjoy their cute Maisy. And thank you for the wine, from one mom to another!!