Weddings here unfold over the course of a full weekend, moving naturally between the estate’s distinct outdoor spaces: welcome dinners beneath the pergola, ceremonies on one of the many great lawns, cocktail hours in the sunken garden as the evening settles in. It’s the kind of property that encourages your guests to slow down and remain present, where a wedding begins to feel less like a production and more like a family gathering shaped by atmosphere, conversation, and time spent together.

Having photographed weddings at LionRock, I’ve come to know the property well, how the landscape changes throughout the day, where the light settles best, and how guests naturally move through the estate. This guide covers everything you need to know when planning a wedding at LionRock Farm.

Table of Contents

• LionRock Farm Wedding Capacity
• Available Spaces to Host Your Wedding Events
• Culinary Experience & Menu Selections
• Wedding Weekend Accommodations
• LionRock Farm Wedding Cost
• LionRock Farm Wedding Photos

Featured in Grace Ormonde’s Wedding Style, this celebration at LionRock Farm precisely exemplifies the kind of wedding the magazine was created to honor. The layered beauty of the estate, the unhurried pace of a full weekend gathering, and the sense that every detail was chosen with genuine intention rather than performance. These images were selected by the editors for the way they capture the experience of connection that unfolds across three days and settles into memory the way only the most extraordinary celebrations do.

LionRock Farm Wedding Capacity

A full wedding weekend at LionRock Farm has the capacity to host up to 200 guests for each of your events, and 28 guests through overnight accommodations.

The Wedding Spaces at LionRock Farm, Sharon CT

LionRock Farm unfolds as a series of distinct spaces, each carrying its own atmosphere and rhythm across the course of a wedding weekend. Guests arrive on Friday to settle in and explore the peaceful grounds, taking in the stillness of the surrounding hills. With overnight accommodations for the couple, immediate family, and wedding party, the weekend begins with a sense of ease that is increasingly rare to find. The design encourages the weekend to begin not with a schedule but a feeling. Morning coffee on the patio, gardens to explore, and the particular ease that comes from having nowhere to be yet.

By the wedding day itself, guests no longer feel like attendees arriving for a single event, but part of a shared experience that has already begun to take shape. This is the particular magic of a private estate wedding at LionRock Farm, the feeling of discovering a hidden world for a few days and inhabiting it fully before returning to ordinary life.

Beyond the grand sweeping landscape that first defines LionRock Farm, the estate reveals a collection of more intimate spaces, each shaped by the architecture and grounds of the estate. Gardens enclosed by hydrangeas, a sunken courtyard framed by stone, a grove of birch trees that filter light. These are spaces where the most personal moments of a wedding weekend can unfold, vows exchanged in private, guests welcomed into the weekend with the unhurried warmth of a family gathering, rather than an event. The design allows guests to feel like they are privately hosted, but not entirely at home.

The Center Garden

Enveloped by colorful blooms, topiaries, and a stone fountain, the Center Garden offers the sensation of a classic New England garden through a space best suited to a first look, portraits or a small wedding ceremony.

The Grey Barn

The chic, weathered Grey Barn at LionRock Farm is surrounded by meticulously manicured florals and shrubs, all in all, creating a welcoming space where wedding photos at the farm are imbued with the estate’s architecture and slow beauty, allowing unscripted moments to be documented with a feeling of connection.

The Sunken Garden

Beauty and intimacy coalesce at The Sunken Garden. Cobblestone pathways are accented by intricately shaped topiaries and shrubbery, with antique stone statues adding character to the organic space. It’s a beautiful space for hosting your cocktail hour, where mingling occurs through a well-curated pre-dinner menu, and drinks are passed to guests under the shade of fanciful lawn umbrellas.

The Great Lawn

Overlooking the distant hillside, you’ll find the Great Lawn at the very center of LionRock Farm. Views of the clear blue skies hang high overhead, and an ancient oak tree frames the space where you will be joined in marriage. The boundless lawn can be creatively imagined for your wedding ceremony with abundant floral arrangements lining the path to your ceremonial exchange of wedding vows.

Birch Grove

This romanticized outdoor space is a semi-circle setting, surrounded by towering trees, forming an organic, shaded area where vows are exchanged against gently blowing branches.

The Pergola

The enchanting Pergola at LionRock Farm is partially covered. It features a stone path and a trellis overhead, woven with together with overgrown greenery. This visionary location on the property is ideal for hosting your rehearsal dinner or evening reception celebration, with a long row of family-style tables where dinner conversations and anecdotes elicit laughter, and glasses are clinked in your honor.

The Pool Barn

Surrounded by white stone benches and overgrown potted fern plants, this former barn has maintained its original structure with the addition of an in-ground pool. It’s a quiet, enclosed space on the property, set back from Birch Grove, allowing you to exchange private vows with one another just before the start of your ceremony. Or, if you wish to forgo the private vows, the Pool Barn becomes a place of quiet contemplation after your ceremony, pausing for a moment while you allow the emotion of your union to wash over you.

The Patio

The stone patio sits between the Pool Barn and the Grey Barn, forming the natural center of the estate’s outdoor entertaining space. It is one of two settings for a tented reception at LionRock Farm, and one well suited to the full arc of an evening: a long multicourse dinner, unhurried conversation among guests, and a dance floor that is open all night. The surrounding barns give the space definition and a sense of enclosure that feels considered rather than constructed.

The Hayfield

The Hayfield offers something rare in wedding venues: a genuine flat open space for a tented reception. An expansive tract of land with room for a sailcloth tent, full guest seating, a bar, and a dance floor, it hosts receptions with the privacy of a country estate and uninterrupted panoramic views on every side. Receptions here evoke a sense of privacy likened to that of a private estate wedding, but with enduring panoramic views that feel as if you are a world away.

The Culinary Experience for Your LionRock Farm Weekend Wedding

A noteworthy culinary experience for your LionRock Farm weekend wedding is offered exclusively through Hunt & Harvest. Executive Chef & Founder, Brandon Scimeca, brings nearly two decades of his culinary expertise to the menu items offered at your LionRock Farm wedding.

Together with his team, Hunt & Harvest is a premier full-service catering company renowned for the dining experiences they create throughout the Hudson Valley, Berkshires, Litchfield, and the surrounding locations.

Dishes are curated using farm-fresh ingredients, sourced from regional farms, orchards, and local purveyors, for a unique yet welcome perspective. Hunt & Harvest provides the flexibility to create a fully personalized menu, suited to your tastes, driven by the seasonal harvest. 

Their LionRock Farm wedding day packages include the following:

• Welcome Beverage Station
• Passed Canapes (selection of 8)
• Served First Course (choice of two entrees, vegetarian options available)
• Seasonal Vegetables & Accompaniments
• Pour Over Chemex Coffee & Tea Service
• Passed Mini Desserts (selection of 3), or One Dessert Station
• Service & Kitchen Staff
• Catering, Transportation & Insurance

Overnight Accommodations

LionRock Farm’s expansive property offers a total of four distinctive spaces that provide overnight accommodations for your guests. Weekend accommodations at LionRock Farm offer lodging for up to 28 guests.

Thoughtfully designed lodging is curated to offer a welcoming experience, centered on connections. The spaces evoke the reminiscence of heading home for the holidays when on break from university, or the weekends spent at your grandparents’ estate throughout your childhood summer breaks.

LionRock Farm offers you and your selected guests accommodations through their Upper Guest House (located in the Private Main House), The Lower Guest House, The Carriage House, and The Cottage House.

Upper Guest House

The Upper Guest House features a sun room with panoramic views of the farm, a cozy sitting room with a brick fireplace, an in-home library with a piano, and a full-size kitchen.

• Bedroom 1 – Kingsize bed featuring an en suite
• Bedrooms 2 & 3 – Both feature a full-size bed
• Bedroom 4 – Two twin beds
• Bathrooms – 3 full-size
• Maximum sleeping capacity – 8

Lower Guest House

The Lower Guest House features a living room with a built-in library, an outdoor stone patio, and a full-size kitchen. 

• Bedroom 1 – Kingsize bed
• Bedrooms 2 & 3 – Each features a queen-size bed
• Bedroom 4 – Full-size bed
• Loft – Offering 3 twin beds
• Bathrooms – 2 full-size and one powder room
• Maximum sleeping capacity – 11

Carriage House

The Carriage House is intimate in nature, featuring several spaces for relaxation throughout, along with a full-size kitchen and breakfast nook. 

• Bedrooms 1 & 2 – Each features one full bed
• Bathrooms – 2 full-size
• Maximum sleeping capacity – 4

The Cottage House

The atmosphere of the Cottage House is that of connection, offering a combined living room & dining room as well as a full-size kitchen.

• Bedroom 1 – King-size bed
• Bedroom 2 – Queen-size bed
• Additional accommodations include a sleeper sofa
• Bathrooms – 2 full-size
• Maximum sleeping capacity – 5

LionRock Farm Wedding Cost

LionRock Farm is offered as an exclusive weekend estate rental, allowing couples and their guests private access to the property from Friday through Sunday.

• During the months of May, June, September, and October, the estate rental begins at $30,000.
• The months of July and August carry an estate rental fee of $25,000.
• Additionally, a two-night minimum stay is required, with accommodations offered at a cost of $11,400.

The above fees for your LionRock Farm wedding do not yet include additional wedding vendors such as: florist, lighting designer, band, photographer, videographer, makeup and hair, dance floor wrap, stationery, or wedding planner, all of which could add anywhere from $100,000 to $500,000 to your final cost.

Capturing Your LionRock Farm Wedding Photos 

There are very few places in the northeastern United States that provide a setting for a wedding the way LionRock Farm does. The 600 acres of Litchfield County countryside, the formal gardens giving way to open meadows, the Berkshire hills dissolving into the horizon, it is the kind of setting that asks you to be fully present. And that is precisely where the most extraordinary photographs are made.

I have photographed weddings with this vibe on both sides of the Atlantic, from estates in the Connecticut hills to private celebrations in the gardens of Paris. What I bring to LionRock is the same eye I bring to all of it, an attention to atmosphere, to the quality of light as it moves through the moments, to the way a space shapes the people moving through it.

A LionRock Farm wedding unfolds like a long, beautiful exhale. My photographs are made to honor that feeling, not to interrupt it, not to direct it, but to preserve it so that you can relive the feeling of those moments and connections generations from now.

If you’re looking for a wedding photographer with an emphasis on capturing unscripted moments through a refined documentary sensibility, I would love to connect. You can contact me here to learn more or to book your wedding.

The post LionRock Farm – An Estate Wedding Venue in Litchfield County, Connecticut appeared first on Melani Lust.

Recently, I was asked by the Los Angeles Times to share my perspective on the return of the slip dress, a style originally popularized by Carolyn Bessett Kennedy and now experiencing renewed interest through the series Love Story.

Featured in the LA Times

I was honored to have my perspective quoted in this LA Times feature:

“Minimalist gowns reflect the shift toward quiet luxury that has been made even more popular by the renewed interest in Carolyn Bessette Kennedy’s iconic style. This trend signals less of an interest in spectacle and ornament, and instead a deeper appreciation for beautiful fabric, impeccable tailoring, and a silhouette that feels effortless. When a bride feels comfortable and confident in what she is wearing, the photographs reflect that, and the emotion and connection between the couple can take center stage.”

With my recent weddings, I see this shift clearly. Brides are moving away from heavily structured gowns toward silhouettes that allow them to move naturally, to feel at ease, and to stay present throughout the day. The result is a kind of elegance that doesn’t need to announce itself.

Emulating the Distinctive Slip Wedding Dress Popularized by Carolyn Bessette Kennedy

A recent wedding at the Riverside Yacht Club embodied this sensibility. My bride, Megan, wore a Danielle Frankel gown influenced by the iconic slip silhouette made famous by Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, allowing her to move through the entire day with complete ease. From the first moments of the morning through the final hours of the celebration, that comfort shaped how naturally everything unfolded and how present she was within the experience.

Her images throughout this post reflect that same approach. Clean lines, considered fabric, and a softness in movement allow each moment to unfold naturally. Because of that, the photographs carry a quiet depth and a sense of ease that feels true to the day.

Away from the public eye, Carolyn Bessette & John F. Kennedy Jr. married on September 21st, 1996, at the secluded First African Baptist Church on Cumberland Island in Georgia, with 40 guests in attendance. The humble one-room church holds just eight wooden pews. The church is also absent of modern amenities such as electricity and air conditioning, and the couple’s wedding ceremony is reported to have taken place by the glow of flickering candlelight. Though their choice of location was secretive and unexpected, the incredibly intimate experience allowed the couple to center the day around their love for each other.

The renewed fascination with Carolyn Bessette Kennedy’s wedding dress, designed by Narciso Rodriguez for her wedding to John F. Kennedy Jr., offers a cultural reference point. At a time when bridal fashion leaned heavily toward volume and embellishment, her choice of a silk slip dress marked a clear departure, one that continues to influence modern bridal design.

Today, that influence is less about replication and more about perspective. Designers are creating gowns that prioritize cut, fabric, and proportion over ornamentation, aligning with a broader movement toward quiet luxury in fashion and in weddings.

And in practice, that choice changes everything. When a bride is not adjusting or managing her dress, she is free to engage fully with the people around her. The gestures are more natural, the connections more visible, and the images carry a sense of ease that cannot be staged.

What began as a fashion-forward decision now feels like a return to something more essential. The modern bride isn’t chasing a trend; she’s choosing a way of dressing that feels natural, assured, and entirely her own.

Working with Melani Lust Photography in NYC, CT, Paris & Beyond

If you’re planning a wedding in New York, Connecticut, Cape Cod, Paris, Luxembourg, or beyond, and feel drawn to this refined approach, I would love to connect. I photograph multi-day celebrations with a focus on atmosphere, emotion, and a strong sense of place.

The post Carolyn Bessette Kennedy’s Wedding Dress Transcends Time appeared first on Melani Lust.

In these spaces, a wedding feels less like an event and more like an extension of family history. The intimacy of familiar architecture, gardens, and interiors creates a serenity that cannot be manufactured. The celebration unfolds within walls and landscapes that already understand the rhythm of the family, resulting in a day that feels deeply personal for everyone involved.

Planning a wedding at a private estate does require thoughtful preparation. Transforming a home into a seamless celebration space involves logistical precision and careful design. Below, I share both the considerations and the advantages of hosting a wedding at a private estate, so the beauty of the setting can be fully realized without compromising comfort or experience.

Table of Contents

• Private Estate vs Estate Wedding Venue
• Hiring a Planner
• Catering
• Infrastructure
• Ordinances
• Private Estate Wedding Rentals
• Decor
• Parking, Valet, and Shuttles
• Communicating with Guests
• Photographing Private Estate Weddings

The Difference Between a Private Estate Wedding and an Estate Wedding Venue

A private estate wedding is one that is exclusive, offering a fully immersive and intimate experience for you and your guests during your wedding weekend. Private estates are not open to or for the public, ensuring the utmost confidentiality. Thus, creating a tailor-made experience for you, unbound by the conventional restrictions of a wedding venue.

When hosting a private estate wedding, you are given the distinct flexibility to work with the wedding professionals of your choosing, including your caterer, planner, photographer, and florist. There are fewer, if any, restrictions on decor, and your event start and end times will only be driven by local city ordinances.

Conversely, there are wedding venues referred to as ‘estate wedding venues’. These venues (such as Sleepy Hollow Country Club in Westchester County) are open to the public. Planning a wedding at an estate venue can come with several restrictions. The first consideration to be made when reaching out to an estate wedding venue is whether your selected wedding date is available.

Once an estate wedding venue has confirmed your date, you will also be presented with arrival start and end times. These times will be different for each venue and dependent upon factors such as whether the venue includes the use of getting ready suites, if your ceremony will be held on site, and what their latest end time is according to local ordinances or even liquor licensure.

Next, and most commonly, estate wedding venues regularly (but not always) provide couples with a preferred list of wedding vendors to work with. Leaving you to choose from a pre-selected index for vital wedding professionals such as planners, photographers, and florists.

The last notion to contemplate about estate wedding venues is whether or not the venue grants you exclusive use of the venue. A number of estate wedding venues host multiple events on the same day. This can hinder parking for your guests, spread venue staff across multiple spaces, and potentially create an impact on your culinary experience.

Working With a Well-Informed Wedding Planner

By its very nature, a private estate wedding is one where you are building your own version of a wedding venue. Due to the nature of the logistics involved, I highly recommend working with an experienced wedding planner. A knowledgeable wedding planner can seamlessly navigate the many intricacies of a private estate wedding. This includes producing the infrastructure, parking, rentals, and understanding local ordinances and regulations. 

Catering Your Private Estate Wedding

One of many differences between hosting a private estate wedding and a venue wedding will be the inclusion of your culinary experience. Wedding venues incorporate your dining experience as part of your total venue fee. This allows for selections from their menus and a pre-wedding tasting to fine-tune the details of your gastronomy experience. This cost can account for the wedding venues’ on-site catering kitchen, bar, and staff who can attend to your guests while crafting libations during your cocktail hour.

When hosting a private estate wedding, you will have the ability to work with any caterer of your choosing. All beyond the confines of a venue. The considerations to be made when selecting a caterer include finding a professional who can custom-design a menu to your preferences. While also searching for a caterer who can easily curate this experience ‘off-premises’. 

Your fully licensed and insured caterer may ask questions and request a tour of the estate. This will help them establish water and power sources, lighting, and the kitchen or kitchen equipment available to them during your wedding.

Infrastructure of a Private Estate Wedding

Building a wedding venue out of a private estate home takes an abundance of ingenuity and vision. In all likelihood, a tent will be required for your wedding reception. This may also extend to your ceremony, cocktail hour or rain plans. Addtionally you will need a dance floor, flooring, power outlets, guest facilities, and, depending upon the season of your wedding, outdoor heaters or fans.

Unlike traditional venues, a private estate does not come with a built-in rain plan. Every contingency must be thoughtfully designed in advance so the atmosphere and guest experience remain intact. With the guidance of an experienced planner, the celebration unfolds with confidence, no matter what the weather brings.

Local Ordinances & Regulations

Private estates are located within residential areas, which may leave them susceptible to local noise ordinances and regulations. These ordinances are in place to be respectful of other residents. It often means a cut-off time for music above a specific decibel level. Another statutory cutoff time for your wedding planner to consider is that your caterer may have a start and end time for serving alcohol. Bar and beverage services in the state of New York are occasionally permitted legal hours of service at private events. Consequently, determining the end of your wedding, which will need to be coordinated with your band and other wedding vendors.

Private Estate Wedding Rentals

At a private estate, every element must be thoughtfully brought in, from tables and linens to china, glassware, lighting, and furnishings. Unlike a traditional venue, nothing is preset. Each detail is curated to reflect the vision of the day, often sourced from multiple specialized vendors.

This requires careful coordination. Deliveries must be received, staged, and installed in a precise sequence so the property remains protected and the design unfolds as intended. An experienced planning team understands how to manage this orchestration seamlessly, allowing the estate to transform gracefully into a fully realized celebration.

For example, how will rental teams access the property? Are there newly landscaped lawns that need protection, or areas that may soften after rainfall? Even subtle shifts in terrain can affect where structures, flooring, or guest seating are placed.

Attending to these nuances is what allows a private estate wedding to feel effortless. When the logistics are handled with foresight and precision, the focus returns where it belongs, on conversation, connection, and the quiet joy of gathering in a place that already feels like home.

Decor & Personalization

Historic venues often carry limitations designed to protect their architecture. A private estate offers something different, freedom guided by taste and restraint. The home becomes a canvas, but one that already carries familiar character, style and history.

Lighting can be layered to shape mood as day turns to evening. Florals can be installed with scale and intention, drawing the eye upward or framing intimate gathering spaces. Every design decision should enhance, not overpower, the architecture and landscape that make the estate meaningful.

When thoughtfully executed, décor at a private estate does more than impress. It creates atmosphere. Guests feel immersed from the moment they arrive, moving through spaces that unfold with cohesion and purpose, where celebration feels both deeply personal and beautifully orchestrated.

Parking, Valet, and Shuttle Transportation

Private estate wedding celebrations occur through varying guest counts. Many are grand with guest lists that include beloved university friends, extended family, and out-of-town guests. Others are celebrated with more intentionally planned guest lists befitting an estate-sized celebration.

Regardless of your finalized guest count, the logistical considerations of parking and transportation are a caveat to private estate weddings. Nevertheless, attendees need to be granted access to the private estate, posing the question of how to manage parking or transportation.

Parking may need to be offered to guests through a valet service. However, before configuring the total number of parking spaces on site, you will have to determine whether the estate allows for drive-up access. Or, in contrast, guests may be required to park off-site and provided shuttle access to the property. Further considerations need to be made for any cherished grandparents or guests requiring accessibility. 

Communicating Details with Your Guests

When the particulars of your private estate wedding have been finalized, it is imperative to clearly communicate them with your guests. A stationer specializing in bespoke paper goods can create invitations, maps, itineraries, and detail cards. These items can announce dress code, parking/shuttle service, ceremony start time, reception end time, and particulars pertaining to the private estate. For example, should heels be avoided for grassy or sandy terrain? Will access be granted to the home, or are guests only permitted to the lawn and event spaces? Is there a rain plan your attendees need to be aware of? Ensuring proper information has been disclosed ahead of time will allow for a smooth & enjoyable event.

Photographing Private Estate Weddings

Private estate weddings are often hosted at the homes of immediate family members, spaces already woven into the couple’s history. Photographing in these environments carries a different weight. The architecture, the gardens, the interiors, they are not simply backdrops, but part of the family narrative.

There is a depth to the interactions that unfold in a setting layered with your families memories. Familiar spaces soften people. Generations gather with a sense of ease. The emotion is not performative. It is rooted. As a photographer, my role is to observe how that familiarity shapes the day, preserving not only the celebration itself, but the quiet exchanges that could only happen there.

My approach to photographing weddings is singular, centered on genuine connection and the unrepeatable moments that unfold without prompting. At a private estate, those moments carry particular gravity. The setting is not neutral. It already holds meaning.

Preparing for the day in a room that has welcomed generations before you brings a different stillness. Exchanging vows in gardens that have matured alongside your family adds a sense of continuity to the ceremony. Even the dance floor, constructed just for the evening, rests on land that has hosted decades of gatherings. The joy feels expansive, yet anchored, shared not only among guests but across time.

In these spaces, emotion is layered. It is pride, gratitude, legacy, and celebration existing at once. My role is to preserve that complexity with discretion and depth, so the images reflect not only how the day looked, but what it represented.

The most enduring images are created in the in-between. Not during the orchestrated timeline, but in the the glances and exchanges that unfold just beyond the formalities of the day. Within a private estate, those fleeting interactions feel even more resonant, shaped by familiarity and ease. Photographed with heart and awareness, they become portraits that are unmistakably your own, reflections of connection rather than performance.

If you’re planning a private estate wedding in Luxembourg, France, New York, Connecticut, The Hamptons, Cape Cod, or throughout New England, I would love to connect. I would be honored to document your celebration with the discretion, preparation, and depth it deserves. You can contact me here.

The post Navigating the Intricacies of a Private Estate Wedding appeared first on Melani Lust.

Sleepy Hollow Country Club’s glamorous history saw the country estate transform into a club in 1911. Notable founding board members include John Jacob Astor IV and Cornelius Vanderbilt III. Today, remnants of the past continue to echo throughout the club with the building’s original structure, interior design, furnishings, and artwork featured in the gilded halls.

In addition to its function as an exclusive country club along the Hamlet of Scarborough, Sleepy Hollow is considered one of Westchester and Hudson Valley’s New York’s premier wedding venues.

NY Wedding Venues Overlooking Hudson Valley

The west facade of the club is the longest and most ornate of the building’s exterior. Here, wedding ceremonies begin beyond the stone columns and grand staircase. A Sleepy Hollow Country Club wedding ceremony on the lawn is one that peers into the vast expanse of the Hudson Valley. The West Lawn offers sights of rolling hills, luxuriant greenery, and river views in the nearby horizon. This open-air space is unencumbered by rain, with the addition of a clear top tent in the event of inclement weather.

With a pronouncement of marriage, the doors remain open, and the space transforms into the centralized location of a family-centered pre-wedding reception celebration. Guests mingle on the lawn, or they socialize inside the mansion, the perfect location should it rain on your wedding day. Sleepy Hollow’s culinary team curates exquisite dining experiences for every wedding venue guest. Cocktail hours are teeming with a personalized selection of passed hors d’oeuvres and freshly crafted libations.

Wedding Receptions at Sleepy Hollow Country Club are Offered in a Variety of Spaces

Whether hosting a grand celebration or an intimate affair, there are a number of spaces within the mansion for your Sleepy Hollow Country Club wedding reception. For a celebration evoking the opulence of the Gilded Age, The Grand Ballroom can accommodate weddings with large guest lists. Conversely, the Vanderbilt Room at Sleepy Hollow is best suited for smaller-sized weddings and gatherings. 

Outdoor wedding receptions at Sleepy Hollow are provided through a tented experience on their verdant lawn. All in all, the venue is able to host a total of up to 350 guests.

Your Dining Experience

Sleepy Hollow Country Club weddings feature a three-course dining experience inclusive of wine pairings. The culinary team at the venue is led by Executive Chef Carlo Bigi. Chef Bigi is known for his global influences and formative years learning gastronomy from his family in Turin, Italy. Together with his team, personalized wedding menus are created to honor your own unique vision and preferences. Your three-course meal is complete with an artfully designed wedding cake by Ron Ben-Israel Cakes.

Sleepy Hollow Country Club Wedding Cost

A Sleepy Hollow Country Club wedding begins with a minimum food and beverage spend of $75,000. Additionally, there are two venue fees associated with hosting your wedding at the club: a facility fee of $5000 for use of the West Lawn (ceremony & cocktail hour), and a facility fee of $5000 for use of the Mansion or a Tented Experience (reception). Thus, placing the total starting cost of a Sleepy Hollow Country Club wedding at $85,000. 

To break down this cost further, here is an example for a wedding with up to 200 guests in attendance.

Dining at $85,000 ($425 per guest), a facility fee of $10,000 (ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception), $1250 for bar attendants ($250 each per 40 guests), and $750 for valet parking (3 required valet attendants at $250 each).

This puts the total starting cost at $97,000 for 200 guests.

However, the above breakdown does not yet include meals for children and your wedding professionals or your selection of preferred enhancements, such as station chefs, coat check, and bathroom attendants. Lastly, your total wedding cost will be further determined by a finalized administrative fee and sales tax.

Wedding Amenities at Sleepy Hollow Country Club 

Several amenities are included in the total cost of your wedding at Sleepy Hollow Country Club. The venue offers a complimentary overnight stay for the couple getting married, a menu tasting, use of a getting-ready suite, and a complimentary breakfast or lunch for the couple, along with their wedding party on the day of the wedding. Furnishings are also provided and include tables & chairs, serviceware, and linens (napkins and floor-length table coverings).

Capturing Your Wedding Photos at Sleepy Hollow Country Club

Weddings at Sleepy Hollow are imbued with history, evoking the opulence of the past with the sophistication that the age of affluence was known for. The venue allows couples unfettered access to the grounds on wedding day for a multifarious photography experience. 

Each wedding hosted at Sleepy Hollow is an extraordinary event, bringing with it a singular experience. This includes my approach to capturing genuine connections and unscripted moments.

With the vast expanse of land surrounding Sleepy Hollow, there are several vistas where moments become memories to relive for a lifetime.

The West Lawn overlooks the Hudson River, offering a chance to capture ceremony photos featuring a horizon filled with tranquillity. If your ceremony will be hosted elsewhere, the lawn can still be accessed for portraits embodying the beauty of the estate. 

Toward the entrance of the club, a towering willow tree stands placid, creating an inviting outdoor space where timeless portraiture is cultivated with a sense of emotion. Lastly, through a short drive in one of the club’s golf carts, we are able to visit a pastoral field that lies high atop the estate. It’s a secluded setting at the pinnacle of the golf course where intimate moments between newly married couples take shape as lifelong memories.

An expressive venue with a historical narrative, there’s no denying that photos captured at Sleepy Hollow should captivate the emotion experienced on the day of your wedding.

If you’re looking for a wedding photographer with an emphasis on capturing unscripted moments through a refined documentary sensibility, I would love to connect. You can contact me here to learn more or to book your wedding.

The post Sleepy Hollow Country Club Wedding Venue Guide appeared first on Melani Lust.

Along with the desire to enjoy a wedding day celebration that embodies love in many forms, couples now perceive wedding photography as an art form. Selecting a wedding photographer has come to take on new meaning, with couples searching for artistry that captures visceral memories of the emotionally driven narrative that embodied their wedding.

Press Alert: Featured in the LA Times

Recently, I had the distinct honor of being featured in the LA Times. The article, featured here, spoke at length about what it means to work with your wedding photographer on magazine-worthy wedding photos.

Even more so than having the ability to create editorial wedding photos, the article also discussed the complexities of how to find a wedding photographer you can trust, while walking through the process of building a rapport with your photographer. This included the nuances of building a photography timeline and how to let your wedding photographer in on the details that make your love story unique.

As a former art historian, my purview as a wedding photographer can be seen in the seemingly impromptu moments. I was able to weigh in on the conversation with the LA Times. Sharing my perspective on building a timeline that allows space for editorial wedding photos to unfold organically.

“Those unscripted moments between major events. When your grandmother touches your cheek, when your friends run to high-five you after the ceremony, when you and your spouse take a moment to soak it all in, happen because there were pockets of unscheduled time between the main events.”

Creating Editorial Wedding Photos

Emotion exists in many facets on a wedding day. Whether it’s the example of your grandmother seeing you as a newlywed or cherished university friends gathering to surround you with a sense of community, editorial wedding photos are driven by the narrative of sentiment.

Shared connection during a wedding takes the form of tangibility, creating a photography experience that is unbound by rules. Instead, editorial wedding photos become visual records of affection, showcasing the emotion behind the magnetism of your wedding day.

Working with Melani Lust Photography in NYC, CT, Paris & Beyond

If you’re looking for a wedding photographer with an emphasis on capturing unscripted moments, I would love to connect. My speciality lies in multi-day weddings both in the US and abroad. You can explore more of my work through my online portfolio. Or contact me here to learn more or to book your wedding.

The post LA Times Feature: Editorial Wedding Photos appeared first on Melani Lust.

Over the years, many of my days in Paris were woven with exploration of the city’s museums, cathedrals, and historic architecture. Along the way, I stopped to enjoy the quiet spaces in between, immersing myself in Parisian culture and learning the language.

Those formative experiences, spending countless hours in Paris while working toward my degree in art history, shaped my creativity. It showed me how to seek out and explore the beauty in the City of Lights. Which later transitioned into my point of view as a photographer who focuses on artfully candid moments.

As is true of life, we never know where our paths will lead. When a recent life change brought about a partial move to Luxembourg, it only seemed fitting that my new journey would require residence only two hours away from Paris.

My shift into spending half of my time in France and the remaining in New England and New York has brought about new opportunities to explore Paris that I never imagined possible.

Recently, I was invited to a private luncheon at Ducasse Baccarat, located inside Maison Baccarat Paris. This magnificent space is both inspirational and otherworldly. Find a tour of the Maison Baccarat Paris, including details on hosting a private event through the information below.

The Historic Maison Baccarat Paris

Just off Avenue d’Iénain, in the 16th Arrondissement of Paris, Maison Baccarat Paris sits resolute on this quiet street. Here, elegant stone façades line the streets, reminiscent of a time when French limestone was abundant and featured along the Seine.

Maison Baccarat Paris was once home to Marie-Laure de Noailles, who was regarded as one of the 20th century’s most well-known patrons of the arts. Altogether, she is known for her associations with the Spanish surrealist artist Salvador Dalí and the multi-faceted French artist Cocteau. Her influential legacy continues to live on at Maison Baccarat Paris, with a splash of the surrealist movement still echoing throughout.

Today, Maison Baccarat Paris has been reimagined by Baccarat with the assistance of world-renowned Chef Alain Ducasse. The palatial setting sets the tone for memorable experiences through a series of intimate salons. Each space evokes a sense of awe and grandeur with softly glowing chandeliers and vintage Baccarat pieces on display. 

Dining at Restaurant Ducasse in Maison Baccarat

Underscoring the significance and rich history of Maison Baccart is the Restaurant Ducasse. The restaurant was brought to life by none other than French-born Monégasque chef Alain Ducasse. Of his many accomplishments, Ducasse’s portfolio includes the most highly awarded Michelin Stars of any living chef.

The experience he created at the Ducasse Baccarat offers culinary delights featuring his signature approach. The menu is seasonal and embraces inventive dishes through unexpected elements. The food at Ducasse Baccarat is known for its spontaneity. It features courses that both complement and react to one another, dancing on the palate, evoking all the senses.

In the kitchen, Ducasse’s vision is brought to life and led by Chefs Christophe Saintagne and Robin Schroeder. Though you might expect to find a bustling gastronomic scene, the atmosphere is refined and formal during lunch, with a more sensational setting created at dinner.

A Look Inside The Private Ballroom at Maison Baccarat

For the celebration of special occasions, Ducasse Baccarat invites you to create a private dining celebration in the Ballroom. Here, customised menus are created in tandem with the on-site Chefs. Personalised selections of cocktails, food, and wine pairings are created with vision for a noteworthy event.

Rivaling the culinary experience is the elegant setting. One where the architecture’s original oak woodwork remains, and an otherworldly atmosphere is courtesy of crystal chandeliers and frescos.

By far, The Ballroom at Maison Baccarat Paris is one of the most visually stunning private event spaces in Paris. However, this space is not always open to the public. But, having been lucky enough to experience it firsthand, I can attest to the space’s remarkable splendor.

Paris Photographer

Whether you’re planning a wedding or proposal in Paris, Luxembourg, or the surrounding countries in Europe, I’d love to hear from you. Click here to contact me.

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Finding yourself in love is a magic that infuses every moment of your life with light–the kind that, until it was present, you had no idea was even missing. When the idea of marriage arises and your only question is “How soon can we do this?” you know it’s time to begin crafting the perfect proposal!

When it comes to planning and executing a beautiful and memorable proposal, many moving pieces must come together. After many years of bearing witness to and capturing countless proposals, I have constructed an ultimate proposal guide that should help you with every aspect. Let’s go through the process and all the little things you should know:

Choosing a Proposal Location

Choose a location that is meaningful, beautiful, and matches your relationship. I can’t stress enough how important this aspect of planning is, and it requires knowing your partner’s preferences without a doubt. Spend some time thinking about your relationship and what brings them joy.

This could be a place that is significant to you and brings your love story full circle, your partner’s favorite picnic spot for a sense of intimate sentimentality, or a once-in-a-lifetime grand gesture that will sweep them off their feet. Having photographed these sessions all around New York, New England and all corners of the world, I have a wealth of knowledge on what makes a proposal spot perfect and I am happy to share that with you!

Writing A Proposal Speech

Possibly the most daunting aspect of crafting the perfect proposal is the proposal speech. Here’s my advice:

Say what your partner means to you! Think about all the things you love about them and all the ways you are better because of them. Make it personal and authentic. Consider including stories or memories that are personal to your relationship–just make sure they aren’t too long! A moment of candid laughter or joyful tears not only makes your speech better, it will make your photos heartfelt and genuine.

One part of your speech that partners often overlook is the phrasing of the question itself. Will you keep it classic and say “Will you marry me?” or choose something more elaborate like “May I have the honor of being your husband/wife/partner?” Different phrasings will fit different couples, so think genuinely about which one will sound best with your speech. 

If you’d like help writing your proposal speech from a true professional in the field of crafting incredible speeches, I suggest reaching out to Brian Franklin of Vows & Speeches for a masterclass collaboration. Here’s a wonderful newsletter I shared about his work and accomplishments.

Prepare for the Surprise

Find a way to get your partner looking and feeling their best. Taking photos that you love how you look in goes beyond wearing a nice outfit, it means feeling good from the inside out. The power of confidence and relaxation is severely underestimated.

This may include a gifted spa trip for a massage, facial or mani-pedi, though please encourage them not to try any radical skin treatments–nobody wants red and irritated skin during a pro portrait session. It could also mean booking professional hair and makeup services (for a “night out”) with some special planning to hide that it’s for a proposal. Or, a new outfit that lights them up with confidence could make all the difference.

You will also need to come up with an inconspicuous plan to get your partner where they need to be and dressed in a way they’ll be happy with when looking back on your pictures. These photos will be heirlooms and should spark joy, not “Why did you let me wear that?” I have many ideas on how to accomplish this, so reach out if you need inspiration!

While most people are aware of portrait sessions ahead of time and have time to prepare, proposals are meant to be a surprise to your partner. Taking steps to get them feeling and looking good without spoiling the surprise will infuse your images with happiness from all sides and ensure the memories are all joyous.

Practice Makes Perfect

Next, and arguably most important, is to practice your proposal speech. Read it, memorize it, and repeat it until you’re sure you won’t forget any part or stumble over your words. Consider reading the speech to friends or family, especially if they are close to your partner and will know them as well as you do. 

At some point before the big day, practice the drive at the same time and day of the week so you’re aware of any traffic problems and parking issues. On the day of, avoid common mistakes like carrying a huge ring box in the pocket of your tight shorts, or acting out of character. For example, if you never wake up before 10 a.m. on a Saturday, a random sunrise hike is going to be super suspicious.

The Big Moment

Once you’ve accomplished all this, it’s finally time. Speak slowly and clearly, don’t drop the ring, and stand tall. Deliver your proposal speech, then experience one of the happiest moments of your life! As you and your love glow in the moments after, I’ll be right there capturing every smile, every embrace, every moment that’s filled with excitement and passion.

If you’re ready to book a proposal session with me, or you have more questions on crafting the perfect proposal, please reach out. I am so excited to be part of your story in some small way!

To learn more or to book me for your proposal, engagement portraits, or wedding weekend getaway, contact me here.

The post Crafting the Perfect Proposal appeared first on Melani Lust.

Food Network star and celebrity wedding cake maker Ron Ben-Israel and senior pattern designer Hiro Aihara are married. Their Blue Hill Farm wedding luncheon was preceded by vows at NYC City Hall. Featured as an exclusive on People, Ron and Hiro discussed with the publication their intentionally planned weekday wedding.

Featured on People

The choice to exchange weekday vows followed by an elevated Blue Hill at Stone Barns wedding luncheon was the result of a hectic work schedule and Ron’s desire to forgo a traditional full dinner service. 

He told People that he was in the midst of wedding season himself, curating his famed, elegant confections for couples getting married. Dubbed the Manolo Blahnik of wedding cakes, Ron’s work is in high demand through his studio in NYC. Here, his cakes, which are works of art, have been enjoyed by celebrities such as Britney Spears, Uma Thurman, and LaLa Anthony.

Meanwhile, Hiro was busy with his work during New York Fashion Week. However, through bustling schedules, they managed to find an opportunity to take time for themselves and plan their vows at Manhattan’s City Hall with an intimate yet celebratory Blue Hill Farm wedding.

There is something so essentially pure about a weekday wedding at city hall, isn’t there? It strips away at the idea of planning and timelines. Instead, the focus shifts to the root of a story. The coming together of two souls in love, thus committing to a lifetime spent together.

There was one additional element driving the decision for a weekday wedding. The upcoming Jewish holiday was rapidly approaching. Ron and Hiro found a chunk of time in their otherwise hectic schedules and saw it as an opportunity for them to get married and approach the high holiday of reflection as newlyweds.

Ron later told People that his wedding day was “a dream come true” and “a celebration of two kindred spirits from opposite sides of the world who by fate became whole as a couple in NYC“.

The feature also showcased images, captured by me, of beautiful behind-the-scenes moments from their wedding day.

NYC City Hall Wedding Photos​

Before exchanging vows, we traipsed through the streets of NYC. Every step became an opportunity for wedding portraits on our way to City Hall.

The waiting area at NYC City Hall has a sense of electric energy to it. It’s filled to the brim with dozens of beautifully diverse couples. All patiently waiting for their number to be called for their wedding. The anticipation is nothing short of palpable. As Ron and Hiro awaited their turn, I captured pre-wedding photos filled with a sense of excitement only experienced in those just before moments.

In the days before the pandemic, a wedding at Manhattan’s City Hall allowed up to 25 guests in attendance. Now, however, they allow up to 4 guests, which includes your wedding photographer. There’s no denying that being one of only four people to witness Ron and Hiro recite their vows and exchange wedding rings, while capturing each extraordinary detail, was incredibly humbling.

The limit on attending guests ensures an intimate ceremony experience. However, that did not deter cherished friends from arriving for a mini post-nuptial celebration, just outside the doors. As we exited the doors of NYC City Hall, friends waited in the wings with enthusiasm and vigor. There were rose petals floating through the air in honor of Ron and Hiro, side by side with effervescent bubbles. All to shower the newlyweds with good cheer and adoration on the next step in their journey together.

Blue Hill Farm Celebratory Wedding Luncheon

The bubbles and flower petals proved to be an opening to the celebration that awaited. Just an hour north of City Hall, and true to Ron’s vision, an elevated wedding luncheon experience awaited at Blue Hill Farm in New York.

The expansive property is a blissful retreat from city life. It offers a place of quiet reflection paired with an epicurious experience.

As a luncheon was prepared in honor of Ron and Hiro, we explored the grounds. Stopping along the way to capture wedding portraits at Blue Hill Farm. All of which aimed to showcase the idyllic, scenic backdrop, driven by Ron and Hiro’s love story.

An Organic Approach to Wedding Florals & Decor at Blue Hill Farm

The decor for Ron and Ben’s Blue Hill Farm wedding was elegant and understated. In fact, it was Hiro’s vision that brought their wedding day celebration to life. He dreamed of exploring the gardens at Blue Hill Farm and stopping to cut fresh flowers along the way. The gardens along the grounds are sweeping and expansive. It’s an almost fairytale-like experience with dragonflies floating through the air and bees pollination the lush flowers.

With a pair of shears in hand, Hiro carefully plucked florals from Blue Hill Farm. This organic approach to decor was directly inspired by the land. The fresh florals were used to create elegant bud vases and arrangements to accent Ron and Hiro’s private dining experience.

A Farm-to-Table Dining Experience

Blue Hill Farms’ scenery is perhaps only rivaled by its culinary experience. To enjoy a leisurely luncheon at Blue Hill Farm for a weekday wedding is to delight in the senses. For Ron and Hiro, their outdoor seating directly overlooked the vegetable fields and herb garden. Filling the gentle fall breeze with a light note of the surrounding sweet, earthy scent.

Plated lunch was courtesy of the farm-to-table experience that Blue Hill Farm is synonymous with, including wine pairings to amplify the flavors and complexity of the meal. 

Undoubtedly, the wedding cake, of course, was courtesy of Ron’s artistry as a renowned baker. The wedding day confection was an elegant, white two-tier wedding cake featuring ornate details, including vintage-inspired piping and drapery accented by piped shells and bows. The beauty of the sugary confection represented the pure and austere overall approach that Ron and Hiro took when planning their wedding day. 

When it was time for Ron and Hiro to cut into their wedding cake, there was a brief moment where exuberant laughter filled the air. It was exactly then that Ron realized this was the first time he had created a cake for himself.

True to tradition, Ron and Hiro saved the top layer of their wedding cake. Presumably, to take home and freeze, later to be enjoyed on their first wedding anniversary. 

The elegant cake made by Ron was just one of the many treats awaiting guests. Custom-illustrated chocolate bars were crafted by Darcy Miller, and beautifully decorated cookies by Elisa Strauss of Confetti Cakes were served to conclude an invigorating dining experience.

To learn more or to book me for your Blue Hill Farm wedding or weekend wedding getaway, contact me here.

The post Ron Ben Israel & Hiro Aihara’s Blue Hill at Stone Barns Farm Wedding appeared first on Melani Lust.

Last week, Swifties and Chiefs fans around the world received the news we’ve all been waiting for: Taylor and Travis are engaged! Whether you’re a die-hard fan or not, this is one of those cultural moments that will ripple straight into the wedding world. As a lover of all things love and photography myself, I have been poring over their engagement photos and just couldn’t resist sharing everything I love about the future Taylor Swift engagement and wedding inspiration coming to 2025 and 2026 weddings. I’ve also included images from my favorite weddings that embody these themes the most.

The couple shared the news via Instagram with images from a curated floral garden, photographed with soft yet deliberate flash—an aesthetic that feels both romantic and trend-setting. Her playful caption, “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married,” adds a glimpse of personality that hints at the storytelling still to come.

The proposal imagery presents a lush, styled floral landscape that’s evocative of fairy-tale romance. That heavily curated garden, complete with floral arches, invites aesthetic comparisons to Taylor’s beloved Lover-era visuals. 

A wedding I photographed at Winvian Farms, featured throughout this post, used similar floral arrangements that flowed over every surface, bringing a feeling of life and romance that filled every space.

Trend Insight:

Lighting appears soft yet deliberate—a diffused flash enhances the romance of the scene while highlighting them in the setting and making the background a bit dark with high contrast.

Expect 2025–2026 proposals to lean into lush florals, curated garden setups, and thoughtfully deployed flash lighting, marrying cinematic mood with intimate clarity. This style truly places the couple in the spotlight while everything else “fades away” just as finding your true partner brings a sense of focus and calm despite the demands of life.

Literary Elegance: What the Caption Suggests

Taylor’s playful caption—“Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married”—echoes her affinity for wordplay and literary framing. It also evokes Taylor’s 2008 hit “You Belong With Me,” a favorite of many fans and an age-old story of the jock and the overachiever; the two souls who, on the surface, appear to have nothing in common and yet find true love with each other.

Taylor’s passion and talent for writing in a way that connects with so many is rooted in classic literature, themes of which are also seen in the vintage style of her ring, the lines of her dress reminiscent of lines of script on a page, and the timeless garden setting.

Songwriting Symmetry:

The carousel of images posted by the artist was set to “So High School” from the 2024 album Tortured Poets Department and tells the story of two young people immersed in new, invigorating love. This adds new depth to the caption and brings a feeling of youth and excitement to the picture of their relationship.

Implication for the Wedding Aesthetic:

Taylor Swift’s literary interests shine through, think Fitzgerald-like opulence (“The Great Gatsby”), or a refined Shakespearean elegance. Envision romantic decor elements: escort cards styled like book pages, delicate calligraphy on textured stationery, floating scrolls, or carefully curated literary quotes integrated into table settings.

The Shakespeare Garden at the Mayflower Inn shown below provides the perfect setting for elegant, timeless weddings inspired by elements like these. I can picture an altar draped in flowers and table settings decorated with soft colors reminiscent of book covers.

These motifs might show up across engagement parties, rehearsal dinners, or at the wedding itself—creating a cohesive narrative rooted in Swift’s literary favorites!

However it unfolds, this engagement is more than a celebrity headline—it’s a glimpse into the aesthetics and storytelling that will shape weddings in the coming years. From floral artistry and thoughtful lighting to literary-infused design, it reminds us that the most memorable celebrations are those that blend personal narrative with timeless beauty.

To learn more or to book me for your proposal, engagement portraits, or wedding weekend getaway, contact me here.

The post An Engagement for the Ages (Taylor’s Version) appeared first on Melani Lust.

On your wedding day, there are so many things to do from the moment you wake up. How much time should you set aside for hair and makeup? Will it actually take an hour to put your dress or suit on? When are you even supposed to eat? After countless weddings of all sizes, types, and lengths, I can confidently say that building a wedding day schedule is one common task that couples struggle with.

When you and I work together, we’ll follow a tried-and-true schedule to ensure your wedding day is stress-free and flows smoothly from start to finish. That way, you can focus on soaking in the beauty of the moment and feel nothing but joy and harmony when you look back on images of your day.

From the moment I arrive, here is the schedule we will build together as we create a full documentation of your wedding weekend:

Stage One: Getting Ready

Beginning at noon with a First Look planned, or 1:45 with no First Look, I will join partner one in your getting ready suite while my associate joins partner number two, and we will capture the final details of getting ready. This includes details specific to each partner like hair and makeup, and special cologne or perfume application, plus every candid moment of putting on your suit or dress, shoes, jewelry, watch, cuff links, veil, and any other details. My goal here is for you to enjoy the little moments with your closest friends and family members who are helping you prepare. You worked tirelessly to bring together so many details in your finished look. Relish the moment they all come together and I will capture every part of it.

Stage Two: First Looks

If you have chosen to do First Looks, we will move straight from the partner one’s getting ready suite to the First Look moment with your father or your chosen loved one at 1:15, followed by a portrait session both alone and with your bridal party/groomsmen and family members. At 2:00, it’s finally time for you and your love to come together for the first time!

The first time you see your fiance on your wedding day is a very intimate, emotional moment. Because of this, many couples choose to do a First Look moment in order to keep the moment private and enjoy time together before the wedding begins in earnest.

After you’ve had time to soak in a few moments together, we will dedicate time to a directed couple’s session, where I will generate natural emotion with a series of prompts. Then we will move to the wedding party and family portraits. Afterwards, we will tuck the couple away as guests begin to arrive. For those not doing a First Look, these portraits will take place after the ceremony as guests transition to cocktail hour.

Stage Three: Ceremony and Cocktail Hour

This is where my team will fade into the background, documenting every moment of your ceremony and the faces and feelings of your guests and loved ones as they live the moment with you. Take this time to fully immerse yourself in the experience. Say your vows and commit yourself to a life of love, then join your loved ones to begin the celebration in earnest!

As guests transition to cocktail hour, my team and I will capture details from your reception and any portraits that remain to be taken. You and your wedding party will take this time to refresh and breathe, then connect with friends and family members as we capture every candid moment of connection, laughter, and celebration with those who love you most.

Cocktail hour often takes place between 5:30 and 6:30, or 7 and 8, depending on the general arrangement of your day (like whether you choose to do a First Look and if your reception takes place at a different location than your ceremony). If you don’t have a First Look, and you have a portrait list with 12+ groupings, we recommend extending your cocktail hour by thirty minutes.

Stage Four: Dinner and Dancing

Now it’s time for everyone’s favorite part: the party!

Beginning with the formal entrance and a delicious dinner, the reception is in full swing by 8:00. My team has captured every detail you meticulously planned and every moment both organized and organic. You and your friends and family are immersed in the moment, full of laughter and celebration, as we work to document every smile and funky dance move. Our goal throughout the reception is to cement these moments in your memory and give you beautiful, lively images that transport your back to the second it was taken. Your reception is often one of the “blurriest” parts of your day, but the authenticity we find as you and your guests let loose and live in the moment is unparalleled.

In Conclusion

Each moment of your wedding day will be filled with interactions you want to remember forever, but you can only do so many things at once. Your focus on your wedding day should be singular and unwavering: getting married to the love of your life! Together, we will build a wedding day schedule that will take all other worries off your plate, allowing you to live fully in the moment in a way that will stick with you for the rest of your life when you look back on your images. Trust me to capture the big moments and the little ones in between, and I will trust you to enjoy it to the fullest. I promise, it will be incredible!

To learn more or to book me for your wedding weekend getaway, contact me here.

The post Guide to Your Wedding Day Schedule appeared first on Melani Lust.