Erik + Nicole's Wedding | Mount Gulian - Beacon, NY

Erik and Nicole are an adventurous, passionate Seattle couple who love daring hikes and nature photography. They've tackled tough mountain passes such as Mt. St. Helens, and through these challenges, Erik and Nicole forged their relationship amidst the rugged and mercurial Northwest terrain. In fact, Erik proposed to Nicole during one of their hikes! Their vision for the wedding was no different - they wanted to celebrate near Nicole's hometown close to the quaint town of Beacon in New York's bucolic Hudson Valley. Mount Gulian on the Hudson offered the perfect historic backdrop for all their creative, do-it-yourself details, including a hand-made altar canopy made by Nicole's father, banquet tables named according to the mountains they've climbed, and a wonderful ensemble of hand-made invitations and programs! This was seriously beautiful stuff!

The party continued through the night in the spectacle-lit barn, and I was able to sneak Erik and Nicole out for a few portraits. Simply gorgeous.

Be sure to follow Erik's excellent photography site here. Big thanks to Fred Lee Films for the wedding film as well!

Jayne + Noah | Liberty View Farm, NY | Hurricane Irene Weekend

This is a special wedding post for me, because Jayne and Noah got married on the same farm I got married at!

On August 27th, Hurricane Irene decided to attempt to spoil all the fun that Jayne and Noah had planned, with zero success. I packed my car with extra supplies to weather the storm, including Kata raincoats for my cameras, tarp, and an overnight bag. Good thing, because I was stuck upstate for 2 days after Irene flooded roads back to NYC. Jayne and I kept touch through the week monitoring the storm, but both her and Noah were so carefree that the forecast did little to contain the optimism they had for their big day!

They chose Liberty View Farm for the same reasons we did - it is a charming, unpretentious organic apple farm by New Paltz packed with so much vintage adornment already on the grounds that there was little need for any additional decoration. Billiam, the owner, is a beloved and active figure in sustainable farming techniques, and kept the farm in an incredibly tailored fashion. His farmhouse and residence served as the preparation house, while an old barn awaited to serve as the rain option for the wedding ceremony.

Hurricane Irene decided to crash our party late in the evening, but the partying went on, complete with a honeybee cake and sparklers! Their guests stayed past midnight, well into the brunt of the storm - a testament to the love and devotion they had to the promise that Jayne and Noah professed to each other. I spent a great weekend with them in the farmhouse, battered in by Irene but encouraged by their positive spirit and the support of their close friends and by Billiam the owner.

What a weekend to remember!  - Albert