I’m so excited to share Johnathan + Lindsey’s wedding day photos at the Fontainbleau Inn. This place is so stunning and historic. I was completely enamored by the original windows and the vertical row of ice box storage in the kitchen. I’m a real nerd when it comes to early 19th century architecture. The Fontainbleau Inn has put a lot of love and work into preserving original features of the property and I can tell you that the pictures don’t even do it justice. There were also so many beautiful places in and around Fontainbleau for pictures. Sitting right in between Watkins Glen and Ithaca, it’s the perfect Fingerlakes retreat and definitely worth consideration for your wedding if you’re on the hunt for a wedding venue or even just a really great bed & breakfast!
The lighting in the main house made my job super easy. There were separate quarters for both the bride and groom to get ready in without any risk of seeing each other before the wedding ceremony.
Technically this was a micro-wedding with only 20 people in attendance. I was able to pop back and forth between Johnathan and Lindsey’s rooms in order to take getting ready photos of the both of them.
Johnathan and Lindsey chose not to do a first look before their wedding ceremony but Lindsey did one with her father which was SO SWEET. I love being able to capture these moments.
The ceremony took place right next door at the most storybook chapel I’ve ever been in. It was obviously very old and had that delicious antique wood smell when you stepped inside. As a photographer with a bunch of gear I had to drive over but if you wanted to, it would be possible to walk over if you had the time and the temperature isn’t scorching.
There’s also the MOST beautiful entryway doors which we obviously had to take advantage of once the ceremony was finished. I even loved the imperfections and cracks running through the wall. Some photographers would photoshop all that out but I think it’s charming. This chapel definitely gives off fairytale vibes.
There are so many places to take pictures between the chapel and the main property of the Fontainbleau Inn. The side courtyards are stunning and there’s a path cut through a gorgeous section of woods that takes you right to the open spread of lawn to the right of the Fontainbleau Inn. I haven’t even mentioned that this place sits right on a beautiful lake! The views from cocktail hour and the reception are so pretty.
If you run into rain on your wedding day, that’s not a problem here. The inside of the Fontainbleau Inn is just as beautiful as the outside. There are many rooms to use and the lighting is perfect. I would have to say that my favorite was the library. When I had a few minutes of downtime I browsed the shelves and found some really cool books from the 1800’s. I’m a sucker for old books.
Cocktail hour took place in a tent setup in the backyard while the reception took place in the main dining room. I need to talk about the food for a minute because I was blown away with not only the presentation but the quality and taste. No one wants bad food on their wedding day. Unfortunately I’ve been to weddings where the food is bleh and the waitstaff are rude. If you hire Word of Mouth Catering, you will get the opposite of bland food and unfriendly waitstaff. Word of Mouth did an INCREDIBLE job with making sure that everyone was fed and they did it in style. The waitstaff was so friendly and I chatted with almost all of them at one point. They were wonderful souls and definitely at the very top of my recommendation list for catering now. They also made sure I was fed which is a huge deal and they went above and beyond. Everything from the salad to the main course was delicious. I’m a huge fan and will forever be excited when I get to work with them again. OH! AND! They made the pies which were works of art!
Both Word of Mouth Catering and Sow Pretty Flowers worked together to make the dining area look beautiful. I love, love, love that blue china!
I had so much fun being a part of this wedding. Johnathan + Lindsey were an awesome couple to work with and I wish you both all the years of wedding bliss and happiness!
I also had an amazing time and experience at the Fontainbleau Inn and highly recommend this place to all future couples looking for a wedding venue! You should definitely check out all these vendors too…
Venue: The Fontainbleau Inn – https://fontainebleauinn.com
Bouquet/Flowers: Sow Pretty Flowers – http://sowprettyflowerco.com
Catering/Pies: Word of Mouth Catering – http://wordofmouthflx.com
Hair/MUA: Bella Ronee Salon – Elmira NY
Dress: NY Bride & Co. – http://syracusenybride.com
Rings: Bethany Jewelers – Corning, NY – https://www.bethanysjewelry.com
