If you’re getting married in Ithaca and you love that rustic elemental feel, Gratitude & Grace is definitely worth checking out. This was my first time shooting a wedding at this venue and when I officially arrived on scene I could tell it had Molly and Jeff written all over it. This was definitely their vibe and I was instantly enamored with the space as I started to explore.
It’s a large enough venue where both the bride and groom can get ready onsite with a large house to accommodate friends and family. I was obsessed with this house. It’s clearly super old and I didn’t get the build date which I regret because I’m super nerdy like that. (If someone reads this and knows, please email me!)
Molly is a vibrant, colorful personality so it makes sense that her detail shots were vibrant and colorful too. I especially loved that her engagement ring had emeralds. (Mine does too! – TWINNING!)
My amazing assistant John was onsite to photograph Jeff and the guys getting ready. I don’t know how to describe Jeff in an eloquent way. I just keep coming back to “He’s a wicked cool guy.” Because he IS a wicked cool guy. He is a wicked cool guy in the least cliche way. If you hung out with Jeff you would be like “Jeff is a wicked cool guy.” and I would agree.
Jeff is a wicked cool guy.
The bridal suite is gorgeous and has lots of natural light which is my favorite kind of environment to shoot in. Throw in an antique looking mirror and a mama dressed in royal blue doting on her daughter who is about to walk down a wedding aisle, you’ve got me swooning.
Molly and Jeff chose to do a first look out in the garden. I still can’t look at these photos without tearing up myself. Every girl wants to be looked at how Jeff looks at Molly. This was one of the sweetest first looks I’ve ever captured. They also chose to share their vows here vs. during the ceremony.
Shoutout to Ramble on Roses, a friend to the bride, a florist and a gardener, a truly talented soul and an artist. I fell in love with Molly’s bouquet and all of the florals at the venue. So much so that Ramble on Roses is working with me on a styled shoot this summer! Super excited, cannot wait. But seriously though, look at that bouquet.
Like most first look schedules, we did the bride and groom as well as the bridal party photos right afterwards. The plan was to get them all done so Molly and Jeff could just enjoy their guests after the ceremony but then we had an EPIC sunset so exceptions were made.
Seriously though. These flowers.
Molly’s BFF gave her a “Molly barbie” as a gift so Molly barbie got her own bridal photoshoot too. In case you were wondering, it is SUPER hard to pose a barbie but we made it work.
The flower wreath portrait is my absolute FAVORITE to take. So, so gorgeous!
Gratitude & Grace has this gorgeous old staircase towards the front of the house. I knew as soon as I saw it that we needed to utilize it for some bride and groom shots. There’s so much potential for more here but since it wasn’t a rainy day, we had other places to be. Plus, we needed time for the most important part of the day. You know, the ceremony.
The ceremony took place inside the barn. Since we did have showers in the area, the call was made semi last minute. Between the Lily Moon wedding day of coordinator (Karla aka rockstar) and the groomsmen, all the chairs and tables were quickly situated inside and everyone was lined up for the big event.
Molly collected bells for the wedding day so instead of guests clinking glasses for the bride and groom to kiss, they could ring bells. I can’t even imagine how long it must have took to collect this many but it was a super cool thing to photograph.
After the ceremony, the sky absolutely exploded with color. I haven’t seen a sunset this good since I couldn’t even tell you. YEARS. The sky went from reds and oranges to deep purples. It was incredible. I would say that’s a really good wedding day omen and I’m so happy Molly and Jeff were up for some more picture taking.
The reception was a blast. The ceremony space was cleared out to make way for a dance floor and before long it was full of dancing people, bright colors and glow sticks. So much fun!
I’m so grateful I got to be a part of Molly and Jeff’s wedding day! This was definitely in my top faves of 2024. A huge shoutout to all of these vendors for making the day so flawless and fun! Especially Lily Moon’s Karla, the day of coordinator. She was zooming around keeping everything running smoothly and her hard work did not go unnoticed!
Venue: Gratitude & Grace
Photographer: Jen Pecka Photography
Wedding Planner/Day of Coordinator: Lily Moon Weddings
Flowers: Ramble on Roses
DJ: Funky Gourd
Dress: Ever After NY Bridal
Rings: Mansour Jewelers
Cakes: Emoticakes
Catering: Silo Food Truck
Invitations: Zazzle
Bartender: Deep Dive
MUA/Hair: Traveling Stylist
