Happy New Year!
Now that I’m through editing all of my 2024 weddings, I officially get to snuggle in for the winter and relive them all starting with Bridget & Chad!
I was a little concerned for the 2024 wedding season when my first wedding started off with a downpour of rain. The kind of rain that soaks everything and chills you. My entire 2023 wedding season was rain. Every. Single. Wedding. Internally I was like “Here we go again.”
I’ll be honest with you, I actually love the rain. I normally shoot light and airy with pops of color but the rain forces me to shoot darker and more contrasty because you just can’t make rain look bright and airy. It’s not. Rain has its own persona and to capture it in a way that still makes the day look dreamy and romantic, you must abide by this persona. And I do. And I love it. BUT, my clients do not always love it. In fact, the majority of them dread it.
I completely understand this because I dreaded rain on my wedding day too. Nobody really wants this but once it’s your reality, there’s really nothing you can do but commit. Bridget did more than commit. She embraced the rain in such a way that I hope my future brides will look to her for inspiration. More on this soon!
With thick cloud cover to block most of the light coming through the windows, I embraced the rain too and began my day photographing the getting ready photos. Adjusting my lighting to work with a darker than normal room, I quickly leaned into the light we did have and had little spurts of internal happy dances as I glanced at the back of my camera.
Traditions at the Glen offers a really beautiful bridal suite that makes getting ready photos gorgeous. The ambiance of your getting ready space greatly affects how your pictures come out and Traditions at the Glen nails it. MVG Beauty (Molly) was on site for makeup and Bridget’s amazing friend Tamar did her hair.
Every now and then the rain would let up allowing us to sneak outside for some quick bridal party portraits. Bridget looked so beautiful in her pre-wedding dress gown that we had to a mini photoshoot out on the balcony.
Once the dress goes on, the reality of the day really starts to set in and this is most likely when I’ll see the composure of brides start to fracture just a touch. But just a touch is good and I love capturing the waves of emotion that come with realizing that marrying your best friend is just moments away. With prayers sent up and the embrace of loving friends, it was time for Bridget and Chad to do their first look.
Once we were scheduled for the first look, the rain really started to come down in torrents so the decision was made to do the first look inside. Luckily there are a few really nice spots inside Traditions at the Glen where the aesthetic is perfect for a rainy day first look.
Bridget came through the French doors and placed her hand on Chad’s shoulder. When he turned around to face her he immediately scooped her into a hug. It was such a tender moment and so sweet to photograph.
Since the rain was relentless we began our bridal portraits inside. However, as I said before, Bridget embraced the rain. She wanted her portraits done outside and walked out the front door of Traditions with her dress unattended and dragging through the water that had accumulated on the front steps. I think this is when I realized I adored her. No fear. No obvious thought for her dress as it quickly saturated with the rain and mud. I’m sure if you could have seen my face when she did this you would see sparkly eyes and a look of deep appreciation and respect. How do I always get this lucky having badass brides?
Her wedding party wasn’t as easily convinced. Even the groom stood inside the door at first with some hesitation as his bride stood in the soaking rain. Standing with expensive gear under a small umbrella I quickly snapped to and ordered everyone out. There are moments in a wedding photographer’s career when you have to become the drill sergeant. Normally it’s because everyone is half in the bag before the ceremony has even started and the bride and groom are becoming visibly annoyed with their group of drunk kittens. Sometimes it’s because you have to coax beautifully dressed people into the pouring rain at the request of the client. With some reluctance, and probably some thoughts of punching me in the kidney, everyone came out and we quickly took some bridal party portraits. They did fantastic and I worked as quickly as I could to get them back into the warmth.
Lucky for us the rain turned into a light drizzle so we were able to forgo the umbrellas for the bride and groom shots.
Before I move on I need to tell you about Colleen. Colleen is the social events coordinator at Traditions at the Glen and without her, most of these pictures would not be possible. Colleen is another who embraces the day for what it is and rises to the occasion. I’m not sure there’s really anything that could happen during a wedding that would shake her or that she couldn’t handle. I actually tried to talk her into coming to work for Lily Moon Weddings as a coordinator because I was so impressed with her work ethic. She not only holds the day together but she does it with the best sense of humor and is the kind of person who lights up a room and draws the crowd to her. She’s just sparkly like that.
Before we got into the golf cart to tool around the grounds of Traditions, I watched Colleen slide her butt across the seats essentially using her OWN pants as a towel so no one else had to get any more wet than they already were. THAT IS A HERO MOVE. Who does that?? Colleen. Colleen does that. What a rockstar you guys. I also watched her yeet Adirondack chairs out of the way so we could use the fountain uninhibited by clutter. Ok, maybe she didn’t “yeet” them but it makes the story better if she did. I bet she would yeet them if they weren’t super expensive legit wooden ADK chairs. So, she got them out of the way is what I’m saying. Quickly and in a torrential downpour. By herself. If anyone newly engaged is reading this and debating on whether they should hold their wedding at Traditions, let this be a huge selling point. Colleen will make sure your wedding day is perfect.
OK! Onward.
There are so many beautiful spots around Traditions for pictures. The classic stone bridge, multiple fountains and wooded areas galore. Colleen even took us out into the forest to a spot I had never been to before. The sky was dark but the clouds refrained from opening up to their full potential so we worked quickly.
I always try to shoot light and airy but with light like this, I guess you could say I’m more of a true to life kind of photographer. I photographed the light exactly how it looked. And even though it was darker, I love the contrast it has on the bride. It really just puts a spotlight on how stunning she is.
Before we knew it, it was time to head back and get ready for the ceremony. At this point, the rain was back to a downpour so the ceremony was moved into a tent near Traditions main building. There’s something romantic about the sound of the rain hitting the tent especially when it’s accompanied by the women of Cadence music who were setting the ambiance with piano and violin. The ceremony was short and sweet and I loved the rose petal throw at the end.
Bridget had a reception dress which was great considering her wedding dress was quite wet. This gave us the opportunity for a second first look and then Colleen whisked us away back to the woods.
When we were done playing in the forest, it was time for the reception. Traditions at the Glen always does a beautiful job with their receptions and it was wonderful to be inside with a fireplace and delicious food. One of my favorite bakers did the cake (Gabriella’s Cakes) and the staff at Traditions were welcoming and super helpful.
I had such a wonderful time photographing this wedding. Bridget and Chad – you guys were a dream to work with and I’m so grateful you chose me as your wedding photographer.
A huge shoutout to all of these vendors for helping to make the day so perfect. I highly recommend each and every one of them!
Photographer: Jen Pecka Photography
Venue/Catering: Traditions Hotel and Spa
Videographer: Houla Films
Invitations: Etsy
Cake: Gabriella’s Cakes Co.
Bouquet: Endicott Florist
Ceremony dress: Dress Your Fancy Bridal Boutique
Reception dress: House of CB
Rings: Comfort and Son Jewelers
Makeup: Molly – MVG Beauty
Hair: Gorgeous friend of Bridget – Tamar
DJ: Sound Selection
Ceremony music: Cadence Musicians
