Photographing a wedding in Pawling, New York will always feel just a little different to me.
I grew up here, so even though Florida is home now (and has been for quite some time), coming back to Pawling to photograph a wedding feels much more like coming home than traveling for work.
Annamarie and Will’s wedding was one of those days that reminded me exactly why I love coming back.
Beautiful summer greenery. A ceremony at Christ Church on Quaker Hill. Color everywhere you looked. A gorgeous outdoor reception. A live band. And a group of people who very clearly love each other and are ready to celebrate.
It was elegant without feeling overly formal and beautiful without ever feeling too perfect.
Mostly, it was just incredibly fun.
A colorful start to the wedding day
Arriving at the getting ready location the first thing that I noticed about Annamarie and Will’s wedding was the color.
Annamarie’s bridesmaids wore soft yellow dresses, while the flowers brought in blue, pink, peach, coral, white and yellow. A Creative Touch created florals that felt bright, loose and summery rather than overly matched.
They photographed beautifully against all of the green surrounding Pawling in the summer.
And there were so many little details worth noticing — from the colorful bouquets to the reception flowers, candles and one especially memorable floral arrangement displayed above a vase filled with sliced lemons.
It was unexpected, cheerful and completely fit the feeling of the day.
Getting ready in the most beautiful light
Annamarie got ready in a room with huge windows and beautiful natural light. We have moved the furniture a bit to get closer to those windows!
Before everything really got moving, we had time for bridal portraits, finishing touches and those little in-between moments that are some of my favorite parts of a wedding day.
A best friend helping with a shoe.
A quiet moment with her mom.
Hair and makeup getting the final touches from Gillian Curley of Alchemy Hair & Makeup.
And then, of course, champagne.
A lot of champagne. And it was the good stuff!
The getting-ready part of a wedding day doesn’t need to feel like a staged photo shoot. I’m always watching for the things happening naturally around you while making sure we also have time for the portraits and details you’ll want to remember.
Annamarie’s elegant, modern gown from Lamb’s Hill Bridal Boutique looked especially beautiful in all that window light.
And once she was dressed, we stepped outside for a few portraits before the rest of the day unfolded.
A first look with my favorite reaction EVER!
Annamarie and Will chose to see each other before their ceremony.
First looks can create such a nice little pocket of breathing room on a wedding day. For a few minutes, there’s no aisle, no audience and nowhere you need to be except right there with each other. And me… of course!
And Will’s reaction?
PRICELESS! THE BEST I’VE EVER SEEN!
He quite literally jumped for joy. Seeing his bride for the first time in her dress was a moment I’m sure he will never forget!
Those are the moments I love because you just could never manufacture them — and you wouldn’t want to. The jump was a split second and – oh boy- was I worried that I missed it. But I got it!
Once the excitement settled down a little, we had time for portraits around the grounds and outside Christ Church.
A summer ceremony at Christ Church on Quaker Hill
Annamarie and Will were married at Christ Church on Quaker Hill in Pawling. A place that is as special to me as it is to them.
The white church, arched windows and red aisle gave the ceremony such a classic look, while all of the colorful flowers kept everything feeling fresh and summery. The heat also helped us to remember it was summer!
This is one of the parts of a wedding day when I become especially unobtrusive.
I don’t want you thinking about photography during your ceremony.
I want you paying attention to the person standing in front of you.
So while the ceremony unfolds, I’m looking for all of the things happening around you — expressions, hands reaching for each other, reactions from parents and wedding-party members, and all of those tiny moments that disappear quickly if you aren’t paying attention.
And then, of course, the best part:
They were officially married.
Wedding portraits around Pawling
One of the things I love about photographing weddings in Pawling and this part of the Hudson Valley is how much variety there is within such a small area.
Around Christ Church alone we had white historic architecture, big trees, gardens, stone pathways and all of that summer green.
We kept the portraits relaxed.
A little direction when they needed it. Plenty of movement. Lots of talking and laughing.
Nothing that required them to spend half the afternoon performing for my camera.
Their wedding party looked fantastic against the setting too. The bridesmaids’ yellow dresses and colorful bouquets popped against the greenery, while Will’s white dinner jacket made him stand out perfectly among the black tuxedos.
And then there was the BMW
You know I’m always going to use something fun when a wedding gives it to me.
A vintage white BMW made an appearance, and there was absolutely no chance we weren’t taking photographs with it. Especially since it meant so much to Will.
It was one of those elements that had nothing to do with what a wedding is “supposed” to look like and everything to do with making the photographs feel specific to this wedding and this couple.
Those are the details that give a gallery personality.
Chasing the late-summer light
Later in the day, we stepped away from the celebration for a few more portraits.
This ended up being one of my favorite parts of the wedding.
There is something about summer evenings in New York that I never get tired of photographing.
The long days. The green fields. The distant hills. And when everything lines up just right, that soft golden light pouring across the landscape.
We didn’t need anything complicated.
We walked.
They talked.
They laughed.
They had a few minutes together away from everyone else.
And the landscape did the rest.
This is exactly why I love leaving a little breathing room in the wedding-day timeline.
Sometimes ten minutes at the right time of day creates photographs that become favorites from the entire wedding.
And then came one of my absolute favorite frames:
It basically says, We’re married. Let’s go party.
A colorful outdoor cocktail hour
Guests gathered outside for cocktails before moving into the reception.
This part of the day felt effortless — people talking under the trees, colorful patterned linens throughout the lawn and everyone settling into the celebration.
It also gave me another chance to photograph all of the details that Shimmer Events and the vendor team had pulled together.
The tents, tables, chairs, linens and rentals from Cartwright and Daughters created the foundation for the reception, while the flowers and bright details carried the color palette from earlier in the day all the way through the evening.
A tented Pawling wedding reception
Dinner and dancing continued under a white tent strung with lights and woven pendant fixtures.
Odeens Catering handled the food, Sunflower Bakery created the cake, and once Silver Arrow Band started playing, the energy changed immediately.
This is where the day really became a party.
Annamarie and Will came onto the dance floor surrounded by their friends and family to the tune of Valerie (if you know.. you know!), with the band playing just a few feet away.
And this is exactly the kind of reception photography I love.
Yes, I’m photographing the two of you.
But I’m also watching everyone around you.
Your parents.
Your college friends.
The person screaming the lyrics.
The friend who has already lost their jacket.
The reaction happening three feet outside the obvious photograph.
Because those people are part of the story too.
And once the dance floor opened up, it stayed busy – all night long.
Coming home to photograph weddings in Pawling
This wedding was especially meaningful for me because Pawling isn’t simply another place I travel for work.
It’s my hometown. It’s my roots. It’s where I grew up.
I grew up around these roads, towns and landscapes, and there is something incredibly special about getting to come back now and photograph other people beginning a new chapter of their lives.
I’m based in Florida and photograph most of my weddings in Melbourne, Melbourne Beach, Vero Beach, Orlando and throughout Florida.
But New York will always be a big part of my story too.
I return for select weddings each year, and I would absolutely love to photograph more celebrations in Pawling, Dutchess County and throughout the Hudson Valley.
Looking for a Pawling NY wedding photographer?
If you’re planning a wedding in Pawling or the surrounding Hudson Valley area, I’d love to hear what you’re planning.
My approach is relaxed and unobtrusive, with enough direction to help you feel comfortable and plenty of space for the real moments to happen on their own.
Your wedding day shouldn’t feel like one long photo shoot.
You should actually get to experience it.
And years from now, I want your photographs to remind you not only what everything looked like — but exactly what it felt like to be there.
Wedding Vendor Team
Photography: Liz Cowie Photography
Planning: Nancy — Shimmer Events
Ceremony: Christ Church on Quaker Hill
Videography: Joe Wehner
Second Photographer: Kasey Moore Photography
Florals: — A Creative Touch
Cake: Sunflower Bakery
Band: Silver Arrow Band
Hair & Makeup: Gillian Curley — Alchemy Hair & Makeup
Wedding Dress: Lamb’s Hill Bridal Boutique
Chairs & Rentals: — Cartwright & Daughters
Catering: — Odeens Catering
