heron hill winery finger lakes wedding: colleen + matt

Heron Hill Winery Finger Lakes Wedding Photography

I arrived to Colleen’s parents’ lake house the morning of her and Matt’s big day to find a relaxed and happy bride getting ready with her favorite ladies! The vibe of the “getting ready” can really set the tone for the rest of the day, so this stress-free environment with everything already running ahead of schedule was a fantastic start!! I’d been to Colleen’s parents’ home before for her & Matt’s engagement session, so I already knew what a picturesque place it was with it’s gorgeous landscaping and stunning views of the water, and made sure to take advantage!

Colleen’s mom and maid of honor helped her into her dress, shoes, and jewelry and she looked STUNNING in her timeless gown from Kleinfeld’s. I found myself getting teary-eyed right with Colleen’s mom and MOH! I’m not surprised that I got emotional at this wedding - Colleen has that rare and special quality where she makes everyone around her happier with her genuine kindness and warmth, and how can you not get all the feels for someone like that on the happiest day of their life!?! So thankful my clients are all such wonderful humans!

I couldn’t wait to see Matt’s face as he saw his bride-to-be walk down the aisle toward him during their ceremony at Holy Family Catholic Church, and he didn’t disappoint! My other favorite part of wedding ceremonies is actually the very end, after vows, the rings, the kiss, when the couple is officially pronounced husband and wife and they head down the aisle as newlyweds. They just always have the most genuine expressions of pure joy on their faces and I love it so much!

After the ceremony we headed to Heron Hill Winery for the rest of the day! Looking out at the rolling hills surrounding Keuka Lake, I was reminded just how lucky we are to live near all of the gorgeous scenery of the Finger Lakes! The cocktail hour area and reception tent are outside, so guests get to take in the incredible view all night long! At some point during the bridal party entrances and some truly amazing speeches, it poured for about 10 minutes. Given that the forecast called for scattered thunderstorms all day, I’d say we were pretty lucky that this was the only rain. Afterward it cleared up and the sky turned into a vibrant canvas of cotton candy colored clouds and I think I might’ve died if Colleen and Matt didn’t want to go outside for a few more photos in this incredible light! Thankfully, they were game. Having his picture taken isn’t quite Matt’s favorite thing (nor is it most grooms’) but I loved that he was willing to do whatever would make Colleen happy! It was pretty hard to narrow down favorites to share from this day because I have so many, but I did my best! Hope you enjoy this glimpse into Colleen & Matt’s big day!