A Chic + Stylish COVID-19 Wedding at a Private Estate
After having to move their wedding at a Private Estate from the originally planned date in June to October due to health regulations, Nicole and Luca brought all the little details together to create the wedding they had always wanted. Forever fans of the Hudson Valley region, they fell in love with the space in Germantown, New York and chose A Private Estate as their wedding venue.
They moved out of NYC to Colorado a few years ago, but with most of their family being on the East Coast and their love of visiting the little towns along the Hudson Valley, getting married upstate was a no-brainer. Originally they planned for 140 guests with a full weekend feel, but because of coronavirus they had to postpone and make shifts to still have the day be lovely and memorable.
“We upgraded most of the decor to give the air of an elevated dinner party,” the couple said. “Beautiful and formal, yet still fun.” It was an elegant juxtaposition with tuxes and corn hole, followed by a candlelit dinner and pigs in a blanket from Hickory BBQ.
Nicole brought in a gorgeous and unique pearl theme for her accessories to pair with her Lela Rose dress, including silk wedding flats with pearl detailing and an acrylic pearl purse by Lele Sadoughi. Her friend even custom made her a white velvet jacket to wear when the sun went down at night, with little pearls along the sleeve.
Other lovely details the couple included for their wedding at A Private Estate? Personal rosé and champagne bottles for a group toast after their first kiss, as well as gin and bourbon from a local distillery. The place cards were made from pressed flowers and wildflower seeds that grow flowers once watered, to bring in a theme of growth and positivity into the event.
How We Photograph Weddings at A Private Estate
With such a small wedding and everything happening on-site, they only needed one photographer. I worked with their coordinator Danielle of Every Little Detail to build a timeline that allowed us plenty of time for all the photos the couple wanted (including the epic editorial style shot of their entire family on the steps of the estate house!) but to ensure that the day didn’t feel like a photo shoot and they spent as much time as possible with their loved ones.
I arrived extra early on-site for additional time to document the details of the day and the location that was so important to Nicole and Luca. With both of them getting ready at the carriage house together, it was seamless to bounce between the two of them and capture the moments with friends and family — from Luca and his mom seeing one another for the first time to extended family hanging around a fire pit on the chilly autumn morning.
Once the day kicked off, I floated amidst the guests between events – capturing moments of laughter amidst friends and little details like the father of the bride’s little dog running around during the cocktail hour or Luca’s arm around Nicole’s chair during toasts. These in-between moments are often not the photos you’ll hang on your wall or post on Instagram, but sweet glimpses of the day that take you right back to what it felt like to be in the room.
Being in such a rural location, once the sun went down there were the most beautiful stars in the sky. While the couple caught up with friends over cake and wine, I went out to different areas to test shoot capturing the stars. I found the perfect location where I was able to handheld my camera and bring it down to 1/6th of a second – using only ambient light to capture Nicole and Luca under the starry sky. A perfect end to the night.
