Saying yes to marry Matt was one of the easiest decisions Ali made when wedding planning. When looking for a Rochester NY outdoor wedding venue the Genesee Valley Club was a perfect fit, but all of the other decisions got complicated. It wasn’t because they couldn’t find great Rochester wedding vendors.. but because there are endless options while wedding planning. Narrowing them down looks different for everyone. If you find yourself carefully thinking through each decision then you aren’t alone and let me tell you it pays off.
The Genesee Valley Club offers classic elegance for a Rochester NY outdoor wedding venue. Working with Ellie from Celebrated Events gave her complete peace of mind when it came to planning and event management. Designing the paper goods with Louelle Studio was a surprise highlight because they incorporated custom watercolor paintings of meaningful locations.
Finally, choosing me as their wedding photographer was their favorite decision – there I said it, because I’m writing the post. I’ll let them weigh through the comments below. We captured images that will remain classic and timeless while still feeling modern, fresh and not overly posed. Don’t you agree?
Choosing a dress for your Rochester NY outdoor wedding venue
Use these three steps to determine if your wedding dress is a good fit for your outdoor venue :
- Start with what you feel good in. Don’t try to match a dress to a location that you don’t love. You might surprise yourself once you start trying on.
- Look at the style of your venue and describe it in three adjectives. Does your dress match some or all of them?
- What will be most challenging thing about wearing your dress or being at your venue. Is it worth it? Ultimately decide how you want to feel on the day, and some choices will cause you more stress than you want.
As an example, Ali loved her beaded wedding dress from Theia Couture when she tried it on at Lovely Bride NYC. Describing the Genesee Valley Club, you could say : classic, elegant and luxury. Her dress fits that description, however another bride at the same venue could play off these words : modern, estate, timeless.
Since I relocated Mary Dougherty Photography to the Adirondacks a few years ago, I actually travel farther but less often. You could say I am a destination wedding photographer but it’s more accurate to say I’m a New York based photographer who travels. The catch is that I only do so for a select group of weddings (15), Ali and Matt’s being one of them.
After learning the story that lead them to business school at Duke and finding each other, we made plans for their engagement photos. Rochester NY was the obvious first choice for an engagement shoot, but on second thought coming to their home in Atlanta was easier. See their Atlanta Engagement Photos at Cator Woolford here. I was happy to escape a long New York winter in April for summery Atlanta, and yes this was one of many decisions where we thought through all the options.
When their day finally came when had logged hours of time talking through timelines, deciding on locations for pictures and tying up all loose ends. Being a creative advisor to my couples is a value I offer that is outside of the realm of what most photographers do. It takes additional time, more experience and lots of communication however I know that the end result is worth it. I can’t tell you how many weddings I just want to photograph again and again. This is one of them.
To all of Ali + Matt’s family, friends who were there and are possibly reading this – thank you so much for making this day amazing. It truly was a joy to photograph and I hope you enjoy these images as much as I do.
Ali + Matt, I am so happy for you both, not just because you had the most amazing day and invited me to be a part of it, but because you allowed me in to your lives. I’m sorry in advance for future trips to Atlanta where I ask if you are busy or not.
