Dark Romance Destination Wedding at Taughannock Falls | Rachelle and Josh
Rachelle and Josh came all the way from Honolulu, Hawaii for their dark romance destination wedding at Taughannock Falls, and with Halloween set as their wedding date, the natural outcome was a dark, drool-worthy color palette, a quirky twist on whimsical-elegance meets nerdy-creativity, and a gorgeous wedding set against the backdrop of fall foliage in New York’s finger lakes region.
It was mind-blowing magic and mic-dropping majesty, all wrapped in one, and I was honored to photograph and celebrate their beautiful union.
Rachelle and Josh shared a lighthearted and heartwarming connection together– one that was easy to photograph and a joy to witness– and they met in Hawaii when Josh relocated there for the military.
Rachelle explained how, “Josh always has a witty joke up his sleeve and keeps me giggling throughout the day” – and this was obvious in just how giggly they both were the majority of their wedding day. 🥹 They were just shy of sharing their two-year anniversary at the time of their wedding, and watching them interact as a family with Rachelle’s sweet son, Adam, was so endearing.
Hi, I’m Emilee
If you’re looking for joyful, artful, emotion-rich imagery, then I maaaay be your gal!
I’m an Upstate NY Wedding Photographer who specializes in a laid-back photography approach, and I’d love to help tell your love story!
The natural beauty of Upstate NY played big-time into Rachelle and Josh’s decision for a wedding at Taughannock Falls, and Rachelle was especially excited about having wedding portraits outside.
“I’d like to capture the scenic views of our wedding and to remember how beautiful the venue truly was,” Rachelle said. She envisioned a stunning, high-impact destination wedding (peep their dream team of wedding vendors below) and the Inn at Taughannock Falls was the catalyst for turning her dream into a reality.
See Rachelle and Josh’s full wedding team here:
Venue: Inn at Taughannock Falls
Florals: Arnold’s Flower Shop
Bridal Gown & Veil: Bijou Bridal
Bridal Headpiece: Bridal Styles Boutique
Bridal Shoes: Paolo Sebastian
Stationary: Sugared Fig Paperie
Officiant: Dear Ceremony
Psst… in case you haven’t noticed, awkward photos aren’t really my vibe.
My goal is to get you feeling comfortable and yourself, so you can enjoy personality-driven imagery for years to come!
If you’re looking at this gallery, thinking, “YASSSSS!”, then we need to talk… like yesterday!
Keep scrolling to see Rachelle and Josh’s full Dark Romance Destination Wedding gallery ↓
Situated on the bluffs of Cayuga Lake, the Inn at Taughannock is a 12-acre estate that features four buildings with a total of 24 vintage guestrooms, suites, and even a private lake house.
It strikes the perfect balance of historical charm and sophisticated modernity, and with a breathtaking overlook of Cayuga Lake (the longest of New York’s finger lakes!) it has become a premiere destination wedding venue in Upstate NY. Like Rachelle, I love how scenic and picturesque it is, and from a tranquility perspective, it honestly doubles not just as a gorgeous wedding venue, but as a quiet, calming, relaxing retreat.
(Hey, The Knot, here is my casual plug to add New York’s finger lakes region to your Best Destination Wedding Locations list! 😆)
Rachelle reserved the “Falls Suite” for her time getting ready, and between the oversized windows and the double French doors, there was so much natural light, making for a gorgeous setting for getting-ready photos!
We were able to enjoy a quiet, spacious room as she donned her gown, situated her veil, and stepped into her heels, and then we slipped on to the suite’s private, adjoining deck and savored the sunshine, they panoramic views of the lake, and a quick photo op for some bridal portraits. It was one of the most peaceful getting-ready experiences I’ve been a part of, shared between only her and her Mom, and I loved being a part of it!
When I inquired more about their intention behind a wedding at Taughannock Falls, Rachelled explained:
“I would never have guessed I’d be planning a wedding in Upstate NY in my life, but Josh is originally from there, and that’s where he calls ‘home.’”
The bottom line was that they wanted a wedding location where his family was close enough to join them, so Taughannock Falls was an obvious win-win – 1) it had the natural beauty of Upstate NY and 2) it was an accessible wedding venue that was proximate to what wedding experts call, their “VIP guests” (i.e., parents, close relatives, and/or besties who they wouldn’t dream of missing their wedding).
This is often a driving decision when selecting wedding venues for couples who are planning destination weddings.
In Martha Stewart’s guide to Destination Wedding Do’s and Don’ts, guest lists are actually listed as one of the top considerations. The article advises brides to: “Check in with (your VIP guests) prior to ordering and mailing the invitations, and if they give you the thumbs-up, you are all set to put the wheels in motion.” Once it was clear that Upstate NY was a go for Josh’s family, Rachelle and Josh began concocting the dark romance destination wedding of their dreams.
For Rachelle and Josh, selecting Halloween as their wedding date was both a playful and intentional decision.
"We love spooky season,” Rachelle told me, “and Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays.”
Not to mention, fall is also one of her favorite seasons, too! So leaning into a dark romance theme only made sense, and they landed on Thursday, October 31 for their wedding date. I loved that this choice, the selection of a weekday vs. a weekend, was such an offbeat decision – and believe it or not, it’s actually becoming a really common wedding trend!
Here is a complete guide to Pros and Cons of the Weekday Wedding Trend as well as Tips for Hosting a Weekday Wedding.
But essentially, ever since COVID, engaged couples have been pushing away from the standard “weekend wedding” norm and embracing the nontraditional habit of hosting a weekday wedding – one that is conveniently favorable towards budget, amongst other things! Here Comes The Guide’s overview on Weekday Weddings explains how most Weekday Weddings are, yes, definitely easier on budget, but also provide more flexibility in securing dream wedding venues/wedding vendors and are especially helpful for leaning into fun themes– such as a dark romance destination wedding on Halloween. 😊
Picking an ideal wedding date is a topic ‘Brides’ speaks to in their blog post, 7 Steps to Choosing Your Wedding Date, and Rachelle and Josh were able to capitalize on some of these strategies!
By considering their desired wedding season as well as sentimental dates for them, they are now able to enjoy their wedding anniversary on a holiday that they both already enjoyed – Halloween!
That said, some couples may steer away from a weekday wedding due to the almost-guaranteed smaller attendance rate, but an intimate microwedding was a non-issue for Rachelle and Josh. Planning for only 25 guests (they refined their guest list to just family and a handful of close friends!), they embraced a smaller headcount and crafted an intimate, outdoor wedding experience at Taughannock Falls.
Taughannock Falls is located in Taughannock Falls State Park, and is a hidden gemstone of Upstate NY.
It is a 750-acre park that is renowned for its plunging, 215-foot waterfall (the largest single-drop waterfall east of the Rockies) and its surrounding 400 feet of gorge– layers upon layers of limestone, shale, and rock. Surrounded by the stunning scenery of New York’s Finger Lakes region – spacious farmlands, dense woodlands, lush greenery, and gentle rolling hills – it made for an especially enchanting location for their destination wedding.
Rachelle and Josh opted for a wedding at Taughannock Falls’ “small falls” (the cascading waterfalls at the entrance to the park) because they are conveniently located just next to the parking lot.
They don’t require any hiking, they are extremely accessible to guests, and they are especially feasible for hosting and setting up an intimate wedding ceremony space. Many of my couples who have had a wedding at Taughannock Falls have also opted for their ceremony at the “small falls” space – most recently, Laura and Mark with their summery, boho microwedding!
One thing that made Rachelle and Josh’s wedding especially unique was their inclusion of and affinity for a moody, dramatic elegance.
Rachelle explained how this was the ‘north star’ of her wedding aesthetic. “When I look back on my photos,” Rachelle said, “I want to remember not just how fun it was for all involved, but that we were able to achieve a ‘dark romance’ theme.”
Collaborating with her florist, Anastacia of Arnold’s Flower Shop, Rachelle used colors like deep maroon, charcoal black, and dark crimson to curate the most soothing, regal color palette. They incorporated flowers like dark red roses and maroon calla lilies in her bridal bouquet and wedding arrangements, interspersing eucalyptus and baby’s breath to create not just a luxurious touch, but a feel of mysterious, romantic intrigue. It was such a gorgeous approach – and for all my other fall bride-to-be’s, here are 26 Unique Fall Wedding Color Palettes as well as 52 Beautiful Bouquets for a Fall Wedding for more inspiration!
Floral preferences aside, the natural backdrop of fall foliage was a huge win in pulling off such a dreamy wedding aesthetic.
Taughannock Falls is obviously mesmerizing in autumn, so Rachelle and Josh scored a gorgeous ensemble of golden hues, burnt-orange, and deep brown undertones. With a Halloween wedding date (technically considered “post-peak” foliage season in Upstate NY), the result was a subdued, slightly less vibrant, yet equally stunning scene of fall foliage.
Note: When 1) selecting a destination wedding date in Upstate NY or 2) even just planning a personal getaway trip to Taughannock Falls, it’s definitely recommended to monitor I LOVE NY’s Fall Foliage Report. This is an interactive map that highlights the progress of changing leaves across New York, and it is such a helpful resource!
The colors were stunning and the fall foliage was magical, but it was Rachelle and Josh’s inclusion of all-things nerdy that made their wedding especially whimsical and sentimental!
Rachelle and Josh are self-proclaimed nerds, so weaving this offbeat theme into their day was endearing for guests, not to mention personal for them! Rachelle told me that some of their favorite pastimes include building legos, watching movies, and debating over the best Star Wars movie (which coincidentally came up on their very first date together 🤣) – so it was was such a clever tie-in into their wedding day!
With this in mind, Rachelle chose to walk down the aisle to the Beauty and Beast Prologue by L’Orchestra Cinematique (which gave me absolute chills!), and the Prologue faded into Across the Stars (Star Wars Love Theme) by Je Suis Parte.
It was such a creative decision – one that tapped into their shared interests and nodded a head to their personal love story – and I think it’s so fun that more couples are following suit with this! According to The Knot, many brides are breaking tradition and having fun with their ceremony songs, and they share lots of inspiration in their guide here: Top 117 Wedding Processional Songs.
In addition to their processional song, Rachelle and Josh also wove The Princess Bride into portions of their ceremony script; opted for unique wedding favors for their guests like “light saber pens” and “mini Lego figurines” (which they also used for their cake topper – Han Solo & Princess Leia Organa!); and invited attendees to wear ‘Creative Black Tie Attire.’ From start to finish, their destination wedding was not just a blend of dark romance and moody elegance, but of quirky charm, fun sentimentalism, and off-beat traditions!
Note: If you’re a bride looking for personalized, one-of-a-kind, or nontraditional wedding favors…
Minted created this inspiring list of 45 Unique Wedding Favor Ideas and it’s a great way to kick the tires! Personally, I’ve seen so many of these ideas done – wine bottles, matches, succulents, and more– but the best thing to keep in mind is imparting something to your guests that’s also meaningful to you as a couple! 😊
Rachelle and Josh’s sense of style was drool-worthy in every way, crafting the dreamiest destination wedding with spot-on aesthetics – and yet, it was the conglomeration of that, and so many other things, that felt like soul food that day.
Rachelle and Josh demonstrated so much creativity in planning their wedding, they shared the most beautiful and wholesome connection together, and they also planned an outdoors wedding that dripped with the beauty and majesty of God’s creation. All of these things, in the most poignant way, pointed to God’s great artistry– in His design of the human mind and its boundless creativity, in His design of marriage and His blueprint for human flourishing, and in His design of the natural world around us. What a stunning destination wedding Rachelle and Josh curated – so inspiring and so beautiful – and set in a landscape that fanned God’s beauty to flame, it was a work of art.
In terms of their wedding photography, Rachelle and Josh were passionate about having a photo experience that felt as natural and free-flowing as possible.
They opted for a first look, which gave them ample time for couple portraits in the fall foliage as well for precious photos with Rachelle’s son, Adam, and we did the majority of their family portraits at the “small falls” following their wedding ceremony. They were so easy to photograph, melting into one another through natural prompts and organic posing, and it was my absolute pleasure to create such artful, sentimental images for them. You can learn more about my photography experience here, and why I’m so passionate about creating a natural, down-to-earth atmosphere for all my couples!
The cherry on top and the big hurrah for Rachelle and Josh’s wedding was an immediate honeymoon that followed in NYC – it was the perfect grand finale to their dark romance destination wedding! Having never been to NYC, Rachelle, Josh, and Adam stepped right from their Upstate NYwedding at Taughannock Falls to their family honeymoon getaway in the big apple. The Knot created a helpful NYC Honeymoon Guide, but between iconic destinations like the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, and Central Park (not to mention the general magic of NYC in the autumn), it was an amazing trip for their family!
Cloaked in hues of burnt oranges, golden yellows, and auburn reds, the city and its iconic buildings, historic streets, and stunning architectural vistas seemed to come to life in the fall foliage.
One of my favorite architectural photographers, Ethan Barber, has so well documented the spellbinding beauty of fall foliage in NYC (check out his favorite New York City Spots on Apple here!), but being one of the most walkable cities in the world, it was the perfect place (not to mention the perfect season!) for them to do first-time sightseeing. 🥹
Pro tip: Honeymoon photoshoots are definitely becoming a thing (cough cough 👀) so if you want to chat about a honeymoon session – while arguably looking your best and also feeling most in love (they call it the “honeymoon phase for a reason! 🤣) – I’d definitely love to chat with you! Fill out my inquiry form here, and let’s talk, my friend! 🤭
All in all, Rachelle and Josh’s dark romance destination wedding at Taughannock Falls was definitely one for the books, and I feel so honored that they chose me as their wedding photographer. Celebrating their wedding was beautiful in every way, and I will forever be cherishing their wedding photos, championing their marriage, and praising God for opportunities to glorify Him through visual narratives such as these! Here’s to Rachelle and Josh. 🥂