Timeless Rochester NY Wedding with George Eastman Museum Photos | Chelsie and Chandler

Bride and groom pose infront of the George Eastman Museum. Groom leaning against pillar as bride sits on the steps.
 

Chelsie and Chandler landed a striking October afternoon for their timeless Rochester NY wedding with George Eastman Museum photos to follow, and let me put it this way — it. did. not. disappoint. 🙌🏼😭

While at one point they explored a microwedding in the Finger Lakes region, they ultimately landed on a wedding closer to home, closer to Bills territory (👀😆), and closer to friends and family, who they desperately wanted to include in their wedding!

Their final decision? A thoughtfully and carefully curated wedding based in Rochester NY that was part microwedding, part gorgeous wedding portraits at George Eastman Museum, and part full-scale, full-blown wedding reception at Kin Event Space in Rochester’s Neighborhood of the Arts (NOTA). Their day was simple, tasteful, and timeless, so many of the things I love in a good wedding, and I was honored that they chose me as their wedding photographer to create a visual narrative of their love story! 🥹

 
 
 
Young woman in cream sweater shirt and distressed light wash jean shorts smiling joyfully and holding on to front of shirt.

Hi, I’m Emilee!

I PHOTOGRAPHED THIS ROCHESTER NY WEDDING, AND If you’re looking for a FUN, LAID BACK WEDDING photographer, THEN WE NEED TO TALK!

I’m an Upstate NY Wedding Photographer who specializes in authentic, artful imagery, and I’d love to help tell your love story!

 
The bride and groom stand face to face at the Museum surrounded by lush greens in one of the archways of the building.


Chelsie and Chandler handpicked a wedding team in Rochester NY that helped bring their wedding vision to life, all of whom were absolutely wonderful to work with:

 
 

Some background on Chelsie and Chandler — they are the type of couple who, on first sight, you just know they belong together.

Like peanut butter and jelly, cookies and milk, or Batman and Robin, you see them together and think, “Yes. They just go together.” They have this charisma about them, a gravitational pull and natural chemistry, where posing them in front of the camera, seeing them become husband and wife, or simply watching them interact during quiet, fleeting moments throughout the day was honestly heartwarming.

While I didn’t know them personally before they hired me as their wedding photographer, I can so easily picture them together now — living a full, fun, and wholesome life, side by side and hand in hand, winding down at the end of the week with pizza and french fries, hopping on an airplane to a new, exotic destination, or sipping iced coffee on a slow Sunday morning. They have this way about them where they are truly the best of friends, and the things they love doing most by themselves, they love doing even more together.

 
The bride twirls her gown as she holds her grooms hand at the chapel.
 

This connection truly fanned into a flame during their first look, which was actually my first time I photographed them together!

My heart was a puddle, watching them see each other for the first time on their wedding day, and they literally melted into one another. Their touch was easy, their interaction seamless, and their chemistry magnetic, and while I’m a huge advocate for First Looks for a million different reasons (more on this below!), it was especially exhilarating for Chelsie and Chandler because after seeing their initial embrace I thought, “Ooooooh, today is going to be a GOOD one!”

First looks are incredibly helpful for wedding couples, one of the chief reasons being that it creates a space for releasing prewedding nerves. According to The Knot, this is the number one reason to do a First Look because anxiety and nerves are not uncommon before walking down the aisle. However, Chelsie and Chandler mostly wanted to take advantage of a First Look to capitalize on the gorgeous scenery at their ceremony location, Divinity Estate and Chapel.

Note: Since Chelsie and Chandler’s wedding day, Divinity has filed for bankruptcy and is no longer an active wedding venue!

 
 

Psst… awkward photos aren’t really my vibe.

My goal is to GET you feelING comfortable and yourselves, SO YOU CAN ENJOY JOYFUL, 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 THE REST OF CHELSIE AND CHANDLER’S WEDDING GALLERY ↓

 
 
 

Perched atop a hill with panoramic views of Western NY, Divinity was minutes from downtown Rochester and steps from Highland Park, and it was the combination of the Park’s sprawling grounds and Divinity’s stunning architectural views that Chelsie and Chandler hoped to capture in their First Look.

Boasting a lovely outdoor space, Divinity came complete with a gorgeous courtyard lined with sleek, gray flagstone pavers, outdoor string lights, and a surrounding property was dotted with shady trees, rolling hills, and lush groves. It was a true pocket of lush, oasis-like greenery in Rochester NY, and especially when paired with the fall foliage of a mid-October wedding day, Chelsie and Chandler’s wedding was a burst of radiant beauty.

Location aside, Chelsie and Chandler made choices for their wedding that created space not just for the natural beauty, but personal meaning, too. Throwing aside most conventional traditions, they opted for a small, intimate microwedding of just 25 people, which was an important decision to them for one sole reason — 1:1 quality time with their immediate friends and family members while saying I Do. They wanted the beginning of their wedding day — their ceremony at Divinity — to be anchored in rich meaning, and their vows to be witnessed by those nearest and dearest to them. This, to them, was a top priority, and why they decided on a very intimate microwedding ceremony vs. big, traditional wedding.

 
The bride and groom sharing their first kiss as husband and wife with a beautiful fall view of rochester, ny.
 

According to Brides' Guide to Microweddings, this is actually one of the main benefits of a microwedding:

“It lends itself to greater intimacy and a more meaningful experience with guests.” And while Chelsie and Chandler did want an elaborate, large-scale celebration at their wedding reception, they refined the guest list for their ceremony gathering to a very selective group of people. Generally speaking, this is common for microweddings, seeing as they typically involve 50 or fewer guests, and the Knot gives even more inspiration in their article, What Is A Microwedding. I loved that Chesie and Chandler’s day was kicked off in this personal and heartfelt way.
Following their intimate ceremony, we switched locations for George Eastman Museum photos! One of the only National Historic Landmarks in Rochester NY, George Eastman Museum is a 10.5 acre property that boasts a lovely historical mansion and an English-style country garden where every nook and cranny is ornamental and show-stopping. Complete with manicured lawns, lush tree groves, sweet-smelling plants, and richly colored flowers, it gives off all the Somerset, England vibes where the term ‘picturesque’ honestly doesn’t do it justice.

 
The groom holding his bride's hand as he assists her up the steps of the museum.
 

We used our time at the museum doing couple portraits and bridal party portraits, and we focused primarily on the West Garden area.

We strolled the grounds, took advantage of every hedged pathway, and had a heyday with the ivy-enveloped colonnade and west-facing portions of the mansion, both of which were just eye candy.

Note: For brides like Chelsie who want George Eastman Museum photos, it should be noted that prior permission is required to use the museum grounds for wedding photography. There is an associated fee, which goes toward the museum’s preservation efforts, and you can get more information or secure approval here.

Note: For couples looking to have the best of both worlds, you can actually host your Rochester NY wedding at the George Eastman Museum! The museum provides the option for either an indoors ceremony in the Conservatory or an outdoors ceremony in the West Garden. In either scenario, there is no shortage of historical beauty! Wedding events also include a guided tour of whatever exhibits are on display for your guests. However, the museum does not host wedding receptions (ceremonies only). If you are interested in more information about a George Eastman Museum wedding, you can get more information here.

 
 

Following our time of George Eastman Museum photos, we packed up and relocated to our third and final destination of the day, Kin Event Space.

A former shipping warehouse turned industrial-chic event venue, Kin is located on the outskirts of Rochester’s NOTA district and made for the perfect place for Chelsie and Chandler’s more elaborate, full-scale wedding reception.

The old-world character of NOTA district lends itself to the timeless elegance that is perfect for any wedding, and generally speaking, you can typically figure that a Rochester NY wedding will translate to a recipe for success — it is a burgeoning wedding industry! Historically and culturally vibrant, it is home to so many up-and-coming wedding venues, such as Highline Rochester, Arbor at the Port, Arbor Loft, and Arbor Midtown — as well as many creative wedding vendors like florists (Stacy K Floral and Flowerwell), stylists (Glam Squad SYR and Glam by Michaela), planners (Verve Event Co), videographers (Filmwell Studios), and modern wedding boutiques (Lovely Bride ROC). Brides seriously cannot go wrong by looking into a wedding in Rochester NY. 🥹

 
The bride looks back at her groom as they cut their wedding cake.
 

For Chelsie and Chandler, they chose Kin for its modern and stylish aesthetic, its gorgeous design combination of factory-style windows, urban loft ceilings, and brick white walls, and its versatile layout.

It was equal parts sleek and urban, echoing its heritage as a shipping warehouse, and it felt like a little, hidden gem in NOTA. Its minimalist vibe created the perfect canvas for Chelsie and Chandler, featuring fun accents like geometrically patterned wallpaper, and it allowed them to achieve the cozy, timeless wedding reception of their dreams.

 
 

Chelsie and Chandler extended their wedding reception invite to an additional 125 friends and family members, and the result was a larger, more culminative wedding celebration.

I loved seeing Chelsie and Chandler come to life during their reception, hugging the necks of every Tom, Dick, and Harry during cocktail hour and erupting in laughter during toasts and roasts. They truly have a one-of-a-kind, closeknit community, where every single person was genuinely tickled to be there, supporting and loving on them in such a special way for their marriage!

 
The groom dips his bride infront of the George Eastman Museum while sharing a kiss.
 

I’m so thankful I was able to play such an important part in Chelsie and Chandler’s day, collaborating with them and making meaningful art not only for their Rochester NY wedding, but for their George Eastman Museum photos.

From start to finish, their wedding was a 10/10, and they hit the nail on the head not just with aesthetics, but also with personal intention and meaning. I was truly overjoyed to witness and celebrate their joyous marriage, and can’t wait to continue cheering them on in their journey together. Here’s to Chelsie and Chandler, the start of their beautiful union, and the beginning of a lifetime of shared adventures, travels, and slow Sunday mornings.

 
Gallery, MicroweddingEmilee CarpenterGeorge Eastman MuseumFall, Tasteful, Simple, Timeless