Elegant Rainy Destination Wedding at Inn at Taughannock || Sydney & Brady
Let me tell ya'll about one of my FAVORITE COUPLES I've ever had the privilege to work with, Sydney and Brady, and their Elegant Rainy Destination Wedding at Inn at Taughannock!!
These two are just RADIANT together, and I knew from our very first consultation call that their bright spirits, infectious energy, and electric chemistry would translate into an absolutely stunning wedding day! Of course it did, and when surrounded by 200 of their close-knit friends and family members, their day was elevated from fun to a full-out party. 😆
Sydney and Brady have been together SEVERAL years now, and when Brady proposed last year, they knew they wanted a big wedding with allLLLL THEIR people, WHICH of course I loved!!
They currently live in Philadelphia, but they opted for a destination wedding at the Inn at Taughannock in Upstate NY, which was an area where Brady had played summer baseball. They fell in love with the lush, beautiful scenery of the finger lakes region and decided that it would be the perfect destination for their dream wedding. We did an engagement shoot on Cayuga Lake while they were doing their pre-wedding wine tasting, and this was the perfect way to break the ice and get to know each other even better before their day! (Peep their Laid-Back Lake Photoshoot in Ithaca, NY where we had the time of our lives running and splashing around Cayuga Lake… we could even see the Inn at Taughannock from our photoshoot across the lake, which was so cool! 😍)
After they chose their venue, Sydney and Brady jumped right into planning! Knowing that The Inn was already such a dreamy, lakeside location, they went minimal with decor and let the Finger Lakes do the talking! The Inn is actually known for its Victorian history and jaw-dropping, lakeside beauty. The property was purchased in 1825 from a wealthy couple who intended to have the home as their summer lake house — can you blame them! 👀😍 They ordered most of their furniture from England and Italy, much of which is still there today, and you definitely can’t go wrong with this now-wedding venue in Upstate New York! 👌🏼
Sydney and Brady chose soooo many great wedding vendors, which I'm listing out below cause 👀😍🔥
Venue: Inn at Taughannock Falls
Florist: Arnold's Flower Shop
Wedding Gown: Grace Loves Lace
Hair and Makeup: Ivory + Fleur Bridal
Videographer: Jonah Paulhamus
Sydney and Brady's wedding was full of the most amazing people that were truly IN THEIR CORNER and THERE FOR THEM.
Both of them are from super close-knit families, and they are also athletes who played higher level sports (Brady — baseball, Sydney — soccer), so there were just a miiiiiillion friends and fun connections there. Sydney, who is just the most bubbly and spunky person ever, took advantage of this and literally had 17 bridesmaids… YAAAS GIRL! 🙌 They were definitely one of my favorite bridal parties I’ve ever worked with, and everyone was soooo fun and soooo down to celebrate Sydney and Brady’s epic love story. P.S. If you knew Sydney, you wouldn't be one bit surprised she had so many girls, all of which were literally thrilled to be a part of her special day!
As Sydney and Brady's wedding day got closer, one thing became apparent - it was going to rain 🌧️
While your average bride might be inclined to freak out, have a panic attack, or at minimum complain, Sydney refused to let this dampen her day. She called me the day before the wedding to let me know they would be pivoting plans and ordering a last minute tent, but thankfully we were able to massage the timeline to get all their portraits done before the rain started! Rain or no rain, her positivity rang true from planning, to getting ready, to walking down the aisle, to partying!
I can't say enough about how amazing this was to witness, or about how important this type of mindset is for enjoying your day! Determining to celebrate your marriage (the thing that matters most!) even if your wedding plans are adjusted will set you up for massive success day-of! For any brides who are worried about rain on your wedding day (which I know can be super daunting!) check out this awesome Guide to Planning for Rain on your Wedding Day. It’s super practical, and also a pick me up, too!
Overall, Sydney and Brady's special day ran so smoothly, in spite of the rain and in spite of the timeline maneuvering!
Their wedding guests were there to truly celebrate Sydney and Brady's marriage - no matter the weather forecast! Plus, with the help of their coordinator from Inn at Taughannock, we created a robust timeline that was flexible enough to shift around their first looks to avoid the rain, yet sturdy enough to keep the ceremony at the slated time! I can't tell you how important a well thought-out Wedding Day Timeline is for the success of your wedding!
Check out my full blog post on 5 Must-Know Tips for a Seamless Wedding Day Timeline here!
this Elegant Rainy Destination Wedding at Inn at Taughannock was a day out of my dreams, and I am so thankful they chose me to be their wedding photographer.
Not only was I able to celebrate their marriage, but I was able to create new, lifelong friendships with clients-turned-friends. I am so grateful to work with such big-hearted couples and to have enjoy a job that's as creatively fulfilling as destination wedding photography!
For more Finger Lakes wedding inspiration, check out Anna and Matt’s Elegant Taughannock Falls Microwedding. You won't be disappointed!