A Late Summer Wedding in the Hudson Valley

Tucked away in the Hudson Valley, this intimate home wedding was held at Vic at Spring Hill, a private estate in Kinderhook, New York. The house was the perfect romantic backdrop for a late summer wedding. Jack and Laura celebrated with friends and their families, who all stayed in the guest rooms.

The ceremony took place next to a pond on the property, officiated by the maid of honor. Immediately following the “I do”s, the couple’s family threw potatoes into the water to determine how many children the couple would have. In contrast, Jack and Laura tried to intercept some of the dozen flying tubers. I am unclear if this is actually a Polish tradition or if Laura’s mom made it up - either way, it was hilarious! Their newlywed bedroom was decorated thanks to ān chuáng, a nod to the groom’s Chinese heritage.

The florists at Flower Kraut in Hudson worked with summer blooms to create two loose-flowing basket arrangements for the ceremony space and a dainty arrangement of daisies for Laura’s bouquet. Jack and Laura’s rescue dog, Miso, served as flower girl and had her own pretty wreath of flowers. Lizzy Pesano of Gilded Events coordinated the day.

Cocktails were served on the back porch, followed by a summer menu crafted and cooked by Chef Stephen Lyle. The entire wedding dined together at one big table on the back porch. Dessert was a cake brought up by the Manhattanites from Momofuku, New York City.

The end result was a celebration that felt both relaxed and deeply personal.

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The night before their wedding, the couple hosted their family and friends at Kitty’s in Hudson for a rehearsal dinner outside (to accommodate their dog!). I showed up to take a handful of photos for them (and grab a drink at the bar).

Some technical notes: the sun was setting and slanting over the table, and I was initially fussy over getting “the perfect light” which was JUST not going to happen without moving everyone around, which would kill the vibe. So I opened my hands to “perfectly imperfect” and took the photos as they were. From that perspective: an artistic letting go of technical perfection, leaning into the heat, and the sun, and the tear-streaked laughter at dinner, gave me images that I absolutely adore.