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Cordelia & Joe began their wedding day together with their closest friends & family at a near by lake house in Pine Plains. They all spent the morning basking in the sun & swimming in the sparkling Pine Plains Lake. Spending as much time as possible together was at the very top of Cordelia & Joe's "must have" list. They wanted to experience the day together in full, only to separate for a short while to get dressed & ready for their first look & couples portraits. The morning of their wedding felt slow & relaxed - a perfect way to spend the morning prior to your wedding. House
The first look took place in the yard of the lake house in the late afternoon sun. Mid-June in the Hudson Valley is few rivaled in it's beauty & climate for a wedding. The sun was shining & the temperature was ideal - the photos taken in these moments continue to live in my mind.
Cordelia & Joe had other unique & non-traditional ideas for their wedding - the ceremony procession. Joe was escorted to the beginning of the aisle by his parent, where he met Cordelia, escorted by her parents. At the beginning of the aisle hugs were given all around & both sets of parents processed down
down the aisle, & once in their positions, Cordelia & Joe processed down the aisle together to meet their officiant. Their officiant was a long time family friend of Joe's, & was a surprise! His children did not know their father was going to officiate their long time friend, Joe's, wedding to his beautiful bride. The shock on their faces when the procession began was worth all the sneaking around according to the couple. The ceremony site was outside the Stissing House, where the remainder of the wedding would take place. The alter area was in front of the picturesque restaurant & a ground floral arch using all locally grown florals was constructed onsite to add an extra whimsy element. They shared vows & exchanged rings & were pronounced wed.
After the ceremony Cordelia, Joe & their guests filed into the Stissing house where an amazing spread of food & drinks were on display. House made potato chips & dip, a carving station & expertly crafted signature cocktails featuring season flavors such as rhubarb & strawberries. The guests mingled & chatted
chatted as the couple took a well deserved moment together in what I have deemed the hearth room due to it's beautiful & functional fireplace & abundance of comfortable yet chic places to sit and relax. All the cocktail hour fun had taken place first floor of the Stissing House while the upstairs was being transformed into the stage of an elaborate feast. When it was time to feast, Cordelia & Joe grabbed the dinner bells & which began to ushering upstairs to dinner. Upstaitr
Upstairs guests were greeted with a beautiful display of farm fresh florals adorning the tables as well as Stissing House's signature taper candles. What was in store for them was a classic feast, seasonal salad, bread with their iconic mounds of house made butter, savory sides & an entire roasted pig all served family style. Speeches were given by Joe's mom & Cordelia's father as well as the couple. They ate & talked & laughed until it was time to really get the party started.
It was time to get the party started! Everyone trickled back downstairs where Cordelia & Joe preformed their first dance. Dessert was served - many many delicious types of cake & an extra special cake for the groom. As much as he wanted to keep it quiet, it was Joe's birthday! The crowd sang happy birthday as he
he blew out the candles. Everyone drank & danced the night away together with epic songs expertly mixed & they ended the evening all smiles. The shuttles came & it seemed just as quickly as it began, the night ended & that was a wrap on Cordelia & Joe's wedding day. So many memories for me personally were made that day & I know that the guests in attendance felt the same. Cordelia & Joe have a lifetime of celebrations left ahead of them & I was so overwhelmed with joy to be apart of this one.
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