Photos by Lauren Larsen Studio
Weekend weddings are a labor of love. In many cases, both families come together to participate in the planning stages of the weekend. The anticipation and expectations for a weekend full of celebration and family is high when all parties are involved. Minor details that seemed small at the start of planning become all the more important when guest experience is a focus of the weekend.
It was very important to this couple to get married in a place that they felt was reflective of their personalities. In particular, they were looking for a venue that had both a relaxed atmosphere and a high level of luxury. The aesthetic and picturesque quality of Troutbeck very much spoke to the couple. The bride especially loved the historical significance that Troutbeck offers. In the end, they choose Troubeck because of these qualities, regardless of the fact that their ideal dates were not available.
The first weekend of November is liable to have any kind of weather. It may be unusually warm, like an early September day, or bitterly cold like it’s the dead of winter. The week before Kait and Greg’s wedding was beautiful and warm until the forecast turned and brought snow, hail and low temperatures. We ordered a ton of cozy blankets, tented the ceremony space and brought in lots of heat for both the rehearsal dinner site, which was Troutbeck’s pole barn, and also the ceremony tent in the back walled garden of the venue. In short, we made it work like a charm.
It’s a rare thing when a cozy wintery wedding gets to also enjoy the natural beauty of the outdoors. Additionally, with many couples hosting their weddings during the warmer months of the summer, having a wedding not in the heart of the summer is a fun and welcomed break from everyone’s work lives.
Kait and Greg met in college at Cornell, so they share a load of friends. The entire bridal party and immediate families stayed at Troutbeck for the full weekend and enjoyed each meal together, with no one in a rush to go anywhere. Conversations by the fireplace, s’mores, late night chats over a bottle of wine, chess and pool games were enjoyed by all.
The couple elected to have some minor details repeated between the rehearsal dinner on Friday and wedding day Saturday such as the fonts on the invites and paper details. Besides a few minor details, overall both days were very distinct. For the rehearsal dinner we worked with the mother of the Groom and planned the wedding day with mother of the Bride and the couple. The couple did spend a bit of time helping to plan the rehearsal dinner as well, making sure the spread of food across both days was plentiful and diverse enough. However, they really placed the majority of their focus on the wedding day while still remaining involved in their busy careers.
Both the Bride and Groom left work on Wednesday so they could place the majority of their focus on the forthcoming weekend of celebration. Ultimately, their wedding week was a joyous, and inspired vacation with friends and family.
Troutbeck is one of those venues that speaks to a weekend long wedding because of their ability to provide the following details:
Pool & cafe
Tennis courts
Spa & gym
Hiking trails
Good food
Multiple event spaces to break up a weekend of celebrating
Ceremony rain back up location(s)
Outside Ceremony locations
Enough overnight accommodation for most bridal parties and immediate families
Two hotels nearby to host other guests
Metro North and Amtrak Train Stations nearby
Many thanks go out to the team of vendors who helped make this wedding weekend a huge success.
And lastly, thank you to both families that were so fun, collaborative and appreciative.
XO
Ashley + team
For more photos and information on this wedding:
Kait + Greg's Troutbeck Rehearsal Dinner
Kair + Greg's Troutbeck Wedding Day
