When Margret and Cody told me that their wedding was going to be full of greenery, nature, and even a little Viking-inspired bridal style, I knew it was undoubtedly going to be a day to remember—and how right I was! Their celebration at the Glen Iris Inn, in Letchworth State Park, was straight off of Pinterest in all the best ways: personalized wedding party gifts, vibrant florals, decor brimming with shades of green, custom Converse. . . the list of impeccable details could go on and on. Get ready to want a Glen Iris Inn wedding of your own after scrolling through the breathtaking photos from this incredible day!
Margret + Cody’s Magical Glen Iris Inn Wedding
An ethereal, nature-inspired celebration
I’ve been lucky enough to shoot a lot of weddings at the Glen Iris Inn, so I already knew that it would be the dream venue for Margret and Cody’s nature-inspired vision. Everything turned out flawlessly, with such an ethereal, tranquil atmosphere that really made the most of the natural beauty of the area. The couple opted for a color palette full of shades of green and blue to elevate the natural surroundings of the venue, and every little detail turned out STUNNING because of it. I was obsessed with their stationery—they chose a dark black background for the invites with a striking geometric shape in the middle, surrounded by delicate vines, leaves, and florals that looked spectacular against the black! Who says your invites need to be white in order to be classy?!
Speaking of florals, Margret and Cody didn’t just make a good choice with the dainty florals on their invitations—they also killed it with the florals they chose to decorate the wedding. Not only were there bouquets and arrangements of bright white roses and layers of eucalyptus; there were also bouquets accented by striking pink florals, rust-orange leaves, and pale green foliage. The way Margret’s chunky, rose gold, opal-accented jewelry looked against those florals as I photographed them was to diiiie for!
And now, a moment of silence for Margret’s bridal look—honestly it deserves 10 minutes of silence, if we’re being real. She’s a creative at heart and wanted a super ethereal vibe for her wedding attire, and I’d say she was pretty dang successful: she looked so magical with her viking-inspired hairdo (complete with jewelry weaving through the updo + a soft ribbon hanging from the bottom), as well as the freakin CAPE she wore with her dress. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a more breathtaking bridal hairdo, and she absolutely rocked all the badass but beautiful viking vibes! And did I mention she wore custom Converse? Because of course she did. I told you she was the coolest.
It takes a lot to stand next to a bride who’s looking that phenomenal, but Cody absolutely nailed it, looking just as killer as his bride-to-be! He went with a solid green tie to go with the color palette of the day, paired with suspenders and some rad cowboy boots to complete the look. I just love when couples are able to infuse their own personal styles into their wedding attire like both Margret and Cody did, throwing any trends or expectations to the wayside and just wearing what makes them feel like their best damn selves!
Unforgettable morning moments with loved ones
Although Margret and Cody didn’t see each other until she walked down the aisle to meet him at the altar, it was a really special and sentimental morning with each of their loved ones. Margret did two first looks; first with her dad, and then with Cody’s groomsmen, since they’re all good friends. Cody did a first look with his mom in another area of the venue, and that’s when the tears really started rolling. Loved that even though these two chose to skip a first look between the two of them, they still wanted to have these beautiful moments with the people closest to them before it was time for all the official stuff!
A special handfasting ceremony to honor their commitment
And then it was ceremony time—aka the cue for all the tears to come out! Watching Margret and Cody exchange vows underneath the beautiful sunshine, with a drop-dead-gorgeous backdrop full of greenery, was truly a gift. I loved that they incorporated a handfasting ritual into their ceremony, where they tied a 3-braided cord around their wrists to signify their everlasting commitment to one another! Truly so beautiful to witness this moment and get to document it, so that they can always look back on this moment during both the good times & bad.
Breathtaking wedding portraits around Letchworth State Park
Once Margret and Cody had signed the dotted line and made things official, it was time for my favorite part of the day: newlywed photos! We had no trouble at all finding beautiful spots for their portraits, being that Glen Iris Inn is literally located within a state park and is surrounded by breathtaking natural beauty. We started out on the venue property near the Inn, but then drove to a spot called Eddy’s Overlook in the park for the majority of the portraits, which looks out over the Genesee River Gorge. An absolutely spectacular location for the this gorgeous couple to show off their love for one another and bask in the wild emotions of the day! And with the sun shining down over the gorge, we could not have asked for more gorgeous weather.
Now if you take a look at the photos of Margret and Cody walking along a roadway, below, that spot is actually where Cody told Margret he loved her for the first time during another visit to the park! So of course we had to recreate that moment in their wedding attire—this was probably my favorite part of the day as they truly incorporated things that were special to just the two of them.
Later in the evening, we headed back out for a few last portraits at the Middle Falls overlook, near the Glen Iris Inn—there are actually steps from the Glen Iris area to get down to the overlook, so it’s super quick and easy to access. This was another one of my favorite moments of the wedding; Margret is actually an amazing dancer + dance teacher, and her dancer side totally came out in front of the falls for some extra gorgeous photos!
A romantic evening surrounded by loved ones
Back at their reception, Margret and Cody had a romantic and love-filled evening with their friends and family members. The tent was filled with greenery, colorful florals, beautiful signage, photos of loved ones who had passed, and even a little glass container for guests to drop their notes + well wishes. I loved that they celebrated in an open tent that covered them from the heat of the sun, but still allowed them easy access to the gorgeous greenery and trees around them; the atmosphere was so magical! A highlight of the night had to have been Margret and Cody’s first dance, since it was choreographed by Margret herself and the two had worked on it for months. It was amazing and he even picked her up multiple times throughout it; literally like their own little romantic comedy moment, and the most dreamy way to end the day. Congrats to the newlyweds on a fabulous day and an unforgettable start to married life!
Sweet words from the couple
Margret and Cody left the sweetest review for me after their big day, so I wanted to share a snippet from it below:
“Val was absolutely amazing!
We hired her for our wedding and got an engagement shoot included in our package. She made it so easy to be in front of the camera for both myself and my husband who don’t really like posing for photos. On our wedding day, she was so helpful and captured so many details and moments that we didn’t even know she was there for! I also hired her again for a bff photo shoot and we had a blast on that day too!
Would highly recommend her to all my friends and family and would definitely reach out to her again for any future photos we may need!”
Glen Iris Inn wedding vendors
Dress designer: Allure Bridal
Dress shop: M.A. Carr
Custom shoes: Converse
Bridesmaid dresses: David’s Bridal
Groom + groomsmen outfits: Riverside Mens Shop
Silk flower bouquet: Ling’s Moments
Hair: Braid Babes
DJ: Macy Paradise
Caterer: Glen Iris Inn
Cake: Muscoreils Fine Desserts
Centerpieces and signs: The bride!
About the Glen Iris Inn, an Elegant Wedding Venue in Letchworth State Park
The Glen Iris Inn is one of my personal favorite venues to shoot weddings at, so I wanted to throw in a little bit of extra info about the venue in case you’re considering it for your own special day!
Located within Letchworth State Park, the Glen Iris Inn is a stunning country inn overlooking Middle Falls on the Genesee River, providing an idyllic, very naturally beautiful celebration for weddings of all kinds. I’m in love with not only the inn itself, but the park it’s nestled in—the ceremony backdrop is a DREAM come true, filled with lush greenery and beautiful sunshine on sunny days! It’s a photographer’s paradise, honestly; finding breathtaking spots for newlywed portraits is pretty much effortless at this venue.
Here are a few key details about Glen Iris Inn weddings:
- The Terrace Dining Room can fit up to 60 people
- The Letchworth Room can fit up to 25 people
- Tent rental is required for outdoor events, and can fit up to 120 people (or up to 250 with a second tent)
- Vehicle entrance passes for Letchworth State Park will be provided by the inn for your event
- Outside catering isn’t allowed—you’ll be using the inn’s in-house caterer!
Glen Iris Inn wedding packages
The cost of your wedding at the Glen Iris Inn largely depends on how many guests you have, and what you want your dinner/drink menu to look at; take a look at this page on the venue’s website for the nitty gritty numbers. For weddings of 50 people or fewer, the rental fee for the venue’s wedding site is $300; for over 50 people, the rental fee is $600. However, you’ll also be adding on food and drink costs—so keep that in mind! Saturday events require a minimum of $8,000 in food and beverages, and Sunday’s require a $5,000 minimum.
Glen Iris Inn Wedding Photographer
I seriously will never get tired of shooting weddings at the Glen Iris Inn, and can’t recommend it highly enough. So much that I even put together a full guide to weddings at Letchworth State Park & Glen Iris Inn for you!
If you’re interested in tying the knot at this epic New York venue, reach out to me through my website, shoot me an email, or DM me on Instagram and we can start planning your dream Glen Iris Inn wedding together. Can’t wait to connect!
For more dreamy New York wedding inspiration at equally stunning venues, head over to two of my latest blog posts below:
