I am SO thankful that New Park Event Venue recommended me to Maggie and Shane after a previous collaboration, because what would I have done if I didn’t get to photograph this amazing day?! Working with this sweet couple was such a joy from the very first moment we were connected by the venue, and I was thrilled that I’d get to finally photograph a wedding on the property I’d been eyeing for some time. I cannot even tell you how kind Maggie and Shane are, both toward each other and toward others, and it was such a pleasure to photograph their wedding at New Park Event Venue in Ithaca, NY.
Maggie + Shane’s Autumn Wedding at New Park Event Venue
A long-awaited dream come true
When I tell you that Maggie and Shane have been waiting for this day forever, I mean it—getting to their wedding day was such an accomplishment in itself. A while back, they both joined the SUNY Cortland study abroad program for silkscreen and printmaking in Ireland (how cool?!), each from their separate colleges. They spent a whole month in Ireland together learning how to silk screen, traveling to local eateries, and taking in the sights, but before they knew it, it was time to go back to the U.S. and live nearly 300 miles apart. Maggie and Shane worked hard to make the distance work, driving long, grueling hours to see each other on the weekends, putting in a ton of time and effort just so they could see each other. They shared with me that one of their first dates in Ithaca was incredibly special, with a yummy sushi dinner, a walk around the Ithaca Farmers Market, and a romantic sunset viewing from the docks; this was when they knew they were each other’s soul mates.
*cue the tears*
Seriously, these two are the perfect pair and I am so impressed by everything they did to get to this point. They MORE than deserved an incredible day after all that time, distance, and longggg hours on the road, don’t you think?!
An ethereal celebration inspired by nature
You’ll see as you scroll through these photos, but Maggie and Shane’s wedding felt so magical in every sense of the word. This property is SUPER unique and makes you feel like you’re in your own little cottage community, or Hobbiton from Lord of the Rings—it’s so amazing and made for the perfect setting for the ethereal vision Maggie and Shane had! The entire day was overflowing with whimsy, romance, and magic from all the dreamiest fairytales, with a nod to autumn in the decor and the color palette.
A quintessential fall day in the Finger Lakes
Fall is nothing if not absolutely stunning in the Finger Lakes, and the weather gods seemed to be looking down on Maggie and Shane for their wedding day to make it as gorgeous as possible! It had aggressively poured the entire morning of their wedding, but cleared up just in time for photos prior to the ceremony, and then the ceremony itself was completely rain-free. This ceremony was unlike any I’ve ever seen, set amongst the breathtaking, scenic trees of the property, right in front of a hill that was covered in leaves. Every inch was drenched in the magical colors of autumn, with piles of red, yellow, orange, and brown leaves glistening with fresh drops of rain. These colors, combined with the barren trees of fall, the vibrant emerald tone of Shane’s suit, and the bright white of Maggie’s gown, made for an absolutely surreal scene for their ceremony.
A masterful example of DIY wedding decor
Would you believe me if I told you that Maggie actually DIY’d a majority of the decorations? I know, she’s insanely talented! She LOVED planning her wedding and actually now works for the venue they got married at—such a cool full circle moment 🙂 A few of the things she did herself include the ambient tent lighting, all of the wedding signs, a memory wall of loved ones who they wanted to honor, and their very own Polaroid guest book, with props that were set up near the reception entrance. It’s so fun seeing the different ways couples have been customizing their guest books lately, you can get so creative with it if you want more than just a book for people to sign! Maggie’s grandmother even graciously made the aisle floral arrangements for the chairs, and the silk floral arrangements for the picture frames—the talent clearly runs in the family.
Overall, this was truly the perfect day for Maggie and Shane, and I’m so glad they partied it up all night with their friends and fam, because they deserved all the time in the world to celebrate after such a long road to get here!
Finger Lakes wedding vendors
Venue: New Park Event Venue
Dresses: Birdy Grey
Suits: Suit Shop
Florist: Business is Blooming
Hair: Hair Color Art
DJ: Washburn Entertainment
Caterer: The Falls Catering
Cake: Darling Cakes
About New Park Event Venue, A Boutique Wedding Venue in the Finger Lakes
If you’re on the hunt for a wedding venue in Ithaca, I simply cannot recommend New Park Event Venue enough; it’s a dream come true for couples envisioning a day in the Finger Lakes full of romance, seclusion, and magic. Tucked behind an 8-foot fence in an Irish-inspired village, New Park is a boutique hotel in Ithaca that you may not be familiar with, as it’s fairly new and there isn’t even a roadside sign! But trust me: the moment you drive onto the property and find yourself surrounded by the towering trees and lush forest, you’ll wonder how you ever considered getting married anywhere else.
With both indoor and outdoor spaces that can accommodate up to 215 guests, you’ll have no trouble finding the perfect spots to make your dream day come true. You’ve already seen the forested ceremony spot where Maggie and Shane got married, set on the bank of a babbling creek, as well as the Pavilion/Lodge, where receptions take place. This indoor setting is also the backup location for ceremonies if it’s raining, so you won’t have to worry about weather affecting your day too much!
New Park Event Venue wedding packages
New Park prides itself on its full weekend wedding package, which allows couples and a few of their guests to stay on the property for an entire weekend, taking advantage of the incredible setting for as long as possible. I highly recommend spending a whole weekend here if it’s in your budget: not only will you get exclusive access to the venue on your wedding day, you’ll also get a rehearsal/welcome dinner, a late night party, a grab ‘n go brunch, and 7 overnight rooms. Talk about the dream start to your married life!
You can request more information from New Park + get an estimate here, and schedule a tour of the venue here so you can see it for yourselves.
Finger Lakes Wedding Photographer
Want to have your own magical, fairytale-inspired wedding in the Finger Lakes? I’d LOVE to tag along and document it all for you! You can contact me via Instagram, email, or through my website, and we can get to dreamin’ 😉
I’ve got plenty of NY weddings below if you’d like some more inspiration!
