If it’s true that rain on your wedding day is a sign of good luck, then Stephanie and Chris are two of the luckiest people I know! Despite the literal downpour that arrived just in time for their ceremony, they made the best out of it and had the most gorgeous, fun-filled summer wedding at Spring Lake Winery.
Stephanie + Chris’s Summer Wedding at Spring Lake Winery
Their magical proposal at Harry Potter World
Stephanie and Chris met during their freshman year at Cornell when they lived across the hall from each other, but didn’t actually start dating until close to the end of their senior year. Unbeknownst to Stephanie, Chris fell in love at first sight, and she realized she was in love when she thought about how sad it would be to not see Chris after graduation—so freaking sweet.
Fast forward a few years later and Stephanie and Chris found themselves on a trip to Harry Potter World, ready to experience the magic of the world so many of us love so much. As they were in line for glasses of butterbeer, the couple they were with asked if they wanted a picture taken in front of Hogwarts Castle—to which they said absolutely, and Chris immediately got down on one knee and pulled out a ring box, surprising both Stephanie and the couple taking the picture! Despite her asking him about when a proposal was coming each week the prior year, she was definitely shocked and it was the most perfect moment ever. I told you it was a magical proposal story!
P.S. Pay attention to their custom cocktail signs that I’ll include photos of later in this blog post—Stephanie’s drink of choice was “Steph’s Buttered Bliss,” which was made with alcoholic butterbeer and a sweet caramel whipped cream topping. The cutest callback to their proposal!
Meaningful moments with their favorite people
Something I loved about Stephanie and Chris’s wedding at Spring Lake Winery was the amount of thought and intention they put into creating memorable moments with their guests. The day began with the most fun morning with Stephanie and her girls getting ready together, enjoying sparkling mimosas, cozying up in matching pajama sets, and sharing all the anticipation of the day. Their group portraits on the hotel beds have got to be some of the absolute CUTEST I have ever seen; they all looked cute as heck in their black PJ’s + personalized socks, holding their drinks and throwing balloons around! Are balloons a new trend for bridal party photos? I think yes! Stephanie then shared a first look with all of them once she was ready to go in her gown, which had everybodyyyy tearing up. First looks with your gals are always a yes in my book! After doing a first look with her dad she met up with Chris for their own, and then it was off to the venue.
Pre-ceremony portraits + a torrential downpour
If you and your partner decide to do a first look, I always recommend taking at least SOME of your portraits before your ceremony for a few different reasons:
- It saves you time after your ceremony so you can go straight to enjoying your cocktail hour!
- It gives you the chance to get more newlywed portraits together, in addition to sunset portraits later in the evening
- It’s often easier to wrangle up your wedding party + family members before the festivities begin (and before too many drinks have been enjoyed)
And thank GOODNESS we took Stephanie and Chris’s wedding party + newlywed photos before the ceremony! Yes, it saved us time, but little did we know it was a blessing because during their ceremony, a literal torrential DOWNPOUR happened in the middle of their vow exchange. We thought the storm might miss us, but of course it arrived during the processional and then left right after the ceremony. Stephanie and Chris continued going through with the ceremony despite the rain soaking everyone’s clothes, and embraced it as best they could—seriously the best sports even when all their plans went awry. And it might just be me, but I think the rain actually looks pretty magical in their photos, especially with all their guests’ facial expressions as it happened!
So yes, getting the bulk of your photos done ahead of your ceremony is alwaysss a good idea, especially if you’re expecting any chance of bad weather.
A warm summer evening full of personal touches
After Stephanie and Chris dried off privately, they joined their guests for cocktail hour and everyone cheered for them as they arrived! They had been such troopers about getting wet and didn’t let it get in the way of having an amazing evening, surrounded by the people they love. Folks enjoyed all sorts of delicious cocktail hour food options including charcuterie boards and mac & cheese cups (my personal favorite), as well as those yummy custom cocktails I had mentioned earlier. It was so fun seeing the personal touches incorporated into their decor, too, like the name card vases with flowers and the drink menus that mentioned names of loved ones who couldn’t be a part of the day. Everyone danced the night away from then on and enjoyed delish s’mores around the firepit to end the party!
Lockport, NY wedding vendors
Venue: Spring Lake Winery
Planner: Molly Fitch of The Planning Touch
Suit: Il Mulino
Dress: Victoria’s Bridal Shoppe
Florist: Dash’s Market Clarence
Makeup: Katie Van Dusen
Hair: Charlene Fadel
DJ: Sax Man Slim
Caterer: Zambistro’s
Cake: Cakes by Katya
About Spring Lake Winery, a Wedding Venue at Varallo Vineyards
Spring Lake Winery provided the most gorgeous environment for Stephanie and Chris’s day, located at the breathtaking Varallo Vineyards in Lockport, NY. With an expansive 78 acres of land to explore, plus an 8-acre lake with a dreamy pavilion lakeside, this stunning property is versatile, romantic, and easy to customize to whatever your dream day may look like. At every turn you’ll find a picturesque spot for portraits, with wooden accents, rustic charm, and earthy elegance; it’s truly a dream come true.
Spring Lake Winery wedding packages
Wedding packages at Spring Lake Winery are all-inclusive, meaning you’ll receive the following:
- Rentals from 3:00pm-11:00pm
- Space for up to 250 guests
- The Timber Lodge attached to the winery
- A gorgeous gazebo area by the lake
- A wedding party cabin
- Wedding day set up
- Tables, chairs, linens, etc.
- 4 hours of top-shelf open bar
You can even opt for a ceremony-only or a brunch wedding package if either of those are more your vibe!
Lockport, NY Wedding Photographer
If you and your partner are considering getting married at Sparks Lake Winery, I’d love to chat about being your Lockport, NY wedding photographer. Reach out to me via Instagram, email, or my website, and let’s dream up your perfect day!
For more wedding inspiration in Western New York, check out the galleries below:
