Ally & Liam | 2019 Adirondack Wedding Giveaway | Burlap and Beams Wedding Barn

I sat most of the day trying to figure out how to articulate all the emotion I’m feeling right at this moment. How much planning, styling and then photographing the 2019 Adirondack Wedding Giveaway meant to me. So many amazing stories to tell and so many incredible people who helped bring this all together. It’s impossible to ever be able to get enough meaning and gratitude into a few sentences. So I’m simply going to say thank you. Thank you to all the vendors who donated their time or goods… to all the family and friends that made the day so full of joy and most of all… to Ally & Liam who have grown so dear to my heart that they are truly more than just contest winners or clients… You two genuinely have a love that is everything I ever wanted to celebrate with this giveaway.

Now, it’s my pleasure to share with you the wedding day of Ally & Liam, the 2019 Adirondack Wedding Giveaway Winners.

Their Story

Ally: Liam and I met on the first day of fifth grade and the rest is history! You could say that we are “4/5 building” sweethearts from Queensbury school district. He finally asked me to be his girlfriend on the last day of school and our love blossomed from there on out! We grew up together, learned about life together, and went through tough times together. We are a team and each others shoulder to lean on. Through high school and college, to us now at 25 and 26 years old. He asked me to marry him on his birthday, October 8th, 2016! It was HIS birthday, but he made it about me and our love. It was the most magical day of our lives so far at his grandparents lake house on Pilot Knob on Lake George, NY. It was sprinkling rain while we drank wine and listened to Frank Sinatra under an umbrella. As we sat on top of the boathouse, the lake was calm and life was perfect in that moment. He surprised me and got down on one knee while pictures were being shot secretly from the trees. Our whole immediate family came running out of the house on the hill, shouting with joy! 

Their Day

The day started for the gals at Liam’s mother’s house with Ally surrounded by her closest family and friends. Talk about a group of amazingly beautiful ladies!

Katie Burns Artistry and Julie Potter Master Stylist… slayed hair and make-up!

Ally found her gorgeous Olvi Lace gown at Something Bleu Bridal in Saratoga Springs, NY.

Liam and his guys headed up to Lake George the night before the wedding and stayed at the Georgian Resort . On the big day, they met our second photographer, Danielle Simmons Photography, for some pre-wedding getting ready photos. Mike from Downtown Barber Co  in Glens Falls, NY came in and groomed the boys for the big day! And they looked amazing!

Once the bride and groom were dressed, they headed to their private first look alongside the Hudson River.

Ally & Liam really wanted to exchange their vows privately. We were so lucky to get to witness these two beautiful souls telling each other the reasons why they love each other so much.

There is one thing in the world Liam may love just as much as Ally… and that is their golden, Dudley. Of course, Ally had to make sure he was part of the day and hired Lucky Dawg LLC dog sitters for a second “first” look with Liam. You can see how touched he was.

Liam’s mom saw him for the first time that day right after the First Look. To say she loves her boy is an understatement.

Next the bridal party hopped back on their shuttles (provided by Premier Plus Travel and Tours). Liam stepped out with bagpipes blaring… so excited to start the big day! You’ll see why this was so significant in a moment.

We started portraits at the beautiful barns of Burlap and Beams. Our donated venue of the day!

Can we just talk for a minute about the gorgeous bouquet and bridesmaid hoops designed by North Country Flowers?! Stunning!

Then it was time for a break before the ceremony. The guys hung out in the Whiskey Barn and the gals relaxed in the Bridal Barn.

One of the elements that was important to me as I was planning this wedding was that Ally & Liam were married as they were in real life… surrounded by family and friends. It was from the idea of circular ceremony seating that the entire style and theme of the wedding emerged.

Let me tell you about the first moment I bonded with the groom. My family is Scottish and when I was younger while I craved pink ballet shoes, I ended up with black leathers and Highland dance lessons. This means that one of my dream wedding elements is a bagpipe playing in the background. As I was sitting there meeting Liam for the very first time at Farmstead Flatbread in Queensbury, NY, he tells me how Irish he is… and I just knew. THIS  wedding day was going to have a piper! I secretly hired Suzanne Barber, one the area’s top pipers to play during Liam’s processional. He made me cry later in the day when he hugged me with tears in his eyes. #weddinggoals #check

Liam and Ally were lucky to have Ceremonies by Remy (my favorite area officiant) as their officiant. Sadly, this is one of Remy’s last weddings. The area wedding industry will truly miss him.

Okay, seriously… can every groom look at every bride like this when she walks down the aisle?!

The couple honored Liam’s late father with a short memorial at the start of their ceremony.

The maid of honor and the officiant played a small joke on the best men (Liam’s brothers) that was so in the spirit of this fun-loving couple… Remy calmly asked for the rings and when everyone looked around confused… Liam’s sister triumphantly revealed she had them. Girl power!

The entire day was captured on video by Mitchell Wood Photography. I cannot wait to see the beautiful video he creates! This man is truly talented and one of my favorite area vendors.

The day-of-coordinator, Karen and Company and her team watched the ceremony from the cover of the main barn patio. While they might look like they are rest… these ladies were a powerhouse behind the scenes throughout the entire day. This day could not have gone off so smoothly without them!

And then they were husband and wife!

Ally was such a stunning bride.

This custom, hand painted wedding sign donated by KriLo Art was perfectly matched to their wedding stationery from Betty Lu Paperie.

If I had to pick one vendor over all who really helped with this day, I’d have to give the hugest shout out to Pieceful Settings, heirloom rentals and styling. She really was the yin to my yang when it came to the overall styling of the wedding. Most people don’t realize that she includes table design and styling free with her packages. So I knew when it came to the reception area, dessert table and tablescapes… I could trust her impeccable taste and she’d work her magic. She took the vision I had for the overall wedding, my very specific ideas for different aspects of the decor and along with her own design choices for the reception; melded them into a vision that really made the entire day cohesive in a way that I couldn’t have imagined.

Favors of mini bottles of Two Sisters Limoncello and Adirondack High Rye Bourbon were gifted to the couple by Springbrook Hollow Farm Distillery (if you check out their website… you might see some of Liam’s family, in-laws and friends behind the scenes).

Some of my fave moments from their grand entrances.

When Liam’s mom was a little girl, her father would dance with her to the song, Wild Irish Rose. No matter where they were or what they were doing, when this song came on… they danced. So on her wedding day this was her father-daughter dance song… and it was the same song Liam chose for their mother-son dance.

His grandmother stepped in half-way through.

Then impromptu this big wild Irish family all sang and danced together.

A few moments later, they gestured for all the guests to step in, including Liam’s step mother. One thing that was amazing about this family was how inclusive they were. It was such a beautiful thing to experience!

Now let’s talk about the food! Their sit-down dinner was catered by On Thyme Catering who created a custom menu for their day and served 162 plated meals in 30 minutes. WOW!  I’ve photographed a lot of weddings and I can say that not many caterers accomplish this. The baker for the day was The Gingersnap Cake Shop. How gorgeous is this cake?! Or how about the cupcakes… which were also matched to the invitations!

Darling Doughnuts of Glens Falls, NY was generous enough to donate some of their artisan donuts to the couple. Look at this piping work?! So, so beautiful!

During the reception, Jason Checkla Photography ran a photo station with on-site printing. How pretty is this backdrop?! I’m obsessed with the photos he took! He graciously edited a few for me to include here. Love!

I also made use of this amazing couch for a few bridal party shots!

A few more bride & groom portraits!

And then it was time to dance the night away with DJ Eric and the Pure Sound Now team! This group was so much fun! At one point we were holding down the DJ equipment because they were literally rocking the barn! And of course, it made my night to see another YMP Bride in the crowd!!

And there it is…

The wedding day of Ally & Liam. Congratulations to the beautiful couple! It was truly an honor to be a part of their day.

The Vendors

Their prize package totalling $31,000