The Marriage of Rachel & Nick
September 4, 2022 at The Maples Estate

Schoharie, NY - Upstate, NY

A perfectly rainy magical wedding at The Maples Estate!

Rachel and Nick’s magical wedding at The Maples Estate was blessed with a rainy day that was just what the couple called for. Nick’s parents celebrated their wedding with rain, and it was so fitting for this Lord of the Rings loving couple to have drizzly moody photos to match their ethereal, woodsy attire. From unique, enchanted, witchy bridal party photos, Lord of the Rings entrance music at the ceremony performed by cellist Sasha Ono, and a dagger used to cut the cake, this couple found little ways to personalize their big day and showcase their love of magical worlds.

Couples first touch indoors during their rainy day wedding

Wedding Inspiration

With a career in editorial and fashion photography showcasing worlds she can only dream about, Rachel incorporated unique elements of etherial magic throughout the day. From lawn games at the cocktail hour to a mossy guest book area and flower crowns repurposed from the ceremony arch, they thought through every little detail. The couple also celebrated with their dog Gilly who enjoyed every moment of the weekend and was incorporated into all aspects of their wedding, never leaving Rachel’s side. Their guests were in awe of the world they created here at The Maples Estate for their unique Hudson Valley wedding.

Witchy Bridal Party Photos

As an editorial and fashion photographer, Rachel wanted to take full advantage of the setting while incorporating her bridal party! They gathered in white attire on the front steps of our 1855 colonial farmhouse for a full on photo shoot and we LOVED everything about it!

Bridal party at their rainy day wedding in upstate new york

“Wedding planning should be fun! And it’s a chance to be fully present in every experience surrounding your wedding with your partner. Whether it’s the tiniest detail or the whole idea behind your wedding, planning together and making everything distinctively you is a way of celebrating your relationship, who you are, and taking this new step together. We also didn’t let others’ ideas about weddings or what they should be like get in the way of how we wanted to do it. When it comes to a huge institution like marriage, there’s going to be a lot of pressure from all kinds of sources; whether it’s societal pressure, pressure from family members, or other people getting married around you. We knew what was most important to us going into planning; which was to spend a whole weekend celebrating with our friends and family in a way that made us comfortable and excited to get married. And that’s just what we did!”

First Touch

Their first touch was something to dream about! Rachel and Nick wanted to hold off on seeing each other during their wedding day until they walked down the aisle but they knew their hearts would be racing with nerves as they waited for the moment. To ease their minds they decided on a first “touch” in front of our vintage wallpaper in our 1855 colonial farmhouse!

Getting Ready & The Ceremony

Both parties enjoyed themselves fully with the bridal party in the get ready room and bunk room upstairs, and the grooms party in the double parlors downstairs. Rachel and Nick knew they wanted their ceremony to remain outdoors despite the weather forecast, so we took advantage of a 30 minute gap in the rain and pushed the ceremony back a few minutes. Their guests gathered on the veranda to avoid the rain as they waited for the ceremony to begin and when the moment was just right they made their way down to the tree grove with umbrellas overhead.

“Our friends walked down the aisle to a cello version of Concerning Hobbits from Lord of The Rings, and our dog son, Gilly, was the ring bearer. I walked down the hill at Maples Estate with my huge train billowing behind me in the soft rain. Both my mom and dad walked me down the aisle, through a sea of all our loved ones to the ‘altar’ while our cellist played, and it was the most pure and intense moment for both Nick and I. All the planning was behind us and we were literally standing in front of each other, looking at all the work we had done and the people around us who got us to this moment. And then we read our own written vows to each other and our tears mixed with the light rain while we spoke and it was just an unforgettable moment”

“I am a fashion photographer in Brooklyn and have an affinity for renaissance aesthetic in my work as well as home decor. I dream of florals and long tables with vintage chairs and baroque candlesticks slowly burning through the night. Nick, my husband, I can lovingly say, is a sci-fi nerd with an affinity for grandiose adventurecore and loves the great outdoors. We connect in our mutual admiration of moss we find during hikes or pining for the beautiful rolling hills in Lord of the Rings. Neither of us subscribe to any typical religious traditions in our every day lives, so we decided to create a celebration that was completely us and really driven by the desire to be surrounded by our loved ones throughout the whole weekend in a fun, low key, yet visually stunning setting.”

Photos Galore!

Rachel and Nick took a long stroll around the estate for their photos while their guests enjoyed a cocktail hour under the reception tent covered from the light drizzle of rain.

Reception Details

Their reception kicked off with personalized elements scattered around the reception tent and magical wedding decor with colorful florals, moss, vintage candle sticks and a flower crown station repurposed from the ceremony arch. This rainy day wedding was such a perfect setting for these two and their etherial woodsy vision!

“We had such a gorgeous ceremony backdrop that Nicole installed around the wooden arch that Nick's dad had built for us. We then repurposed those flowers after the ceremony for the guests to build their own flower crowns which is a tradition of ours every summer for Swedish Midsummer. I loved the idea of the guests being able to take part in the decor and take a little piece home with them.”

“We had two signature cocktails based on things that we love to drink, and instead of a cake cutting, had a pie cutting ceremony with a renaissance era dagger as our pie cutter.”

Photos by Becca Gleason Photo

Rachel & Nick’s incredible vendor team!
Venue / Coordination: The Maples Estate | IG: @themaplesestate
Photography: Becca Gleason Photo | IG: @beccagleasonphoto
Catering: Follow the Smoke | IG: @followthesmokepa
Dessert: Lucky Clover Artisanal Bakery | IG: @luckycloverartisanalbakery
DJ: Complete We Do | IG: @completewedo
Makeup: Bridal by Alexandria | IG: @bridalbyalexandria
Hair: Purity Hair Design | IG: @purityhairdesign
Vintage Rentals: Bee’s Knees Vintage | IG: @beeskneesvintage1
Florist: e p h e m e r a | IG: @e_p_h_e_m_e_r_a
Cellist: Sasha Ono | IG: @cellosasha
Tent: BBQ Delights | IG: @bbqdelights2021
Beer: Wayward Lane Brewing | IG: @waywardlanebrewing
Transportation: Brown Coach Inc. + L&S Journeys
Officiant: Rabbi Nomi Manon
Portable Restrooms: Stone Industries