Micro Wedding Upstate New York. Mexican Inspired. 8.28.21
/The Marriage of Jennifer & Dan
August 28, 2021 at The Maples Estate
Schoharie, NY - Upstate, NY
Jennifer & Dan found us from Seattle, WA just three months before their micro wedding.
They had been together for 15 years, but with some health concerns in their family they decided it was finally time to make it official and get married! With their family spread throughout the east coast they decided upstate, NY was the perfect destination for their wedding and we could not be happier that they chose The Maples Estate to make their dream wedding come true! This 23 person wedding was truly magical set under the stars with the best of the best for food, flowers and music! With only three months to plan their wedding I jumped right in as their full planning and design team to ensure we could pull off this epic micro wedding. I met weekly with Jennifer and Dan talking through their likes and dislikes, deciding on the setting, colors, themes and found the perfect vendor team to pull it all off.
Because it was an intimate guest list, they wanted their reception to feel more like an international marketplace than a sit down traditional dinner. With a love for travel and all things food, we focused on their travels to Mexico and incorporated Mexican foods, a Mexican embroidery cake, colorful florals, latin music and built a cozy outdoor living room with vintage lounge seating. Set in the tree grove with twinkle lighting and candles, this al fresco celebration felt truly magical.
With Jennifer and Dan coming from the west coast, their family arrived before them on Thursday and settled in making the Farmhouse their home for the whole weekend. When Jennifer and Dan arrived that evening their guests had already pulled out the board games for the kids and hopped in the pool to cool off. On Friday they relaxed, spent time exploring the property with plenty of time for more games and swimming, and ended the evening with a rehearsal dinner catered by a local restaurant. They relaxed and enjoyed each others company since Jennifer and Dan’s families had never met! It was a great way for them to get to know one another in a place that felt like home.
On Saturday they relaxed while leisurely getting ready for the evenings events while Louis and I managed their vendors and set up the celebration. They were not big on staged photos so we opted for a photographer with more of a casual candid vibe that could capture the moments in a more relaxed way. With this relaxed setting they were ready to go a whole hour before the ceremony was scheduled to take place! It helps that they are both project managers for tech companies in Seattle and were extremely prepared to follow the schedule!
They chose an intimate spot on the backside of the pond to hold their ceremony, overlooking the willow tree with a view of the barn and farmhouse. With many of their guests in the wedding party, most everyone walked to their seats together in a line as a classical guitarist played in the background. Their personalities shined throughout the ceremony and you could tell Jennifer and Dan were so happy to be able to share these moments together with their family. As they joked about their awkward sensibilities and shared that they truly felt seen by one another, I knew their love was truly special. Jennifer even joked that this was the most words she had ever heard Dan speak. Once they were officially married they gathered for a group photo with all their guests and made their way to the tree grove to start the party!
Their reception could only be described as magical with a grazing table by Edenopolis out of NYC and a vintage wagon turned mobile bar called the Willy Wagon. The first hour was filled with the sounds of latin guitar followed by swing music offering the feel of a night market. We even had a live painter that captured the evening and we shared memories from their travels with post cards displayed throughout the event. In addition, they had hand selected 100 images to create postcards printed with photos of them and their travels so their guests could take them home to send notes back to Jennifer and Dan from afar.
It was a full night of food, family, hilarious toasts, dancing, kids running and climbing in the trees and ended with a fire and s’mores.
That’s not all! On Sunday Edenopolis set an incredible brunch spread and the kids played in the pool one last time before heading home. Jennifer and Dan wanted a wedding that encouraged their families to bond and learn about the two of them as a couple. That it did! Even though it was a smaller guest list, they went all out on the experience. It was a truly spectacular wedding weekend, unique and personalized to their tastes!
Photos by Harper Pictures
Jennifer & Dan’s incredible vendor team!
Venue, Planning, Design & Coordination: The Maples Estate - IG: @themaplesestate
Wedding & Sunday Brunch Catering: Edenopolis - IG: @edenopolis
Bar Service: VaNy’s Cocktails & Confections - IG: @xoxovanys
Cake: Delicias Latina - IG: @deliciaslatina
Hair & Makeup: Bex Salon - IG: @bex_salon
Vintage Rentals: Hudson Valley Vintage Rentals - IG: @hvvintagerentals
Rentals: Total Events - IG: @totalevents
Guitar: Maria Z Guitar - IG: @mariazguitar
Band: Hot Club of Saratoga - IG: @hotclubofsaratoga
Florist: Mira Mira Florals - IG: @miramiraflorals
Live Painter: CAF Creations - IG: @caf_creations
Photography: Harper Pictures - IG: @harperpix
Rehearsal Dinner Caterer: Bulls Head Inn Cobleskill - IG: @bullsheadinncobleskill
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