Shannon & Michael at The Woodhouse Lodge

What stood out to me about The Woodhouse Lodge wasn’t just how beautiful the property is, but how naturally it brings people together.

That was my first impression of The Woodhouse Lodge in the Catskills, where I photographed Shannon and Michael’s wedding.

The Lodge is an intimate, beautifully designed property surrounded by the landscape of upstate New York, with spaces for an outdoor ceremony, cocktails, dinner, dancing, and an after-party, along with the Tavern and lodging for family and friends. Having everything in one place makes it especially well suited to a wedding weekend, where the people closest to you can arrive, settle in, and spend time together.

That was exactly what Shannon and Michael wanted. Their wedding wasn’t just about one day. They wanted to create an experience where their closest family and friends could be together, and The Woodhouse Lodge gave them the perfect setting for that.

A wedding weekend at The Woodhouse Lodge

What stayed with me most about their wedding wasn’t a single spectacular moment. It was the feeling of having their families and closest friends around them throughout the weekend.

People arrived, settled in, spent time together, ate together, celebrated together. Instead of everyone coming together for a few hours on one day, the wedding became part of a larger experience.

That intimacy is one of the things I love about photographing weddings in the Catskills. A place like The Woodhouse Lodge gives couples the opportunity to create a celebration that feels less like an event everyone is attending and more like a weekend everyone is sharing.

Shannon and Michael were especially thoughtful about making the celebration feel like them. They brought their own personality into the tent and the tables, including plates they had collected individually from tag sales and other places.

Those details didn’t feel overly designed, they felt personal. And that’s always what I’m looking for!

Photographing a new venue

Every time I photograph a wedding somewhere for the first time, I’m paying attention to how the couple moves through the property and what the space makes possible.

The Woodhouse Lodge gave me a lot to work with.

There are distinct areas for different parts of the day, which meant the photographs could evolve naturally as the celebration did. The outdoor spaces provided room to make photographs that felt connected to the Catskills landscape, while the Tavern and other intimate spaces created a completely different atmosphere.

Having everything on one property also meant that there was a sense of continuity throughout the day. The people who mattered most to Shannon and Michael were always close by.

For me, that’s exciting as a photographer. I’m not just photographing a ceremony, a cocktail hour and a reception. I’m watching relationships unfold across an entire weekend and looking for the moments in between.

The people are the story

Shannon and Michael’s families were incredibly loving and tender with one another, and that was something I kept noticing throughout the day. Their relationships were at the center of the celebration.

That’s what I loved about this wedding, and it’s also what draws me to this kind of photography in the first place. I’m less interested in creating a perfect Instagram moment than I am in paying attention to the people who are actually there.

The way a parent looks at their child.
The way friends gather around the couple.
The little interactions that happen when nobody is thinking about the camera.
The moments that might not have been planned at all, but that end up telling you the most about a wedding.

Those are the photographs I want to make.

Why couples choose the Catskills

I understand why couples are drawn to places like The Woodhouse Lodge. The Catskills offer a chance to get away without feeling completely disconnected. You can bring the people you love into a beautiful setting, slow down for a few days, and actually spend time together.

The Woodhouse Lodge makes that particularly easy. With guest accommodations, dining, gathering spaces and the wedding itself all part of the same property, couples can build a true wedding weekend around the people who matter most to them. The property currently offers ten cabin-style guest rooms and space for ceremonies, cocktails and receptions across the property.

For Shannon and Michael, that was the heart of the experience. And for me, it was a reminder of why I love photographing weddings in the first place.

The setting matters. The details matter. The photographs matter.

But ultimately, the people are the story.

Wedding Day Collaborators

Venue/Catering: The Woodhouse Lodge | Floral Design: Mira Mira Florals |
Bridal Hair: Alexandria’s Beauty Salon (Emily) | Mozzarella Catering: Vinny Mozzarella