Adventurous Wedding Portraits in Upstate New York || Maggie and Hade
Maggie and Hade were the perfect souls to opt for adventurous wedding portraits in Upstate New York.
Laid back, down to earth, and totally up for anything, these newlyweds woke up early the day-after their wedding to do a “wedding attire” session at the legendary Taughannock Falls! It was a rainy, yet romantic kind of morning, precipitating with the winds of a changing season, and Maggie and Hade donned their wedding clothes - and their sense of adventure 😉- as they made their way to the Taughannock Falls Overlook.
Maggie is a natural beauty, radiating with effortless kindness, but she felt more like a gorgeous wood nymph in her Maggie Sottero’s Baxley Gown.
The backless, luxurious crepe gown – lined with a lace bodice and beaded spaghetti straps – complemented her figure perfectly. She looked wholly in her glory, slow dancing with Hade in such an earthy wedding gown, enveloped in the grandeur of nature.
The world was under a veil of mist and muted colors for their portraits, the rain obscuring the vibrant fall colors with a dull haze, and as a result, Maggie and Hade scored the Overlook all to themselves. They brought along their pups – Koda (Great Dane mix) and Mozzie (hound mix) – and were able to create truly one-of-a-kind adventurous wedding portraits here in Upstate New York.
While it was a dismal Sunday morning, you could still feel the potent beauty of fall. It reminded me so much of one of my favorite Darling Magazine poems:
"Autumn calls to me, with her lovely red locks
And her cloak of quiet beauty
And her misty morning frocks
She whispers that I should come along
Filling my baskets with apples
And my buckets with change
As grand as summer is for living and loving
For traveling and wandering
I’ve learned in my years that autumn
Is the very best time
For coming home
So I take my wool cape off its peg
Find my bushel basket buried under memories,
Call aloud, “I’m on my way, dear friend,”
Heading off into the blissful
Lovely wooded hills
To journey
Forward."
in the fall, Taughannock Falls State Park transforms into a stunning tapestry of reds, oranges, and yellows, which is no surprise since fall foliage is one of the top reasons for tourism in Upstate New York.
Boasting one of the longest and most colorful fall foliage seasons in the country, the Finger Lakes region fans into a flame of color in late September, usually tapering off by the end of November. Do yourself a favor and plan a scenic drive on its surrounding country roads, and your eyes will feast on glorious fall colors and picturesque landscapes.
Maggie and hade wanted adventurous wedding portraits in upstate new york, and that’s exactly what they got…
Taughannock Falls is one of the top attractions in the Finger Lakes region, not to mention the tallest single-drop waterfall east of the Rocky Mountains. Standing at an impressive 215 feet tall, the falls are accessible via a short walking trail through a 400-foot gorge. The gorge is lined with intricate layers of sandstone, shale, and limestone, and as Maggie and Hade witnessed, is especially lovely during the fall season.
Taughannock Falls is located on the Western side of Cayuga Lake and features many outdoor activities like hiking, nature trails, camping, and picnicking.
It is home to 750 acres of dense woodlands and plunging waterfalls, but the park’s North Rim Trail showcases the Overlook with a gorgeous panoramic view of the waterfall. It is the perfect place for wedding portraits because it is only a short walk from the parking lot. You can see the beauty of the falls and get gorgeous photos in your wedding clothes without even needing to hike!
taughannock falls is a one-of-a-kind destination, but its beauty is not unique to an area like Cayuga Lake. RANKED AS the longest of Upstate New York's glacial Finger Lakes, the lake stretches for almost 40 miles and is surrounded by year-round lake homes, vacation rentals, and wineries.
If you drive the 87-mile loop around the lake, or choose to paddle the waters, you will see rugged bluff, sprawling vineyards, rolling fields, and scenic farmlands. Cayuga Lake is a breathtaking location for engagement photos (peep Sydney and Brady’s Laid-Back Lakeside Photoshoot here) and as you already know, adventurous wedding portraits. 👀 Ayla and Cam experienced this beautiful setting firsthand, as they were married at the Inns of Aurora – the dreamiest lakeside venue on the east side of Cayuga Lake in the charming village of Aurora.
I love that Maggie and Hade chose to do adventurous wedding portraits after their wedding because then there was no fear about getting messy, avoiding a little rain, or shying away from inclement weather. They totally embraced the elements, and when they got cold, they ducked under a clear umbrella for a more “intimate” look to their photoshoot. The rain fell quietly around them, and they huddled together in a tight embrace, listening to the enchanting lull of the rain.
If you are planning a wedding and wondering if adventurous wedding portraits are for you, ask yourself the following questions:
Do you have enough time for wedding portraits the day-of your wedding?
2. Are you worried about getting your wedding gown dirty?
3. Do you want photos at a specific location that’s too far from your venue?
If you answered yes to any of these, then the answer is yes– you definitely should plan a day-after wedding photoshoot!
adventurous Wedding portraits are my jam for this exact reason– they are wild, intoxicating, and exhilarating.
Jon and I actually opted for them after our own wedding, and woke up early the next day to meet our photographer at this exact location— Taughannock Falls!! There, the rain and mist transported us to another world, and I will always be obsessed with our wedding waterfall session!
it was so incredible celebrating maggie and hade’s love in this unique way, and I’m so thankful they entrusted me with their adventurous wedding portraits in Upstate New York.
Congratulations to my sweet friends, Maggie and Hade, and to their greatest adventure of all – marriage!
P.S. For more waterfall inspiration, check out Starr and Alex’s wedding attire session here. 🥰