The Barn at Liberty Farms Weddings
Hudson, New York Wedding Photographers
We’ve all experienced it. Sometimes you walk into a room, and you’re hit with a tangible feeling of magic floating around in there. The universe delivers us to these spaces for whatever reason, and we might have to linger there for a while before understanding why. For Dara and Mike, this room was a little bar in the East Village of New York City called The Belfry - where I also met Dara when we worked together there. Mike came in one evening with some friends and was immediately smitten. He asked Dara if he could buy her a drink, so my girl Dara poured herself a glass of top shelf whiskey on Mike’s tab, and thus, the story began. These two are a perfect match, with so much zest for life and the most unselfish love and support for one another. Before (and after) their wedding, Dara was on tour performing in a theatre production of Cinderella (Dara is an incredible vocalist and actress, beyond words! Here is her instagram if you want to follow along on her career.) and I have so much admiration for Mike’s long-distance support of her career, and their mutual dedication to keeping their relationship healthy while both pursue their own dharma. Dara and I share a love for all things space and astrophotography, and I love that Mike is the only guy I know with the audacity to drive a pick-up truck around New York City. It doesn’t take much to convince me to spend a weekend upstate, but it was a huge privilege to be invited to spend this one with them. Photographing my friends on their wedding days is life-giving to me because to feel truly seen by someone is such a gift. To offer something that sees and delivers their memories in images is my personal outward love language, but to be trusted and invited to make these images in the first place sure feels like a gift to me. Love you, D & M, my bright and shiny star seed babies!
The Little Things
Every once in a while there’s a wedding day with such unique details involved that I can’t help but tell the world what was going on in these images with a little additional context. Dara and Mike’s wedding was coordinated by their friend Brídín Clements who is a person of many talents, two talents of which I can confirm are keeping sh*t in line and also being a ray of sunshine to work with. Bridin has an incredibly robust resume in the world of stage management and theatre, so not only did this solidify Dara’s feeling of comfort about the day-of but what a beautiful nod to a commonality between so many of their guests. Theatre production and wedding coordination are unsurprisingly related in skill requirement and she did an incredible job. On the topic of performance, Dara did a SURPRISE rendition of Beyonce’s Love on Top for Mike during the reception. At the end she said “Did ya’ll really think I was going to make it through this whole day without singing for you?” To which most people probably replied, “no” but also “thank you” because hearing her sing is mind-blowing. Their ceremony and this surprise performance were accompanied by Dara’s friend and a cappella group member David Rowen on guitar. I loved that Mike and his brothers wore their grandpa’s bolo ties. I too have many of my own grandfather’s bolo ties, and there’s just something about the way one of those things feels like it holds onto a little piece of their soul. Dara also surprised Mike by having a pinball machine at the venue, which was a hit amongst not only Mike but many guests as they wandered away from the dance floor for a breather and/or a slice of pie.
The Barn at Liberty Farms
My love for the Hudson Valley is never-ending and getting to explore new corners of it makes me so happy. Hudson is one of my favorite towns upstate. It’s full of so much history, amazing food, small-town charm, and bitchin’ antique stores. As if that isn’t enough of a reason to never want to leave, it’s nestled into some of the most beautiful countryside scenery you could imagine. In the fall there’s nothing like it. The Barn at Liberty Farms is located just south of Hudson on a beautiful organic farm tucked away on a winding country road that feels very, very romantic to drive down when autumn has settled in. I love the versatility of the barn space and the huge variety of sceneries on the farm. Dara and Mike had an outdoor ceremony on the lawn near the farm, and later held their cocktail hour and a late-night s’mores session by the fire pit. We went out to the hilltop for their first look, conveniently chauffeured by the venue staff, and of course, the barn itself held space for the formalities and festivities. The transition from space to space for each part of the day felt like an appropriate bookmark to each chapter of events, but without much travel involved for guests. I definitely think the farm is a friendly space for older guests or those with mobility concerns as well. 10/10. I loved being there. Would definitely love to come back.
Silver Arrow Band
Maybe it is a tired thing to say at this point but I can NEVER shut up about how much of a difference a wedding band can make in the energy of your dance floor. I feel very lucky to have worked with Silver Arrow Band many times at weddings around Upstate New York and each time I am so impressed and grateful that they are there. They bring the energy, talent, and professionalism, but they’re also incredible at MC tasks during the reception which is, in my opinion, equally important for setting the vibe. If you’re getting married around NYC or the Tri-State area, just book ‘em. They’re good.
Other Upstate New York Wedding Vendors We Stan:
Their florals were made by Kim with Flower Blossom Design who is a floral angel on earth as you will soon see below. Hair and makeup were flawlessly done by Molly Tanzillo and Andy Glickman. Dara’s dress was BHLDN and dinner was served by Mazzone Catering. K&M Weddings did Dara & Mike’s wedding film, and their ceremony was beautifully officiated by their friend, Preston Martin. To see another wedding I’ve photographed on a gorgeous farm somewhere on planet earth, click here.
