Marisa + Alex’s Book Themed Wedding at Endwell Greens

I was looking forward to this wedding so much! Marisa and Alex told me they were having a literary themed wedding, and I couldn’t wait to see the details and how they incorporated them into the venue at Endwell Greens. We arrived at the hotel to start our day, and I immediately started working on a gorgeous lay-flat of their wedding invitations that included paper wedding flowers that matched the bouquets.

Marisa had a fun first look with her bridesmaids in the hotel lobby, and the genuine excitement and adoration I captured in those pictures made it one of my favorite moments from the day (don’t worry - there were many more!). Marisa was ushered into the back of her grandfather’s vintage car, and we were off to the church.

We had just enough time for a first look with Marisa and her dad, along with a few deep breaths, then the ceremony began. I haven’t photographed a lot of church ceremonies in the past couple of years, but this one was so special. Marisa and Alex’s pastor traveled all the way from Vermont to officiate their wedding at Marisa’s childhood church. It made for a very emotional ceremony, but you could sense the excitement radiating between Marisa and Alex.

Once the first kiss was done and they were pronounced husband and wife, everyone gathered outside to toss dried flowers at the happy couple. We took some photos with their families before leaving for Endwell Greens. Marisa, Alex, and I took our time driving around the property and scouting out locations to stop and take pictures. It was my first time ever driving a golf cart at a wedding, so it was a fun and memorable afternoon! I absolutely loved the misty, fall backdrop we ended up with. It was the perfect mix of color and haze that made the photos feel like they were shot on a roll of film.

We drove back to the reception venue and grabbed a few photos with the wedding party. Let me tell you, this was one of the most fun wedding parties I’ve ever worked with! They made me laugh and just had a great time overall. You can’t ask for much more.

The venue featured tons of fun book themed wedding decor, including a card catalog seating chart and author-centric centerpieces. I loved every bit of it! Marisa and Alex entered their reception and went straight into their first dance as husband and wife. Afterward, they held a “kiss game,” which was new for me. They invited important couples in their lives to take the dance floor and show off their most creative kiss. Then Marisa and Alex had to copy it. It had the entire room howling with laughter.

After speeches and dinner were over, the dance floor was packed the rest of the night. This group of guests absolutely loved to dance! They took a quick break for the shoe game, then cut their beautiful book themed wedding cake made by Marisa’s aunt. The three of us snuck out for a few nighttime portraits, then I hopped in front of the lens for a Le Moyne College group photo.

Wow, this was such a fun day, start to finish! Thank you, Marisa and Alex, for including me in the festivities!

Vendors:
Venue: Endwell Greens Golf & Banquet
HMU: Maggie at So Pretty Studio
Dress: Bonjulies Main Street Bride
Flowers: With Love and Petals
Videography: ValCinema Weddings