I knew Jon and Kate and I would immediately click when they first reached out about their Gather Greene wedding. They got in touch after being referred by my good friends Kate and John (a fun coincidence of names) who are fellow creatives and we planned to meet up at a coffee shop in Fox Point on a beautiful summer morning just under a year away from their wedding day. At the time, they lived between New York and a houseboat here in Providence, RI, which sounded like the coolest setup. Their wedding plans involved a full weekend at Gather Greene in the Hudson Valley where all their closest friends and family would stay with them. I am a huge fan and proponent of weddings like this that span a weekend because a single-day wedding can fly by so fast. When Jon and Kate mentioned they were going to Iceland in just a few days, I knew working together was going to be a highlight of my year.
Fast forward to June of the next year and I was on my way to the Hudson Valley to spend the weekend photographing Jon and Kate’s Gather Greene wedding and all of the celebrations before and after the ceremony. On Friday, we walked through a rehearsal of the ceremony in the woods, which is one of the most beautiful ceremony locations I have ever photographed a wedding in. The canopy of trees above provided the perfect place for an outdoor summer ceremony away from the direct sun. After the rehearsal, we took a few portraits by the quarry and in the flower fields before heading to their rehearsal dinner, which was a tented barbecue dinner. After dinner, the rest of the evening was spent playing lawn games and lingering by the fire.
It can be easy to throw around superlatives when you’re lucky enough to have the opportunity to photograph what is one of the happiest and most momentous days for two people surrounded by their closest friends and families. What makes weddings so fulfilling for me is to be able to capture that unique moment in time for a couple and all of their style, tastes, and the love that radiates throughout the day. I geek out on it a bit and always feel so fortunate to do this. Jon and Kate’s Gather Greene wedding was another reminder that I could not be more thankful for what I do. It’s also so inspiring to be around a group of insanely talented folks pouring everything into bringing a wedding day vision to life. From the venue to planning/coordination, catering, tent and rentals, music, floral design, hair, makeup, and wedding attire—there is so much to think about, and to see it all come together and be able to document it is something I don’t take lightly. Although I don’t often get to interact directly with every vendor at a wedding, I felt like the alignment of everyone involved in this day could not have been more perfect. Corinne at Canvas Weddings was such a joy to work with and kept every aspect of the day moving in a way that looked effortless but I am certain involved so much coordination and pre-planning. The floral design from Flower Scout was a total work of art and Dexter Lake Club Band was hands down one of the best wedding bands I’ve ever seen perform.
Venue: Gather Greene
Planning: Canvas Weddings
Floral: Flower Scout
Catering: Hunt and Harvest Events
Band: Dexter Lake Club Band
Lighting: Rob Alberti Events
Rentals: Kadeema Rentals / Columbia Tent Rentals
Beauty: Pre-Dame Beauty
Photographer: Chris Mongeau
Associate Photographer: Andrew Iacovelli
Whether you’re searching for a photographer for a similar Gather Greene wedding in the Hudson Valley or something a bit different, I’d love to talk more! Please feel free to get in touch through my contact page or shoot me an email directly at chrismongeauphoto@gmail.com. Browse more weddings on my blog here.
