When I received an email inquiry from Christine about her Lake Placid wedding with Tom, it read: "picture gorgeous wedding dress meets (red) hiking boots." I knew just in that sentence that these guys were a couple we wanted to work with! Christine and Tom are avid hikers, waterfall lovers and from what I've seen, the outdoors is their home away from home. Add a high peak and a dog to it, and life is grand. 

We had a great time working with these two; the day was so much fun! It's not every day we get to photograph someone getting married at the top of Whiteface Mountain, but it's also not every day that almost no one is there, especially for a Saturday in August! Christine and Tom included some of their closest friends and family for this beautiful intimate gathering. It was the perfect setting.

This day was definitely one of our most technically challenging as far as shooting went. Although Christine and Tom were super easy to photograph (thank you guys!), Mother Nature sure made us work for our images! We battled bright sun, intense fog, thunderstorms, a little hail and a little rain, but we made it through this amazing, fun and beautiful day with some great memories and even better photos. :) 

Here's a few of the pro's that helped to make their wedding day special:
Bride Hair & Makeup: Mirror Lake Inn Spa
Bridal Gown: Stella York /  Town Shop Bridal
Men's Attire: Men's Wearhouse
Floral Arrangements: Lake Placid Flower and Gift
Ceremony: Jim Rogers
Ceremony Location: Whiteface Mountain
Reception Venue: Lake Placid Club Boathouse
Cake: Cake Placid
Reception Music: All Occasions Music Productions

We started off the day shooting some of Christine's beautiful details at the Lake Placid Crowne Plaza. Check out some of our favorite shots:

A note and gift from Tom ...

Getting ready with mom:

Special moment with Dad:

We stopped for a quick shot outside of the Crowne Plaza before heading to Whiteface for the ceremony. 
Such a beautiful view made even more beautiful by this gorgeous bride!

Then it was off to get married!
While on the drive to Whiteface Mountain I received a text from Christine telling me the elevator to the top of the mountain was broken. There was no going to the summit for the ceremony (frown face), however, we could do the ceremony at the steps leading up to the top. Despite no elevator, Christine was determined to get to the peak for some photos and wanted to know how we felt about hiking up there.
My response? "Sure! Let's do it! I just need to change my shoes. :)" 
In telling Christine we knew how important it was to make it to the top for photos, she texted back "It's everything." Couldn't wait to get the photos started!
When we got to Whiteface Mountain, the fog was dense and there was no view at all at 4,610 feel above sea level! But the plus side? No crowds! It was a much more intimate wedding and couldn't have been more perfect! Check it out: 

Their dog Penny:

During the ceremony there was wind, there was fog, there was sun, there was clouds. It went from one moment where the sun was shining to another moment of dense fog. We were constantantly changing our settings to roll with the weather, and while it was one of the toughest ceremonies exposure-wise that I've ever photographed, it was so romantic!

As Tom and Christine said their vows and exchanged their wedding rings, the sun was slowly making it's way out. 
Christine, for a moment, flashed back to a special memory from the beginning of their relationship: a hike she and Tom took together to the top of Mt. Marcy; a cold November day with already two feet of snow and white out conditions on the summit. Upon making it to the top, Christine told Tom she was ready to officially begin dating, and during that moment, the sun peeked through the clouds and shone down on them.
Oddly enough, just as they were exchanging their rings and committing to each other for the rest of their lives, the sun peeked out and shined down on them again. Truly perfect!

Yep, it's official!! :)

Before hiking up the mountain, we got a couple quick shots with their beautiful dog Penny:

The journey to the top began, the fog lightened up and finally, we got to see some of the view!

As we ventured higher, the fog slowly started coming back...

This was the view from behind us and slowly all around us:

We made it to the top! 

Just as we started snapping these last few images the fog became even more dense and it started to hail! You could even hear thunder in the distance. A much different sound from almost 5,000 above sea level!

We got stuck at the top for a while because as the temperatures dropped 20+ degrees the path down to the bottom became unsafe for travel.
So, what else was there to do but shoot a little more before we were guided down to the bottom by one of the rangers...

A few more at the bottom:

Then we took Tom and Christine to a few more spots before their intimate reception started. This next spot is a spot Ed and I have always loved, and really, it couldn't have been more perfect with the view of Whiteface Mountain in the background.
As we shot, the rain started up again and on our way back towards Lake Placid, the storm just kept following us.

A quick stop off at Monument Falls ... 

Then we ended up here... Our last spot, which was also one of my favorites! 
The sky was amazing, exposures were just dead on and each moment was so unscripted and perfect.
Tom and Christine were so in the moment and we, as photographers, were in our element! The storm followed us all the way here, and despite the rain slowly coming down around us, Christine and Tom were happy to let us keep on shooting. And so were we! Scroll down, and you'll see why. :)

Wow! What a capture! 

After those last two shots, I knew we couldn't top ourselves, so it was time to head to the Boathouse and get their intimate gathering started. :) 
I loved all the little details Christine put together.

A very special first dance! Love!! 

I'll end with this shot, which I know I will save forever. Here's Ed showing them the lightening shot on the back of the camera. Christine was asmazed! I love this moment!

Christine and Tom: Congrats again!! We can't say thank you enough for trusting us to be a part of your day and allowing us to do what we do best. It was an amazing day and like I said on the way to the boathouse, what state are we hitting next for amazing photos?! :)

Christine and Tom will have a full gallery of images available through the VIP section of our website soon. If you want to see it, just ask them. :) 

As always, thanks for visiting our blog. Please take a moment and leave some love and congrats for this amazing couple!