A Willowdale Estate Wedding on a New England summer day is truly a classic experience. Dayna and Daniel celebrated their special day here and had just that — an amazing day! Let’s walk through their day, from our perspective, and share a few early photographs.  We met with Dayna and Daniel a few weeks before their wedding to walk through the venue and get a feel for what they wanted in photographs & better understand how the day would flow. We also met the staff at Willowdale Estate and realized immediately they were a very engaged and helpful crew. After our walk through, we knew their wedding day would be great.  Dayna and Daniel are a very thoughtful couple. While photographs were important to them, their paramount focus of the day was enjoying their wedding to each other and they looked forward to spending quality time with the friends and family.

Their First Look

We were excited to learn they decided upon a First Look at Willowdale Estate. Furthermore, they selected a location that was down by the river; a short walk from the venue. There was boardwalk-style path along the river, where they shared their First Look. Dayna is a real trooper. Not only did she make the longer-than-typical hike in a wedding dress to the river, but she climbed down a hill with Daniel for some really cool photographs on the river bank. It was quite steep… especially in heels!

Lana and I are big fans of the First Look as everybody knows!  Check out our First Look Wedding Timeline if you are planning your day and need some tips.  Still on the fence with a First Look, check out Our Approach and our Bridal Guide section on First Looks!

The Ceremony

The courtyard area at Willowdale Estate is perfect for wedding ceremonies. The area is nestled around the three wings of the estate with beautiful landscaping and classic details. After sharing their vows, we had a few photographs to finish, then the couple spent most of the time with their friends and family during the cocktail hour.

The Reception

Their reception was in the tented area behind the estate. The whole arrangement is very connected to the estate building and guests move around between the tented area and the many open rooms inside the estate.
We did manage to pry the couple away for one photograph in the courtyard area. I’m glad we had a chance to capture this shot, then the couple raced back to the dance floor and enjoyed the rest of the night showing their moves on the dance floor!

Dayna, Daniel… you guys are great! We enjoyed every minute of the day with you. From the river First Look, the bath tub shot, discussions on engineered corn, to watching a beautiful couple share their vows… thank you for sharing your day with us! Here are some preview photographs for you…