Maddie & Gyasi's Blenheim Hill Farm Wedding

It’s always a huge honor when a friend asks me to photograph their wedding, so when my old SU friend Gyasi reached out to me about his wedding to his fiancée Maddie, I was thrilled. Gyasi and I met while attending school at Syracuse University. He was a few years ahead of me but let’s just say he was A PRESENCE in the a cappella community and was super kind and welcoming to me as a shy newbie. I knew that his fiancée must be a really special, fun person to keep up with Gyasi, and I was definitely right. I video chatted with the two of them to officially meet Maddie and chat about their vision and I was so excited to find that 1. Maddie was super sweet and the two of them together seemed to be a perfect match and 2.

Their vision for their wedding photography matched my documentary wedding photography style exactly.

Maddie & Gyasi live together in New York City. The pair met in typical millennial fashion, on the apps. Coffee Meets Bagel was the one that brought them together. It was Maddie’s FIRST EVER date on said app (how’s that for luck?). 4.5 hours and a good number of margaritas later, their first date was over but their story had just begun (I’m sorry for the schmaltz, I know).

Fast forward to October of 2021, when Gyasi surprised Maddie by asking her to marry him! She said yes - and luckily he did too when she asked him in return (true feminism is thriving in this marriage, people!).

As a New England wedding photographer, I typically don’t venture outside of those bounds for weddings, but for these two I made an exception. We started with an engagement session in Manhattan in January 2022 where we explored Grand Central Terminal and Fort Tryon Park. Then, about 9 months later in October, Maddie and Gyasi had their wedding at Blenheim Hill Farm in Jefferson, New York. The venue was gorgeous, especially in its vibrant autumn colors. They were able to stay on location at a house on the venue and we had a wide array of beautiful scenery and foliage to choose from when it came to first look and portrait scenery.

Maddie and Gyasi had a low key morning on the property.

This quiet moments while getting ready before the day really begins are some of my favorite to be present for as a documentary wedding photographer. I tend to capture an array of emotion; from giddy, excited energy to calmer, quiet meditative moments and I have the time and space to get creative.

Maddie got ready at the farmhouse with her mom, her bridesmaid Hannah and bridesman, Adam, and Gyasi had his best man Chris with him in the barn. Gyasi and Maddie had a first look out on a bridge by the pond and we took some portraits along the water where the foliage was most vibrant. We also had to get some photos of Maddie tossing the frisbee in her dress (she’s an avid ultimate frisbee player).

Both Gyasi and Maddie are Jewish, so I documented them signing their Ketubah with their cantor, their families, and some friends and then got in place for their ceremony. The ceremony took place on the lawn in front of the pond. Their autumnal florals were done by Rose Red and Lavender and their Chuppah was made from Maddie’s mom’s wedding dress (love a meaningful touch). The ceremony had some traditional Jewish themes, and ended with the African wedding tradition of jumping the broom immediately followed by the Jewish tradition of smashing the glass. So fun!

After their ceremony, guests enjoyed cocktail hour on the patio, then headed into the barn for the reception festivities. The festivities were filled with fun, candid moments for me to capture - dances, toasts, a song performed by Gyasi and friends to Maddie, and one of the best dance floors I’ve seen (partially due to who Maddie and Gyasi and their guests are and partially due to the amazing band, The Metropolitan Players).

Here's a few of my favorites from Maddie & Gyasi’s wedding day. Enjoy!