Oh goodness. Heather and Eric’s mountaintop wedding in the Catskills in Cambridge, NY this weekend was one I’ll never forgot.  Not just because it was on a mountain (hello, my favorite) but because they are some of mine and Scott’s dearest friends. Scott was in the wedding, amongst two more of our college friends so it was an absolute joy getting to spend the weekend with everyone.  The wedding was in Cambridge, NY on Eric’s grandmothers property. Wait until you scroll down and see the view from her backyard. WHAT EVEN?!!

 

Since everything was in the backyard, this wedding was full on DIY. While the girls were in hair and make up in the house down the hill (a converted barn into house on his grandmother’s property) the guys were setting up the wedding on the main property overlooking the Catskills.

IT. WAS. BREATHTAKING.

 

Since Scott was in the wedding party, we went up Friday night and enjoyed the Rehearsal dinner outside in the yard overlooking the mountains. Eric’s dad cooked fish and chicken and Italian sausage from NY while his brother made a cheese platter (he’s a cheese maker so you better believe it was good- ugh heavennn!) We all stayed in the lower house that night and had brunch together in the morning. It was so fun getting to hang out more than just the wedding day!

 

After the guys finished setting up and the girls finished hair and makeup, we all went up to the main property where Heather shared a first look with her dad and then with Eric. We took pictures around the property, taking in the spectacular, yet unbelievable views.  Shortly after we were joined by the wedding party and then as guests started to arrive everyone went off to help guests to their seats as I sat in awe at the view.

 

And this is where things got really emotional.  Heather and Eric’s best friend, and my friend, Eric, officiated the ceremony and Heather and Eric wrote their own vows. They shared their story, and now I’m going to share it with you.

 

Heather and Eric met in the LAX airport on their way to Australia and New Zealand for a study abroad program. She spotted him looking at a map trying to figure out how to get to the international section of the airport and noticed his gigantic backpack (a clear sign of a world traveller) and went up to him and asked if he was in the program. He made a corny joke about our big backpacks which made her laugh. He says when he saw her it was love at first sight, but it wasn’t until a romantic snorkeling trip that the romance kindled.

 

(This is the part I started sobbing, most likely)

 

Their first date was snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. It was the first time they held hands and they both said they literally felt a spark when they touched.

 

Fast forward about 5 years, and Heather and Eric went to the British Virgin Islands with his family where they spent 10 blissful days living on a sailboat, sailing from island to island. The sun was starting to set as they tied up the boat to a buoy overlooking Guana Island. Eric suggested they had his brother take their picture because of how beautiful it was. They walked to the bow of the boat and as they were in the middle of smiling for their picture Eric started blabbering a whole bunch of mushy gushy stuff ;), took her hand, and got down on one knee.

 

CUE MORE TEARS. SO MANY OF THEMMM. From everyone.

So after that emotional mess of a ceremony, they shared their first kiss as husband and wife and the wedding party shot off confetti and surrounded them with joy and love. We all went up for family formals, and then enjoyed a 2 hour cocktail hour where everyone played lawn games, enjoyed some more delicious cheese and wine, and took in the beautiful views as the celebration began.

 

We moved under the tents for the reception, where the party got started with Mike from CT Productions and dinner was catered by Dinosaur BBQ. SO GOOD. We danced the night away for more than 5 hours and still didn’t want it to end! They kicked off the dancing with a sparkler dance where the whole wedding party surrounded them with sparklers. It was so fun! And this was my cue to get changed, and be a guest on the dance floor.

 

I had such a blast the entire weekend celebrating these two and can’t wait to see what the future holds. Heather and Eric, I love you guys, thank you for allowing me to be a part of this wedding in such a wonderful way. I can’t wait to continue walking through life with friends like you. Cheers to the beginning of a lifetime!

 

To see Heather and Eric’s engagement pictures from Acadia National Park in Maine, you can see them in three parts, here, here and here.

Thank you to these incredible vendors for making the day possible, and to the wedding party and families for pulling everything together to make it so beautiful and to my amazing second shooter, Rosemary for capturing everything so wonderfully while I could be both a guest and photographer. Enjoy this mountaintop wedding in the Catskills and the Green Mountain area!

 

VENUE: Grandma Torren’s Home, Cambridge NY

FLORIST: Renaissance Floral Design

DJ: CT Productions Mobile DJ Services

HAIR AND MAKE-UP ARTIST: Timeless Updos

TUXES: The Black Tux

BRIDAL GOWN BOUTIQUE: Ceremony Bridal in Boston, MA

BRIDAL GOWN DESIGNER: Karen Willis Holmes

VINTAGE RENTALS: Pretty Little Vintage

CEREMONY MUSIC: Spa City Duo