A Classic Cooperstown New York Wedding

From the bride:

“When my now husband and I got engaged we were in the process of moving from Baltimore to Chicago. He grew up in Baltimore and I was raised in upstate New York so we went back and forth about where we’d get married.

“We had already explored a couple different venues online from afar when my dad suggested we check out the Otesaga Resort on the Southern shore of Otsego Lake in Cooperstown, NY. We arrived there for a tour on a dreary and cold day in March and instantly fell in love.

“It was easy to imagine the grand federal-style mansion set among lush gardens and grass on a sunny day in August, and that is precisely how it looked on our wedding day. The stunning venue acted as a perfect inspiration for the decor; we wanted a simple, classic and natural vibe and really let the building and brilliant lake speak for themselves.

“We also pulled ideas from the simple pleasures in life- nature, family, good friends and delicious food – to help guide our planning process. Our tables were decorated with vibrant greens and bright white flowers with occasional blush accents.

“We displayed photos of our parents and grandparents on their wedding day for our guests to enjoy.

“We had our calligrapher fashion a seating chart from an old piece of 1950s school chalkboard that my dad had discovered. I carried the bonnet I wore for my baptism that my mom had sewed into a kerchief for that day.

“I also wore my great-grandmother’s diamond ring on my right hand, my grandmother’s bracelet on my wrist, and my Maid of Honor’s, my sister’s, earrings.

“My husband wore his grandfather’s watch that was given to him by his Best Man, his brother. All of the food featured locally sourced ingredients and was absolutely delicious.

“We had a very small wedding cake (which we saved for our anniversary) but opted to go with an assortment of home-made doughnuts for dessert (our favorite food!). Our guests enjoyed live jazz during the cocktail hour and a band that had everyone on the dance floor from the first song.

“The morning of our wedding day seemed out of a movie. It was a gorgeous clear day and everyone could be found enjoying time on the grounds, out on the lake, or walking through the village.

“Though in the early afternoon thunderstorms threatened to force us inside for the wedding ceremony. As fate would have it, the rain stopped and cleared up enough for us to literally squeeze in a 20 minute ceremony with the thunder and lightning in the distance and moody lake as our backdrop. Raindrops had just begun to fall again as we were pronounced husband and wife and guests were able to take cover under the roof of the grand porch for our cocktail hour.

“Our ceremony was officiated by my aunt, who had never led a wedding ceremony before but is very active in her church community, and she did a fantastic job! It was very special to have her marry us as she’s been very present in our lives and has helped mold me into who I am today in so many ways.

“Our ceremony and reception were very family-focused and we continued that by having my brother and sister in law perform readings from beautiful poems by Mark Twain and Maya Angelou, and inviting our mothers up front for a rose ceremony to honor their part in our lives and marriage.

”Rob and I feel lucky and humbled that so many of those that are most important to us chose to celebrate our wedding weekend with us in this beautiful place. When we first imagined our day we pictured our families, our friends, and one huge party and we had that and so much more!”