Sarah & Sjaak had a semi-non-traditional wedding at Farm at the Landing in Upstate New York. From the first time I heard about what was going on, I was HOOKED and was so excited to be their wedding photographer.

The first things Sarah told me was that she wasn’t wearing a traditional wedding dress OR shoes. She wanted to be as comfortable as possible in what she was wearing and wore her every-day shoes because of how much they meant to her. I thought it was so cool to be talking to a couple who truly just wanted their wedding to be all about them, the way they want it, and didn’t care about a pinterest-perfect wedding. We clicked over this RIGHT away.

When I got to the venue, Sarah and Sjaak were basically setting everything up themselves with the help of others. When it was time for them to get dressed they split up so they wouldn’t see each other all ready yet. They didn’t care about photos getting ready so I made sure to get their details, and of course, their pup.

When they were both dressed it was time for their “first look.” Even though they had been seeing each other all day, it was still their first time seeing each other in their wedding attire. It was a really special moment and they both looked incredible! We walked around the gardens for their couple portraits before tucking them back away before their ceremony, where all of their friends and family were waiting for them to get married. Sarah’s Dad is a priest and performed the ceremony, and he had some really special words for them.

Group photos followed the ceremony so we banged those out quickly, then went back out for more couple portraits around the gardens. While we were taking more photos the guests were encouraged to play Corn Hole and start drinking!

Their reception started with their entrance and first dance as a married couple, but it was full of Sjaak’s family traditions. First they played a slideshow of photos from Sjaak’s and Sarah’s entire lives from childhood and growing up, to photos from their time together going back to the beginning. It was SO sweet and really cool to get to know the both of them more separately and as a couple. After the slideshow, Sjaak’s whole family stood to the front and sang a family song for everybody.

After dinner it was party time and they partied hard all night, before heading outside of the tent for a sparkler walk as one last celebration for Sarah & Sjaak.

Scroll through to see the highlights from their awesome non-traditional Upstate New York Wedding!

Vendor Instagrams:

Photographer: Mike Wake Photos
Venue: Farm at the Landing
Florals: Farm at the Landing