Hudson Valley Film Wedding Photographer

For the past 15 years, husband-and-wife photographers Chellise and Michael have brought their laid-back, non-obtrusive, and anti-cliche approach to documenting weddings throughout NYC, the Hudson Valley, and beyond.

Because having a wedding in the Hudson Valley or the Catskills isn’t just about escaping the city to get married outside under some trees. It’s about a feeling.

We learned early on that to survive in the city, you must escape now and again for something softer, greener, and quieter. You need some trees, some fresh air to breathe, to swim in a watering hole, to feel the grass between your toes, and to see the stars again.

So you rent a car, and as soon as you get over the George Washington Bridge, something happens. The city loosens her grip. The noise fades, trees appear, the sky opens up, your shoulders drop an inch. Maybe two. You didn’t notice how tightly you were holding yourself until now. Emails all the suuden dont matter.

The light seems more golden, a little softer. The trees remind you that you're one of them. The river stretches out, slow and calm. There’s something about the way the valley invites you to look closer, to linger longer, to wish you lived here.

You've officially entered the Hudson Valley, completly seduced, and want nothing more than to harness this feeling for your weekend wedding and for your guests to experience with you.

Weddings up here attract a special type: those with a deep connection to nature who want their friends and family to come together in a serene, scenic place for a long weekend to remember. It’s all about the weekend as a whole, so our packages include coverage of the welcome party too, because it’s the kick-off everyone wants to be at, including us. Yes, we're taking photos, but more importantly, we’re connecting with your family and friends too. As the name suggests. It’s the welcoming.

We’ve photographed weddings at old houses, estates, farmhouses, gardens, luxury resorts, and private properties all across the region, and every year, new venues appear, becoming more attuned to higher standards in thoughtful design, food, and hospitality. We often get asked about our favorite places to shoot, so we've curated a list of venues that we update regularly, along with some worthy wedding planners to consider. We hope it helps to steer you in the right direction.

We moved from Phoenix to Bushwick in 2010 and, like most transplants, had no idea the Hudson Valley or the Catskills even existed. Weddings are what exposed us to the region, and, like everyone else, we were awestruck by how beautiful and vast the state is. Little did we know that each of those weddings was giving us a tour of all the towns, informing our future selves as to where we would end up buying a home many years later.

In 2015, we bought a cute little house just 60 miles north of NYC, and in 2019, we decided to give the Hudson Valley life a whirl. We let our landlord know and scheduled our move date for March 15, 2020.

The irony.

Pandemic aside, we drifted with ease into the slower and softer pace of “upstate life” and haven't looked back or fought for a parking spot since. Waking up to maple leaves pressed against our bedroom window and to the song of morning blue jays, it’s hard to imagine ever moving back.

And while we love the city with every bone in our bodies and admittedly have waves of missing her fast-paced pulse, we feel incredibly grateful to live close enough to pop down to get our fix, which happens often… almost weekly. Fortunately, all of our couples live in NYC, so we're always headed down for fun, for work, for visiting friends, and grabbing dinner with past wedding clients who have become friends.

Maybe you'll be the next one who ends up on that list. :) Til then, come up and visit anytime… we have a guestroom.

Chellise & Mike

Our Connection To The Hudson Valley

Inquire here to find out if we're available for your date.