Jan 03 2023

Niagara Falls Country Club Wedding

Emma and Matt’s Outdoor Wedding Ceremony and Ballroom Reception at Barton Hill House and Niagara Falls Country Club

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I LOVE photographing multiple weddings for the same family. What a special opportunity to be part of the ongoing photographic story these families will tell. Emma and Matt’s wedding was the second I photographed for Emma’s family this past year, as I had pleasure of photographing her sister Hayley’s wedding as well! Oddly enough, Hayley was a referral from another sister duo whose weddings I photographed at the exact same venues, Niagara Falls Country Club and the Admiral Room! What are the odds?!

Second photographer and bow-tie-tie-er extraordinaire, Dorian, and I began our day with some wedding preparation photos at the Barton Hill House in Lewiston, NY. This is a house I know well! When I was younger, I served as a tour guide of this home when it was featured on a tour of homes. What a treat it was to see it again in its new form, a B&B! This house is REALLY historic. Originally built in 1812, it was used as an armory during the War of 1812. It was burned by the British in 1813, rebuilt on its original foundation in 1815, complete with Underground Railroad Tunnels behind a trap door in the fireplace! Also of note, the famous winding staircase carved from a single piece of wood!

Enough history lessons, let’s get to the wedding photography!

bride gets makeup done at Barton Hill House in Lewiston, NY before wedding

moms laugh at Barton Hill House in Lewiston, NY before wedding

maid of honor helps bride get dressed at Barton Hill House in Lewiston, NY before wedding

We set up the big reveal or “first look” for Emma and Matt on the grass path that leads to the Barton Hill House. It was just the perfect lush, romantic runway for this scene to unfold.

The Barton Hill House has no shortage of nooks perfect for wedding portraits. What a treat it is to make pictures here!

Off to the Niagara Falls Country Club for the wedding ceremony and reception!

The lawn of the Niagara Falls Country Club provides a scenic vista for outdoor weddings with views of the Niagara River, wine country, Lake Ontario, and on clear days, Toronto, ON! Add to this scene some beautiful floral arrangements provided by Fern Croft and you’ve set a perfect outdoor wedding ceremony scene.

The Niagara Falls Country Club offers a modern ballroom with a gorgeous terrace overlooking the wedding ceremony lawn. It’s an effortless transition from wedding ceremony to reception.

If there is one thing weddings at the Niagara Falls Country Club are best known for, it has to be the sunsets. What a SCENE!

Ok… so… don’t buy these sparklers. I was so excited when I saw they had a built in match stick, but literally NONE OF THEM WORKED. It’s always a project getting everyone to light their sparklers at roughly the same time. This seemed like a perfect solution. Alas, it was a comedic fail as you can see in the first picture. Luckily we were able to conjure up some matches and lighters and get the show going.

I highly recommend doing your sparkler show early in the evening if you’re concerned about getting guests to go outside late night and breaking up the party. Many people will already be outside to enjoy the waning sunlight, and the sparklers still illuminate beautifully just after sunset. It’s a great way to transition in to the next portion of the party back inside, the dancing!

Yooooo… EMMA ATTACKED with this wedding cake. They hadn’t even pulled the slice out and she just grabbed it and smashed Matt’s face. NO ONE SAW IT COMING. Including me! The aftermath says it all though.