Hudson Valley Wedding Photographer

Most of our Hudson Valley weddings start on a Friday. Guests drive up from the city, find their rooms, and wander down to the water before dinner. We’re Trent and Dara, and we’ve been photographing these weekends, from Westchester up to Columbia County, for most of the almost twenty years we’ve lived in New York.

We shoot every one on 35mm and medium format film alongside digital.

Bride and groom on a hilltop above the Hudson River and the Catskill Mountains at Southwood Estate in Germantown, NY

We Photograph the Whole Weekend

Some of our favorite Hudson Valley frames were made the night before. Suze and Matt walked down the lawn at Southwood toward the river during their welcome dinner. Logan and Justin threw a party on the lake at Glynwood, with a flamingo float drifting past the dock. At Cedar Lakes, Hannah and Max sat down to a long table outside as the sun went down.

Friday is looser than the wedding. Nobody is on a timeline yet and everyone has just arrived. If you’re planning a welcome dinner, add it to your coverage.

Bride twirling beside the groom on the lawn at dusk during their welcome dinner at Cedar Lakes Estate in Port Jervis, NY
 
Couple walking hand in hand toward the Hudson River during their welcome dinner at Southwood Estate in Germantown, NY
Couple smiling in a wildflower meadow the night before their wedding at Glynwood Farm in Cold Spring, NY

The Light Up Here

Southwood sits on the east bank of the Hudson, so the sun goes down behind the Catskills across the water. We plan portraits for that last hour, when it lights the whole lawn.

Bride and groom standing among tall white hydrangeas at Southwood Estate in Germantown, NY

In October the light turns warm by late afternoon and drops quickly. We build the timeline around it, the way we did for Hannah and Max’s portraits on the dock at Cedar Lakes.

Bride and groom on the lake dock in late afternoon October light at Cedar Lakes Estate in Port Jervis, NY

Hudson Valley Venues We’ve Photographed

We’ve written longer notes on five of them in our guide to Hudson Valley wedding venues.

  • Cedar Lakes Estate, Port Jervis. Twelve years and counting, including the wedding of one of the sisters who runs it.

  • Glynwood Farm, Cold Spring. A working farm with a tent full of red chairs and a Persian rug, the way Logan and Justin did it.

  • Southwood Estate, Germantown. A lawn down to the Hudson with the Catskills across the water.

  • The Tuxedo Club, Tuxedo Park. A lakeside clubhouse that’s been hosting parties since 1886.

  • Sleepy Hollow Country Club, Briarcliff Manor. Black tie, high above the river.

Bride and groom reading private vows by a stone fountain at Glynwood Farm in Cold Spring, NY
 
Black and white photo of the bride's veil catching the sun beside the groom at Cedar Lakes Estate in Port Jervis, NY
Bride and groom in the gardens with rolling hills behind them at Glynwood Farm in Cold Spring, NY
Bride and groom walking across the lawn above the Hudson River at Sleepy Hollow Country Club in Briarcliff Manor, NY
Black and white photo of the bride and groom celebrating on the lawn above the Hudson River at Southwood Estate in Germantown, NY
Bride and groom embracing under a flowering dogwood tree at the Tuxedo Club in Tuxedo Park, NY

What Couples Say

“I cannot recommend Trent enough after the wonderful job he did shooting our wedding… in fact I have recommended him to many friends and they all have loved working with him for their weddings! 

Trents team goes above and beyond to make everyone in your wedding party feel comfortable, welcome, and at ease. My husband was very uneasy about having photographers follow him around all day and within 2 minutes of meeting Trent and his team he was so happy and comfortable. Dara is the perfect complement to Trent, she was so helpful in ensuring every photo was just right. 

They manage to stay “behind the scenes” while getting photos that make them appear front and center. Their team blended in as guests - you wouldn’t have known they were photographers (although the cameras gave it away…)

Trent shared a sneak peak of our photos so quickly, it was amazing to leave on our honeymoon scrolling through his incredible photos. The full digital album was incredible and so easy to use and access. 

I absolutely loved the mix of film and digital photos they took - we even had an entire album made of just the film photos because they were so special. We have our wedding photos all over our home and will treasure them for the rest of our lives. Thank you so much to the entire Trent Bailey team - you are the best in the buis!”

Erin & Jon married at Sleepy Hollow Country Club

Questions We Hear a Lot

Do you travel to the Hudson Valley?

Yes. Most of our Hudson Valley weddings are an hour to two and a half hours from the city, and we’re up there often.

Can you cover the welcome dinner or rehearsal?

Yes, and we recommend it. Some of the best photographs of the weekend happen the night before.

Do you shoot film or digital?

Every wedding is shot on both. The film is 35mm and medium format, and Super 8 motion picture film is available if you’d like the day in motion too.

How far ahead should we book?

Saturdays in June, September and October go first. Reaching out a year or more ahead gives you the best chance at your date.

Let’s Talk About Your Weekend

BRIDES named us one of the 50 best wedding photographers in the world, and our work has run in Vogue, Town & Country and The New York Times.

If you’re getting married in the Hudson Valley, tell us about your weekend at trentbailey.com/inquire or call 212-243-2000.