I'm not too used to getting out-of-state inquiries from folks who want to have photoshoots in my hometown. So when Michelle and Matt, both Pennsylvania natives who had never spent a moment in New Milford before, reached out to me to capture their elopement, I was excited!
Michelle is a big Gilmore Girls fan. And every good Gilmore Girls fan knows that New Milford, CT is the inspiration behind Stars Hollow! So, when Michelle and Matt took a trip a little further north a few months back, Michelle knew that she wanted to elope somewhere that felt special to her. She searched for areas around Connecticut and landed on Lover's Leap State Park, one of New Milford's gems, in my humble opinion.
My afternoon with them started off on the peak of Lover's Leap, where Matt, Michelle, and Michelle's dad had their first looks. The breathtaking view of the Housatonic River and hillsides, all dappled with fall colors, made for such an amazing backdrop to these sweet moments.
Then, we headed down the peak to their short and sweet ceremony on Lover's Leap Bridge as the sun beamed down, making for some truly out-of-this-world and dreamy photographs.
After some post-ceremony photos on the bridge with their family and some couple's photos, I whisked the couple and their videographers to downtown New Milford for some Gilmore Girls inspired portraits!
I've been living in New Milford for 29 years now, and sometimes, admittedly, it's hard to see the charm of your hometown when you've spent so much time there. But being able to explore downtown — a place my friends and I would frequent as teens, going to movies at Bank Street Theater, running around the Green — with people who looked at it with new eyes actually helped me fall in love with it again.
It doesn't hurt that there are some absolutely lovely folks on Bank Street and around downtown New Milford who own wonderful businesses. From Paul Morton Jewelers, where Michelle and Matt got their wedding bands (fun fact: so did me and my husband!) to Grassroots Ice Cream, where we stopped for a snack, everyone was so kind and congratulatory. There were even folks who stopped them on the street to congratulate them!
Many thanks to my fellow vendors, who helped make Michelle and Matt's day special:
Hair: Alexis at Joe's Salon in New Milford, CT
Dress: Azazie - Vivienne Dress
Video: Remember When Productions from Eastern Pennsylvania
Officiant: Theresa Volinski
Wedding Bands: Paul Morton Jewelers in New Milford, CT
