Tegan & Jeff's Front Yard Wedding in Rural Westerlo, NY

Tegan and Jeff’s world has, over the past couple of years, become laser focused on the restoration and renovation of their early 1900s cabin in Westerlo, NY. Between moving from the west coast to buy property, commuting to and from the DC area and back for their jobs, and the pandemic driving up the cost and driving down availability of building materials, they’ve had their work cut out for them. After initially considering a small mountaintop wedding in North Adams, MA, pandemic related concerns had them rethinking their plans. Already on track to make their newly purchased home ready for full time living, the thought occurred to them that it would be entirely possible (with a metric ton of elbow grease) to hold their wedding in their own front yard, and so they decided to give it a shot. Between the time they initially reached out in May of 2021 and this past weekend, an enormous amount of effort was put into prepping the home and property for such an occasion. Their wedding, attended by their families and a handful of friends, felt like a quiet sort of celebration for their closest, most loved people in a space that has come to mean everything to them.

Tegan discovered a pretty magical hiking spot around ten minutes from their house and suggested it may be a great place to see Jeff for the first time that day. As it turned out between work and housework, Jeff hadn’t yet gotten to hike there so the moment we turned into the trail and caught our first glimpse of the waterfall and walking bridge, we shared in that awe with him. After a chilly first look by the cascades, we all packed into our respective cars and blasted the heat to regain feeling in our fingers as we drove back to their home. Although it’s technically their back-up plan, we were absolutely charmed by the location. Two massive pine trees, presumably planted by the builders of the original stone cottage, dwarf the house and smaller specimen dot the walkway to the drive, creating a grove that feels equal parts curated and lived in. The tall old growth maple standing proudly at the perimeter of the yard served as the perfect ceremony location, while the reception tent backed up nearby the woodshed and guests freely went in and out of the open concept first floor of their home to grab a hot cider, warm up a bit, and catch up with one another.

Their ceremony was beautiful and brief and the toasts around the dinner tables later in the evening were informal, incredibly heartfelt, and bathed in the warm glow of the propane heaters. With such a select group in attendance it felt like everyone had a story about the two of them, and we could see the love on everyone’s faces as they laughed and cried together. We could tell that this wedding marked a few huge milestones for Tegan and Jeff. Obviously having the wedding and bringing the families together is a big one, but the fact that this was the first time many of them had seen the new home together was perhaps even bigger and had been heavy on their minds. Getting over those jitters was huge and there was definitely a moment of realization for them that they’d pulled it off without any major hang ups. Having done it their own way in their own space was a massive accomplishment, one that looking forward means that some of their earliest memories there together will be of their wedding. It was a lovely gesture for their families and friends and it was so genuinely humbling to document it.

Venue: Private home in New York state
Officiant: Tegan’s brother Steve
Florals: Bulk feverfew
Catering: 333 Cafe
Dress: Tadashi Shoji
Menswear: Brooks Brothers
DJ: Ye Olde Aux Cable
Tent: Columbia Tent Rentals