Luxury Gather Greene Wedding in the Catskills | Jess + Alec

Written By Caitlinn Mahar-Daniels

A Luxury, Design-Forward Wedding at Gather Greene

Jess + Alec’s September wedding at Gather Greene in Coxsackie, New York was one of those celebrations where every part of the weekend felt considered - not simply beautiful, but intentionally designed around the experience they wanted to create for their guests.

Set across Gather Greene’s sprawling Catskills property, the wedding moved from quiet cabins tucked into the woods to an intimate forest ceremony, cocktails overlooking the landscape, and an incredible reception beneath the open-air pavilion. The design completely transformed the space: colorful florals, sculptural installations, disco balls suspended overhead, long candlelit farm tables, a live band, and layers of thoughtful details that felt elevated without losing the relaxed energy that makes Gather Greene so special.

But what made this wedding particularly memorable was the scale of the experience surrounding it. Jess + Alec created an entire Catskills wedding weekend for their guests, including a buyout of AutoCamp Catskills for accommodations and their welcome celebration. On the wedding night, food and drinks seemed endless, the dance floor stayed packed, and eventually the band led everyone out of the pavilion and through the property to Gather Greene’s quarry, where the celebration continued around a bonfire.

From a photography perspective, it was a dream. Gather Greene already offers an incredible range of environments - the geometric cabins, wooded ceremony space, open fields, modern pavilion and dramatic quarry - but Jess + Alec’s design added another layer entirely. The result was a wedding that felt modern, artful, immersive and completely personal to them.

Photographing a Wedding at Gather Greene

  • The cabins - intimate getting-ready environment, distinctive windows, woods.

  • The forest ceremony space - enclosed, organic feeling.

  • The fields and landscape - openness, movement, changing light.

  • The pavilion - reception and weather flexibility.

  • The quarry - dramatic portraits/afterparty potential.

Jess and Alec are one of those couples whose differences seem to fit together perfectly. Jess is observant, thoughtful, and intentional; Alec has this wonderful spark of mischief and spontaneity. What they share is a deep appreciation for their people, art, food, and creating an experience that feels meaningful - all of which became part of their wedding.

I had the absolute honor of working with Corinne and her team at Canvas Weddings, who wow me every single time. Of the Flowers in collaboration with Bearfly Designs completely blew me away with the disco ball and floral installations hanging from the ceiling, the florals mounted on the wall behind the band, not to even mention the beyond colorful and funky huppah florals. Some of my favorite aspects of Gather Greene is the properties ability to feel super cozy and magical (the small cabins featuring their pentagon shaped windows and the ceremony space in the woods), and also wide open and breathable (the large reception pavilion, the deck and fields of cocktail hour, and the QUARRY).

Jess + Alec wanted to have an awe inspiring killer party, with their main focus being on their guests experience. They achieved all of their goals with a buy out of AutoCamp Catskills (where they also hosted their rehearsal dinner + welcome party) for their guest accommodations, ENDLESS food and drinks, funky and fun reception decor (the disco balls and floral installations), long farm tables full of gorgeous centerpieces and plenty of candlelight, a live band, did I mention food? (passed ice cream sandwiches!!!!!!!!), and as the evening concluded guests were led from the pavilion by members of the band to the quarry where the afterparty was taking place featuring a large bonfire with more snacks and endless drinks.

Here is their love story from their perspective and it’s quite the ride!

How they met

  • In Summer 2019, Alec moved back to NYC after working in Hong Kong for one year. Jess had plans to catch up with a friend from college, Alex, and the plans evolved from our own dinner to a double date. I didn’t ask any questions in advance, I just wanted to confirm that I didn’t know him through existing networks so it was safe to call this a blind date. We met at Javelina, a tex-mex restaurant in Gramercy, where he arrived in a suit and me in casual clothes. I was convinced that he was Italian by how he sat back, used gestures and spoke, but I was wrong! After dinner at Javelina, we felt fun and went out to a bar to have some more drinks that turned into games of beer pong, which Jess played with wine because of her celiac. Jess was flying out to ATL in the early morning, and Alec said he was an expert packer. Next thing you know, he is helping her pack at home. He passes out with a full suit on…on top of the covers.

  • Alec rushes to the office in the early morning and sends Jess a picture from his desk with a water, iced coffee, Gatorade and breakfast sandwich to aid his recovery. Shortly after Jess returns from ATL, we went on our first solo date at Charlie Bird and then for drinks at Little Branch. The rest was history!

    How he proposed

  • Five years into being together, we wanted to go out on more fun dates and adventures—one of those ideas was a walk through Central Park to this oyster and wine bar. Alec, who rarely gave up a college football Saturday, asked Jess and she didn’t think anything of it. The walk from home to the park is only about 12 minutes, and at some point, the thought crossed her mind but nothing more.

  • Alec stopped in front of the Conservatory Water, adjacent to a beautiful picnic that was set up and got down on one knee. As expected, no one remembers what he said but it was absolutely magical. We took some photos and sat down at the picnic to have champagne.

  • Some time after, three of Jess’ best friends pop out of a bush who were key in orchestrating it and Jess breaks out in cries all over again. Jess and Alec sit down to enjoy the picnic again just the two of them, and then all of a sudden, both of their immediate families come running into the park with their dog. Jess breaks out crying yet again, and more champagne is popped.

  • We head back to our apartment and outfit change before heading to a dinner in a private room in East Pole. We’re enjoying our food and wine in the Map Room, which is a gorgeous section of their townhouse, until Alec begins to fumble with a curtain saying he is “…so curious what happens behind there.”  As always, I tell him his “…curiosity will kill him and let it be” but he opens that curtain and there is a room of 100 family and friends. I’m overcome with emotion and surprise!

Their Gather Greene Wedding Vision

  • We always had a feeling we’d get married in upstate NY after spending many weekends over the years with Scharf’s (my parents) in Copake, NY. We visited a bunch of wedding venues and decided we wanted something that honored the area, had a modern feel, and allowed us to make it our own. Gather Greene is stunning, but simply, it is a structure in the woods that is a blank canvas.

  • However, upstate weddings bring their own challenges with the primary one being accommodations. A handful of hotel blocks didn’t feel right to us, so we went our own route—hosting all of our guests at AutoCamp in airstreams and cabins. We also hosted our Friday night party here, which made it seamless for the guests and offered a beautiful setting.

  • As for the actual wedding, Alec had always wanted a big, wild dance party so the band was of utmost importance to him. Jess, on the other hand, didn’t have a specific vision. While this meant that anything was possible, it also opened up pandora’s box of endless possibilities.

  • Looking back, the florals and photography were my two critical priorities. You could say I have analysis paralysis. I will research something until pure exhaustion, but in these two instances, I had a gut feeling that held true.

    • The only helpful advice I’d ever received on florals is that “A florist is an artist. In the same way a painter has their style, a florist has their style.” I had found Felisa and immediately realized this is the art I wanted at my wedding. While the colors of the time were muted greens and whites, she understood I wanted color. I wanted the flowers to compliment the green setting while also stand out. She worked her magic and it was more than I could have ever imagined—from my bouquet, to the wall arrangements, hanging installations, tables and more.

Why Photography Mattered to Them

Photography was especially important to Jess, who has an appreciation for the medium herself. When I asked what drew her to my work, this was her answer:

  • As for photography, I’ve always had my own interest in photography-something that I learned from my late grandpa. When I saw your work, I felt something and knew that’s how I wanted to reflect on my wedding weekend. It was both warm yet moody, expressive yet understated, classic yet modern. (I could cry, thank you Jess.)

Jess + Alec's Favorite Moments From Their Gather Greene Wedding

  • While not a favorite, one key memory was the possibility of heavy storms. All week the forecast was changing, and even until the very last hour. We had rented rain tents and rehearsed for both situations, and hoped for the best. Ultimately, the decision was between Alec, Corinne (our planner) and the families. We didn’t experience any rain that day, and the storms missed us by just a few miles.

  • Getting dressed and then reading our vow journals in the tiny cabins at Gather Greene, with the dreamy backdrop

  • Our first dance: to no surprise, Jess is not one for a performance yet Alec is comfortable in the spotlight. Alec had always talked about a big dance with dips and lifts, and the only way Jess would do an ounce of this was with weeks of dance lessons. Those dance lessons paid off and it was the best way to kickoff our party.

  • During the dinner service, we had this silent moment and took it all in. We held onto each other and appreciated all that we had created with the help of amazing friends, families and vendors. That was really special

  • Our epic dance party (and our outfit changes). Everyone was dripping in sweat and never peeled away from the dance floor. The band crushed it.

  • Our after party was kinda iconic, if we say so ourselves. The band led us in a procession from the main pavilion to the quarry where the party continued with drinks, comfort food, and good company.

Jess + Alec's Gather Greene Wedding Vendors

What It’s Like to Photograph a Wedding at Gather Greene

One of the things that makes Gather Greene such an interesting wedding venue to photograph is how different each part of the property feels.

  • The Cabins

    The cabins tucked into the woods create a quiet, intimate place for getting ready. Their distinctive windows, warm interiors, and surrounding forest give us opportunities for photographs that feel connected to the landscape before the wedding day has really begun.

  • The Woods

    The wooded ceremony space feels completely removed from the more expansive parts of the property. For Jess and Alec, the colorful florals of their chuppah stood beautifully against the greens of the forest, while the trees created a naturally intimate setting for the ceremony.

  • The Fields + Open Landscape

    Moving out of the woods changes the feeling entirely. The open fields and Catskills landscape give us room for movement, wider environmental photographs, and portraits that allow the setting to become part of the story without overpowering the people in it.

  • The Pavilion

    The pavilion is one of the spaces that makes Gather Greene especially versatile. It can feel airy and open during the day and completely transform once evening arrives. For Jess and Alec, hanging florals, disco balls, candlelight, long tables, and a live band turned it into a warm, energetic reception space.

  • The Quarry

    The quarry might be the most unexpected part of Gather Greene. It creates a striking setting for portraits during the day, but it can also become part of the celebration itself. Jess and Alec ended their night with their band leading everyone from the pavilion to a bonfire afterparty in the quarry.

Having all of these environments on one property means we can create a visually varied collection of photographs without making the wedding day feel like a photoshoot. That matters to me. The setting should add to the story while you remain present in what is actually happening.

Every wedding I’ve photographed at Gather Greene has used the property a little differently. For another perspective, explore Isabel + Josh’s summer Gather Greene wedding, when passing storms moved their ceremony into the pavilion and the evening ended with beautiful golden light across the property.

Planning a Wedding at Gather Greene?

If you’re planning a wedding at Gather Greene and photography is an important part of how you want to remember it, I’d love to hear what you’re imagining.

Having photographed celebrations here in different weather, light, and parts of the property, I know the venue well while still approaching every wedding as something entirely its own.

My work blends documentary storytelling with refined portraiture on digital and film, with an approach centered on connection, light, and allowing you to remain present in the experience.

Explore my Hudson Valley wedding photography experience and collections, or reach out to tell me about your Gather Greene wedding - ‍Reach out here.

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Caitlinn Mahar-Daniels
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