Tamara & Dustin had a beautiful Skytop Lodge Wedding in the fall. They had a unique weather day. It was dark and cloudy until the ceremony when the sun came out of nowhere it the sky’s cleared up. It almost looked like two different weddings days when you look back at the photographs. The Skytop Lodge staff were beyond fantastic to work with for weddings. I requested we switch rooms for Tamara to do her preps in as the room directly across from hers had the most incredible window light. The new space worked perfectly so that I can create more of a natural look for her photographs.
Skytop Lodge opened in 1928, built by a Philadelphia investment group as a private resort on 5,500 acres in the Pocono Mountains of Monroe County, Pennsylvania. The original stone building is on the National Register of Historic Places, and the grounds have that particular quality you get with old money resort construction: everything is in proportion, nothing feels rushed. The fall foliage there is extraordinary because of the elevation and the mix of hardwood species. When the leaves turn, you have maple reds and birch yellows all in the same frame, and the mountain backdrop behind it makes the location feel far larger than even its size suggests.
Ceremony & Reception: Skytop Lodge
Florist: Skytop Florist
For the couple’s first look I found this fantastic purple and red fall colored tree to have them see each other for the first time. We photographed everything including family formals and bridal party as I usually do for onsite ceremonies. You do not miss a second of your cocktail hour with your friends and family. You never should!
This photograph does not look great on the web but that’s not the intention of it. I loved the sky, mountains and wanted it in black and white. This was a piece that I used as a sample canvas in my studio. It was a beautiful 5 foot canvas that we created with it. When Tamara came in for her album review she loved it and took it off our wall and put it in her car. Then she drove it to her new home that they purchased and hung it up. I love this story. But this photograph sucks for the web ;)
Skytop Lodge Wedding Ceremony
The sun came out, the clouds took a hike, and it was time for Tamara to walk down the aisle. She had beautiful details of barley wrapped with twine that lined the chairs in the aisle. After the violin started playing it was time to start. Live music during the ceremony is just beautiful and love having that in the background. After mixing that sand up and a kiss, it was off to the cocktail hour and reception.
Skytop Lodge Wedding Reception
Tamara went all out on some stunning details for her reception. I loved the hand-carved pumpkins that were painted white to look contemporary but still has that fall touch. They had some serious fun during the reception, and the Syracuse mascot “Orange” made an appearance. They both went to Syracuse. We ended the evening with a few rolls of black and white film at the old style elevator they have at the Skytop Lodge. Best wishes to Tamara and Dustin!
Skytop Lodge draws couples from the Philadelphia and New York metro areas who want a resort setting with all-inclusive logistics. If you’re exploring ceremony venues beyond the city, our guide to the best Philadelphia wedding venues includes both city and destination options worth considering.
