About Tappan Hill Mansion
Tappan Hill Mansion sits on a high ridge above the Hudson River in Tarrytown, just 30 minutes north of Manhattan. The estate was originally the home of Mark Twain in the late 1800s, and the current limestone mansion was built in 1933 by Abigail Kirsch’s family, who still runs it today. The view from the back patio stretches over the Tappan Zee Bridge and the Hudson Valley, which is why so many New York City couples drive up here for a destination feel without the destination travel. Fun fact for couples planning a winter wedding at Tappan Hill: the heated solarium overlooks the river even when there is a foot of snow on the ground, so you keep the view without freezing your guests.
Katie & Jon found me after I photographed Caitlin & Alan’s wedding. I was honored to have them fly me up to Boston for a weekend to photograph their GTKY session and we had an incredible time together. I knew their wedding at Tappan Hill Mansion in Tarrytown, NY was going to be just amazing! The views from the mansion are spectacular. I was only able to capture a few before storms rolled in shortly after I got there. Katie had some of the most unique Louis Vuitton wedding shoes that I have ever seen. They changed color depending on how the light hit them! This was a true winter wedding; it was cold, icy and snowing! So, of course, we had them bring their boots and play in the snow together!
Katie & Jon’s ceremony took place at the beautiful Saint Francis Assisi in West Nyack, NY. After the ceremony, they were awesome for climbing into a foot of snow outside of the church for a few photographs. One of those even turned out to be one of their canvas wall art pieces. The reception at Tappan Hill Mansion in Tarrytown, NY was stunning. They had one of the nicest cocktail hour setups I have ever seen. The reception was perfect, the band was great, the guests were dancing hard! The other groomsmen had me bring Katie & John outside at night for a few photographs so that they could sneak attack him with some snowballs. I loved my experience with Katie & Jon and I wish them the best!
Ceremony: Saint Francis Assisi
Reception: Tappan Hill Mansion
I actually brought these straws over from the bridal suite to where she was putting her dress on specifically for this reason ;)
This is what happens when a band starts playing and your family does not get up to dance!
Beard brothers!
Vendor Team
- Ceremony: Saint Francis of Assisi, West Nyack NY
- Reception: Tappan Hill Mansion, Tarrytown NY
- Florist: Forever in Bloom
- DJ: JK Entertainment
- Bride’s Dress: Loraine Bridal
- Bride’s Shoes: Louis Vuitton
Planning a Winter Wedding?
If a snow-day wedding is in your future, take a look at our guide to the 12 best Philadelphia wedding venues for indoor ceremony backups that hold up when the storms roll in. Katie and Jon’s Tappan Hill wedding is still one of our favorite winter wonderland days to revisit, especially the moment they ran into a fresh foot of snow outside the church for portraits.