It all began back in 2020 when Kirsten was going stir crazy in her NYC apartment and Liam had just moved to the city from London… they met on Hinge, the old fashion way ;). Fast forward 4 years and lots of adventures, their family & friends from all around the world (literally, all over the world — New Zealand, UK, Seattle, Texas to name a few places) gathered for their adventurous love story wedding at Farm at Cottrell Lake Weddings in Uniondale, PA. Just a stone’s throw away from Kirsten’s family farm in Hop Bottom where the girls got ready and the first look took place at the chapel Kirsten’s grandfather built.

In 2018, we met the Guelly family when we photographed Kirsten’s twin brother’s wedding to Courtney at the family farm. It was one of the best wedding days, you can see the fun here! It’s always such an honor to be invited back into a family for other weddings and family photos!! 3 of the little girls in these photos are Courtney & Stefan’s, how life changes in just a few short years!!

Now back to Kirsten & Liam’s special day! I love the way Kirsten tells their love story: Our first date was to a wine bar in Williamsburg on a Tuesday evening. I talked a lot becuase I was nervous, but things were going well, so we decided to grab a slice of pizza and eat it on the waterfront overlooking the city. After the date, Liam went home and told his roommate that he was gonna marry that girl 🙂 After that date, we made Tuesday dates a regular thing, did some outdoor adventures to upstate New York and to Vermont, and realized that we shared so many interests in common and that we balanced each other out in the best ways. With Liam being so new to NYC and the US, he didn’t have any plans for Thanksgiving that year. Even though it was a bit soon (3 months in to our budding relationship), I hated that he would spend Thanksgiving alone, so I invited him to spend it with my family in Pennsylvania. He bravely agreed to meet the ENTIRE family, all in one go, and the weekend was great. Knowing that he could hang with my family and that they were fans of him sealed the deal for me, and the rest is history! Liam’s family lived in several different places around the world growing up. They moved to New Zealand in 2007 and his parents have been living there ever since. In December of 2022, we went to New Zealand to visit them and for Liam to introduce me to the place he calls home! Liam proposed to me during a backpacking trip that we did at the most beautiful glacial lake on a perfect day. We returned back to his parents house after the trip and we had a lovely celebration with all of their family friends.

After Kirsten & Liam’s first look at the chapel, we spent some time doing portraits on the property and eventually made it back to the pond where the family was waiting for family photos. Then a champagne toast was in order before getting on the bus to head to Farm at Cottrell Lake. The cocktail hour was filled with so many hugs and hellos as everyone was getting to see each other after their travels. The kids were twirling around, bubbles were magically flying through the air, Kirsten & Liam were so laid back and truly got to enjoy talking with everyone. Monzie’s Floral Design decorated the space so beautifully and the smell of fresh peony flowers!

The dance floor was full all night long and it was such a joy to see everyone having the best time!! Epicurean Delight Catering, catered a delicious meal and then had an epic ice cream bar for dessert! They continually out-do themselves!! It was an amazing day!

Congratulations Kirsten & Liam!!