Spillian Wedding Photographer for Debra and Joe in Fleischmanns

There are hundreds of wedding venues in and around the Catskills. Some are big, some are small, each is different. There are barns and farms, catering halls and churches. There are lodges and restaurants. Weddings take place at resorts and rentals – like airbnbs or vrbos. They’re held at mansions and museums and mountaintops. Weddings also find their way to fields where tents pop up from the pastures.

I recall years ago, when I was new in the field of wedding photography, the first time  I returned to a particular venue for a second wedding. The owners had recommended me this time around – what a great feeling.

It’s also exciting to be booked for a wedding at a venue I haven’t yet had the pleasure to explore. When Debra and Joe and I started talking about their wedding, I knew this would be the case.

I had written about events at Spillian, located in the Delaware County town of Fleischmanns (population around 350), but I had yet to head over with camera in hand. A former “Catskills Great Camp,” Today known as Spillian, this was formerly was a summer home for part of the Fleischmann family (known today for the packets of yeast that bear its name).

Debra and Joe, an incredibly happy couple that has known one another for going on 20 years, was wonderful to work with and a pleasure for me to assist through the varying demands of this most significant day.

When they decided it was finally time to tie the knot they began looking for a space the right size to host their wedding. Spillian was somewhere that made sense for them and their guests who would be traveling to attend this momentous event.

It was formal yet low-key,, with the groom wearing a tux and tails and the bride in a springy white gown. The husband and wife team of pastors Elliott and Mary J. Oakes, delivered a unique and emotional service.

Debra and Joe’s vows were a mix of earnest promise of commitment and humor.

For the celebration, bountiful offerings from individual charcuterie boards for guests to enjoy during cocktail hour, were followed by dinner and dessert buffets that carried the guests through the reception.

Slacks gave way to jeans and heels yielded to sparkly sneakers by the time the newly married couple cut the cake and hit the dance floor.

Friends and family – from Joe’s years in radio and Debra’s professional pursuits, to offspring and grandchildren, laughed and cried as wedding guests do, moving their feet to the tunes pumped out by DJ Pat Del.

Spillian’s staff delivered a seamless event which while planned for interiors and a large wrap around deck, moved almost entirely indoors due to the onset of a spring Nor’easter. I look forward to playing a part here again sometime soon.

Thank you for reading.

You can also find, follow and like Jonathan Ment Photography on Facebook and at www.catskillsphotographer.com