Elopements

Katelyn and Brendan’s Minnewaska State Park Elopement, NY

Katelyn and Brendan eloped on their 7-year anniversary. They never really wanted a big wedding and just wanted it to be them and their photographer (who also doubled as their officiant). They decided on a small ceremony at Minnewaska State Park.

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About This Minnewaska Elopement

Photography by Little But Fierce Photography

“When we got to the cliffs, Katelyn and Brendan exchanged their vows and rings and finished by tying a literal knot in an Irish hand-fasting ceremony. I pronounced them husband and wife and they sealed their vows with a golden hour kiss. We took a few more photos in the area and then drove to the lower parking lot and walked to Awosting Falls for some more. We had a lot of rain that summer and the waterfall was flowing!

As the park was closing, we drove to an overlook on the side of the road and took in the sunset, before heading to their AirBnb. Katelyn and Brendan wanted to incorporate their dogs into their wedding day. We opted to head there after the park for a few photos of their full family.” [Kristen, the photographer]

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Permits and LNT

“I love the park because it has so much variety of backgrounds in a relatively small footprint when compared to national parks. Minnewaska has cliffs overlooking a lake with the Shawangunk Mountains in the distance, the shore of the lake, woods, and of course, the breathtaking Awosting Falls. It’s also easy to photograph in as no permit is required unless you have a large group and want to reserve a spot (which they don’t allow for on weekends). It is just $10 per car to park.

Since late 2020, Minnewaska now has a Visitors Center at the top of the park, equipped with indoor plumbing. The bathrooms close when the Center closes at 4:30p and then there are portable toilets near the parking lot available. There are also garbage cans around, so this is not a carry-in, carry-out park. The trails can be a little steep and they are gravel, so I do recommend comfortable shoes to all my clients going here and ice spikes if we are there in the winter. The trails are clearly marked and staying on them is encouraged, so as to not trample any of the delicate and endangered plant life in the area.” [Kristen, the photographer]

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Deciding to Elope

“We chose to elope because a large wedding just never seemed like the right fit for us. Having an elopement made it so that we are able to make the day just about us, and we plan to celebrate at a later date with our friends and family in a more casual setting.

Once we had decided that was our vision for the day, I started looking at potential locations and photographers, and came across Kirsten’s blog and instagram. From viewing her previous work I could just tell right away that she would be the right fit, we loved her work and how it felt so natural and fun. We saw many beautiful parks in her previous work, and decided to go with Minnewaska State Park because it had many diverse options for photo locations including the cliffs, a waterfall, and nature/forest scenery.” [The couple]

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Details From This Elopement We Love

“At their Airbnb we took some photos with a sign Katelyn had made that we didn’t want to set up in the park along with their two dogs. Minnewaska is a dog-friendly park, but they wanted their time together to be just them without worrying about dogs jumping on them, cleaning up after them, and taking time to get them to pose. I loved that we still made it there at dusk and got photos with them though as they are part of the family and their were so happy to see their people. It was a beautiful day and I wouldn’t change a thing!” [Kristen, the photographer]

Estimated Cost of This Elopement

Photography | $1700

Accommodations (Airbnb) | $800

Dress (Azazie) | $400

Florals (Lings Moment) | $100

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Memorable Moments From This Elopement

From the couple:

“Having the flexibility to bring our dogs with us, and include them in a few photographs. We chose to stay a few days before and after so it was a nice little getaway. We loved the whole journey of trekking through the park getting to know Kristen better, stopping occasionally at seemingly random locations when she would spot just the perfect bit of light to snap a photo.”