Rip Van Winkle Country Club Wedding | Donna + Kris

A little rain wasn’t going to stop Donna and Kris from having an incredible wedding day!

Surrounded by their family and friends, these two celebrated their marriage with a beautiful church ceremony in Saugerties, NY followed by a reception at Rip Van Winkle Country Club—a location that already held a very special place in their story.

And as if getting married wasn’t enough to celebrate, Donna and Kris had one more HUGE surprise waiting for their guests!

A Wedding at St. Mary of the Snow Church in Saugerties

Donna and Kris exchanged their vows at the beautiful and historic St. Mary of the Snow Church in Saugerties, NY.

I was impressed before I even walked through the doors.

The soaring steeple and brilliant blue doors immediately caught my attention, and the inside of the church was just as beautiful. There was so much history and character everywhere I looked.

I was greeted by Father Chris when I arrived, and his warmth and personality immediately stood out. His sermon was filled with humor and kindness, making Donna and Kris’s ceremony feel incredibly personal and welcoming.

Despite the rainy weather outside, nothing could put a damper on the excitement inside as Donna and Kris officially became husband and wife.

Rip Van Winkle Country Club Wedding Reception

Following their ceremony, everyone headed to Rip Van Winkle Country Club to celebrate.

The venue couldn’t have been more fitting for these two.

Donna and Kris are both avid golfers, but their connection to Rip Van Winkle Country Club goes beyond simply loving the sport.

It’s also where Kris proposed to Donna—right at hole 8!

I love when couples choose wedding locations that have a personal connection to their story. It makes the photographs even more meaningful because we’re not simply documenting where they celebrated their wedding—we’re returning to a place that was already part of their relationship.

Of course, I knew we needed to get Donna and Kris back to hole 8 for some wedding portraits.

We just needed the rain to cooperate!

Rainy Wedding Photos + A Trip Back to Hole 8

Thankfully, after dinner the rain finally let up enough for us to venture outside.

Now, I don’t golf, so my golf-cart-driving experience pretty much consists of wedding days. Add camera gear on my lap, wet conditions, and following a bride and groom through a golf course, and it became a bit of an adventure!

But we made it to hole 8.

And it was completely worth it.

Being able to photograph Donna and Kris as newlyweds in the exact spot where Kris had proposed added another layer to their wedding story. Years from now, those photographs won’t just show them standing on a beautiful golf course—they’ll represent two completely different milestones that happened in the very same place.

One BIG Surprise for Their Wedding Guests

Donna and Kris had another special moment planned for their reception, and this one caught their guests completely by surprise.

Following the heartfelt speeches and toasts from their family and friends, the newlyweds made a very exciting announcement:

They were having a baby!

The reaction was incredible.

Guests jumped from their seats, tears started flowing, and their family and friends immediately surrounded Donna and Kris with hugs and congratulations.

I absolutely love photographing moments like this.

There is no posing and no planning reactions. Everyone is simply experiencing the moment, and I get to document the laughter, tears, hugs, and expressions exactly as they happen.

Their wedding day had suddenly become a celebration of not only becoming husband and wife, but also the next chapter they were beginning together.

Celebrating Donna + Kris

After all of the emotions and surprises, it was time to party!

Their family and friends packed the dance floor and celebrated with Donna and Kris throughout the night while DJ Joe Garcia kept everyone dancing.

From their beautiful ceremony at St. Mary of the Snow Church to rainy golf-cart adventures at Rip Van Winkle Country Club and one unforgettable pregnancy announcement, this wedding had so many moments that made it uniquely Donna and Kris.

Congratulations to you both—and thank you for trusting me to document such an incredible chapter in your story!

Planning a Rip Van Winkle Country Club wedding or getting married in Saugerties, the Catskills, or Hudson Valley? I’d love to hear about your plans and help you capture all of the big moments, little details, and everything in between.

Ceremony: St. Mary of the Snow Church
Reception: RIP Van Winkle Country Club
Florals: Adams Fairacre Farms