Real wedding · Montauk, New York
Hannah & Mark
Gurney's Montauk
Grey skies, a clear umbrella, and a tent packed with dancers
- Venue
- Gurney's Montauk
- Location
- Montauk, New York
- Setting
- Waterfront
- Photographs
- 24 selected
The groomsmen set the tone early, lined up waist deep in the surf and grinning at a flat grey sky. Upstairs, Hannah's gown hung in front of floor-to-ceiling glass looking straight out at the Atlantic. Her bridesmaids crowded a narrow hallway in blue and green prints, and she traded a long, tight hug with an older man in navy while two women looked on. Mark stood in a white room reading a handmade card.
They saw each other first in an empty, sunlit room, all white walls and pale wood floor. Then the weather arrived. A clear umbrella went up on the deck over the beach, the wind caught her train, and the photo turned out better for it. The ceremony took place under a white tent lined with benches and white flowers, and the recessional came out with Mark's fist in the air.
Portraits happened on the rooftop deck between palms in planters and a railing that dropped away to the sand. The wedding party packed in by the dozen, bridesmaids in every shade of blue. After dark the tent glowed under rattan lanterns and string lights, a guest went up in a chair, and the band kept the floor so full there was barely room to spin.
Getting ready
Ocean-view suites, blue print dresses and a groom reading a card in a quiet white room.
Details
Ceremony
A white tent with benches and white blooms kept the ceremony dry and bright.
Portraits
The covered rooftop deck gave portraits a sea view even with rain in the forecast.
Celebration
Rattan lanterns, string lights and a crowd that never sat down.
Planning a wedding like this?
On an oceanfront resort, have a covered deck or tent ready for the ceremony and treat rain as a portrait prop: clear umbrellas read beautifully on camera. Overcast skies over the ocean give soft, even light that flatters skin, so do not panic if the sun never shows. Plan 10 extra minutes for wind, which moves trains and veils fast along the beach.
