There are wedding days that feel carefully orchestrated from beginning to end; then there are wedding days that seem to gather their own momentum.
Kathryn and Ryan’s wedding at the Lake Placid Club Golf House was very much the latter.
Full of energy, laughter, family, friends, Italian traditions, incredible food, and plenty of dancing, their September wedding was the kind of day where the plan mattered—but the moments mattered more.
And that felt especially fitting for Kathryn and Ryan.
From the beginning, they have embraced Lake Placid as a place for meaningful, unexpected moments. Their story with Jordan Craig Media actually began before the wedding day, when Kathryn reached out about an engagement session inspired by photographs I took on frozen Mirror Lake and around the historic cottages nearby.
Kathryn had attended Northwood School in Lake Placid, making the area especially meaningful to her.
Their engagement session took place in February 2025, setting the stage for a wedding weekend that would bring them back to the Adirondacks later that year.
A Wedding Day Full of Personality
If there is one word that comes to mind when remembering Kathryn and Ryan’s wedding, it is energy.
They were surrounded by people they love, and the entire day carried an easy, celebratory momentum. Their energy can best be described as “exuberant and full of life,” and that personality came through in the photographs and film just as much as it did in person.
The day began at the Lake Placid Club Grandview, where Kathryn got ready with her mother and godmother. There were letters and vows exchanged privately, wedding-day details, bridesmaid reveals, and a first look overlooking Mirror Lake.
Then came St. Agnes Church.
Kathryn and Ryan celebrated their marriage with a traditional Catholic ceremony in the heart of Lake Placid before heading back outside to enjoy the Adirondacks around them.
The Adirondacks Became Part of the Story
It was a perfect example of what made their day feel so distinctly Lake Placid: the mountains, the water, the old wooden boats, the golf course, and the landscape were not simply backdrops. They became part of the story.
And sometimes, the best photographs happen when the plan gets interrupted.
While Kathryn and Ryan were making portraits on the golf course, a group of golfers finishing their round invited Ryan to putt one of their balls.
Naturally, he did.
Jordan captured the moment—a completely unscripted little piece of the day that could never have been added to a shot list.
That spirit carried throughout the wedding.
An Italian Celebration in the Adirondacks
The reception brought together two worlds that might seem unexpected at first: the Adirondacks and Kathryn and Ryan’s Italian heritage.
But the combination felt completely natural.
There was wood-fired pizza, gelato, tiramisu, and Italian-inspired details throughout the celebration. Their welcome toast even turned into a full-room sing-along to That’s Amore.
The reception tables were another standout. Lush florals and an elegant tablescape transformed the Golf House for dinner, creating a setting that felt polished without losing the warmth and energy of the day.
And then there was the dancing.
The timeline called for the reception to feel like “a big party with the momentum going,” and that is exactly what happened.
Family, Friendship & the People Who Made the Day
Kathryn and Ryan's wedding was clearly about more than the two of them.
Their families and longtime friends were woven throughout the day, from the getting-ready rooms to the church, portraits, dinner, speeches, and dance floor.
There was also a particularly meaningful connection between Kathryn and her dad. They shared a musical moment together during the celebration—a nod to their relationship and his unmistakable rocker personality.
Those are the moments that make a wedding gallery feel like more than a collection of portraits.
The big moments are there, of course.
But so are the little pieces of history.
When the Rain Came, They Kept Going
September in the Adirondacks has a way of reminding everyone that nature gets a vote.
Rain arrived that afternoon, but it didn't change the energy of the day.
Instead, Kathryn and Ryan rolled with it.
That flexibility is one of the defining characteristics of the couple. They had already shown that quality during their engagement, when an unexpected encounter with snowmobilers turned into an impromptu invitation to hop on a snowmobile. On their wedding day, they approached the changing weather with the same openness.
The result was a wedding that felt alive rather than overly controlled.
And sometimes, that's where the magic is.
Part Two: A Quiet Adirondack Sunset
Perhaps the most memorable part of Kathryn and Ryan's story came after the wedding day itself.
Their original boat ride had to be cancelled because of the weather. Instead of forcing the moment, they came back to Lake Placid two weeks later for a second chapter.
Just the two of them.
Kathryn wore her grandmother's shawl, and the couple returned to the water for a quiet sunset portrait session on the boat.
After the noise and movement of the wedding weekend—the family, the friends, the dancing, the food, the speeches—it gave them something completely different.
Space.
Time.
A chance to simply be together.
That quiet boat ride was the moment that resonated the most. After experiencing the full energy of their wedding, seeing Kathryn and Ryan slow down and enjoy the Adirondacks together created an entirely different kind of memory.
And somehow, that feels like the perfect ending to their story.
A Lake Placid Wedding That Felt Like Kathryn & Ryan
Kathryn and Ryan's wedding wasn't defined by perfect weather or a perfectly controlled timeline.
It was defined by personality.
By family.
By Italian traditions and Adirondack landscapes.
By gelato and wood-fired pizza, Catholic mass and wooden boats, elegant florals and golf-course putting.
By saying yes to unexpected moments.
And by keeping the celebration moving even when the weather had other plans.
Their wedding day was big, joyful, energetic, and completely alive.
And then, two weeks later, they came back to Lake Placid and found something quieter.
Both experiences became part of their story.
That's one of the things I love most about photographing weddings in the Adirondacks: the landscape gives you a setting, but the people give the day its soul.
Kathryn and Ryan brought plenty of that.
Happy One Year Anniversary!
Vendor Team | Lake Placid Wedding Professionals
Planning a wedding is always a collaborative effort, and this incredible team helped bring Kathryn and Ryan’s vision to life:
- Planning & Coordination: Kim Beach - Hartman Events
- Ceremony Venue: Lake Placid Club Golf House
- Catering: Jessie's Harvest House
- Photography & Videography: Jordan Craig Media
- Hair + Makeup: Taylor Haden Makeup & Skin
- DJ / Band Experience: AMP DJ/Band Hybrid
- Flowers: Fleurtacious Designs
