Willowdale Estate Wedding
I absolutely love Willowdale Estate weddings! So I decided to do quick round-up of some of my favorite weddings I’ve photographed there over the years. I was lucky enough to get in on the ground floor when Willowdale opened and photographed one of their very first weddings (you won’t find that one here since it was before I even started blogging!).
Willowdale is such a unique place - the estate itself is of course one-of-a-kind with a combination of craftsman style architecture mixed in with medieval touches here and there, inspired from Scottish castles. The grounds are expansive as it’s situated right in Bradley Palmer State Park.
Over the years I’ve seen lots of different types of weddings at Willowdale, and I can say that whatever your vision is, they can pull it off! You’ll see in the blog posts below how each unique couple brought their vision to life with the amazing backdrop that is Willowdale Estate.
And did I mention the amazing service and impeccable attention to detail that the staff at Willowdale bring? From having your signature cocktail being served to guests as they exit the ceremony, to the most gorgeous suites for getting ready, to somehow making a cocktail hour go off without a hitch even when the power is out! (See below :)) I have to say I am always impressed!
Sean and Roisin’s glamorous fall wedding at Willowdale Estate
Sean and Roisin had a beautiful fall wedding at Willowdale. But, don’t think oranges and reds and yellows. Instead, this was a glamorous wedding so many amazing details. I won’t get into them here (you seriously just need to click the link to see the actual photos!). This was also one of the only times we had a rained-out wedding ceremony. No worries, the staff at Willowdale had everything all set up in the tent for the ceremony, and good thing, too, as the rain started pouring down right in the middle of the vows.
Carrie and Paul’s nature-loving Willowdale Estate Wedding
Carrie and Paul had a true vision for their wedding day - of being close to nature, to celebrate how much they love to hike, camp and spend time outdoors. Usually an outdoor ceremony at Willowdale is held in the courtyard, surrounded by the separate wings of the estate. Carrie and Paul, however, wanted to be able to see the trees and forest surrounding the estate during their vows. So, they had their ceremony on the lawn in front of the estate. We even got off the beaten path (quite literally) for their formal photos - we took a bit of hike to get some scenery at Bradley Palmer State Park. Now I can’t wait to go back and explore even more!
Meg and Sean’s classy and elegant Willowdale Estate Wedding
Meg and Sean are the sweetest people and I had the best time with them and their families celebrating their wedding. Their classic and elegant style comes across with some simple decor that lets the historic estate shine in the background. You really don’t need a lot to make a statement with a wedding at Willowdale Estate!
Julie and Keith’s colorful Willowdale Estate Wedding
Julie and Keith went bold with a bright yellow and green wedding theme, which I love! Julie and her mom planned the wedding long distance (from Chicago) which was quite impressive - everything went off without a hitch and I think their plans came together beautifully, of course with the help of the amazing staff at Willowdale.
And while you’re here, you can check out some highlights from Kaitlin and Dan’s wedding at Willowdale Estate. The day had a hiccup or two (the downpour happening right when we were supposed to be doing formal photos outside? Yep! And the ensuing power outage because of the storm? You betcha!), but the couple took it all in stride, and just couldn't be happier to simply be with those closest to them, celebrating.
Reception: Willowdale Estate, Topsfield, MA
Candlelight comes in handy when the power goes out for a little bit! Thankfully the Willowdale staff was on top of everything and were able to keep cocktail hour going easily before they got a generator up and running (and eventually the power did come back on!).
So many beautiful details for a Willowdale Estate wedding! I love the tent for receptions, and especially these lanterns that they add to the top of the tent. Just gives that extra pop of color and ambience (especially as it gets darker, as you’ll see in later nighttime photos).
These centerpieces and table numbers are just gorgeous!
The lights! The lanterns!
Some more beautiful architectural details of Willowdale…
One of the best things about a Willowdale Estate wedding - the food! You really cannot go wrong with midnight french fries (not to mention - my favorite… keep scrolling :))
Cookies! After a long night of dancing, don't your guests deserve an extra little treat? I love this... I also might have stolen one or two.
I hope you’ve found this round-up of Willowdale Estate weddings helpful!
Looking for more wedding planning tips? Check out these blog posts: