Hudson Wedding Venues | Gay Wedding Pictures | The Hill Hudson NY
Hudson Valley Weddings at The Hill, better known as The Hill in Hudson, NY, is where Matt and Ian decided to hold their wedding celebration. And my, what a celebration it was!
The Hill photos by LGBTQ wedding photographer Kathryn Cooper Weddings
The Hill is a beautiful blue barn wedding venue here in the Hudson Valley. Yes, that’s right: It’s a bucolic NY wedding venue with mountains in the distance, horses right on the property, several tree-lined walkways, and a unique, historic, light blue barn that is ready to host a terrific party.
Fall Wedding Planning for 200 Guests at The Hill
When Ian and Matt decided to get married, they knew they wanted something different. Something full of personality. Something that was not just another wedding, but the event of fall! Well, luckily their good friend is a well-known wedding planner, so they had nothing to fear…except, perhaps, too many friends in the wedding industry who wanted to design their day!
Their good friend, NYC LGBTQ wedding planner extraordinaire Jason Mitchell Kahn had the vision, as well as a team of talented Hudson Valley wedding vendors helped execute it all.
Another friend of Matt & Ian’s linked them to me: I actually was hired to photograph their fall NY wedding through my awesome colleagues Jim and Sarah, owners of the Saugerties wedding venue Black Walnut Farm / The Barn at Black Walnut Farm. While both are established Hudson Valley weddings, The Barn at Black Walnut Farm is for more intimate weddings of under 100 guests, while The Hill in Hudson, NY is for larger celebrations on big grounds (up to 300 guests!), with views of the Catskills in the distance. Both venues are LGBTQ+ inclusive, which is always wonderful to hear in 2025.
So, being recommended as a fun, candid documentary photographer for the LGBTQ community was my absolute pleasure.
And my, what a celebration Jason designed! The entire team went above and beyond to create not just a wedding for Matt & Ian, but an experience.
First, Ian and Matt looked stunning in their complementary custom suits in complementary colors. I took some of their getting ready shots in The Hill’s little art cabin next to the blue barn.
It was a beautiful late fall wedding day, so we took advantage of the rust, yellow, and red hues for their portraits. One might say these two are quite familiar with the theatre world, so their portraits were a mix of clowning around and walking around the gorgeous property at The Hill.
Hudson, NY vs. Hudson Valley, NY
Located in the artsy town of Hudson, NY, The Hill is about 10 minutes outside of town, and is a very private feeling Hudson Valley wedding venue with views. The Hill only hosts one wedding each day, and you never have random passers-by nor tours. You get exclusive use of this Hudson wedding venue, located less than 2 hours north of NYC.
Now, Hudson NY shouldn’t be confused with the Hudson Valley NY. Hudson is a small town know for its arts scene, inclusive nature, little restaurants and bars, and cute hotels and galleries. It’s exactly 125 miles from Midtown Manhattan (2 hrs. 10 minutes driving without traffic). The Hudson Valley, on the other hand, is the greater area encompassing several counties and lots of land between north of Westchester and south of Albany. One has a population of 6,000, while the other has nearly 8 million. Y’all know which is which.
Hudson Wedding Venues
So, when looking up Upstate NY wedding venues, many people want to be in the Hudson Valley, home of amazing outdoor venues, waterfalls, barn wedding venues, mansions, historic locations, museum wedding venues, and more.
If you Google “Hudson NY wedding venues,” however, you’ll find just a handful:
Basilica Hudson, at the edge of town, and with an upscale, DIY, decidedly industrial feel: https://basilicahudson.org/
The Greenport, a fancy house/small estate venue outside of town, and generally a bit more formal: https://www.eventsatthegreenport.com/
Hudson Hall, right in the middle of town—a refurbished theatre: https://hudsonhall.org/
The Barn at Liberty Farms, a well-known, higher-end barn venue with foresty areas and fields: https://www.thebarnatlibertyfarms.com/
The Maker, a sleek, dark hotel in the middle of town, made for more intimate weddings of 15-45 people: https://www.themaker.com/
…and The Hill (https://hudsonvalleyweddings.net/) which is exactly the beautifully private property outside town that Matt & Ian picked for their celebration!
A Nontraditional Wedding Experience, Complete with a Spiral Ceremony
Ian and Matt’s fall wedding started with cocktail hour, where so many of their friends and family reunited, showed off their colorful outfits, and nibbled on the beautiful grazing table. Why wait to feed people until after the ceremony? These two elected for a before AND after grazing table and open bar.
Instead of a traditional-looking ceremony, Ian and Matt opted for a circular ceremony set up. And not just a regular circular ceremony, but a spiral! They wanted all their guests to feel involved and acknowledged, so their concept of a spiral ceremony at their wedding allowed them to walk past (and occasionally high five or shake hands with) every guest. It was also quite amusing, as one of the grooms’ fathers took the time to greet all his fans.
Two of their good friends officiated, and did an incredible job of warming up the crowd. Of course, the pre-cocktail hour alcohol also helped, right?
There was tons of laughter, unique vows, and a moment in their partially Jewish ceremony where Matt’s parents blessed them under his original bat mizvah tallit. All the while, the chilly fall air and peeping sun highlighted the beautiful colors of the Hudson Valley’s nearby Catskill mountains, seen right in the distance.
Once they kissed and were pronounced married, they spiraled back out through every single guest, grinning all the way. And high fiving, of course.
A second cocktail hour allowed time for my second shooter and I to photograph the now-completed reception setup, which was from the wild and wacky mind of my talented colleague Jim Glaub. He’d gone over the top with hanging displays, make-your-own flower crown stations, giant coloring books, interactive displays, and more.
A Unique Grazing Dinner at The Hill, Hudson, New York
Instead of a sit-down dinner, they hired two caterers to come to The Hill so everyone could enjoy a massive spread of sushi, barbecue, Italian food, salads, noodles, and so much more. It was a truly overwhelming dinner. There was eggplant rollatini, pot roast, lo mein, tuna cucumber rolls, petit fours, and so much more. Guests did not go hungry.
A fun first dance, hora (I mean, look at their expressions!), and open dancing was super fun to catch, and seeing all their friends let loose was even more enjoyable. At the end of the night, these new husbands let me catch a few colorful night shots—truly the icing on the cake.
Congratulations, Matt and Ian! May your marriage be as delightful, full of color, and joyful as your wedding day~
Hudson Valley Weddings at The Hill is a historic barn wedding venue located just outside the town of Hudson, New York. It’s located 125 miles from Manhattan, and is just over 2 hours of driving north to reach from NYC.
The Hill
(845) 758-9002
www.HudsonValleyWeddings.net
65 Bells Pond Rd, Hudson, NY 12534
Instagram.com/thehillweddings
Planning @mrjasonmitchell
Venue @thehillweddings
Photos @kathryncooperweddings
Design @jimglaub
DJ @jtdproductions
Wedding Catering @hickory_bbq_restaurant @ichibanjapanesecatering @225warren
Welcome Party Catering @itsapizzatruck @thisandthatfoodtruckhudson
Rentals @columbiatentrentals
Stationary @typeandlovepaperie
Officiants @bensands & @wendellodom
Our Couple @weissian & @matt_medaglia
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