Jillian and Clayton were married at Sage Chapel at Cornell University (Jillian's Alma Matter) in Ithaca, NY followed by a celebration next to Cayuta Lake at the Fontainebleau Inn because.. "How do you have a wedding in the fingerlakes and not be on a lake?!" It was an incredible location made even more beautiful by the clouds (Just check out that cloudy backdrop over the lake in the photos below!) which never amounted to more than some passing showers (Take that, Weather Channel!). After they both got ready, they started out with a private and emotional first look.. followed by a whirlwind of champagne popping, dancing, happy tears, trolley riding, kisses under blown bubbles, big hugs, lots of love, and ice cream. It was a heck of a day and below is more about it all from Jillian.

What are your top three most memorable moments from your wedding day?
·      The Ice cream truck for sure, it was nice to see guests surprised and excited to get dessert!
·      The ceremony itself. We had some great moments in there, including a few flubbered lines that made us laugh, some tears, great readings from family, and involvement from so many important people in our lives. It was a great combination of the two of us and our personalities.
·      The trolley ride. It was also so nice to get some time with just our wedding party and parents. Cracking some champagne after escaping the rain on our way back was a nice touch as well and a great way to kick off the celebration! It was also nice to be able to kick back after the ceremony was over.

Did anything go wrong or not as expected?
Our ice cream truck was late as they had an issue with the machine, but, at that point, I wasn't stressed. They pulled up only a few minutes behind schedule. The guests didn't know the timing though, since it was a surprise, so it was not a big problem at all.

Knowing what you do now, would you have done anything differently?
At times, like all couples, we considered eloping when things started to get stressful or someone drove us crazy! But we LOVED our wedding day and are so thankful for the memories - we really wouldn't change a thing other than having the family and friends that had to miss the day be there.

We have lost a member of our wedding party since May and I am especially thankful for those moments and amazing photos we had with him in what turned out to be the last months of his life.

Why did you choose The Fontainebleau Inn for your reception?
On our trip to visit venues, we both felt that nothing else in the area compared. Not even close. We kind of looked at each other and just said, "how can we not?!" The venue came with some challenges (like transportation, price, and lodging) but we knew it would be worth the extra effort. And as you know, Clayton's big thing was, "how do you have a wedding in the fingerlakes not on a lake?!"

A little shout out to your other vendors.. Did anyone that you worked with really standout to you?
Katie Legg of Festive Planning, our coordinator, was spectacular. She was behind the scenes but then right there any time I needed her. She also did much more than your typical day-of coordination in making sure everything was set in the weeks ahead of the wedding with our vendors, even allowing me to ship her things since we were coming from Miami. We also loved Word of Mouth Catering - Katie and Tina are such sweethearts and executed our exact vision for the food, which was delicious! Benjamin Peters was also so flexible with the tux returns and accommodating a number of last minute needs.

Do you have any tips for couples currently planning their wedding?
Do what you want - don't get caught up in other people's wishes. It's YOUR day and you have to learn to just speak up and say no when things start to get off track with planning (and they will, trust me). Everyone has an opinion or wants things done a certain way but choose to do what makes you happy.

How did you find Michelle and know you wanted her to photograph your wedding day?
Michelle and I have known each other for years, there was nobody else in my mind that made sense! Her work is beautiful and I knew she'd do a great job.

What was/is your favorite photo moment?
Our first look. It was so nice to finally get to see one another and get in some moments, just the two of us. The rush of emotions when we first saw one another was amazing (and may have included some tears) and I'm glad that they were captured so well.

I’d also include our sunset pictures out on the water. They are stunning and it was so nice to get more moments together alone as Mr. and Mrs.

And what's next for you as a couple?
A PUPPY! We're going to get a new addition to the family this spring/early summer.