Glen Island Harbour Club: Two weddings, two storms, one unforgettable venue

"The sea was angry that day, my friends." It was the last Saturday in October, and deep green waves rolled past the walkway outside the getting ready area, waves so tall they almost crested above the railing itself, driven by a wind that had been building all night. Just on the other side of the floor to ceiling windows, I watched the storm gather strength as I photographed Lital's details. I remember thinking that we had two options: lean into the raw and wild weather to create something authentic and unfiltered, or play it safe.

Three months later, in January, I stood in the exact same prep room with Rebecca, while snow fell fast, thick, and sideways, accumulating faster than it could melt. I had just finished photographing her details, using the falling snow as a contrast to her flowers. She was ready to go outside and do her first look next to the water, despite the snow covered ground.

Both couples, in their own way, leaned into their day and embraced the weather, chaos, and beauty. Their photos were not standard or sanitized versions of a wedding album, but deeply personal and unique. In this blog post I’ll share a little more about their stories, how Glen Island Harbour Club in New Rochelle was a perfect choice for them (especially with bad weather), and how we handled all the curveballs their wedding days threw at us.

Photo by Matthew Rigby Photography

Getting ready

During October’s driving rain Lital got ready in the prep room downstairs, while Matt got ready upstairs. I incorporated the harbor views and the weather itself into their detail photography. The contrast between the intimate moments of getting ready and the raw energy of the day happening just beyond the glass captured the mood and feeling of the day. Despite the weather, their family was full of anticipation and joy, and the spaces were generous enough to hold that energy, plus lay out a lunch spread, without feeling cramped. The venue's coordinators were present, attentive, and helpful the whole time, attending to every need and making sure that everything flowed.

Rebecca got ready in the same space three months later, with snow coming down outside her window instead of rain. Matthew and his brothers got dressed in the room at the back, rather than going upstairs, which allowed them easy access to the back patio. My second photographer took him and his family outside for some fun portraits in the cold, while I used the snow as an authentic element in Rebecca’s detail and prep photos.

Photos by Matthew Rigby Photography

First look and portraits

This is where the venue's flexibility really showed itself. Lital and Matt had originally planned to do their first look outside, but the rain kept us from following through on that plan. We tried to pivot to use the covered carport area in the back, but the rain had come in underneath, and it would have gotten her dress wet. The venue’s wedding captain and I cleared a section of the lobby, and we lined up their friends and family along the wall for a front row seat to their first look. Lital’s mother was overjoyed, taking photos, and cheering. Despite having to move inside, it was an emotional and unplanned moment that maintained the feeling that they had originally envisioned.

From there, the coordinator brought us to the empty ballroom at the back of the venue. The venue had graciously offered us use of this second space, which gave us room to work. Even though we weren’t outside, the wedding party photos in the ballroom included the scenic view of the harbor through the floor to ceiling windows. I set up an off-camera flash to handle the low light and balance the window light, while my second photographer helped facilitate the groupings so we could move quickly and efficiently through both sides of the party. They had a great time spending this time together before the ceremonies, and we got some epic photos.

In January, Rebecca and Matthew were willing to walk through the snow during a lull in the storm to do their first look outside on the back patio. They wanted the weather woven into their day, not hidden away. After the emotional and joyous moments of first look, we noticed their wedding party and family cheering through the windows, and then they continued to explore the spaces behind the venue. They climbed onto a rock formation overlooking the Harbour, fresh snow blanketing the formation. They then walked around the corner to the outdoor seating area, which had gas firepits, and spent a moment there honoring one of their favorite pastimes of roasting marshmallows and making s’mores together. As they warmed up back inside, they talked about how very much this felt like them.

For family photos with both couples, we used different areas of the venue depending on what was happening. With Lital and Matt, we moved to the space where cocktail hour would be held, which had its own view of the harbor from a different angle. With Rebecca and Matthew, we used the carport area where we'd originally planned Lital and Matt's first look. The venue staff worked with us seamlessly, setting up for cocktail hour while we photographed. We both tried to keep our footprints small, and they were very helpful and generous with their space.

Photos by Matthew Rigby Photography

Ceremony

Both ceremonies took place upstairs in the main room with panoramic harbor views. During Lital and Matt's ceremony, the rain pounded the windows. You could see and hear it. I set up flashes to balance the natural light pouring through those massive windows with the motion and emotion happening at the chuppah. That way, the weather and landscape outside became part of the ceremony's atmosphere, and they will be able to relive those memories for the rest of their lives. Prior to the main ceremony they held their Badeken downstairs on a small stage just to the side of cocktail, while Matt’s Tish was upstairs in one of the open rooms.

Rebecca and Matthew signed their Ketubah in the same spot just off the cocktail area, but did so before everyone arrived in a smaller ceremony that was just family. The chuppah ceremony upstairs ceremony was similar in setup but different in feeling. The snow was falling steadily but quietly, while live musicians played the entrances. The light was dim and winter-gray. Again, I used flash to capture both the couple and the landscape behind them.

Photos by Matthew Rigby Photography

Creative portraits, night photos, and reception

As the day moved into evening, the weather became part of the story in a different way. With Lital and Matt, we ventured outside in the late afternoon during one of the breaks in the storm. When we first ventured outside the sky was still heavy and dark, and it was still raining lightly. They held hands and braved the elements, exploring and appreciating the magnificent and moody view across the water. All of a sudden, just as we were heading back indoors, the rain stopped and an uncle ran outside yelling “Rainbow!” We ran back outside and they laughed, danced, and embraced under a double rainbow while I photographed them. It was a moment none of us had planned for, and none of us will forget.

Glen Island also has several indoor spaces that work really well for photos on the stairs and next to the windows. At the end of the night, Lital and Matt braved the rain outside one more time for a creative night photo (the first photo at the top), which became one of my favorite portraits ever.

Rebecca and Matthew were willing to go outside and make creative night photos in the snow during their cocktail hour. They were so in love, so happy to be together, willing to explore and play in the landscape. We worked through the snow, set up off-camera flash through the pine trees, and captured them in the raw beauty of a winter night. These photos had a unique energy, and felt true to them. Again, they will always remember their wedding day and their photos will bring them back to the feelings they had of their day.

Later, during the reception, Rebecca and Matthew had a live performance from electric violinists and incorporated music that represented their interests in Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings. Their entire day was intentional and personalized, and their party was the culmination of the efforts they put into making their day theirs. Likewise, Lital and Matt had a custom set up during reception, which had to be transitioned halfway through the first dance set. During both weddings, the staff at Glen Island worked efficiently, smoothly, and handled the changes from the weather with grace.

Photos by Matthew Rigby Photography

The role of videography

Both couples took my recommendations for videography, and both videographers — Fen from Fen Video Productions and Brandon from Hudson River Videography — brought a documentary sensibility that matched the rawness of these days. Fen's eighties-style, longer-cut approach let her blend into Lital and Matt's day the way I try to blend into every wedding I photograph. She was present without being intrusive, documenting moments as they happened rather than manufacturing them. Brandon and I worked as a tag team throughout Rebecca and Matthew's day, setting up details together and moving through the timeline in sync. Both collaborations felt natural, and both couples walked away with photography and film that told the full story of their day.