Amanda + Anthony’s Wedding at The Larkfield

May 7

A Long Island Wedding with Portraits at Chelsea Mansion

Amanda and Anthony’s wedding day had the perfect balance of calm moments, beautiful light, and absolute dance floor chaos later in the night, which is honestly the dream combination as far as we’re concerned!

Set in East Northport, NY, this celebration was a long time in the making. After meeting as servers at a local restaurant chain Amanda and Anthony’s relationship grew from co-workers and friends to dating, engaged and finally to husband and wife.

Our day with Amanda and Anthony not only prioritized beautiful photos, but creating a fun and natural experience that allowed them to enjoy their celebration with family, friends and loved ones.

Amanda and Anthony chose The Chelsea Mansion for their first look and wedding portraits before heading to The Larkfield for the ceremony and reception. On busy wedding weekends, using a separate location for portraits can create a much more relaxed flow to the day while also giving couples a wider variety of backdrops for their photos. Chelsea Mansion was the perfect setting for that. The grounds feel quiet and tucked away, with a mix of greenery, architecture, and softer spaces that photograph beautifully throughout the afternoon.

There’s something about the property that always slows people down a bit. Maybe it’s the quieter atmosphere or the fact that nobody’s being announced into a reception room there. Either way, it gave Amanda and Anthony space to settle into the day before the excitment of the afternoon picked up. The portraits from that part of the afternoon ended up feeling really natural because nothing was rushed. We wandered the grounds a bit, stole pockets of good light where we found them, and let things unfold naturally instead of over-directing every moment.

One of the biggest benefits of doing a first look before the ceremony is how much flexibility it creates throughout the rest of the day. Amanda and Anthony were able to enjoy cocktail hour with guests while still having a full gallery of portraits completed beforehand.

By the time everyone arrived at The Larkfield, the energy had shifted completely. The quiet anticipation from earlier in the day had been replaced by the low-level chaos that usually means guests have officially found the open bar and the dance floor is about twenty minutes away from becoming somebody’s full-time residence.

One thing we’ve always loved about weddings at the Larkfield is how well the space transitions throughout the day. Earlier in the afternoon, everything feels warm and polished. Later on, once the reception starts and the lighting changes, the entire atmosphere softens into something much more alive. It’s one of those venues that works equally well for elegant portraits and the kind of dance floor photos where someone’s tie is wrapped around their head by the end of the night.

At some point during the reception, the dance floor stopped feeling like a dance floor and started feeling more like a very enthusiastic family reunion with professional lighting. People were singing loudly, drinks were being abandoned on random tables mid-song, and every time we thought the energy had probably peaked, somebody else pulled another friend into the center of the crowd. Those are usually the moments people remember most years later anyway. Not the perfectly folded napkins. The feeling of being completely inside the night while it was happening.