A weekday wedding is perfect for anyone who wants a truly intimate, unique experience. It gives you the chance to really tailor your wedding experience to your personality and narrow down your guest list to your essential people. When Sarah and Alex asked me to photograph their Tuesday wedding at Chautauqua Lake, I was thrilled to be part of their moving day.

A bride and groom stand in front of a colorful wedding arch beside Chautauqua Lake.

Beautiful Chautauqua Lake

Chautauqua Lake is in a beautiful area of southwestern New York. It’s quite long and bordered by small towns, including Chautauqua. Even though the towns are small, many feature amazing restaurants that highlight the best of Western New York. It’s full of breathtaking views that made it the perfect place for Alex and Sarah’s weekday wedding.

A bride and groom read private vows while standing back to back at a weekday wedding.

Wedding guests watch a couple's first look from the porch of a vacation home.

A bride spins for her first look with a groom at their weekday wedding at Chautauqua lake.

Chautauqua Lake was so perfect for Alex and Sarah because they love kayaking and canoeing together. They designed their micro wedding experience to be a week full of things they loved doing together, including cooking big meals for their families in their rented vacation home. Having their wedding on a weekday meant they could keep the experience intimate and truly their own.

A bride and groom sit on a porch eating wedding brunch with family members.

A bride and groom stand on a porch reading from slips of paper.

Laughing wedding guests line a porch holding wine glasses.

A Unique Weekday Wedding Experience

Every part of Alex and Sarah’s weekday wedding was custom to them, including their decor. They ended up choosing Flag Day for their wedding and ran with the theme! They commissioned a custom emblem, and a friend printed them on hand dyed cloth for their flags.

A bride and groom lead a wedding parade carrying colorful flags.

A groom walks with his parents in a wedding parade carrying colorful flags towards Chautauqua Lake.

An officiant reads to a bride and groom from a binder in front of a large floral wedding arch at a weekday wedding.

A bride and groom light a unity candle during their wedding ceremony.

Alex and Sarah started their day by exchanging letters. They stood back to back while reading them then turned around to see each other for the first time. It was so heartfelt and sweet. Afterward, everyone headed to the porch to eat the brunch that Alex and Sarah lovingly cooked together.

A wedding guest does a reaching at a Chautauqua Lake wedding.

A bride and groom press their foreheads together smiling.

A wedding guest signs a hand painted copy of a couple's wedding vows surrounded by flowers.

Then Sarah and Alex did something I’d never seen before. They read a scene from The Winter’s Tale. It describes the love between Perdita and Florizell. During the scene, Perdita, who’s dressed as the goddess of flowers, hands out flowers to her guests. (This passage was meaningful to Sarah because it tied into her PhD, which she was finishing at the time.) Sarah passed out the custom flags and, along with Alex, led their guests down to the floral arch for their ceremony. The parade reminded me so much of a New Orleans second line! .

Vibrant flowers decorate a wedding cake.

A family member stands behind a bride and groom laughing during toasts at a weekday wedding in Chautauqua Lake.

A bride and groom stand at the edge of a field at sunset.

A Full Day of Connection

Everything about Alex and Sarah’s wedding at Chautauqua Lake centered on connection. They kept that going with an intimate dinner and toasts at a local restaurant. For dessert, everyone came back to the cabin to make s’mores over a fire and watch the sun set. It was the perfect day.