Venue guide · Tappan Hill Mansion · Tarrytown, Westchester County, New York
Tappan Hill Mansion Wedding Photography
A stone mansion on a hilltop above the Hudson, on the former Mark Twain estate. We photographed a wedding here at the end of May. This guide shows the day through our lens, plus what we would tell any couple planning photography at Tappan Hill.
A real wedding · Wedding photography · Tappan Hill Mansion
A late-May wedding above the Hudson.
This couple was married at Tappan Hill Mansion on a Sunday at the end of May, with the ceremony outside on the stone terrace, two floral arches at the balustrade and the Hudson River behind them. BlackTie Brothers photographed the day.
The photographs below are a selection from their wedding: getting ready, the walk down the aisle, vows under the arches, and portraits on the terrace and the lawn. They booked photography, so there is no film from their day on this page.
The terrace above the river
The ceremony was set up outside, on a brick and stone terrace with a balustrade and the Hudson beyond it. Even empty, it looks like a wedding is about to start.
Getting ready
The morning moved between two rooms and a lot of pink loungewear. Details first, while hair and makeup were still going.
The ceremony
Each of them walked in to the terrace, and the vows happened between the two arches with the river over their shoulders.
Portraits on the terrace and the lawn
The wedding party lined up along the balustrade, then the two of them had a few minutes on their own without walking far from the ceremony spot.
Venue & planning · Tarrytown, Westchester County
A hilltop mansion above the Hudson,
and how to plan around it.
From the venue. Tappan Hill Mansion is an Abigail Kirsch property in Tarrytown, on the former Mark Twain estate. The venue describes a stone mansion on a hilltop overlooking the Hudson River, with garden terraces, private suites and two event rooms, the Pavilion Room and the Hudson Room, and Abigail Kirsch handles catering and event management. Spaces, capacities, packages and policies are the venue’s to explain, so we leave those to them.
What we saw. At the wedding on this page, the ceremony was set up outside on the stone terrace: white chairs either side of a brick aisle, two floral arches at the balustrade and the river beyond them. The same terrace and arches made the backdrop for the wedding-party and couple portraits too, and the lawn beside it gave a softer, greener option.
Getting there. The venue describes itself as about 45 minutes from Midtown Manhattan, which makes it an easy fit for couples and guests coming up from the city.
Our recommendations, drawn from photographing a full day here. Access, timing and policies belong to the venue, so where something is theirs to decide we have written it as a question to ask them.
Ask where the sun sits at your ceremony time.
A hilltop gives you open sky, so the direction of the light at your hour matters more than the hour itself. Walk the ceremony spot with your coordinator at about that time of day, and look up sunset for your actual date instead of trusting an average.
Settle the rain plan before you need it.
The couple we photographed here planned an outdoor ceremony with an indoor fallback, which is the approach we suggest. Ask which room becomes the ceremony space, when the weather call is made and where portraits move. We plan both versions.
Count the walking.
Suites, ceremony site, cocktail hour and dinner are never in one spot at a mansion. Moving a wedding party between rooms, terraces and lawn takes longer than it looks on paper, so give each move a real buffer, plus a few minutes for the dress.
Protect cocktail hour.
If you want to be at it, photograph family and wedding-party groups before the ceremony, or straight after from a short list. No first look? We can still photograph each side separately beforehand.
Make family photos a list, not a hunt.
Write every grouping with names, and pick one relative from each side to round people up. It is the single biggest time-saver we know.
Plan the reception light.
Evening receptions move from daylight to candles and uplighting. Ask the venue about the room’s lighting plan; we light for faces without flattening the mood of the room.
Take ten minutes near sunset.
A short evening portrait window, agreed with your coordinator between courses or after the cake, is usually enough. Check sunset for your date and build it in.
Getting ready off site? Put the drive in the timeline.
The venue lists private suites. If you start at a hotel instead, give us both addresses and add the drive plus a buffer.
Questions worth asking Tappan Hill Mansion
- Where does the ceremony move if it rains, and when is that decided?
- Which spaces can we use for portraits during cocktail hour?
- Where are the getting-ready suites, and when can we use them?
- What time does the music stop, and when must guests leave?
- Are there any areas or times where photography is not allowed?
- Are exits with bubbles, sparklers or petals allowed, and where?
- When and where is the vendor meal?
- Is drone photography allowed on the property?
Room names, capacities and policies come from the venue and can change, so confirm them with Tappan Hill Mansion directly.
Photography and film
Photography first, with film when you want both.
Most couples come to us for photography first. If you want a wedding film too, our photographers and filmmakers are one team. They plan from the same timeline and work side by side, so your gallery and your film tell the same story. This couple booked photography, so there is no film from their day here. Watch our wedding films in the portfolio.
One plan for both cameras.
Photo and film plan from the same brief, so nobody meets the family list for the first time on the day.
No standoffs at the aisle.
Our photographers and filmmakers agree in advance where each will stand for the aisle, the toasts and the first dance.
Audio that is planned in.
Vows and toasts need microphones placed before they start. We sort that ahead of time with your officiant and DJ.
One team to call.
One company handles booking, planning and delivery, so you are not relaying messages between vendors.
FAQs
A few things couples ask.
Have you photographed a wedding at Tappan Hill Mansion?
Yes. We photographed a wedding here at the end of May, and every photograph on this page comes from their day. It was a photography booking, so this guide covers photography. If you want a wedding film as well, our photographers and filmmakers work as one team.
Can we see more than the photographs on this page?
Yes. Our portfolio links to complete galleries and wedding films from many other venues, and a full gallery tells you far more than a highlight reel. If you are planning a Tappan Hill wedding, ask us and we will walk you through how we would plan your day.
When should we plan portraits at Tappan Hill Mansion?
Our advice: photograph family and wedding-party groups before the ceremony or straight after it from a short written list, then take two brief couple windows, one after the ceremony and one near sunset. Build the timing with your venue coordinator, who knows how the rooms turn over.
What happens to our photos if it rains?
Confirm the indoor ceremony space and the timing of the weather call with the venue early. We plan portrait spots for both versions of the day, so a weather change moves the location, not the list.
Can we book photography and film together?
Yes. You can book photography, film or both. When you book both, our photographers and filmmakers plan from one timeline and work side by side, so your gallery and your film tell the same story.
How do we check availability for our Tappan Hill Mansion date?
Send your date and venue through our contact form, or call or text 607-290-3330. We will confirm availability and point you to the collections that fit your day.
Availability
Getting married at
Tappan Hill Mansion?
Tell us your date and whether you are thinking photography, film or both. We will confirm availability and help you plan coverage for the day you have actually booked.