A Spring Wedding at The Pavilion on Crystal Lake Venue in CT

Two amazing, nonbinary humans in matching velvet suits accidentally wrote the exact same vows, and there was a mashed potato bar at cocktail hour. That's the blog. You can leave now.

Just kidding. Stay. There's more.

If you've been wondering whether a lakeside venue in Connecticut can hit that perfect sweet spot between rustic and elegant, outdoorsy and cozy, barn wedding and actually-not-like-any-barn-wedding-you've-ever-seen, then Marg and Rollins’ wedding at the Pavilion on Crystal Lake is going to answer that question.

The Pavilion on Crystal Lake, A Beautiful Venue in CT 

If you’re a couple who doesn’t want a stuffy, overly formal wedding and are searching for venues in Connecticut, bookmark this one: The Pavilion on Crystal Lake.

The property sits right on Crystal Lake, and the whole place has this dreamy lakeside-cabin energy that somehow manages to feel both intimate and celebratory. There's a private Lake Cottage for getting ready (full kitchen, private porch — the good stuff), a gazebo ceremony site tucked under a canopy of soaring pines at the end of a row of wooden pews, a little beach on the lake, and a reception barn with a warm wooden interior absolutely draped in string lights. It's the kind of venue that doesn't need a lot of decoration to feel like something because it already is something.

For Marg and Rollins, it was a perfect fit. Cozy. A little outside the box. Not a ballroom in a hotel. Very them.

Shoutout to their wedding planner, Cortney McOmber (with CT Wedding Group).

Marg and Rollins: The Day 

Both of them wore velvet suits from Bindle and Keep — one of my all-time favorite queer suiting companies — and they looked absolutely incredible. Their first look was pure joy! Just two people who were genuinely delighted to be marrying each other, which, honestly, is exactly what you want to photograph. 

If you are looking for more ideas to find gender neutral wedding attire, I’ve got you!

The Ceremony

The outdoor ceremony at the Pavilion's gazebo is genuinely stunning. Rows of wood pews under a canopy of trees, the lake peeking through in the background, twinkle lights strung above. 

When Rollins finished their vows, and Marg started reading theirs, it immediately became apparent that they had independently written almost the exact same things (including the same specific anecdotes) in their vows. It was *very* funny. 

Their families, by the way, were incredible with getting Marg and Rollins' pronouns right all day without a stumble. It sounds like it should be the bare minimum, and it is, and also it genuinely isn't always a given. It was beautiful to witness. 

Cocktail Hour

There was a mashed potato bar. The tiny loaded potato cups they served during cocktail hour were one of the best food choices I've seen at a wedding, and I will die on this hill.

The Reception

The reception was exactly what you'd want with a full dance floor, basically from the jump. The kind of energy in a room that makes you realize everyone here really, truly loves these two people.

And then the DJ played Come On Eileen. 

Rollins and their college sorority friends apparently have a deep, sacred, unhinged relationship with this song, and when it came on, there was an immediate formation of a scream-singing kickline that I can only describe as: chaotic good, maximum commitment, 10 out of 10. The kind of dance floor moment that couldn't be planned, staged, or replicated. It just happened, and I was there for it.

That's the whole thing about documentary wedding photography, right? You can't put that on a shot list.

If You're Looking for a Queer-Friendly Venue in CT 

The Pavilion on Crystal Lake is the kind of place that works really well for couples who want something with character. There’s a ceremony space that feels a little magical, a reception space that's warm and celebratory without being stuffy, and enough nature around you to sneak some genuinely beautiful portraits by the lake. 

Marg and Rollins — thank you for having me. The velvet suits, the matching vows, the mashed potato bar, Come On Eileen, all of it. I left with full SD cards and very happy feelings.

And if you want photos that don’t turn your day into a styled shoot? I’ve got you. I’ll be there for the big feelings, the weird traditions, the chosen family hugs, and whatever else makes your wedding day yours.

I’m Caroline, your queer documentary wedding photographer in CT, NYC & beyond, and I’d love to hear from you. Reach out here to inquire with me about your wedding!