A guide to getting married at Red Maple Vineyard

I've filmed five weddings at Red Maple Vineyard in West Park, and it's one of my favorite places to work in the Hudson Valley. If you're touring it or you've just booked it, here's what I'd want you to know, from the planning side and from behind the camera.

The basics

• Where it is: West Park, on the west side of the Hudson in Ulster County. About 20 minutes south of Kingston and a short drive from New Paltz.
• The property: about 143 acres of vineyard and farm overlooking the Hudson River, with a renovated 1800s cow barn, old stone foundation ruins, lawns, woods, a horse paddock, and flower, herb and vegetable gardens.
• Size: it handles weddings of up to about 300 guests, so it suits bigger celebrations better than tiny ones.
• What's included: catering and event planning are done in-house, which means fewer vendors for you to line up.
• Where guests stay: there's no lodging on the property, so most couples book a hotel block in Kingston, New Paltz or across the river, and many set up a shuttle so nobody has to drive home.

Book early

Red Maple fills its season well ahead, and plenty of couples book a year or two out. If you have a date in mind, reach out to the venue first, then line up the vendors who book up fastest, like your photographer, videographer and band.

Where the best footage comes from

The best thing about Red Maple on camera is how much variety there is in one place. In a single day you can move from vineyard rows to stone ruins to gardens to the old barn, and each one gives the film a different look. That's why films from here tend to feel like they travel, even though you never leave the property.

• The vineyard rows are made for a first look or a slow walk together.
• The stone ruins give you texture and a bit of drama, especially late in the day.
• The gardens are at their fullest in summer, and the color is worth planning around.
• The barn is where the night happens. It's warm and full of character, and it gets loud, which matters for your toasts (more on that below).

Plan your timeline around the light

Leave 20 to 30 minutes for the two of you to walk the property as the sun gets low. It's the part of the day couples tell me they loved most, and it's often the best footage in the film. Give yourselves a little buffer between the ceremony and the barn so you're not rushing it.

Sound: the part people forget

A full barn with a live crowd sounds amazing in the room, and not great on a microphone across the room. For your film, that means two things: the person saying vows should wear a small microphone, and your toasts should be recorded straight from the DJ or band's sound system. Ask your videographer how they handle both. It's the difference between hearing your best friend's speech clearly in 20 years and hearing a muffled roar.

One filmmaker or two?

Red Maple is big, and the day moves around. With two filmmakers, one can stay with each of you while you get ready, and during the ceremony we catch both of your faces at the same time. If you're choosing between collections, this is the venue where a second filmmaker earns its keep. My collections start at $3,200, and The Feature includes two filmmakers.

Rain plan

Because so much of Red Maple's beauty is outdoors, talk through the rain plan with the venue early. A rainy day can still make a beautiful film. Some of the moodiest footage comes from overcast skies, but it helps to know where everything moves.

Watch Red Maple weddings

Here are the five Red Maple weddings I've filmed. There's more about filming there on my Red Maple Vineyard page.