Onteora Mountain House wedding videographer
An Adirondack-style lodge in the Catskills with a long deck hanging out over the Esopus Valley. About 25 minutes from Kingston.
Notes on Onteora
The place
Onteora was built in the late 1920s as a summer house for Richard Hellmann, yes, the mayonnaise Hellmann, and it sits in about 200 acres of forest inside the Catskill Park. Ceremonies happen on a roughly 90-foot deck looking out over the Esopus Valley, dinner and dancing move to a timber pavilion, and there are guest rooms on site. It hosts weddings from late spring through fall, for roughly 80 to 180 guests.
Filming here
The deck is the whole show, and it's also exposed. Mountain wind moves fast up there, so every voice that matters gets its own microphone and a wind cover. Late-day light over the valley is worth planning the timeline around, and the lodge's dark wood interiors make for moody getting-ready scenes.
What to expect
Weather in the Catskills can turn in an hour. I watch the forecast with your planner in the days before and adjust the timeline so we don't lose the best light.
Questions about filming at Onteora
How long until we get the films?
Eight weeks for the feature and highlight films.
Which package fits an Onteora weekend?
Onteora weddings often turn into a weekend with guests staying on site. The Feature covers the wedding day well; The Cinema adds the same-day reel and more coverage if you want the weekend captured.
How do you handle the audio?
Every voice that matters gets its own microphone: a lav on whoever is saying vows, a recorder on the officiant, a feed from the DJ or band for the toasts. It's the reason the films sound the way they do.
Can we have the raw footage?
Yes, as an add-on, delivered on a drive after the edit is finished.
How do we hold a date?
A signed agreement and a retainer hold your date. Dates are first come, first served.
Do you work with our planner and photographer?
Always. I share the timeline ahead of the day and stay out of the photographer's frame.
Is travel included?
Yes. Onteora is about 25 minutes from Kingston.
What if it rains on the deck?
We plan a covered backup with your planner ahead of time, and the audio setup works the same indoors or out. Some of the best-looking films come from a moody day in the mountains.
See what's in each collection on the pricing page, or browse more Hudson Valley and Catskills venues.
LET’S MAKE SOMETHING MEANINGFUL
Getting married at Onteora?
Tell me the date and I'll come back within 48 hours with availability and a quote.
Prefer to talk first? email Liam.