Syd and Kyle’s romantic, fantasy-inspired wedding made me so proud to be a Winterthur Wedding Photographer! Keep an eye out for LoTR references D&D dice and so much more! 🧙🎲🧚♀️✨
Syd and Kyle laugh, “Basically we are just two vegetarian nerds who got married in the fanciest garden venue we could find! We wanted it to feel like a fantasy where we quote Lord of the Rings at each other, give D&D dice out as favors, and overall have a magical time with a super fun party!”
Critical Success! 🥰
Dupont Estate Wedding Winterthur
Kyle reflects, “We really wanted our wedding to feel like a fantasy realm. We wanted everything to be ‘fey’ and feel like we were in another world. When we stepped into the Reflecting Pool at Winterthur, it felt like being whisked away to another world. The greenery and gardens in every direction, the pool covered with lilies, and the stone architecture framing it. Everywhere you go or look is just so beautiful! We were really excited to share that space with our guests.”
Why Rhinehart Photography?
Kyle & Syd share, “We really like how Lisa, is willing to do anything to capture the perfect moment, even if she has to ‘climb into bushes and hide in plants’ to get it. There are A LOT of plants and cool texture at Winterthur, and we know Lisa knows how to work with that.”
They continue, “Another thing we appreciated was the generally candid style where we weren’t thinking too hard about actually being in a photo, it felt really natural. She also did a great job posing us so that we look great. And honestly Lisa is just fun, don’t underestimate getting a photographer who you just like talking to and hanging out with.”
Syd adds, “We met Lisa through friends of ours, Matt and Mike. We knew from them how good Lisa was at taking back-lit photos at night and generally using lighting well to capture incredible moments. We were really excited to get whisked away to the reflecting pool for our own magical night-time photo.”
The Invitations
Syd says, “I LOVE our invitations. I found Somersault Letterpress because they did the invites and escort cards for our friends Dave and Christina’s wedding a couple years ago. Their escort cards were so cool that I hung mine and Kyle’s up on my pin board next to some photo booth strips of us from various weddings, and I even sent them a picture of it when we first reached out. Kyle and I met with Amy and spent a lot of time showing her pictures of our venue and she put together those beautiful fairy tale invites. They really captured the ‘walking into another world’ vibe that Kyle and I both get from visiting Winterthur.”
A Touch of Fantasy: winterthur wedding favors
Syd & Kyle’s shared love of fantasy—whether it’s Lord of the Rings, Magic: The Gathering, or DnD—has always been a cornerstone of their relationship. So it was only fitting that their wedding was filled with magical, fantasy-inspired details.
Kyle smiles, “We got really into D&D about a year and a half before our wedding. It started as ‘let’s try it out’ and is now something we play every week, sometimes multiple times a week. When we locked in our wedding date of June 20th we realized it matched the 20 on the d20, the most important die in the game. We wanted a unique wedding favor and to include one of our favorite hobbies, and Syd found a company that specializes in making dice!”
Syd laughs, “I love telling this story. About a month before we got engaged Kyle and I first started playing D&D together. What was meant to be just a ‘starter campaign’ turned into a full blown story now almost 2 years long, and we also started playing with our friends in a bigger group, as well. In D&D, the d20 is used a lot to roll checks, and if you roll a ‘natural 20’ it’s called a ‘critical success’ and the very best possible outcome happens. I remember telling Kyle ‘I just have a really good feeling about the 20th’ but I couldn’t quite put my finger on why. The week after we booked our venue, we sat down at the game table and I looked at my dice and I looked at Kyle and said ‘Did we just accidentally make a D&D wedding? The 20th?’”
Syd continues, “After that, I knew I wanted to incorporate D&D somehow, and I found this really cool shop (Roll 4 Initiative) that did engravings on the dice so that we could have our initials and wedding date as the 20 to give out as favors! And we ordered a few extras to use in our own future D&D games!”
Ladies Wedding Day Preparations: Westin Wilmington Wedding Photographer
Syd shares, “Getting ready with the girls was so much fun. I am lucky to have such amazing family and bridesmaids. They asked me if I was nervous but I just felt so relaxed and happy to be in the company of my favorite people chatting and getting ready together. The first look with the bridesmaids was really fun for me because everyone picked a unique style for their dress, so it was the first time I got to see how that came together. They looked great!”
Syd smiles, “That moment with my mom zipping me into the dress was super special to me. We’ve always been really close, and she was always there with me helping me get ready for important events, proms, graduations etc. I was really happy to share this moment getting ready with her.Seeing us in the mirror together made me so emotional. It felt like that’s when everything really hit me, that I was getting married.”
Syd looked, STUNNING! Shoutout to Gloss Salon Delaware for her hair and makeup!
First Look: Winterthur Wedding Photographer
Kyle shares, “People kept asking me if I was nervous the day before and in the morning but honestly I wasn’t. We had everything planned out to the letter and I was just happy hanging out with all my favorite people. But I did finally get a little nervous when I heard Syd and Lisa coming, chatting about taking pictures and where to stand. I was just excited to see Syd. The dress was amazing, and Syd looked magical on the steps. I was so happy to just be with Syd after being apart all morning and so excited to get married.”
Syd adds, “I feel the same way as Kyle. On the drive there, the girls were asking me if I felt nervous but really I was just so excited to see Kyle and for him to FINALLY see my dress because I hated hiding that from him. It was worth it for his reaction though! During the first look it felt like I could not run to him fast enough. Taking pictures together around the reflecting pool was so much fun. I remember Lisa told us to share stories and I thought of a silly story that didn’t quite make it into my vows and I remember being so determined to finally share it with Kyle that for a minute I forgot we were taking pictures.”
Meet the Lovebirds: Syd & Kyle
Kyle smiles, “I love that Syd and I just don’t hold back or pretend around each other, and get to be our full, authentic, nerdy selves. We get to quote Lord of The Rings at each other and play Magic the Gathering. We watched each others’ favorite anime. We write DnD campaigns for each other. We buy all sorts of nerdy and cute decorations for our home. Syd has been saying this recently but it’s like living with my best friend. We also love going on trips together, and travel is made so much easier when talking about DnD makes hours of driving go by like nothing.
He adds, “Some examples from our wedding day would include how when Lisa was asking us to make each other laugh or smile, I whispered jokes to Syd about Baldur’s Gate 3 or our Dungeons and Dragons campaign. Or how Syd referenced a meme in her vows that I used as a clue in a board game once.”
Anyone Else Getting Snow white vibes?
Is it the cottage, the fantasy vibes, the perfect complexion, hairstyle or fairytale romance? In any case, I love it!
Syd shares, “My absolute favorite place at Winterthur is the Enchanted Woods. After our venue tour, I walked there with Kyle and that’s where I told him ‘I want to get married here’. I was so happy when we got to visit there on our wedding day and take photos.”
Kyle adds, “The Enchanted Woods! We love it there, I think Winterthur made it as a kids’ area but it is so whimsical and lovely there. It really gives an otherworldly vibe that we really wanted at our wedding and in our photos. We could spend all day there.”
Syd smiles, “I agree that we could have spent all day there. After taking pictures in the Acorn Tea Room (or as Kyle and I call it, ‘the Druid Circle’) I remember that I tripped really badly. I felt like I was going to hit the ground but Kyle dashed forward and caught me. Truly a ‘Prince Charming’ moment.”
Motion Blur at Fantasy Winterthur Wedding
I love to really push the limits of my camera creatively and hopping on the back of the golf cart as Syd and Kyle rode around Winterthur was something I definitely wanted to catch! I love how the trees and the building are captured in the background here!
It’s Go time: Winterthur Wedding Photographer
Kyle says, “We really love the steps leading down through the metal arch into the ceremony space, and the vine-covered stone wall was the perfect backdrop, along with Sarah’s (Natural Florals) arch.”
Ceremony: Summer Winterthur Wedding
Syd smiles, “I was so happy and honored that my cousin Sammi agreed to be our officiant. We’ve always been really close and her speech was so beautiful, it made that moment truly special. Also many years ago, when I was a young teen, I was a bridesmaid in her wedding, so it felt kind of like coming full circle. I thought I would cry reading my vows, since I cried writing them, but I think I was too nervous. I noticed that Kyle shed a tear though. I loved that our vows had a lot in common, like our love of plant-based food and our wonderful dog Hamlet. At cocktail hour a couple people asked me if we coordinated. No, it was a happy accident!”
Kyle adds, “Syd’s cousin Sam was the officiant and she did so great, she sprinkled in some heartfelt quotes and even Twilight references that I still need to ask some people if they noticed! Giving our vows was definitely the most emotional I felt all day, I got choked up.”
The Kiss: Winterthur Wedding Photographer
Kyles laughs, “Yes, we practiced the dip a lot!”
Haha, wait until you see it!
Husband & Wife: It’s Official!
I love getting some Vogue/Vanity Fair/GQ inspired wedding portraits!!
Solo Time: candid Winterthur wedding photographer
After the ceremony, Kyle and Syd took some alone time so they could relax. They also booked an After Session with me, so they didn’t feel rushed to take portraits and could slow down and enjoy the moment together.
An After Session is a photography session, after the wedding day that captures the married couple’s romantic images. It allows more time and flexbility, and is photographed by me personally and held on a weekday following the wedding.
Syd shares, “When we got up to the kissing tower we were so happy to just sit and take a moment. It was so cute up there, and sitting with some cocktails and great vegetarian and vegan food is one of our favorite dates, so it was honestly heaven. Kyle’s favorite was the grilled cheese or the mini taco. My favorite was the grilled cheese or the stuffed mushrooms.”
Winterthur Wedding Cocktail Hour
Syd says, “We are really excited to see some of the photos from cocktail hour and Lisa’s style of getting great candid shots. And shots of the bar! We were so happy to be able to include the ‘Bluebird’ from Bluebird distilling in Phoenixville!”
When Syd & Kyle entered the Cocktail Hour, they were welcomed by their loved ones. One family member that was clearly special to them was Syd’s great uncle Rob. They both share on their relationship with him:
Kyle smiles, “Great uncle Rob and his wife Linda are like bonus grandparents to Syd, and they have always been so kind and welcoming to me. He’d been having a lot of struggles with mobility so we were worried about him but were so happy to see him there. He said the mushroom appetizer was the best mushroom he ever had!”
Waterhorse or Kelpie?
Syd laughs, “We were walking back through the reflecting pool and some random guys kept talking about the ‘water horse’. Kyle looked over at them and said, ‘That’s a Kelpie, bro.’ In that moment I remember thinking about how excited I was to marry that man. Next to the Kelpie, haha.”
Reception Traditions: Winterthur Wedding Photographer
Kyle laughs, “We took a lot of dance lessons to prepare! We learned all the choreographed moves and practiced it a lot at home in Syd’s heels so we were pretty confident. I love dancing with Syd and having this special dance we practiced at was amazing. I was also excited to show off and impress our friends and family haha.”
Syd adds, “Kyle and I love dancing and having dance lessons leading up to our wedding was my favorite way to de-stress from all the planning. I remember our dance instructor asked if I thought Kyle could pick me up, and I said, ‘Oh yeah, he picks me up all the time!’ So we were definitely excited to learn some proper lifts and incorporate them into our dance.”
Let’s Dance! Winterthur Wedding Photojournalist
Kyle says, “Syd and I LOVE dancing. Weddings are a rare opportunity to have a big dance party and we had a blast. DJ Pat was incredible, and we got to jam out to some of our favorite songs. People came up to me after the wedding saying it was crazy seeing me let loose. But I was just having fun!”
Syd adds, “I feel like our wedding flew by and we didn’t have a lot of time to mingle so I absolutely loved getting to dance with so many people at the end of the night. It just felt like the perfect way to end the perfect day.”
Fantasy Come True: Night at Winterthur
Syd and Kyle actually found me through another couple whose wedding I photographed, Matt and Mike!
Kyle, “I met Matt and Mike when Syd brought me over to their place to play Commander (Magic: The Gathering). They are super fun people. I think it was funny that Mike and I felt like the more competitive players, super-focused on winning, and Matt and Syd were definitely more going on vibes and having a good time. I saw the canvas of their wedding shoot and agreed with Syd. We needed to book Lisa to get that magical backlit photo at night!”
Syd smiles, “This story is a fun one. So I first met Matt at my very first job back in 2016 and we became friends. We spent a lot of time chatting, and I remember him talking about wedding planning and how excited he was for the photographer. He pulled up Caroline’s blog and showed me their night photo and told me they had that printed on a large canvas at their home and jokingly said ‘I want that’. Later in the year, Matt showed me his and Mike’s photos. I was completely blown away by their amazing photos—especially the night picture under the umbrella!! He told me his plans to get a canvas, like Caroline. It was so magical it stuck with me.”
“I didn’t see their canvas in person until years later, visiting Matt and Mike’s house with Kyle to play Magic the Gathering together. I couldn’t help but share Matt’s sentiment about Caroline’s canvas ‘I want that’ (someday* Kyle and I were still dating at the time but I did have a good feeling about him, lol). When Kyle and I got engaged, Matt congratulated me and one of the first things I asked him was ‘who was your wedding photographer’. When we were planning out the wedding schedule, night photos were a must! Funny enough at the wedding we ran into Matt as we were leaving to go take night photos. He knew exactly where we were heading and wished us well.”
Syd adds, “It was truly mystical, and it was nice being there with no one else, just the frogs. Being there together and having our moment captured in a photo we will have forever is something we will always cherish.”
If you want to see more… they have a full ater session coming up!!
Winterthur Wedding- SLIDESHOW:
Shout out to Mike & Matt
Thank you so much to Mike and Matt for referring Syd and Kyle to us! I loved photographing your wedding! You couldn’t have been a better fit for Rhinehart photography, and neither could Syd or Kyle🤍. We love all the fantasy elements and the story of you saying “we want that” to Caroline and Adam and then Syd and Kyle saying it to you- it is just the coolest thing ever!!
VENDORS:
- Venue/Catering: Winterthur Museum
- Wedding Planner: Erin Proud
- Bridal Attire: L&H Bridal: Couture
- Groom Attire: Sagets Formal Wear
- Florist: Natural Florals
- Hair and Makeup: Gloss Salon Delaware
- DJ: Pat Ryan
- Strings: Soda Pop Strings
- Cake: Vegan Treats
- Stationery: Somersault Letterpress
- Favors: Roll 4 Initiative
- Photobooth: Wilmington Photo Booth Company
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