What a great time it was, at Haley and Caleb's wedding in Owego! My second Southern Tier wedding for 2023 was my first at Tioga Gardens, located about 20 minutes or so west of Binghamton. Find out what makes this venue unique, and check out Haley and Caleb's song choices in today's blog post!
So this was my first wedding at Tioga Gardens. And if you're just passing by, it looks like Tioga Gardens is just a garden center and nursery, complete with bags of mulch on display, near a row of greenhouses filled with flowers and trees. But, hidden behind the store, what you can't see from the road is Reflections, the actual name of the event venue on the sprawling grounds behind Tioga Gardens.
And, as you would expect, considering the main business, the landscaping is immaculate. There's a pond with a fountain, a gazebo, and a beautiful area called "The Arbor" that serves as a natural "stage" for ceremonies. It's got some small trees, and tons of beautiful, well-maintained flowers all around. I was so glad the weather was perfect, because it would have really been unfortunate to miss out on all this if we had to enact our rain plan.
From The Arbor area, it's just a short walk over leads to the event pavilion, which has plenty of room for seating and dancing. (But if you have any relatives with mobility issues, no worries -- the venue runs golf carts to shuttle them between the parking lot, the Arbor and the pavilion.) Here's just a few photos of the venue and my set-ups, there's more photos further on down in the post.
Haley and Caleb's Key Song Choices
Ceremony
- Processional: Kina Grannis / Can't Help Falling in Love
- Grand Entrance: Carrie Underwood / Look at Me
- Communion: Brandon Heath / Love Never Fails
- Recessional: Bruno Mars / Marry You
Reception
- Wedding party intros: Earth, Wind and Fire / September, followed by Black Eyed Peas / Let's Get it Started
- Newlyweds' intros: Bruno Mars / Finesse
- First Dance: Gryffin & Slander ft. Calle Lehmann / All You Need to Know (Acoustic)
- Father / Bride Dance: Krystal Keith / Daddy Dance with Me
- Groom / Mother Dance: Fleetwood Mac / Landslide
- Last Dance of the Night: Semisonic / Closing time
Once we got the dance floor open, guests had a great time! Once it started to get dark outside, Haley and Caleb unleashed light-up glow sticks among the crowd, you'll see those in some of the shots. Little things like this can make a great reception even more fun for everyone!
Reflections at Tioga Gardens Wedding DJ Photo Highlights
Click on any photo for a larger version.
Here's the 5-star review Haley provided after the wedding:
Peter was very professional and well organized. I was very impressed with his communication and the planning form he had. No detail was missed. The recording of our vows over our first dance song was such a special surprise that we will cherish forever.
Thanks for the awesome review and thanks again for choosing me as your wedding DJ! I really had a great time DJ'ing your wedding, it was an honor and a pleasure to be there to help you celebrate your love! It's always great to see a couple surrounded by such a great group of family and friends. I wish you all the best for many years of love and happiness together!
