Wedding Photographers & Videographers at Colonel Denning State Park, Newville

A wedding at Colonel Denning State Park near Newville happens in Doubling Gap, where Blue Mountain doubles back on itself in an S turn, and the woods and the small lake make an easy setting for wedding photos and video. The park has 273 acres of woodland and a 3.5-acre lake, and it opens onto the Tuscarora State Forest, so your pictures can carry that quiet mountain feel.

Couples are pointed by the state to the spillway gazebo, a scenic place for an outdoor wedding ceremony. The lawn around it holds more than 100 guests, and the gazebo must be rented through the park. Pavilions elsewhere in the park can also be reserved for a casual gathering after the ceremony. Every state park wedding needs approval from the park office before you book anything else, and most parks charge a small administrative fee on top of the rental.

Bring up your photographer and caterer when you call, since the state asks couples to discuss commercial vendors with the park office. Guests are asked not to throw rice or birdseed or release doves or butterflies, but bubbles or low-volume noisemakers may be allowed with written permission, which gives your photographer and wedding videographer a fun exit to capture. Near the spillway, ask your videographer to listen for running water before you plan where to stand for your vows. The park is open sunrise to sunset.

• Call the park office for approval and to rent the gazebo.
• Visit the spillway at ceremony time to see the light through the trees.
• Ask the office about photo and video guidelines and parking for your wedding day.

A little about Colonel Denning State Park

The park became a state recreation area around 1930 and was developed in 1936 by the Civilian Conservation Corps. It is named for a Revolutionary War sergeant who forged wrought iron cannons.