Wedding Photographers & Videographers at Yellow Creek State Park, Penn Run

Wedding photos at Yellow Creek State Park in Penn Run come with a 720-acre lake and open Indiana County sky behind you. The park covers nearly 3,000 acres, with a sand beach and picnic areas near the water, so your photographer and videographer have room to roam for portraits along the shore. On a calm evening the light on the lake is soft and wide, which suits a wedding video as much as still pictures.

Pennsylvania state parks typically allow a wedding ceremony with pre-approval from the park office, and Yellow Creek has four picnic pavilions that can be reserved up to 11 months ahead for a fee. A pavilion gives you a roof if the weather turns. There are also smaller picnic areas near the North Boat Launch and the park office. Outdoors, wind off the lake can carry voices away, so ask your videographer about microphones for the vows.

State rules ask couples to plan carefully. Talk with the park office about your ceremony site, your guest count and any commercial photographer or caterer you'll bring. Most parks charge a small administrative fee, with pavilion rental separate. Guests are asked not to throw rice or birdseed or release doves or butterflies, though bubbles may be allowed with written permission. The day-use area has a large parking lot and modern restrooms. The lake is a rest stop for migrating birds, so spring and fall can bring a lively wedding day by the water.

• Call the park office early to get your ceremony approved.
• Reserve a pavilion as soon as your date is set.
• Ask the park about rules for photography, decorations and your reception plans.

A little about Yellow Creek State Park

The state began buying land for the park in 1963, and a dam finished in 1969 formed the lake. The park was dedicated in 1976 and takes its name from Yellow and Little Yellow creeks, whose banks hold yellow clay.