Wedding Photographers & Videographers at Laurel Hill State Park, Somerset

Wedding photos at Laurel Hill State Park near Somerset have mountains, a lake and forest to work with. The park spreads across more than 4,000 acres of Somerset County, and the 63-acre Laurel Hill Lake sits at its center, giving your photographer and videographer water and wooded slopes for portraits. The park itself points visitors to the Jones Mill Run Dam and the Hemlock Trail Natural Area as must-see spots.

Pennsylvania state parks typically allow a wedding ceremony with pre-approval from the park office. Laurel Hill has five picnic pavilions that can be reserved up to 11 months ahead for a fee: two in the Trent Picnic Area and three in the Beach Picnic Area, by the beach. A pavilion gives your guests shade and a roof if it rains. For your wedding video, remember that wind and nearby picnickers can compete with the vows, so ask your videographer about a microphone.

Talk with the park office about where you'd like to hold the ceremony, how many guests you expect, and any commercial photographer or caterer you plan to 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 beach and some areas are open only in certain seasons, so check the hours for your wedding day.

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

A little about Laurel Hill State Park

Civilian Conservation Corps crews arrived in 1935 to build the lake, trails and picnic areas, and the land became Laurel Hill State Park in October 1945. Its historic district holds the largest collection of CCC architecture in Pennsylvania state parks.