Wedding Photographers & Videographers at Hickory Run State Park (Historic Chapel), White Haven

For a small, quiet wedding in the woods, the historic chapel at Hickory Run State Park near White Haven is on the state's own list of places for a wedding in a state park. The 15,990-acre park sits in the western foothills of the Poconos in Carbon County, with more than 40 miles of hiking trails, miles of trout streams and Boulder Field, a striking boulder-strewn area that is a National Natural Landmark. For wedding photos and video, that means woods and running water around an old chapel, and your photographer and videographer can plan pictures in the park before or after the ceremony.

The chapel holds about 50 people, so it suits an intimate wedding ceremony with close family and friends. Every wedding in a Pennsylvania state park needs pre-approval from the park office, and most parks charge a small administrative fee once a wedding is approved. If you're hiring a commercial photographer or caterer (and the same goes for a videographer), the state asks you to discuss those details with the park office too. Pavilions rent separately if you want one for a gathering afterward. The nearest restroom to the chapel is a non-flush one, worth knowing for older guests.

State park rules also cover the end of the ceremony: no rice, birdseed or other wedding toss, and no releasing doves or butterflies, though bubbles or quiet noise makers are allowed with written permission. Outdoors, a wedding videographer should plan for outdoor sound such as wind and running water, and a visit at your ceremony time helps everyone see the light through the trees. The park is busy from spring through fall, and trailhead lots can fill early, so give guests clear directions and plenty of time.

• Contact the park office for pre-approval before setting your date.
• Tell the office about your photographer, videographer and any caterer.
• Visit the chapel with your photographer to plan wedding day pictures in the park.

A little about Hickory Run State Park

Only two buildings remain from the old logging-era town of Hickory Run: the chapel and the Manor House. The National Park Service bought the land in 1935, and Works Progress Administration and Civilian Conservation Corps crews built its roads, trails and group camps in the late 1930s.