Photo by Katy Kahla Photography
Sasha stood at a glass door inside The Glass House with her dress on and her vows in her hands, looking out at the tables waiting on the lawn. Payette Lake sat quiet beyond them, soft under a late summer haze, and for a few minutes the whole wedding day went still. I asked her to read her vows one more time. I’ll tell you what happened next, but first you need to know how these two got here, because the way they built this day is exactly what made that moment possible.
From 400 Names to 80 of Their People
Sasha and Richard have been together for eight years. They met at Colorado State, and the short version is that she ignored him, ghosted him, and then never left his side again. The long version lives in their Lucky Peak wildflower engagement story, and it’s worth the read. Since then they’ve studied abroad together in Prague, backpacked Colombia, and adopted a golden retriever named Willow. Sasha calls Rich her best friend and her safe haven, the one who brings her back to earth when her head is in the clouds. Rich will tell you she makes the whole room smile the second she walks in.
When they got engaged, they sat in decision paralysis for a while. Their guest list passed 400 people, with 170 from family alone, and they seriously talked about eloping. They toured Shore Lodge, and it didn’t feel like them. Then they found The Glass House and everything clicked. As Sasha put it on our first call, the extravagant thing just wasn’t them. What they wanted was a marriage, their family close, time with their friends, and room to actually be present. So they trimmed the list to about 80 of their people and planned a simple, joyful, intimate Idaho wedding on the lake.
Here’s my favorite part. I was the very first vendor they booked, and they chose their venue and their date around my calendar. I don’t take that lightly. It meant they trusted me with the moments they cared about most. Sasha was clear about what those were: a first look, personal vows that felt intimate, and a gallery full of laughter, hugging, and their friends in bright, warm light.
What Makes The Glass House and Brown Park So Good for Wedding Photos
The Glass House is a mid-century home above Payette Lake with a bright yellow front door and big windows that look straight out at the water. You book the whole property, so getting ready, first looks, and the reception all happen in one place, with the shoreline, a wooden dock, and lakeside rocks close by. Most couples here say their vows at Brown Park, a public lawn right above the lake, and that’s what Sasha and Richard did. If you’re still deciding on a venue, my full Glass House venue spotlight covers everything from booking to accessibility, and my guide to McCall wedding venues shows how it compares.
Photographically, this pairing gives you a lot to work with. The main floor of the house has soft side light from those big windows, which is exactly what you want for getting ready. Down at the lake, you get water, docks, rocks, and open sky in every direction. At Brown Park, the lake sits right behind the ceremony, so every vow has water and hills behind it, and I love catching reflections off the lake in the background.
The honest trade-off is the sun. Both the reception lawn and Brown Park sit in full sun, and in August that usually means heat and harsh light. On Sasha and Richard’s day, wildfire smoke rolled into McCall and changed everything. It cooled the afternoon, softened the light over the water, and gave their photos a moody, golden feel I still love. You can’t plan for smoke, and this day proved that a wedding that goes a little off plan can still look and feel incredible.
Getting Ready on the Lake
The morning started with Rich and his guys. Rich sat in a bright yellow chair in his gold patterned vest, buttoning up and checking his watch, and then seven of them piled onto the leather sofa in black suits and sunglasses. The laughing started right away and pretty much never stopped. Somewhere between the cufflinks and the cologne, I found a row of champagne flutes set next to framed photos of the two of them and of Willow. She couldn’t make it to the wedding, but she was never far away.
Across the house, Sasha was getting ready with her mom, Connie, and this is where a little serendipity comes in. I took workout classes from Connie for years, and I didn’t realize I’d booked her daughter’s wedding until we were going over family photos a few weeks out. I adore Connie. So watching her zip Sasha into her dress, smiling the whole time in her pink dress, felt like a full-circle moment for me too.
Once Sasha was dressed, it was just the two of us in the room. I do this with every couple once they’re in their wedding clothes: I ask them to read through their vows one more time. Sasha stood by that glass door and started crying almost right away. Most people would wipe their eyes and push through it. She didn’t have to.
Sasha wrote about that moment afterward, so I’ll let her tell it.
“Normally, I would’ve tried to pull myself together, wipe the tears, and move on, but Katy naturally created such a safe, comforting space that I was able to fully sit in that special moment.”
That’s the whole reason I do it. On our very first call, she told me what she wanted most was the intimacy of her vows. Giving her a few quiet minutes with them, before the day got loud, was one of the easiest gifts I could give her.
Two First Looks and Vows No One Else Heard
Sasha did two first looks that day, and the first one was with her dad. They met down by the water. Watching a dad see his daughter in her wedding dress for the first time never gets old for me, and this one was full of quiet, happy emotion.
Then it was Rich’s turn. When he saw her, his whole face lit up, and Sasha threw her arms out wide and laughed. Right after, they did something I love helping couples plan. They read their personal vows to each other privately, with no audience at all, and Rich cried as Sasha read hers. A few hours later they’d stand in front of everyone they love, but this part belonged to just the two of them.
Earlier, Rich had his own quiet minutes with his vows, the same way Sasha did. I made a double exposure of him reading them, layered with Sasha standing on the rocks at the lake’s edge, and I call it “She’s Always on His Mind.” It’s the kind of image I can’t fully plan ahead, because the light, the lake, and the two of them all have to line up, and that afternoon they did.
We headed to the shoreline and the dock for portraits, and just as we started, a yellow and red firefighting plane flew overhead and swooped down to scoop water from Payette Lake. I loved it immediately. I turned them toward the water and worked the plane into their portraits, because this was the real story of their day, smoke and all. The frames of the two of them holding hands on the shore while the plane crosses the lake are some of my favorites in the whole gallery. We finished with the two of them forehead to forehead on the pier, then bridal party photos by the lake and a few veil portraits on the rocks.
Photo by Katy Kahla Photography
Saying I Do at Brown Park
The ceremony was set on the lawn at Brown Park, with rows of wooden chairs facing Payette Lake. A mirrored welcome sign with their names and 08.08.2026 sat between two big rocks, and white paper fans waited on the chairs. In August, at a park with no shade, those fans earned their spot, and a paper parasol came out too while guests found their seats.
Sasha walked down the aisle with a big bouquet of white flowers and greenery. One of their close friends officiated, which made the whole ceremony feel personal and easy, the way it does when the person up front really knows you. While they said their vows, a sailboat drifted across the lake behind them, and I caught reflections off the water in a few of my favorite frames. Then came the kiss, with the lake behind them and their people all around.
Walking back up the aisle, Sasha waved to everyone, and the two of them couldn’t stop laughing. Rich gathered up her train and carried it up the stairs, with their wedding party cheering right behind them. Then something happened that I’ll always remember about this Payette Lake wedding. Their guests picked up their own wooden chairs and carried them up the path to the reception. Watching everyone pitch in like that told me everything about the community these two have built.
Gold Plates, Willow Crayons and Chocolate Cupcakes
Back at The Glass House, the reception tables sat on the lawn under white umbrellas, set with gold plates, taper candles, and a runner of white roses and ferns beneath their Mr. & Mrs. sign. Every table had a little cup of crayons and a coloring sheet made from one of their Lucky Peak engagement photos with Willow. It’s such a simple idea, and it said everything about who they are. If you’ve got a dog who can’t make the wedding, steal this one.
Then they did something I’ll never forget. They pulled me in to sit down and eat dinner with them, like I was one of their people. That’s who Sasha and Richard are.
There was a champagne toast, speeches from the people who know them best, and chocolate cupcakes for Rich, who has the biggest sweet tooth (Sasha takes full credit for that). They danced on the patio in their sunglasses, Sasha with her arms in the air and Rich right behind her, and at one point he simply scooped her up and carried her. A few of my favorite frames from the day use motion blur, so the photos move the way the day felt. Not everything went as planned, from the smoke to the heat, and they didn’t care one bit. They let themselves relax, soaked up every minute with their people, and had a ton of fun celebrating.
Photo by Katy Kahla Photography
5 Tips for Your Own Glass House McCall Wedding
Do your first look and portraits at the lake before the ceremony. The shoreline, dock, and rocks give you a lot of variety in a small area. Getting portraits done early frees you up to be with your guests once the ceremony ends.
Plan private vows right after your first look. If you’re torn between eloping and a wedding, this gives you the intimacy of an elopement inside a full wedding day. Sasha and Richard’s private vows are some of the most emotional images in their gallery.
Read your vows one more time once you’re dressed. I do this with every couple. A few quiet minutes before the day gets busy lets the emotion land while you actually have room for it.
Plan for August heat, and maybe smoke. Brown Park and the reception lawn are both in full sun. Put fans on the chairs, keep a parasol handy, and use the venue’s umbrellas over the tables. Late summer can bring wildfire smoke to McCall, so check air quality in the days before and stay open to the soft light it brings. Sunscreen is a MUST.
Make room for small, personal details. The Willow coloring sheets cost almost nothing and meant everything. Those are the details your guests remember, and they’re the ones I love to photograph.
Photo by Katy Kahla Photography
Questions About a Glass House Wedding Day
Is there wildfire smoke in McCall in August? Some years, yes. Late summer is fire season in the Idaho mountains, and smoke can drift into McCall without much warning. On Sasha and Richard’s day it cooled things off and gave their photos a soft, moody light over Payette Lake. Check air quality on AirNow in the week before, and keep water and an indoor space handy for guests who are sensitive to smoke.
Where can you do a first look near The Glass House in McCall? The lakeshore is my favorite spot. You get water, a wooden dock, sandy shore, and rocks all close together, which gives you variety without moving far. Sasha and Richard did both of their first looks down by the water. The main floor of the house also has lovely side window light if you’d rather keep it indoors.
Can you have private vows and a wedding ceremony on the same day? Yes, and I love it. Read your personal vows to each other right after your first look, then keep your ceremony vows shorter or more traditional. You get a private moment with no audience, plus a ceremony with everyone you love. It’s a great fit for couples who almost eloped.
How do you keep guests cool at a summer ceremony at Brown Park? Brown Park has no shade on the ceremony lawn, so plan for full sun. Paper fans on each chair, a parasol or two, and cold water as guests arrive go a long way. Keep the ceremony on the shorter side, and save long toasts for the reception, where the Glass House umbrellas cover the tables.
When is the best time for sunset portraits on Payette Lake in August? In early August, the sun sets around 9pm in McCall. The best light on the lake usually comes in the last 30 minutes before sunset, when the water starts reflecting that warm glow. Plan to slip away from your reception for about 20 to 30 minutes and head down to the shoreline or a dock.
Photo by Katy Kahla Photography
She Is Your Person
Sasha ended her review with a line I’ll carry with me for a long time.
“If you’re looking for someone who will not only deliver stunning photos but also bring warmth, intention, and heart into every moment, she is your person.”
Days like this one are why I do what I do. Sasha and Richard cut the noise, kept the people who mattered, and gave themselves room to feel every part of their own wedding, smoke and all. If you’re looking for a McCall Idaho wedding photographer for your day at The Glass House, or you’re stuck somewhere between eloping and a big celebration, I’d love to hear what you’re imagining. Reach out below and let’s talk.
