The first wedding of my double-header wedding weekend two weeks ago was in La Crosse, WI at Pettibone Resort. Not only was there a marriage happening, but there was a family being formed. You see on Mother’s Day, Jordan proposed to Amber while they were on a walk in the woods with Amber’s 4 year old daughter. He not only asked her to be his wife – he also turned to Amber’s daughter and asked her if he could marry her mommy. That’s beautiful. Equally beautiful, they now share another daughter together – cute as can be at 8 months old. So not only was I shooting a wedding, but I was witness to a family of four become one. Continue to see more of their wedding pictures
Tag outdoor wedding
June 26th, 2009 – I traveled to the Twin Cities for an outdoor wedding at Mississippi Dunes Golf Course in Cottage Grove, MN. Mississippi Dunes is located right off of the Mississippi River and makes for a beautiful backdrop for a wedding.
On June 19th, 2009 – I had my first wedding of two for the weekend. With storms passing through the area over the past couple days, I had hoped for decent weather. For the most part, the weather didn’t let me down – but it was plenty hot & humid!
I met Emily at her home outside of Sparta, WI which was also the ceremony site for their outdoor wedding. She had just received a wedding gift from Adam which put a smile on her face. A few of her bridesmaids looked on…
It was then time for her to get her wedding dress on and finish up with last minute preparations…
All the ladies, even the younger ones, had some final preparations before the wedding…
Before long, guests were starting to arrive as well as Adam and the groomsmen….
Sometimes my clients will plan a surprise for their wedding day and Adam’s Best Man had one up his sleeve. When asked for the rings, he pulled this out…
After the ceremony and family photos, we headed to a nearby town for a drink before going to the reception. Prior to the bar, there was a park with a waterfall and made for a great spot for some more creative photos…
After one more stop, we headed to the Cranberry Lodge in Tomah, WI for the wedding reception. After dinner, the dance started and the bridal party took to the dance floor. Everyone was having a great time…
While there was some rain that passed through, it was during the reception and even then it didn’t last long. It was almost like it knew that there was an outdoor ceremony and waited for everyone to be indoors before starting to rain. I hope that the honeymoon was wonderful and I wish you both the very best!!
October 4th, 2008 – It was a beautiful Autumn day and just perfect for an outdoor wedding at the International Gardens at Riverside Park in La Crosse, Wisconsin. While you could hear the sounds & music from Oktoberfest a few blocks away, you could tell that the Fall season was upon us. Almost a year to the day, Scott had surprised and proposed to Lindsay at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum in Winona, MN – where they have a photo and plaque displayed there. Scott wanted me to shoot the proposal for him that day, however, I had a wedding already booked for that day. No matter, their wedding was a beautiful one, in a beautiful setting, with beautiful weather, filled with family & close friends and most of all – two people in love.
I started with Scott and the groomsmen as Lindsay was arriving at the start of the cermony. Here is Scott’s best man getting his collar adjusted by Lindsay’s brother, who was her “man of honor”…
If you ever go to Riverside Park, you need to visit the International Gardens, which is located on the north end of the Park. It’s a beautifully landscaped area. The scene of the ceremony was very natural…
They both wrote letters to each other to be read by the officiant during the ceremony. Such beautiful words were read and tears of happiness ran down Lindsay’s cheek while Scott’s letter was read to her…
After the ceremony, we finished up pictures with the bridal party and family. While taking Lindsay & Scott’s portraits, I noticed the sun shining between them after I had told them to hold hands. The end result is a very beautiful image…
Even though the leaves still hadn’t completely changed, there was still a few which had already fallen off the trees, which made for a perfect Autumn themed portrait…
They then boarded the La Crosse Queen for their wedding reception paddleboat cruise. It was a brisk, autumn evening on the Mississippi River, however it did not stop the guests from having a wonderful time. Whether inside or out, everyone had a great time celebrating Lindsay & Scott’s marriage. Here’s a shot of their first dance…
Then a good amount of people headed to the upper level and braved the cool autumn night air and danced the night away as we floated up & down the Mississippi River until we docked back at the La Crosse levee.
I was pleased to be a part of your beautiful wedding, Lindsay & Scott. I wish you both many more days of happiness & love together and hope every day is the next best day for each of you!
To see more of their wedding photography, click on their portrait below!
August 23rd, 2008 – A little while ago I had received an email & phone call from a soft spoken bride-to-be who lived in Iowa. We spoke about the possibility of me shooting her wedding at a rural farm outside of Durand, Wisconsin. She had mentioned that it would be a very family orientated wedding in a private outdoor setting. I’ll admit, sometimes when at a wedding, I’ll see family members who feel the need to make suggestions on how the bride & groom should celebrate their day. Well, let me tell you – this was a very neat wedding to be a part of as the wedding photographer. To be able to see two families come together with so much love for two people was a special thing to be a part of & witness. In this wedding, family members had important roles in making sure the day celebration went smoothly for Anna & Todd.
As I arrived, the house was full of activity…
Once all the finishing touches were applied and all family members had arrived, we headed towards the ceremony site to start with some family portraits and formal wedding photos…
As we left the house, a number of friends stayed to finish with preparing food for the wedding reception. We walked down a path by the cornfields which opened up to a pasture which was cleared out for the reception. When we arrived, some of Anna’s brothers were spreading sawdust on the damp pathway…
Past the wedding ceremony site, located in a quiet section of woods, the scene opened up to a beautiful yard with flowers and a perfect view of the area…
While waiting for the wedding ceremony to begin, Todd’s mother & Anna shared a moment together…
It truly was a beautiful location, along with beautiful weather, for an outdoor wedding…
Todd’s daughters looked so cute in their flower girl dresses…
The wedding ceremony was filled with singing, prayer and love. Probably one of the more memorable ceremonies I’ve attended…
After the wedding, we headed back to the pasture for the reception and filling the air was beautiful live music…
Before Anna & Todd left for their honeymoon, he made sure to say his good-bye’s to his daughters…
Thank you for allowing me to share your beautiful wedding with you, Anna & Todd. I wish you both safe travels on your trip west and a wonderful future together!
Click on the following link to see more of their wedding photography
July 12th, 2008 – As I had mentioned before, the wedding from this past Saturday was beautiful. With the wedding ceremony taking place on the campus of Winona State University at the Alumni Gazebo, surrounded by some of the best landscaping you’ll see in Winona – paver walkways, coy pond, with numerous flower plots, under perfect weather consisting of bright blue skies, wispy clouds, a bright shining sun and on top of that was a great bridal party with each of the bridesmaids wearing different pastel colors matching the groomsmen vests.
All of that and I haven’t even gotten to the most important, brightest part of the day – the bride & groom! They both attended & graduated from WSU with education majors. As nice as these two were, I know they’ll make great teachers! Melanie already teaches for a nearby local elementary school.
Enough of my rambling again – the pictures will speak for themselves of this beautiful wedding…
The flowers nice and bright from Nola’s Flowers here in Winona, decorated with Melanie’s favorite little bug – butterflies…
*please note* – the rest of the photos posted, I’ve added a nice, warm, digital enhancement photo treatment which I’ve created, I hope you enjoy!
They both decided to see each other prior to the wedding and we managed to get most of the portraits done prior to the ceremony…
The coy pond made for a perfect backdrop for photos…
Melanie and her bridesmaids having fun…
They all were beautiful & bright and full of smiles all day…
Brian and the guys were pretty laid back…
After the wedding portraits, it was time for the ceremony to begin. Everyone was patiently waiting…
As I mentioned before, it was just a beautiful day and the Alumni Gazebo made an equally beautiful location for a wedding …
Ready to share his vows to her…
After exchanging their vows and pouring sand into a vase representing their union to each other, they kissed and walked down the path on their first walk as husband & wife…
After the ceremony, we took some time to create some more unique wedding portraits. This one is different than most you’ll see, but I like the effect and wanted to share…
We then headed to the Riverport Inn & Suites here in Winona for the reception. The main thing that stood out was the cake – they used a bunch of cupcakes, so everyone had their own little wedding cake…
Even though I was there for only a short time, it was a wonderful wedding for me to be apart of and wish you both the best of futures together, Melanie & Brian! Thank you for having me as your wedding photographer!
I can already tell it’s going to be a beautiful day today… a perfect day for an outdoor wedding! Today’s wedding is going to take place on the campus of Winona State University (WSU) right here in Winona, Minnesota. The ceremony is being held at the WSU Alumni Gazebo which was built in 2003 in the center of the campus. Sounds a great combination for some beautiful wedding pictures to me!
Here’s a story about the first wedding that took place at the WSU Alumni Gazebo.
Check back as I’ll posting some pictures from today’s wedding!