Choosing your wedding venue is one of the important decisions that you make while planning your wedding. The variety of locations and styles is endless, but there’s something special about choosing the place where you call home to say “I do,” which is exactly what Tristan and Haley did.
This awesome Minneapolis couple planned their Dakota, Minnesota wedding on a fabulous orchard at their parents’ home, which gave them total autonomy over the design and decision-making around their day. One of the perks of having your wedding at home is that your fur baby gets to be in attendance, and so everywhere we went, their adorable Corgi managed to sneak its way into the frame.
Getting ready for the day, Haley and Tristan were totally relaxed, enjoying their morning together, finishing up projects for the day, and laughing and joking around with their wedding party as everyone prepped for the day.
Haley looked amazing, and the moments each of them shared with their parents were sweet, and the first look with her dad as the natural light-filled the staircase had almost everyone in tears. I’m not going to admit what I was doing behind the camera!
Then Haley and her dad set off to the ceremony in a BMW that the two of them had rebuilt together; how cool is that?! Rolling up in style as some of their youngest guests skipped rocks on the pond, the wedding party gathered together to walk to the tented area just over the bridge. The dark clouds were made for spectacular ceremony portraits; however, the guests were grateful for the water’s edge gazebo and tented area, allowing them to spread out on the green.
Weather can often make a wedding day a challenge, and it’s one I love to embrace. A wedding day is truly just like any other day in life where you have to learn to enjoy the good and make the most of the ‘bad.’ As Tristan and Haley walked along the rolling lawn and under a canopy of trees, the color was made absolutely vibrant from the rain that had fallen. The extreme winds created an amazing pattern of clouds set against sunset’s rich colors, and coming upon a small hill set an amazing stage for creating some truly inspired and romantic wedding portraits.
Joining their friends and family who had traveled from Washington, Texas, and Colorado, inside a charming tent on the green, the reception kicked off with the father/daughter dance. Their deep connection was perfectly lit by the ambient light playing across the tent.
Friends and family gathered at tables decorated in greens to enjoy the laughter of the bride’s wedding toast, which is honestly one of the most elegant and touching speeches I’ve enjoyed in all the years I’ve been photographing weddings.
The evening came to a close the same way it started, with this tight-knit group laughing and dancing. Then the stars replaced the clouds, and Tristan and Haley took center stage with their moving first dance. What a beautiful way to start a life together!
Haley and Tristan, Thank you so much for choosing me as your photographer! Cheers to a happy life together.
