Delafield Fish Hatchery Wedding

I’ve been trying to get a client to go totally open air for a reception for years. There is just nothing more romantic than strung lights on poles, the stars and moon for your roof, and the warm summer breeze blowing across a table, carrying scented blooms with it. And then along came Maggie & Wes, and their awesome plans for an outdoor wedding ceremony at her parent’s vacation home on Oconomowoc Lake, followed by a reception under the stars at the Delafield Fish Hatchery. Wedding of my dreams. When I met up with Maggie and her family for a whirlwind weekend of planning (this whole affair was pulled together in a few months!) and saw the dress she had just bought, I knew that this bride had style for miles. Every component of their plans added so much depth. The date itself was her grandparent’s wedding anniversary, the beer served hailed from both their home states, her nieces would be among her attendants, for dancing they were planning on a German Polka Band! Driving away that day, I found myself jealous that Melissa (my awesome Associate Photographer) was going to get to shoot this one. When she texted me a handful of times on the big day with pictures and declarations full of exclamation points and smiley-faces, I turned green.

But all of those pretty things; the mini-perrier bottles, the rustic apple pies, the cafe lights, the breezy colors, the incredible stationary. All of those things weren’t what really made this wedding beautiful. No, what will strike you most is that this is a family deeply knitted together. You can see it in their expressions of joy during the ceremony, in the many tears wiped away during the toasts, in the energy of their dance and in the practiced traditions of their preparations. Those moments are what really make this wedding and this day, shine so bright.