Sometimes the stars just align….and you meet people that are just amazing humans. I would explain my relationship with Holly and Adam as nothing short of this circumstance. I was lucky enough to meet these two through a very dear friend of mine a handful of years ago (who is actually the Officiant in the photos— and the Grooms Cousin!), and immediately connected with them and just enjoyed being around their positive energy!
Fast forward to this last year. They had gotten engaged (yayyyy!!), and were planning their intimate Wisconsin Wedding on the Adam’s family’s private island in the North Woods (I know…..cool, right!!??). Holly had originally planned for a local photographer for their day…but as things would have it, it fell through. ENTER JENAE. I may be a Colorado Wedding Photographer, but I was of course totally up for an adventure and was stoked to potentially be the one to document their day- so I was stoked when Holly asked me to fly out and do their photos!! (I do a handful of Destination Weddings every year, but this was my first North Woods Wedding!) As it would happen, we ended up making a Family trip out of it (some of our good friends were there too of course- so it worked out so awesome!), and they were so generous to even invite us to stay on the island with our friends…how cool are they!!?? We spent the whole trip playing in the lake and using Boats as our main mode of transport! The boys loved it!!
Back to the Wedding though!! So, before all the Wedding plans were made, we did an epic Colorado Engagement session up in Rocky Mountain National Park last Winter….they were absolute troopers with some crazy wind and cold…and Holly even changed her clothes out in the open at Dream Lake….like a BOSS. If you want to check out their session….you can click HERE!
Back to the Wedding weekend (again….). I absolutely just adored everything about this day. It was so intentional, and intimate with just close family and friends…and in a place that meant something truly special to them. As luck would have it (or just the weather gods I guess….), it was raining the morning of the wedding. Of course it had the B&G in a bit of a tizzy (and I mean….a BIT…)….but as I stood there with B&G, moms, family….and everyone just drinking their morning coffee together, looking out over the lake from the dining house….I couldn’t help but feel like this is how it should be!! It was so cool to know that we could really do whatever we wanted! We could wait….we could move the ceremony up, we could pretty much make the day work as it needed….given it was everyone just pretty much pitching in on duties to make it all happen! That whole notion of “it takes a village”…I loved it! As it happened, we moved the ceremony up a bit to combat the later afternoon storms…which worked out just beautifully, and the rain stayed away for the ceremony! woohooo!
As we were doing their rehearsal the afternoon before…I couldn’t help but jump in and throw in the idea of them exiting their ceremony onto a boat…instead of out to the crowd. I crossed my fingers they would like the idea- and everyone loved it! I think it made for such a cool way to add the “lake” more into the ceremony! It gave them a bit of time just alone together right after the ceremony too- which I honestly think is so important!! Wedding days go by so fast, and sometimes it can be easy to just stop and take in the whole magic of what just happened! After the Canoe, I of course got to spend ample time with B&G for photos in multiple spots (there is a lot of photos in this post….#sorrynotsorry), and then we loaded up the speed boat and headed to the mainland for Dinner! thanks to my friend/assistant, Alisha, who helped me lug gear, hold lights, and put Benadryl all over Adam’s face when the mosquitos ate him alive during photos! (sorry!!)
The night ended up a blast at the restaurant, and all the kiddos and everyone tore up the Bar dance floor (my kiddos are in the last photo…and a few others ;) )! Wisconsin was awesome to us, and the North Woods are such a cool area for a Destination Wedding!
Holly and Adam, I am so honored to have been a part of this adventure with you guys!! Thank you for your hospitality to me and my family as well!! It was an adventure we will all remember forever! I can’t wait to see what your future holds for you both- and I hope to see you both more often! ;)
xoxo!
Photo playlist if you are so inclined! (I love looking at photos with music!!)- SPOTIFY LIST
(PS- look how cute my hubby is in the 3rd photo— “driving” me to my first location of shooting for the day!)
