the blog.
Jul 8, 2019
This romantic apple orchard wedding in northern Wisconsin was full of beautiful rustic accents, cupcakes and a popcorn buffet.
It was raining on and off the entire way up to Edgar from Madison but I had high hopes that it would be perfectly clear for us. Luckily, the clouds did move on leading up to the most perfectly sun kissed day. I arrived the evening before to check out the venue and see the rehearsal. Rock Ridge Orchard sits in the countryside just between Marshfield and Mosinee, WI.
Hailee and Daniel love playing all kinds of sports together and playing with their adorable dogs who you may have met in my previous blog post from their engagement session! Hailee is also obsessed with To Di For’s cupcakes and was able to get some for her wedding before Diane closed up shop! I think she may need some cupcake therapy in the future. I did make sure to take lots of photos for her so she can at least think of the good old days. Maybe they can go back to the orchard in the fall for some honeycrisp apples and bake some pie!
They also had Adonis Catering bring in their big ole BBQ and served up some ribs and chicken for dinner! Oh my god, it was sooooo good! The bride and groom ingeniously had bibs for the bridal party so they could enjoy their food without fear of ruining their beautiful wedding attire. I keep thinking about how much fun this wedding was how I was able to really get some beautiful photos of Hailee and Danny out walking around later in the day after their first dance. This is always my favorite time of day because they are relaxed and happy and it really shows in the photos. Check out my photos below from this wonderful day!
Also, the day wouldn’t be as perfect without all these amazing vendors:
Venue: Rock Ridge Orchard // Wedding Dress: Blushing Willow Bridal Boutique // Bridesmaid Dresses: Brandi’s Bridal Galleria // Grooms attire: Men’s Wearhouse // Wedding Rings: Chalmers Jewelers // Hair and Makeup: Brenlynn Craker // Floral: Krueger Floral // DJ: High Volume Entertainment // Catering: Adonis Catering // Cupcakes: To Di For
Jul 1, 2018
I must say that Bri and Steve’s wedding was an absolute dream to photograph. Not only is Bri a professional photographer, but she also lives on a beautiful farm where Steve built her an amazing studio. It was the perfect wedding venue! The entire area is set up to take photos. It was so much […]
Jan 11, 2017
When Gretchen and I first drove up to Joe and Sue’s beautiful farm out in the driftless hills of Avoca, WI, we couldn’t believe such a perfect place could exist. All around the valley were hills, trees and winding roads. It was so quaint and pretty! The backyard was set up for the ceremony and there were beautiful gardens everywhere. I picked up Andrew and dropped him off at a tiny little church up the street with Gretchen so we could do a first look over there. Then I went back and picked up Miranda. She had on this incredible dress with lacy sleeves and a tee length skirt. It was so perfect for the setting!
These two are really into outdoors fun like fishing, hiking, camping and skiing. They live in Oregon so I know they get to enjoy some gorgeous scenery. They also like to cook! I loved how everything seemed to mesh with their personalities from the photos hanging on the clothesline showcasing memorable moments in their lives together to the delicious jam they made together in Oregon and shipped over for the their favors. They also made this incredible peach topping for the wedding cake. I didn’t try the one with brandy (I had an hour drive home!) but I’m sure it was also amazing. The song Peaches comes to mind when I think about it….You know, Millions of Peaches, Peaches for Me! Haha.
During the Ceremony, I was blown away by Miranda’s sweet little 7 year old son reading this beautiful writing. What a cutie! Miranda’s friends also read and cried with happiness for them. I loved it! Such raw emotion! Beautiful!
Then we got to eat Pig! I love a good backyard pig roast. Mmm Mmm Mmm. We set up a little photo booth and got some crazy photos of everyone acting all goofy. I made a slideshow in the next post. Check it out! Then Miranda and Andy changed into their comfy clothes and cowboy boots and had kickin’ shindig! I had the best time photographing the “wild dancing men”. I love that term. Nothing better than a bunch of people dancing out in the great outdoors and having the best of times.
Vendors: Second Shooter: Gretchen Olson // Venue: Private Residence Joe and Sue’s Farm // Baker: Craig’s Cake Shop // Catering: JL Richards Catering // Music: IPod // Floral: Miranda’s Mom!
Sep 1, 2016
You knew it was a special day when the clouds opened up just in time for Jill and Josh to walk down the isle and say the words that would bind them in marriage for a lifetime. We arrived with umbrellas and rain boots but thankfully, Charlie Shortino was wrong again. The clouds parted and […]
May 17, 2016
Jessica and Peter’s wedding day was so perfect. Partly sunny, 70 degrees and at the Barn at Harvest Moon Pond!
www.azenaphoto.com
From the moment of their first look at each other to the end of the night where they were having a blast on the dance floor, you could just feel the love between them. When they looked at each other, their smiles were immediate! Their closeness and natural easy posing made it so easy to candidly shoot them all day. I also got some amazing posed shots too because they were so comfortable with each other. It was incredible!
This is why I love my job. When I leave and think back on a wedding day and feel that much happiness, and confidence in capturing the essence of the day, I know that I am in the right profession. This was a day to truly look back on and know that a magical connection was made. Congratulations on your marriage you two!
I had the pleasure of visiting the Barn at Harvest Moon Pond to document this splendid event. At 1PM, Friday, April 22nd, I, Hillary, Heidi, my amazing second shooter and Klara, my fantastic assistant and budding photojournalist embarked on a daylong journey that included documenting best friends, hanging with new friends and enjoying the beginning of a new season. Also, a random pair of jean shorts, a burger bar and crazy little boys who could do the splits and walk on their hands across the dance floor!
Vendors
Photography: Azena Photography
Hair and Makeup for the Bride and Hair for all of the bridesmaids: Roni Rademacher of Studio 3REE in Waunakee
Venue: Barn at Harvest Moon Pond
Catering: Enos Farms
Cake: Carl’s Cakes
Wedding Dress: Vera’s House of Bridals
Bridesmaid Dresses: David’s Bridal
Menswear: Jos. A. Bank
Rings: Kesslers
Florist: Aunt Jenny and Jessica