I first met Abby & Chad last autumn when they booked me for their Duke Gardens engagement session. I do get quite a few clients who are getting married in other states who just want an engagement session. So it was really flattering when Abby & Chad contacted me after the shoot to ask me if I would be willing to fly up to Wisconsin to photograph their wedding. I don’t class myself as a destination wedding photographer per se. I spent many years travelling internationally on a weekly basis when I worked in sales and marketing, so, nowadays, I’m happy shooting weddings close to home so I can be with my wife and kids. Of course, being English with a Panamanian wife also means that we get quite a few air miles in each year just visiting friends and family back home. ;)
All that being said, I do enjoy photographing weddings out of state or in other countries, especially if it involves working with such lovely people as Abby and Chad and their families. I flew up to Milwaukee on the Friday and drove over to Madison to be ready to go first thing on the Saturday. It’s always nice to get a good idea of the lay of the land, so I scouted out the locations we would be shooting in. That way, we would be able to make the most of our time together given that wedding day timelines are almost always very tight.
Bishop’s Bay Country Club is a lovely location on the shores of Lake Mendota, WI. Given it had been raining, one of my responsibilities was to make sure we kept Abby’s dress as clean as possible so we limited the amount of walking around we had to do. Luckily, the wedding ceremony was being prepped to take place by some trees that provided a beautiful way for us to frame the couple with the State Capitol and other buildings in downtown Madison visible in the distance. As always for the first look, I like to give basic directions on where the groom (or bride) should stand and wait and then just stand back and let the natural moments unfold. From there, we travelled to the state park just up the road for some photos of the bride and groom and the bridal party before heading back to the ceremony spot under the branches of those gorgeous trees.
As you can see, the whole day was full of emotion and the moody skies were a lovely complement to the location and vibe of the day. Big thanks to to Abby & Chad for getting me out of the studio and for being such amazing subjects. I wish you guys all the very best for a long and happy life together!
Here, as always, are just a few of my favourites fro the day. Thanks for stopping by!
