As wedding photographers, we are absolutely obsessed with backyard weddings! Backyard weddings have so much potential and you can truly craft the wedding of your dreams down to every little detail! It can be a daunting task but it’s so amazing to see how many wedding couples choose this route, lean into their creative side, and pull together a stunning backyard wedding.

We had the chance to shoot John and Kalee’s beautiful backyard wedding right in our hometown of Wyoming, MN! When John and Kalee, approached us to shoot their backyard wedding, we just knew it was going to be a special day. John had gone to school with Aaron and had kept up with our journey as we started our photography business. It was so cool to see the way our business reaches people from our past and bring them back to our lives in the present. And the way these two talked about their wedding and the plans they had, it was just so amazing to see their faces light up about their day!

On our client call, John and Kalee had told us they were passionate about two things on their wedding day: good food and good pictures! We LOVE when our couples come to us feeling passionate about their wedding photos. It allows us to bounce that energy off of each other and get our creative juices flowing.

Getting Ready: Breathtaking Backyard Wedding Set-Up

When we arrived at John and Kalee’s on a cloudy summer day, we were immediately blown away! This was a backyard wedding brought to an entirely new level. There was a massive tent set up for the reception area with all the tables and plates and silverware set out. At the far end of the tent sat the head table with a neon sign reading the last name of the soon-to-be newlyweds. Every little detail was just absolutely breathtaking.

A covered patio area made from some amazing stained wood created the perfect bar for this wedding. A big letter “J” and “K” were stuck to the outside of this patio area and it was amazing to see the little touches they had added to this amazing space.

The ceremony area had a tent, facing the woods that lined the backyard, for seating as well. A big wooden arch beckoned the couple with some beautiful floral arrangements strewn across the top. It was such a beautiful place to get married, all in the comfort of John and Kalee’s own backyard.

We immediately ran inside to the house after taking some pictures of the set-up to see the bride. We gushed to her about how amazing the backyard looked. It was one of the most beautiful backyard weddings we had ever shot. The bride had done it all herself, along with some help from friends and family, and intricately crafted each and every detail of their day.

The girls were getting ready inside the house while the guys were getting ready down the street. John and Kalee had a super awesome vintage couch where we took pictures of the bridal party in their robes.

When the girls had finished getting ready, we took some bridal portraits and bridesmaid pictures. The bridesmaids wore these burnt orange bridesmaid dresses that were the perfect complement to the woodsy feel of the overall wedding and all the greenery.

The guys made their grand entrance from getting ready at the house down the street. They were strutting their stuff down the road and were so ready for this wedding day. We took some pictures of all the guys together and it was so fun seeing them cheer on John for his big day!

The Ceremony: A Moment To Cheer For

Before we knew it, it was time for the ceremony. The guest had filed in, grabbed some drinks from the bar, and were eager to see John and Kalee tie the knot. I had run back to the car really quick to grab an extra battery and the cars had filled the edges of the entire street. It was crazy to see how many people had come out to celebrate John and Kalee.

As the bridesmaids and groomsmen filed in at the altar, the energy was rising all around us. By the time Kalee made her way down the aisle, all the guest were on the edge of their seats to see this ceremony through to the end. John was choking up as his bride stood with him to finally seal the deal. Their officiant included the perfect mixture of dark humor and sentimental, meaningful emotion (This was absolutely perfect for John and Kalee).

When John and Kalee exchanged their vows, we were absolutely blown away by the words they had prepared for each other. They were so intentional and heartfelt. It was just a truly beautiful moment between two people who are absolutely head over heels for each other.

Another unique part of John and Kalee’s day was that they did a unity ski shot in honor of John’s uncle that had passed away not long before. This was such a special moment for these two and we love that they took the time to include this in their ceremony and honor John’s uncle.

As the couple had their first kiss, the crowd erupted with cheers and clapping. We mean this when we say it: we truly have never had a crowd cheer that loud after a wedding. Everybody rose to their feet to give the newlyweds a massive round of applause. The fact that all this energy was from a beautiful backyard wedding was amazing and stopped us dead in our tracks.

The Reception: Let The Backyard Wedding Party Begin!

Now that John and Kalee had tied the knot, it was time to party! We stole the family away for some family photos. The smiles on all their faces were so genuine and it was awesome to capture that post-wedding glee!

Next, we took some full wedding party photos! We did a tunnel with the wedding party and we were so glad we did! These photos ended up being some of our favorites from the day because they capture the emotion and energy of the day so well!

After we got the group photos out of the way, we stole John and Kalee away for some solo shots of the two of them. Their backyard served as the perfect place for some pictures with the trees and greenery. We brought along our signature sunglasses to take some fun shots with those. These turned out so fun and we love that we were really able to capture the love John and Kalee have for each other in their photos.

We even grabbed a photo of the happy couple with all the cars lined up the street from the people who attended their wedding. This was actually the groom’s idea because he wanted to use this to remember how all the people closest to them came out to celebrate their love and marriage. We LOVE when our wedding couples ask for specific shots that they want, especially when it comes from the groom because we don’t have a lot of grooms who feel so passionately about pictures.

We even got one of our favorite shots from the 2022 wedding season at this wedding:

After we were finished with solo pictures, it was time to eat! The meat cooker had been smoking since daybreak and the delicious smells had been filling our noses all day. We grabbed a bunch of pictures of all the guests attending as we waited for dinner to be served.

With our hearts and stomachs full, it was time for the first dances. They had laid down a bunch of oriental rugs to provide a dance floor. As the couple enjoyed their first dance along with their first dances with their parents, it was the perfect ending note for a beautiful backyard wedding.

Backyard Weddings: Intention Above All

By the time we made it home from John and Kalee’s beautiful backyard wedding, we were so eager to go through their gallery. We uploaded the photos to the computer right away and got started on working through it.

There’s something about a backyard wedding that you can’t get from a traditional wedding at a venue or a church. Now, all weddings are special in their own right but there’s a certain kind of energy that is so specific to backyard weddings that is almost indescribable.

Backyard weddings just feel so personal and meaningful. To allow so many people into your personal, domestic space is a big act to take on but it feels so amazing to do so. You can truly craft the wedding day you have always wanted and keep it familiar by holding it in a space so close to you.

So if you’re reading this and are thinking to yourself, “Backyard weddings sound appealing but I’m just worried they won’t be as pretty,” just take a look through some of John and Kalee’s wedding photos and all those fears will float away. They truly did an amazing job and hosted a wedding that is dreamt about so often! We were so grateful to capture such a wonderful moment for these wonderful people in their amazing space that they created.

Looking for a wedding photographer to capture your backyard wedding (or any other wedding for that matter)? Reach out to us HERE and let’s set something up! Wanna read about another amazing wedding we shot? Come read about Adam and Meredith’s beautiful day at Pinewood Weddings and Events!

And Happy New Year to all of you! We hope you had a safe, happy holiday!

Peace out! xoxo