Local Photographers Capturing Perfect Moments
Almost every couple chooses to take outdoor photos, so when choosing your wedding day photographer, it is important to find the one who can use the spectacular natural light and get that perfect shot to capture the moment you will remember forever. These 5 photographers are just a few of the best. Have a look at a sample of their work…
Amber Abts Photography
Website | Facebook | Blog
Based out of Winona, MN, Amber is one of my favorite local photographers. The use of the natural outdoor light in these photos is absolutely stunning.. don’t you think?
Jared Lee Photography
Website | Facebook
Based out of Minneapolis, MN, Jared has always been able to bring life and light to his photos. Check out these gorgeous pics!
Ray + Kelly Photography
Website | Facebook | Blog
Based out of La Crosse, WI, Ray and Kelly are an amazing couple with an even more amazing outlook on what they do. They work with only a limited number of couples each year in order to truly connect with each and every one of them. Their images speak for themselves… [p.s. recognize the bride?... she's a Wedding Tree bride!]
Sarah Schultz Photography
Website | Facebook
Based out of La Crosse, WI, Sarah always produces spectacular images that bring a smile to my face and her brides love her! What do you think of her work?
Stephanie Neprud Photography
Website | Facebook | Blog
Based out of Viroqua, WI, Stephanie was the photographer who captured the beautiful images of our Bride of the Year, Chelsey, and you may recognize THIS bride as well… she’s a Wedding Tree bride! Check out these beautiful photos from a December wedding…
Please keep in mind that I selected these images from the photographers’ websites, blogs, and Facebooks as personal favorites. I would highly recommend checking out these sites to get the best and most complete feel of each photographer and his or her work. They are all extremely talented and we are honored to be able to marvel at their amazing photos.
If you want to show off YOUR wedding photographer… send us your photos! [or enter our Bride of the Year contest] We LOVE to see them.
Until Next Time!
-Kacia
Morgan and Nathan
Throughout the course of our Bride of the Year contest we have the opportunity to hear back from our brides and finally get to see the final product of all the work that went into making her day special. This particular bride has a very touching story and we wanted to share it with you. Here is the story of Morgan and Nathan, as told by the bride… [photos by Joshua Becker Photography]
Our day was as much about celebrating family and friends as it was about celebrating our own union. I have always been incredibly close with my family and absolutely love the history that we all have. My godmother (and aunt) unfortunately passed away about a year before the wedding. My vision for the day was in honor of her. I wanted to incorporate that comfy, down-home feel and put a farming spin on it (since my husband and I are dairy farmers). What we ended up with was far and above anything I could have ever hoped for.
September 8th was a gorgeous sunny day, perfect for an outdoor wedding in a hayfield. Guests travelled down a quiet winding country road in the hills of Northeast Iowa to my parent’s farm. Not just my parents farm, but the very place that I visited every day to help out my grandparents. Also the same place that my father grew up. I cannot begin to list the number of ways that family was incorporated into this day. The yard gate that I walked through every day was used as a decorating prop. Guests sat in antique church pews borrowed from friends and family. My cousins arranged all of the flowers that came from my mom’s garden in borrowed mason jars and milk bottles. A lot of my decorations came from my godmother’s belongings and I inherited them. My favorite piece of hers that I used was her old dresser that we did our unity ceremony on. Our unity ceremony was a special nod toward dairy farming, we made unity chocolate milk. A high school friend of mine sang accompanied by acoustic guitar. My cousin got ordained online just so he could be the officiant. I constructed my own “brooch bouquet” from several family heirloom brooches given to me by aunts, grandmothers, and my mother. I wrote the entire ceremony, and we wrote our own (very tearful) vows. My bridesmaids wore knee-length chiffon dresses in a palate of three soft and romantic pinks and nudes. They went perfectly with the guy’s charcoal grey suits and pink candy striped ties.
The reception was at the local fairgrounds in a barn-like building decorated with doily lamps and old barn windows. Tables were decorated with burlap, old books, borrowed doilies,blue mason jars, wild flowers, and a collection of antique cow figurines from mine and my aunt’s collection. Another special touch was a scattering of succulents planted in vintage teacups. Guests enjoyed a lemonade stand and popcorn bar. Everywhere you looked all day was another detail or special item from the Welper family “museum”. As favors, guests took home cowbells and a jar of my homemade jam labelled “spread the love”.
I would love to do the whole day all over again just so I could hit pause and take a breath and look around at all the loved ones that we had with us that day. I recieved so many compliments I started to lose track! Many told me that everything, down to the very last detail, was very “me”. I was happy that the guests noticed all of the details. Many have told me they’ve never been to a wedding as special and unique or intimate as mine. As far as my family goes, it was a very emotional day for everybody. They were all very proud of what I had put together and there were a lot of tears shed over remembering my aunt through a lot of the decorations and concepts. Several would say “that is just so Kay!”
Up until the very day of the wedding, I was still very much in mourning for my godmother. We were very close and the way that she passed was incredibly hard for us all. I wasn’t able to move on, even after a year had passed. But as I planned this wedding out over the 10 months following her passing, I felt her there with me every step of the way. I could feel her beaming and clapping excitedly every time I came up with a great idea of another project or thing to add. She would have been very proud of what I had accomplished, and that is what kept me fired up about starting yet another time-consuming DIY project, or heading back up to the attic to root around for more “junk” to use. They were calling for rain on the day of our wedding, so with some superstition in mind, we hung several family rosaries on the clothesline to ward off the rain. As I clipped the last rosary on, I glanced at the sky and said “Alright Kay, the rest is up to you, don’t let me down”. Kay most certainly held up her end of the bargain as we had one of the nicest days in September I could ever remember. No chance of rain in sight! Still, part of me wished it had rained just a little bit maybe that morning, because they say that rain on your wedding day is good luck. Kay took care of that part as well. Shortly after our ceremony ended, this huge cloud bank came out of nowhere, turning the sky a rainbow of different colors, with rays of sunlight peaking through. Then, it started to rain. The most delicate, light, and almost tender rain fell from the sky. Guests smiled and held up their hands, nobody bothered to get in out of it. My sister came up to me, eyes sparkling with tears, and we embraced. Kay had given my husband and I the gift of a perfect day, with a little good luck added in. Since then, I have been a lot more at peace with Kay’s passing.
As far as our attire, where do I begin?! Those bridesmaids dresses were absolutely just what I was looking for and they fit in with the rest of the day perfectly. I wanted a slight vintage feel and the guys in their charcoal grey suits really helped accentuate that.
Overall, I wouldn’t change a single thing about the whole day. It was everything I had wanted it to be from the very start of the planning. The intimacy and emotion that was present is something any individual can’t plan out, it just has to happen. And happen, it did.
Thank you so much for sharing your big day with us Morgan. We love how every detail of your big day meant something special to you and your family.
Until Next Time!
-Kacia
Trending: Bridesmaid Pre-Shop Appointments
Are you dreading the thought of bringing ALL your bridesmaids in to find their dresses? Trying to find the right style, in the color you want, and getting all your girls to agree on it after they’ve picked out like a hundred different dresses to try can be CHAOS. Save yourself the hassle!
The latest trend for the organized bride is the bridesmaid pre-shop appointment. The bride comes in a week or two prior to the true bridesmaid appointment and selects 5-6 styles that she really likes. At that time we check and make sure that the color is available and discuss any extra sizing and pricing issues that could be awkward to discuss in front of the entire party.
Then, you bring in all the girls, try on the pre-selected dresses and the process becomes so much simpler. This way, the focus is really on what YOU, the bride, want for your wedding. I have worked with several brides recently who selected 4-7 similar styles and allowed the bridesmaids to choose from those only. The entire process goes extremely smoothly. If you happen to have enough bridesmaids you may even be able to see all the dresses on, in a line, at the same time and it makes narrowing down much easier.
We highly recommend trying this out, especially if you are a very organized bride. It can simplify the entire process and save a lot of headaches.
Until Next Time!
-Kacia
Trend Alert: Vintage Romance
After having just gotten home from the National Bridal Market in Chicago we couldn’t be more excited about the vintage lace, high, sophisticated necklines, and champagne/gold hues we saw! One of our favorite vintage romance inspired looks combines the elegance of nude/taupe/champagne with a delicate blush pink. And I know that silver had taken center stage for many years but gold is back ladies, and we love it now more than ever! Check out this romantic look…
We are absolutely in LOVE with this trend. It is elegant, it is romantic, and it is STUNNING in person. Come check out the new collections in-store at the end of December!
Stay on trend fabulous brides!
-Kacia
Celebrating our JUNE Brides!
Julie and Kevin
June 2, 2012
Julie got her gorgeous gown here at the Wedding Tree after working with Teri!
Tera and Shane
June 9, 2012
Tera got her gorgeous gown and bridesmaid dresses here at the Wedding Tree after working with Jennifer!
Tanya and Tony
June 23, 2012
Tanya got her gorgeous gown, bridesmaid dresses, and the guys got their tuxedos here at the Wedding Tree after working with Jennifer and Amber!
Marsha and Chris
June 30, 2012
Marsha got her gorgeous gown, bridesmaid dresses, flowergirl dress and the guys got their tuxedos here at the Wedding Tree after working with Jennifer and Amber!
Thank you so much to all our June brides for sharing your Happy Ever After with us!
Until Next Time
~Kacia~
Trending Now: Lace and Sleeves
Last year in April the world witnessed Kate Middleton become a princess as she walked down the aisle in a stunning Sarah Burton lace-sleeved ballgown. Then in November, Twihards everywhere held their breath in anticipation while they waited to see the Carolina Herrera stunner that Bella would wear as she became Mrs. Edward Cullen in Breaking Dawn. These two amazing gowns inspired the hottest new trend of this bridal season. This year is all about lace and sleeves!
Maybe you’re thinking, well, I loved the look on them, but I’m really not sure I could pull off full sleeves. Check out these lace gowns with sleek silhouettes and gorgeous straps/sleeves.
Prefer the ballgown style to these sleek silhouettes? Check out these amazing gowns!
Maybe you decided you do like the sleek look, but you’re not sure you’re loving the full lace.. check out these fabulous gowns!
Like something that you saw in this blog? Lucky for you just about everything on the page we either have in store or will be getting in the fall! Call the store to check! (608) 784-6850!
Until Next Time!
-Kacia
So you have the dresses….. Now what?
Buying Suits V. Renting a Tux
Rent v. Purchase
Trust me, everyone needs (or should have) alterations to look their best. For that matter, do your guys really want to own the same exact suit? My brother and 5 of his friends bought a suit for his friends wedding and none of them has ever worn it since. They’re all too afraid that the other ones will wear it too. Turns out, sometimes guys are just as conscious of their looks as we are, they just don’t want it broadcast to the world!
Coat and Tie v. Pants and Shirt
Somehow short and flirty barefoot maids look perfectly comfortable next to a simple shirt and tie.
Long dresses in a ballroom beg for the James Bond cool of a beautifully cut basic black tux!
Charcoal grey looks simply stunning at both relaxed vintage inspired fetes and upscale, posh affairs.
Brown has made a serious splash for fall/outdoorsy weddings and it surprisingly looks beautiful paired with many gorgeous colors.
I love the soft informality of the vest and tie paired with mix and match dresses. A bride could have her girls order at the same time from the same company to assure the correct color match but allow her girls the freedom to choose any dress that made them feel comfortable and pretty!
Above all, I recommend choosing the source of your menswear with care. A good supplier will help to fulfill your vision while making everything as painless as possible for your guys. This includes providing last minute alterations to provide as close to a perfect fit as possible. Why are last minute alterations ideal? For a variety of reasons 1) There is no exact size 40R any more. Many of the more slim fitting coats have smaller arm holes and a more narrow clearance through the middle, some older styles are much longer through the torso. This means that the same gentleman can be a 40R in one coat, a 39S in another and a 42R in another coat. 2) The fit is dependent upon accurate measurements. Certain areas/stores are notorious for providing poor measurements to anyone except their renters. Smart and forward thinking shops provide accurate measurements regardless of who is providing the rental, because any person could be a future customer. 3) No one in customer service wants to acknowledge the elephant in the room, nor should they, but sometimes people change size.
Until Next Time!
-Amber
Winter Inspiration
Special thanks to the fabulous bridal blogs stylemepretty.com, apaperproposal.com, thesweetestoccasion.com, bonafidebride.com, and greenweddingshoes.com for putting up gorgeous and inspirational photos to share with our brides!
Until Next Time!
-Kacia
Fall Inspiration
Fall is by far my favorite time of year. (It might have something to do with my birthday coming around each year in October… then again maybe it’s just because of the beauty!) Fall, especially here in the Midwest and ESPECIALLY here in La Crosse, can be absolutely breathtaking. The leaves all across the bluffsides change into vibrant colors that reflect off the water of our mighty Mississippi. And the air! Fall may be the one time of year in Wisconsin when it’s not too cold, and it’s not too hot! You can’t beat that! So here are a few fall inspired weddings to get you excited about the season that we’ve just begun!
Until Next Time!
-Kacia
2011 Wedding Trends: ‘Tis The Season For A Wedding!
Until Next Time!
-Kacia