rehearsal dinner Archives – Studio Laguna Photography

Nick and Erin’s Rehearsal

August 14, 2016 By katrina Leave a Comment

Nick and Erin’s lovely Wisconsin wedding started off with a fantastic party. Since so many friends and family were camping at Lily Springs Farm, the rehearsal dinner turned out to be an all day event. Guests arrived to get familiar with the gorgeous venue and find a choice spot for their tent. Erin and Nick were greeting people from as far away as Sweden. Decor and beer were unloaded and all the creatives involved started to organize for the next day. A small drizzle turned into a good rain, but that didn’t phase the guests who still strolled by the lake and chatted away with beers in hand. Kids got soaked and family reunited.

For dinner, WildEarth WoodFired Pizza filled bellies with local organic delicious pizzas. I loved the flavor combinations which was perfect with some Spotted Cow on tap.

Erin’s brother is in a bad called The Wise Brothers and encore after encore was asked for as the rain went away, the sun set, and the crowd danced.

Then everyone headed back to their tents to recoup for the wedding! Stay tuned tomorrow for a full write up of that most lovely day!

Sheri and Melissa

October 5, 2014 By katrina 3 Comments

Sheri and Melissa had their lovely northwoods destination wedding yesterday! This blog will be a tad longer than normal, 1) because we also photographed the rehearsal, 2) because Juilane James Place is such a beautiful location full of gorgeous nature, and 3) because Alyson of Bash Collective created some amazing details!

Sheri is someone who collects art, music and light…someone who loves the woods and the water. Melissa is easy going, low key, down to earth and quick to laugh and have a great time. Both ladies love to entertain, feed people, dance, hug, and love fiercely. This secluded cabin in the woods gave this couple the ability to combine everything they love in one fabulous weekend.

The rehearsal was followed with a homemade meal of scrumptious soups and bread next to a roaring fire.

Gifts were given, and happy tears accompanied the sweet words of gratitude and love.

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Though snow was in the forecast the night before, and the weather looked iffy for the day of the wedding, we ended up having a stunning day. With peeks of sunshine though the autumn colors of the trees.

Sheri and Melissa both got ready in the cabin along with their ladies in waiting. Things were laid back and relaxed all morning.

Bash Collective did a stellar job with the floral arrangements. Using autumn jewel tones and unexpected textures, each arrangement was unique and lovely. The couple’s literature theme carried throughout the day, from a library card catalog holding seating arrangements, to florals literally sprouting out of books on the tables. There were little unexpected details everywhere!

The natural beauty of the woods was its own character that day. We stumbled across these lichen and had to use them for the ring shot.

Melissa and Sheri had a sweet first sight followed by portraits in the woods. Their attire was designed by Sheri and custom made. The backs of the jackets included details from Melissa’s mother’s wedding gown. I felt like we were on a movie set getting these images!

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Because all the ladies were dressed so regally, we had to try a very formal pose…

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…but this is what most of the portrait session really looked like 😉

The moment I saw this woodshed, I knew we had to use it! I love venues that inspire!

Right before the ceremony, things got real and the emotion set in. Sheri and Melissa were just overwhelmed with how much their friends and family love them, and how important this day was. After some hugs and many MANY “I love yous” it was time for the ceremony.

After the ceremony, guests greeted the couple in an outdoor cocktail hour followed by a tented reception. The hand made farm tables were show stopping with their moss runners and book themed centerpieces. On top of orange chargers, there were specialty napkins made just for the wedding. Each napkin had a print of a love letter from Sheri’s grandparents.

For dinner, We Cater to You provided delicious comfort foods and featured a mashed potato bar, which had people coming back for seconds. Fried chicken plus a locally brewed beer was exactly what was needed on that chilly night! And to top it all off was pie from Keys Cafe. And then the craziness started. I’ve never been to a dance like this, it was rowdy and hilarious and joyful and sweet and crazy crazy crazy fun! Everett from Instant Request played such an amazing playlist of 80s and 90s music, even the vendors were commenting on how we couldn’t stop dancing along.

As all the guests boarded the last shuttle back to their hotels, the party kept going. It was definitely a weekend to remember!

Melissa and Sheri, thank you so much for inviting us into your lives and having us tell the story of your wedding! Enjoy your sneak peek!!!!

Rehearsal Dinner – Bahamas Style

November 7, 2012 By katrina Leave a Comment

When John and I photograph destination weddings, we always arrive the day before if not earlier so we can get a lay of the land, scout locations and give some cushion for travel delays. A benefit of us arriving early is that we are also around to photograph parts of the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner if that is something the client wants. Most destination weddings have a smaller, more intimate group of guests and tend to have multiple days of activities, so the rehearsal becomes more of a get together and chance to hang out before the big day.

As I mentioned in the previous post, Kris and Chrissy are excellent hosts. They wanted to thank their guests for making this journey with them and made sure that everyone enjoyed this resort that they love so much. To make things worry free, they thought of everything. Gretchen from Rocket Science kept everyone updated via email with itineraries and room numbers so we could all get in touch with each other. Transportation was provided from the airport and a sweet gift of custom towels, Chrissy’s hand made soap and other personalized goodies were delivered to the rooms.

At the rehearsal, family and the wedding party were introduced to each other and then Gretchen got the ball rolling. Since the resort is pretty large, it was important to make sure everyone knew where to be and when…it was a lot to organize! I think we had some professional bridesmaids and groomsmen since the rehearsal was short and sweet. And heck, we all got to be barefoot in powder fine sand so everyone was enjoying themselves.

After the rehearsal, all the guests were invited to a welcome reception in the Great Hall of Waters where they could reunite with friends and family, enjoy a specialty cocktail and gawk at the beautiful sea life.

What a background for a party, eh?

The manta rays were breathtaking! Chrissy said that sometimes they freak out and jump clear out of the tank and a crane has to be brought in to lift them back into the water. They were HUGE and beautiful!

After the welcome reception wrapped up, most of the guests went to enjoy the Casino or hang out while the wedding party and close family had the rehearsal dinner in the Bahamian Club. The group was looking forward to a low key relaxing evening with great food.

Father Wayne (also a beloved uncle) said a prayer and encouraged everyone to shout loud AMENS! on the wedding day…which they totally did =)

Kris and Chrissy were now ready for the big day!

How to Run a Wedding Rehearsal

May 31, 2011 By katrina Leave a Comment

I love the day before the wedding, there is a ton of anticipation…usually all the friends and family are in town together…people want to party and hang out…there is a lot of celebration in the air. And then comes the stress, rehearsal time.

Wedding rehearsals are not meant to be fun, there, I said it. They aren’t. Their purpose to make sure everyone is on the same page so the bridesmaids go to the correct side of the altar and the organist knows when to play the right music. Yet, on most wedding days, wedding parties are whispering “when do we do that again?” just as they are about to walk down the aisle.

Another tough thing about rehearsals is that the bride and groom are being pulled in five different directions. There are family members trying to joke, the officiant trying to get the logistics down, possibly a photographer asking where they want formals, all the little details are coming together and it can get really overwhelming.

So how do you make the rehearsal actually purposeful? Keep it short. A wedding party doesn’t need to practice walking down the aisle three or four times. Here is what I suggest to keep the rehearsal short and less stressful.

1) meet with your officiant to hammer out details BEFORE the rehearsal. So many times, I see a couple making final decisions about vows that night. Instead, have the decisions made a week before and keep your officiant in the loop. That way, the rehearsal will be strictly logistics and not about what verse you decided on having read before the sermon. The same goes for the wedding day itinerary…make sure it is finalized a week before the wedding (things like where will guests park? when will family arrive for pictures? will the florist help put flowers on the groomsmen? how bad will traffic be from the ceremony to reception? can all be figured out ahead of time).

2) elect ONE person to be in charge. If the wedding planner, officiant, the groom, the maid of honor AND the mother in law are all trying to direct, it becomes chaos and people get confused. One person should lead the night, and try to pick someone that will be lighthearted and easy going. It is really hard to reign in a fun loving wedding party for the rehearsal and stress can really build.

3) prep your wedding party ahead of time. Tell them that you want to have fun with them, but the rehearsal just needs to get done. If they know the more they listen at the rehearsal the quicker they can get out of there, then they’ll stay calm.

4) save the chit chat for the rehearsal dinner. Don’t have a ton of family and friends come to the rehearsal, it just distracts. The officiant and planner are taking time out of their day to run this rehearsal, so respect their time. Have spouses and other family meet you at the rehearsal dinner.

5) have all DIY projects done BEFORE the day before the wedding. Running around folding programs, or organizing centerpieces is going to make you go bonkers. Have all checks to the vendors sent out a week before the wedding so you don’t have to think about money or anything but having a good time at your wedding. If the day before you’re wedding is spent worrying about the logistics for the next day, you’ve missed out on time with friends and family.

6) use your rehearsal dinner to spend time with your closest circle of friends and family. Keep it small and intimate and really sit down to talk and enjoy each other’s company. Give your wedding party their gifts, take the time to thank your parents, hug your grandma. The wedding day will be crazy and go by in a second, so use the rehearsal dinner to show everyone how much you appreciate them.

We’ve seen rehearsals really kill the vibe of a wedding, and we’ve seen rehearsals that add so much meaning to the weekend. The difference has been organization. Stay on top of the game, have everything done a week before hand, and use the rehearsal to physically walk through the wedding once. On the day before your wedding, wake up, do something meaningful with your wedding party (spa morning, round of golf, nice lunch). Hang out with your family, relax. Look over all the wedding day details one last time. Then go to the rehearsal, walk through the ceremony, and then on to the rehearsal dinner. Enjoy. Eat, drink, be merry. Kiss your fiance. Pamper yourself and go to bed at a reasonable hour. That is my recipe for rehearsal success =)