I absolutely love to photograph a wedding in a new space. So, when Hilary and Nicholas told me that they were having their wedding at a brand-new-romantic-winery-in-Wisconsin, I was sold! The more and more they started telling me about their day, I literally started swooning. First off, Hilary and Nicholas are fantastic couple who have the deepest love and respect for each other. Secondly, the couple was having the first wedding ever at Villa Bellezza, which is a winery - and now a new wedding venue - in Pepin, Wisconsin. Lastly, the lovely ladies of Mimi Design were creating and planning their wedding and I just love them so much, so any opportunity to work with an amazing crew gets me incredibly excited! Oh - and did I mention that Hilary was wearing a STUNNING Vera Wang dress?!? Seriously, the silhouette was absolutely perfect for her and I was a bit in awe of it all day long!
Our day started in Minneapolis, where the bridal party got all done up. Then we all, yes the ladies and the gentleman of the wedding party, trekked in a big party bus all the way to Pepin, Wisconsin. It was such a gorgeous drive and Hilary and Nicholas literally had one of the most gorgeous days of the summer. The sun was shining, the temperature was in the 70's and we were in 'God's country'. There was nothing by cornfields and American Flags around us, yet when we arrived at Villa Bellezza, I suddenly felt like we were whisked away to an Italian Vineyard. The space was intimate, romantic and simply gorgeous. It was a true pleasure to document Hilary and Nicholas's day in this space and to be the first photographers at this venue.
I've always said that 'the meaning of life' to me is sitting down with good people, sharing an amazing meal, drinking a fabulous glass of wine and having a lovely conversation. Hilary and Nicholas's wedding did just that by serving a family style meal to all of their guests. It was a little bit magical at Villa Bellezza Winery. My other 'meaning of life' moment is to do what you love and share it with those around you. I am truly blessed to document people's lives each week during one of the most momentous moments of their life and on my simple, little blog, I am able to share it with the world. There is something very, very special about this.
Congratulations to the new Mr. and Mrs. Evans! We are SO happy for you!
LOVEe