Little Log House Pioneer Village Wedding
Joannie and I are very pleased to share April and Darrick’s August 1st Little Log House Pioneer Village wedding photographs with you! Little Log House Pioneer Village, in Hastings, Minnesota, is a fabulous location for creating wedding photos. Mother Nature even supplied us with a nice overcast sky too!
A nice wedding day portrait of our newlyweds!
April is our niece, and she and Darrick have been together for ten years! In fact, August 1st, 2010 was when they had their first date. It was also grandpa Frank’s birthday (Joannie’s dad) as well. He would have been 88 on the 1st. So it’s easy to see why they were hoping to get married last Saturday.
For us, not only was it fun to be their wedding photographers, it was just nice to photograph a wedding once again. COVID-19 has made the 2020 wedding season, well, a non-season. Very understandable, but very frustrating at the same time. Joannie and I were well equipped with all of our regular photography gear, including Lightning McQueen, as well as hand sanitizer and face masks.
Last fall, I met April and Darrick at Little Log House Pioneer Village for their engagement portraits. I had heard about the place but hadn’t seen it in person. I knew as soon as I saw it, that we were going to create some really fun and unique engagement and wedding photos there.
To say that it’s a very interesting location is a HUGE understatement! “The Village” is a 160-acre collection of more than 50 historical buildings and vehicles of all types, from firetrucks to trains, tractors to police cars, and a whole lot more!
First Look in the Garden
Once April and Darrick were dressed and ready, they had their first look at the Country Grist Mill. It was at the Country Grist Mill where I created a really cool light painted engagement photograph of April and Darrick last year. They both love that spot, so it was perfect for their first look.
A pretty wedding photo of April & Darrick outside The Little Log House.
Then Joannie and I captured many wonderful images of just the two of them using that section of the property as the backdrop. By then, the sunny skies were giving way to the overcast sky. That allowed us to work just about anywhere we wanted to without the harsh direct light from the sun. Our first wedding party photos were created in the pretty Sylvia’s Gardens by the Country Grist Mill.
April, Darrick, and their wedding party in the beautiful Sylvia’s Garden.
Tractors, and a Vintage Gas Station
One of the many unique photo spots at Little Log House Pioneer Village is the many farm implements that are all over the property. There are tractors and barns of all shapes and sizes. So that’s what we did next with the adult members of the wedding party. The barn was heavily shaded, so I used Lightning McQueen for some much need fill light.
Just one of the many cool barns at The Village.
Then we strolled over to a vintage gas station that’s also right there on the property. It’s complete with an old sheriff’s squad car too! The two adorable flower girls, Brooke and Jade, as well as two of our grandkids Riley, and ring bearer Ryder, joined the wedding party for this super-cool wedding party photograph!
The wedding party at the cool vintage gas station.
Riley was Ryder’s very own personal attendant. Riley made sure that our shy three-year-old did what we needed Ryder to do when we needed it done. I’m pretty sure that he wouldn’t have been very cooperative without her assistance. Thank you Riley girl!
Porkys Drive-In (yes, that Porkys)
We cut the wedding party loose and switched over to creating family portraits. The backdrop for Darrick’s family was somewhat unusual but very, very cool! Porkys Drive-In!
In the past, Darrick’s mom and dad, Janet and Ron, dated at Porky’s on University Avenue in St. Paul, MN. Well, in 2011, Porky’s closed for good. The owner of Little Log House Pioneer Village, Steve Bauer, purchased it and moved it to Hastings to preserve it rather than have it destroyed. Janet and Ron requested having their family portraits with the iconic restaurant as their background. That works for me!
Darrick’s extended family photo taken at “Porky’s Drive-In!
Then we moved to a nearby field with large pine trees in the background for April’s family photos. Once we finished up there, it was time for the wedding ceremony!
The newlyweds with April’s mom and her husband John.
April’s extended family portrait.
The Stable
April and Darrick were married in The Stable, a newly refurbished building on the property. It was a wonderful wedding ceremony officiated by Marty Hallberg. When it was all said and done, April and Darrick were Minnesota’s newest newlyweds! Needless to say, Joannie and I are very happy for you guys!
April and Darrick exchange wedding rings during their ceremony in The Stable.
Much More To Come…
In the coming days, look for April and Darrick’s wonderful wedding reception photos right here on our blog. In the meantime, we’ve got a cute highlight music video at the link below featuring many of the fun images leading up to their wedding reception. Thank you for reading our post and have a great one! – M&J