Here are some of our favorite images from Andy & Crystal’s wedding photography at The Wilds Golf Club in Prior Lake, MN.
Our newlyweds at an old abandoned barn.
Andy & Crystal’s wedding photography at The Wilds Golf Club began in the locker rooms at the golf club. It was there that everyone got ready for the wedding day. Joannie & I arrived and scouted out the locations that we wanted to use for wedding portraits including the one for their first look.
Bring Your Sunglasses!
The weather early on this Saturday was mostly sunny, light winds and pretty warm & humid for September 9th. When it’s sunny, outdoor wedding photography becomes very challenging to any wedding photographer. Thankfully, we always have plenty of lighting equipment with us to try and balance out the tough lighting conditions that the sun brings. We used “Lightning McQueen” almost all day long to add in the light we needed to supplement Mother Nature.
Shoes & more!
We set up for their first look on the front lawn at The Wilds Golf Club, the sun was behind the clouds for a while leading up to the first look, but just as Andy was about to come outside to see Crystal, the sun popped out. It made it pretty easy to spot Crystal in her very bright, beautiful white wedding dress! They had a very cute first look filled with tears and laughter.
On The Road Again
After their first look, we loaded up the wedding party and headed to an old barn a couple of miles away. There we found a little shelter from the sun, but more importantly, we got a pretty cool background for the wedding party to goof around in front of. These guys are pretty funny, especially the ushers, they had me laughing all day long.
Crazy at the barn!
After lots of fun at the barn and under the nearby shade trees, we headed back for more wedding photography at The Wilds Golf Club, stopping on our way back for a quick stop for a wedding party photo and a few of Andy & Crystal on the beautiful waterfall scene they have at the entrance to the club.
Andy & Crystal at The Wilds landmark waterfall.
Next up, more fun wedding party photos followed by the family portraits near the 18th hole at The Wilds. As we concluded the family photos, it was nearing time for the wedding ceremony, so we hid Crystal and got to work preparing for the ceremony.
The boys and the ring!
The Pretty Wedding Ceremony
Andy & Crystal’s wedding ceremony was very pretty, emotional and even funny at times. As I mentioned earlier, the ushers, in particular, are three very funny boys and I think Andy is their leader! Andy kept the ceremony light when it needed to be with some funny one-liners.
At the conclusion of their ceremony, I got up on a ladder, and with everyone looking back at me, I captured the image below of everyone in attendance.
A nice social hour followed the ceremony and then the Grand March. This was no ordinary Grand March. It was a fun and wild introduction to the wedding party with Andy & Crystal capping it off with a choreographed dance that was really well done; and pretty funny too!
Let the fun begin!
As dinner concluded, I noticed that there was the potential for a pretty sunset. I checked with the newlyweds and asked them if they were game if it actually happened and they both agreed to go if it got pretty. Low and behold, Mother Nature came through with a very nice (but short) sunset! Here’s the fun pose that these two surprised us with at the conclusion of their sunset mini session! Andy is a former wrestler and Crystal is no stranger to wrestling poses!
Ready, Wrestle!
Andy & Crystal, Joannie & I had a great day with you two, your families and your crazy wedding party. Thank you for asking us to be your wedding photographers! –M&J