Ron Lutz II

Not Your Typical Barn Wedding

The last wedding I photographed in 2014 was a really special one. It was early November, and a blizzard was expected to hit that very night. Both the ceremony and reception were being held at a barn, and I have to admit I wasn't entirely sure of what to expect. I'd covered barn wedding before. My previous experiences had varied from a basic bar with a few decorations thrown up, to a barn that'd been modified enough to host a reception easily but was still a barn. In other words, you could still see outside through the gaps in the walls. What I encountered here at Badger Farms took the concept of a "barn wedding" to a whole new level! It was simply a lovely, well thought out venue. I didn't need all the wool clothing I'd packed along "just in case."

Even better than the venue was actually meeting the soon to be married couple. We'd only spoken via Skype up to this point, so meeting them face to face to face for the first time was a real treat. What I saw almost right away was how much in love they were with each other. Granted I always see people in love on the day they're marrying, but this couple had something about them that set them apart. You could feel their excitement, and it was so easy to see how strongly they felt about each other. Honestly, it because of couples like this that I enjoy my profession so much.

When Lucas first saw his bride in her gown I knew that while the emotions where genuine of both their parts, there was still a little awkwardness due to my being right there, snapping away. I mean, who wouldn't feel a little self aware when there's a photographer only feet away from you as you try to have an intimate moment. That's when I left them alone, gave them a few minutes to themselves, and then captured them from a distance.

Such a Loving Family

I have to say it wasn't just Lucas & Melinda that inspired me that day, but their families as well. I saw so much loving affection being openly displayed. While there were little tensions here and there (all weddings have stressful elements to them) overall it was all about the love of family. The way they all interacted in such a natural way. The smiles, hugs, and reassuring touches shared between members of the family spoke volumes of how caring these people were to one another.

Often at weddings there's at least one little "sub-plot" happening. For this particular weddings it was the reluctant little flower girl. She just didn't overly excited to parade in front of everyone, plus she seemed to be in dire need of a nap. I also don't think my being there, taking so many photos, made her feel at ease. Who can blame her? Fortunately she had a very understanding family, and no meltdowns occurred and she was able to make it down the aisle and into her mother's arms. Again, the loving nature of the family really showed itself with how patience folks where with her.

The ceremony was also really sweat having been conducted by the brother of the bride. He'd mentioned how he'd taken an online course in order to become a legal officiant of weddings just to do this one wedding. The vows they spoke to each other were touching, and you could tell they truly came from the heart. I can't think of a better way to be married. Their soon to be born child is lucky to be coming into such a loving, caring group of people!

This page is only a few of the many photos from the day. You can see more by clicking on the photo below. It opens the actual gallery where all of the photos are displayed for your enjoyment. It spans from when I first arrived while things were being set up all the way until I was dismissed shortly after the dancing began. You can download any image simply by opening it full screen, and then looking for the download icon in the lower right corner.