Ephraim's Eagle Harbor Inn | Daryl and Jody's Intimate Door County Wedding
*Before jumping into the photographs from Daryl and Jody’s wedding, I want to quickly point out a detail that blows my mind: we were able to do A TON in only five hours of photography coverage! If you’re getting married in the near future, here were our secrets to doing so much in such short time. First, travel was kept to a minimum. In fact, pre-ceremony, ceremony, family formals, and reception were all on-site, and we only spent about 5 minutes driving for a short newlywed session. If you want to spend more time enjoying your day, limit travel time! Lastly, we did a great job planning. Everyone knew exactly where to be, at what time, and what they should be doing. With a proper plan in place, we were able to add the equivalent of an extra hour of coverage. You shouldn’t be watching the clock on your wedding, but hire professionals who know how to be efficient and maximize their value! And with that, let’s get back to the wedding :)
Daryl and Jody got married today, but it’s crazy to think how close they were to have never happened. They met on a dating website, and both were skeptical due to their fair share of bad experiences. However, this one seemed promising, so they arranged to have dinner at Heritage Tavern in Madison (or so they thought). In reality, Jody typed a text to confirm their date details, forget to hit send, so both thought they were being stood up. Jody eventually caught her mistake, and here we are today!
I arrived early to photograph rings and some of Jody’s details. Although wedding rings are always important, theirs were particularly meaningful. Jody’s mother passed away about a month prior, and parts from her wedding ring were used in Jody’s design.
Between reflecting on her mother and the emotions of the big day, tears were bound to fall. It’s moments like these when we need our best friends; the comfort they bring is immeasurable.
We stepped outside and got goofy :) first with Jody’s two bridesmaids, then with her four girlfriends from Boston!
What an elegant bouquet!
We stepped into a hidden grove for an emotional father-daughter first look. “Your mother would be proud, and so am I.”
With 5 minutes, we got a few shots with Daryl and his parents.
The two goofballs get to see each other before the ceremony!
After their first look, Daryl and Jody headed inside while guests arrived. In the meantime, I captured ceremony details and guest candids.
There are many reasons why I loved Daryl and Jody’s ceremony. The light was soft and beautiful, the ceremony was intimate and personalized, it was on-site and convenient, and it was touching and emotional. It also doesn’t hurt that the bubble exit was perfect :)
It’s always an emotional time following a wedding ceremony as the newlyweds embrace their guests. Today, however, was bittersweet. Peppered in with pure joy was a tragic sadness; the void missed by Jody’s mother was evident. Although I look for happy shots 99%, it doesn’t always tell the complete story.
I always talk with couples ahead of time about their feelings on family formals; it’s extremely important to some and we should budget accordingly, while others want minimal groups and to go as fast as possible. Jody and Daryl fell under the latter. In fact, Daryl didn’t wan’t formals at all! Consequently, we moved very quickly and non-traditionally.
We hopped in Daryl’s car and drove down the street to Anderson’s Dock for a few newlywed formals. We only had 20 minutes, but we had time to practice their first dance and paint their wedding date on the bench!
Finally, we return to Eagle Harbor Inn for dinner, speeches, and first dances. For only having five hours of coverage, we sure got a lot done! Daryl and Jody, thank you again for trusting your wedding with me, and I hope you enjoy your stunning album for years to come :)
