- Dana M. Peck with photography by Stella Whitaker
Do it BIG in the backyard
Imagine transforming your backyard into the perfect backdrop for your wedding - it can be the ideal place for your special day. Having your wedding in your backyard can allow you and your future hubby to capture your unique charm and personality. You can make it extra special and as small or big or as formal or informal with a few design elements. Think about bringing in tents or borrow a few picnic tables to create just the right setting.
In this wedding picture, the happy couple used the home of the bride’s grandmother. The bride’s aunt created the well-appointed decorations for the wedding and ceremony. This was particularly sentimental for the bride because she is very close to her aunt and gave her free reign to transform the yard. As you can see from the pictures she did an awesome job. You can appreciate the authenticity of the setting - while many elements were decorated, the others were left exposed like the fence.
In this shot we see the couple’s first dance as husband and wife. This was a special moment because the groom really wanted to impress his bride and we can tell he did just that by her beautiful smile. Technically speaking, we see the expert use of the natural lighting from the sun and because of this skilled utilization the couple’s images are clear and in focus while the background is purposely out of focus.
Notice in this photo the expert technique exposing the detail visible of both the rose and the bride’s beautiful dress with a direct focus on the roses. Each of the roses in the bouquet was handpicked by the groom, which signified his deepest devotion to his bride.
One of our favorite moments in the ceremony was the lighting of the unity ceremony. In this image we shot using black and white to capture the smoke emitting from the candle signifying the beginning of the new chapter in this couples lives.
This final shot captures that personal triumphant moment for the bride as she celebrates the conclusion of the ceremony and the beginning of the next season with the love of her life. She appears as if she exhales reveling in the fulfillment of her dreams!
We hope you enjoyed these pictures from one of our favorite backyard weddings so when you start planning your reception you may glean a little inspiration! Happy Planning!!