An Intimate December Wedding in the Middle of a Blizzard in Orange City, Iowa

It’s a lighthearted joke that most couples don’t know what to expect for weather on their wedding days in Iowa. I’ve shot weddings that were sweltering hot and humid in August and others that were cool and mild for that time of year. I’ve also shot a February wedding that was absolutely gorgeous weather, you would guess it was May! Last year I shot a wedding on December first that was a bit chilly, but sunny and relatively pleasant. But this December first was a different story as we got our first big snow fall of the season! Driving to Orange City was a bit dicey, so I asked Jason to drive me up there. It was a bit of a white out in certain spots, so we gave ourselves plenty of time. We got there without problem and were so happy to be with Izzy and Austin for their important day. Those two had enough stress to think about, they didn’t need to worry about the photographer being late.

I think overall we got 5 or 6 inches of snow during their wedding day, and so I am incredibly thankful that everyone got to and from the event safely! The blizzard weather even made for a couple beautiful portraits even though we only braved the wind for a total of 3.5 minutes.

I believe Izzy and Austin wanted a small, intimate wedding and it was incredibly nice to see this type of event. They had their closest family near them and their adorable son Kyler. He was so well behaved the entire day, I forgot he was there and he’s only a few months old! This was the first time I shot at the Blue Mountain Emporium and I was blown away at the amount of details they had in their collection of antiques! There were amazing things everywhere and the ambiance of the venue was incredible. It went so well with the cozy holiday feel of their wedding details, including everything from red ornaments to pinecones. Izzy thought of everything, but honestly my favorite touches were the nail board art pieces she made of snowflakes! I loved shooting the ring details on those boards. Also, huge shoutout to the Emporium because the food was phenomenal! One of the best wedding meals I have had this year, and the chicken cordon bleu was perfection. Thank you to all the staff for coming in during the snow storm to help Izzy and Austin welcome their guests with warm wonderful food.

Congratulations to the newest Mr and Mrs Bergquist! I hope you loved your memorable wedding day and love these images equally as much.

A HUGE THANK YOU TO THE CREATIVE TEAM!

PHOTOGRAPHY // Jessica Brees Photography

VENUE // The Barn at Blue Mountain Emporium

FLORAL // LeBloom Floral & Antiques

BRIDAL GOWN // David’s Bridal

TUXEDO // Claussen’s

HAIR STYLE // Hair Attractions

CAKE & DESSERTS // Piece of Cake

I am looking to book a few more weddings in 2019 and date availability is limited. If you’re still looking for your “photographer soulmate,” I’d love for you to learn about me wedding photography and contact me!