Brad + Leigha | Wedding at The Silo in Allegan
When a bride and groom plan on having a "first look", it changes the pace and feel of the wedding day.
Brad and Leigha wanted to see each other prior to their wedding ceremony to take away the butterflies and ensure their guests had less downtime between the ceremony and dinner.
We created a schedule that would give us time for their first look, portraits with the bride and groom, the wedding party and an off site visit to downtown Allegan.
How did this change the pace and feel of the wedding day?
It meant by the time of the ceremony, 90% of formal photos were complete, there was 20 minutes of family photos scheduled and after that, cocktails, dinner and fun!
Brad and Leigha's wedding day was held at the beautiful Silo venue in Allegan and we would highly recommend the location for couples looking for an outdoor ceremony venue and air conditioned barn venue (yes, you heard that right, an air conditioned barn).
Both guys and girls prepared for the big day on site, which meant we, as the photographers, were able to arrive, scout locations and get down to the business of making Brad, Leigha and all those involved in the wedding looking confident and comfortable in front of the camera.
Leigha wanted their first look to happen at the same location as the ceremony, which meant Brad was under the outdoor gazebo as Leigha came down the aisle for the first time.
We spent time with just the two of them and 20 minutes later had the rest of the wedding party join us for portraits.
With a 4:30pm ceremony and photos happening prior to the wedding, we were tasked with finding shade for portraits (due to the high sun). Not only did this give us better light for photos, it also kept the wedding party cool (temps reached into the high 80s).
Having a game plan for the wedding day is so crucial!
Leigha emailed me the week of the wedding and said, "I have two locations I would like to visit off site that are about a 5 minute drive. Could we go there prior to the ceremony?"
My response was, "Of course we can!"
We made our way to downtown Allegan and were surprised at how photogenic the downtown area was with the steel bridge across the river and a great walkway between two buildings.
We would have loved to spend more time in the downtown area, but we knew we had to keep everyone on schedule for the 4:30pm ceremony.
Guests began arriving at The Silo and keeping cool inside the venue until just before 4:30pm when everyone headed down to the ceremony site.
Almost every chair was full for Brad and Leigha's wedding and with no walls to hinder our wandering feet, we were able to capture many unique moments during the wedding.
Not having walls is one major advantage to having an outdoor wedding. It allows us, the photographers, additional space to roam and create unique images during the ceremony.
After guests moved from the ceremony site back up to the barn venue for the reception, we were able to capture a few more bride and groom portraits (see above).
With all the formal photos done, the wedding party made their way back up to the reception space and awaited their "grand entrance".
This gave them downtime to enjoy each other's company and simply take in the day.
After a great meal, it was time for a night of dancing and fun.
Brad and Leigha met while at the Electric Forest Music Festival, which means they both love music and dancing.
They, along with their guests did not disappoint and the floor was full for almost the entire evening.
Wedding Vendors
Ceremony, Reception & Catering: The Silo Barn Venue
Wedding Dress: Becker's Bridal
Bridemaid's Dresses: JJ's House
Groom's Attire: Men's Wearhouse
Hair: Morgan at Design 1
Flowers: Katie Vandenburg
DJ: Jacob Buck
Love the images you see of Brad and Leigha? Looking for a photographer that can make you feel confident? We would love to connect with you about your photography needs!
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