Jessie and Jose – Married

A beautifully put together backyard wedding in Waupaca, WI.

When Jessie and Jose got engaged this spring they decided to keep the wedding small and have it at Jessie’s parents’ home, just in case there were still Covid hurdles to deal with in the fall. Good decision! The only thing we had to deal with that is always a possibility at an outdoor wedding was the weather. And deal with it we did!

Quick side story, I did a session for Jessie’s family a couple years ago at this same location. That day we had chances of rain all day but some of the family was from a long ways away so we had to make it work. The weather was almost exactly the same. We had some umbrella pictures and some without. When I walked in the house on wedding day I saw a huge canvas and a bunch of other prints from that session and it just armed my heart!

Back to wedding stuff – is there a word for the opposite of bridezilla? Because that’s Jessie. Nothing bothered her, nothing was a problem. We just rolled with it. She had people decorating and just said, make it look good. She had other people steaming dresses. Others were gathering the flower girls. No worries. When it was time to get in her dress it was wonderful. Mom Vicki is just the sweetest lady and I loved capturing these moments.

They decided in the last couple weeks that they would do a first look. I am so glad we did! It had to be done under the tent so for a few minutes the decorating crew stepped aside as Jessie made her way from the house and Jose waited patiently to see his bride. His reaction was so great! And understandable – she was gorgeous in her gown!

The timeline for this worked out so well! If you’re ever on the fence about doing a first look and you don’t have really strong feelings about keeping with tradition, do the first look. Someday I’ll do a post to explain the pros and cons. We did the wedding party through scattered showers, including the 6 – yes 6! – flower girls. And of course, the most handsome ringbearer!

The ceremony was supposed to be outside but we moved it into the tent. As Jose was putting the ring on Jessie’s finger the sky opened and it POURED. The ceremony was sweet as could be and so meaningful for them. As the ceremony ended so did the rain and we got to do family portraits outside. Travel restrictions kept a lot of Jose’s family from coming but the groomsmen were clearly like family to him. And by the way, the whole wedding party was so fun.

They opted for no dance and guests just got to all relax and converse while dining on Weasel’s pizza and tacos made by Jose himself. Kids got to change into play clothes and bounce in the bouncy house. And before the night ended we set up a bubble exit which I think was an even bigger hit with the adults than it was with the kids.

I am so honored I got to be their photographer and capture this day for them! Here are some of my favorites from the day!

  1. Tanya Nero says:

    Jessie these are absolutely beautiful I wish more could have shared this beautiful day with you it looks absolutely flawless!! I am so happy for you both I wish you a lifetime of happiness and love! Don’t stop being spontaneous keep your love alive and special 💓

  2. Dawn Morey says:

    What a wonderful job of capturing this beautiful fun wedding! Thank you for such amazing pictures to cherish forever!

  3. Oh Rachel thank you so much for the kind words & the absolutely beautiful pictures! You are always a joy to work with! And you have a special place in our family. You have caught the happiness of José and Jessie’s wedding day celebrations! And the unpredictability of life. So many fabulous pictures to choose from. Thank you again! ❤️

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