McKenna + Riley - Appleton Wedding - racheljensenphotography.com

McKenna and Riley had a lovely church ceremony and a beautiful reception at Fox Cities Stadium in Appleton.

Last spring when I first met McKenna and Riley the weather was just starting to warm up. Their engagement session was gorgeous and I couldn’t wait for October 2023 to get here! The date finally arrived. The weather was a bit on the dreary side to start, but the colorful leaves were still hanging on most of the trees and what’s fall without drab weather!

In Weyauwega Wisconsin, McKenna grew up in her parents’ house. That is where the day began. There was a fairly calm atmosphere of anticipation to it when I arrived. Bridesmaids were finishing up with hair and makeup. The kids were getting in some quick snacks. Everyone was packing their bags with the evening’s necessities. McKenna was prepared for everything. She had all the details to photograph laid out on the table with plenty of the florals and ribbons to add to the shots. This was probably the best detail layout I’ve had this year! I could actually tell what shoes and flowers were hers without guessing, and that’s a rare luxury. We were off to a good start and before long I was headed to the church, just in front of the girls.

Wedding Bells are ringing!

The groomsmen were there staying cool in the parking lot when I arrived. St. Peter’s Lutheran is a beautiful church. The stained glass windows contain a heavy ratio of greens and browns that are unique to what I normally see. The alter inside is gorgeous as well and was a beautiful setting for McKenna and Riley to utter their vows and commit their lives to each other. After gathering the family for some photos there, we took time for bridal party portraits outside in front of the stunning building. The mist began to settle as the party bus pulled up and we were off to the next stop.

At Bridge Bar in Fremont, we spent a short time getting some portraits of just McKenna and Riley on the weathered docks of the river. The mist had thickened and the chill was getting deeper. Of course, I hoped we’d get a break in the weather at our final destination. That did not happen. We had rain, not mist, at the stadium. However, the chilling cold rain was of no consequence to this wedding party! McKenna wanted the fall colors of the nature trail in her photos so that is what we did. Everyone was soaked, but the mission was accomplished and all the hard parts were done.

Party Time!

I didn’t know what to expect since I had never been in the banquet room at Fox Cities Stadium – home of the the Timber Rattlers baseball team. The event hall was gorgeous and plenty large for the event. A photo of McKenna and Riley was on the scoreboard screen over center field. Dinner of steak or chicken was served, and it was delicious. Their favours were printed cookie bags with a Packer scratch off in it. I thought that was uniquely clever. The desserts by The Cake Guru were so good though, I don’t think there were any left to put in the bags.

The dancing soon began and the party was on! I was on my way out an hour later, but I have a feeling people driving by on the highway could see the lights right up until it was shutdown time. This group was out to celebrate and they were doing a great job of it!

Congratulations McKenna and Riley on the beginning of your journey through life together!