My cousin-in-law (if that’s not a thing, it is now!) got engaged over the holidays to the man of her dreams and they set their sights on having their wedding for the 4th of July weekend at their farm. Two things I love: celebrating our nation’s independence and farms! Count me in! She wanted this day to be special (well, what bride doesn’t?) so she asked any family members or friends that she could to participate. Me being the family photographer happily said yes to this request and together we planned out her day! I even helped get a playlist going for the ceremony!

She was keeping it small; just family and a few close friends so it was a very casual wedding. Also something right down my ally! (I so wanted a backyard wedding myself but the logistics just didn’t work out!) They planned to have the whole thing outside at their farm house. After their first dance she planned on them taking off their wedding attire and putting on more casual clothes and just party the night away! Unfortunately, the day before the wedding the forecast called for thunderstorms the next evening. They held off as much as they could but that morning when it said 100% chance of thunderstorms during the time of their ceremony they decided to pull everything indoors. Bummer. I don’t think there’s anything that can crush a bride’s spirit more than envisioning your day to be one way and then suddenly it doesn’t turn out that way. But some how Mistie’s spirit was never crushed and the only thing she cared about was being Stacy’s bride and ending the night as his wife. They are seriously the perfect couple!

Luckily, Stacy’s father’s farm house was just down the road and he had a living room/wedding ceremony room built into his house all ready to go! It may have been the first wedding to happen in that room but it was perfect! Big, open and rustic. His house also offered the perfect backdrop for all of their wedding photos. Big stone patio, large open land and a huge corn field, plus lots of old ford trucks around the property!

It didn’t end up storming but there was a little rain just before the ceremony. The sun peeked out for a moment while we did some portraits outside which came out amazing!

We headed back to their home for the reception. The DJ was set up in the living room where they had their first dance. Personally, I love that they got to have their reception at their house. Every time they sit or walk through their living room they can be reminded of their first dance as husband and wife and how they were able to spend the entire evening surrounded by the most important people in their lives, celebrating their love for one another. We sure danced a lot that night! And I say “we” because I definitely got in on that action! When we said our goodbyes and I walked outside I saw what they had set up originally. They had huge wooden crates where they had planned to have the food and DJ set up and lots of string lights in the trees lighting up the whole back yard. It was so pretty!

I want to wish Mistie and Stacy Quincy a very happily every after! You both deserve it!