Allison and Jason’s wedding was such a treat for me. 1. Allison & Jason and their families and friends are so wonderful. 2. They got married along the shores of Lake Superior (which is by far my favorite lake!) 3. I love destination weddings (even if they are only 6 hours from my place) 4. I got to photograph this wedding with the love of my life, Neil (and he did so great)!
Where was your wedding?
Bayfield, WI!
What were your deciding factors in choosing your venue(s)?
We really wanted a place where all of our guests could spend the weekend together, enjoying and exploring a destination that has come to mean a lot to us. Our other goal was a casual, flexible location where our guests could easily walk from their lodging to the event venues.
What was your greatest challenge in planning your wedding? What did you feel least prepared for?
Since we wanted a venue where we could choose our own caterer and stock our own bar, we had a lot of little details to coordinate and numbers to come up with that sometimes presented a challenge. Fortunately we had many friends, family and vendors that were happy to offer advice along the way. The only thing we could have been a little more prepared for was the reception timeline being more structured- we did not have a day-of coordinator, so all things considered, things went very smoothly!
What resources helped you in planning your wedding? (blogs, websites, magazines, friends, wedding shows, etc.)
We used a couple websites (weddinggawker, offbeat bride), but mostly our great vendors and friends provided the most help.
How did you calm your wedding day nerves?
We really treated it like any other day- getting up, having coffee together…then the set-up and semi-madness began, so we were really too busy to get nervous! It helps to have calming people around you during the day too- and people willing to help out wherever needed.
Do you have any advice for people planning a wedding?
Don’t be constrained by tradition- I truly think people will be okay with whatever unique things you want to incorporate into your day. People will appreciate a wedding that reflects your personalities and life.
Took the opportunity to do an environmental portrait!
Which moment(s) are/were you most excited to see in your wedding photos?
Since Maureen was doing some cool ‘artsy’ stuff with us before the ceremony, we’re excited to see those shots, along with ones of our guests at the ceremony.
This shot is for Jason!
What was the most enjoyable part of planning your wedding?
If we hadn’t been planning a wedding, we never would have had the opportunity to meet so many talented, gracious vendors from both Madison and Bayfield.
Did you write your own vows?
We did decide to write our own vows, which we kept a secret until the ceremony. I think a lot of people thought we did write them together, because they reflected so many of the same ideas- our chance re-meeting in a coffee shop (we knew each other in college but hadn’t seen each other for many years), our hopes for our future together, and the many ways we complement each other.
Why did you choose Maureen Cassidy Photography?
While looking for a photographer, we were hoping to find someone familiar with Bayfield that was more into capturing unscripted moments than posed ones. Maureen fit those criteria, plus we felt like we’d known Maureen for years the minute we met.
What memory stands out most from your wedding day?
That’s a hard one to narrow down, so here are a few memories that really stood out: reading our personal vows during the ceremony (we didn’t share them ahead of time), listening to the touching wedding message our officiant (Allison’s Godfather) prepared, and the awesome toasts/speeches at the reception.
Any funny moments to share?
Nothing outrageously funny, but there was a moment we thought the father/daughter dance might not happen, as Allison’s father was a bit busy handing out the special cigars he had ordered. Eventually he was tracked down for the dance, and did get to enjoy his cigars afterwards!
If you had an unlimited budget or simply could redo your wedding day, would you have done anything differently?
I suppose that with an unlimited budget we could have hired a band vs. a DJ, but people were on the dance floor until 1am, so I think we did okay in that respect! Otherwise everything was pretty perfect in our eyes.
Vendor Shout-outs!
Ceremony Venue: Bayfield Memorial Park
Reception Venue: Bayfield Lakeside Pavilion
Hair: Nicole Glaza (friend of the bride & groom who works at Cinema Studio in Madison)
Make up: Nicole Glaza
Wedding Dress: Monica Freng (of Monirose)
Groom & Groomsmen Attire: Macy’s
Catering & Bar-tending: Good Thyme (Washburn, WI)
Rentals (tents, chairs, linens, etc.): London Road Rentals (Duluth, MN)
Officiant: Tom Foltz (family friend and Godfather of the bride)
Wedding planner: Allison & Jason, friends, family , and vendors
Flowers/Florist: purchased boxes of fresh perennials from Hauser’s Superior View Farm in Bayfield and our friends/family arranged them
Invitations: Jill Koskelin of Etikette (Middleton, WI)
Dessert (cake and such!): Coco Bakery (Washburn, WI)
Photography: Maureen Cassidy Photography + her amazing, awesome, wonderful boyfriend Neil Thompson
DJ: Sounds Unlimited (Duluth, MN)
Musicians: Ric Gillman (acoustic guitar during ceremony)
Favors: personalized cups from Discount Mugs
Honeymoon: Australia and New Zealand
Maureen Cassidy is a Madison wedding photographer, Madison family photographer & Madison boudoir photographer who loves capturing connections, love and beauty in Wisconsin and around the world. If you would like to send her a message contact her {here}.
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