Engagement Photoshoot on a Family Farm in Zumbrota
If you’re wondering what the best location is for your engagement photoshoot, the answer may be simple: the place you know, love, and respect most—the farm where you grew up. That’s why Nick and Jennifer chose his family farm for the first part of their session. Let’s dive in.
Table of Contents
A Few Words About the Couple
Nicholas and Jennifer, like many modern couples, met online on Bumble. Although they live in Colorado—one of the most spectacular states for landscapes—they decided to hold their wedding in Minnesota, Nick’s family’s home state.
First Contact with the Couple
We first connected online. Since they were planning a destination wedding in Rochester, Minnesota, they searched for the best vendors in the area. Fortunately, they found my website and reached out. A few months later, I conducted their engagement session.
An Isolated Farm on Zumbrota’s Rolling Hills
For their first set of photos, they returned to Nicholas’s childhood farm. Tucked far from the main road, it offered an authentic sense of history alongside privacy and intimacy. Feeling secure in a familiar place makes it easier to open up and reveal your true selves.
When I arrived, the family dog greeted me. Because this was a destination wedding, they didn’t bring their beloved dog, even though they had booked a pet-friendly venue. That decision added an extra layer of nostalgia and longing to the session.
The Red Barn
This farm features a red barn in the Norwegian style. Its weathered exterior now exudes rustic charm. The ground floor houses pigs and other farm animals. I’ll never forget Jennifer’s eyes lighting up when Nick told her how he raised pigs as a teenager—and even won a prize at the Minnesota State Fair with a friend.
The Quonset Shed
In addition to the barn, the farm includes a semi-circular Quonset hut that once sheltered an old red tractor. This emblematic structure dates back to the 1950s. As a wedding photographer, I aim not only to capture beautiful images but also to tell the couple’s story, so including this shed felt essential.
The Red Tractor
In the Quonset stood an old red tractor which probably dated from the 50’s or 60’s. I can’t resist including it in your photos. This is part of their family history!
Zumbrota’s Rolling Hills
The farm sits atop gentle rolling hills, just off Highway 52. Though Minnesota may seem flat, many areas have subtle elevation changes—think Welch Village, Pine Island, Northfield, Faribault, and Owatonna. Those hills create a lovely backdrop for portraits.
Conclusion
Shooting Nick & Jennifer’s engagement session on their family farm was an inspired choice. It revealed what matters most to them—family, heritage and loyalty—and added a touch of natural beauty.
So if you have a farm and you’re wondering whether to use it for photos, the answer is almost always yes. For the second part of their session, we headed downtown to Rochester, capturing street scenes and snapping shots in front of various restaurant storefronts.
A few months later, the couple tied the knot at a charmingaffordable venue in Rochester: the Blue Moon Ballroom. But that is a story for another time.
