FOUR DAUGHTERS WINERY WEDDING PHOTOS BRIANA AND JOHN
Have you ever considered a vineyard as the perfect venue to host your wedding? You will discover through these photos how it was the case for Briana & John.
But we will also talk about what you should pay attention to when choosing this kind of location in Minnesota. In particular, how can you avoid having your memories completely ruined by a rainy day?
From the preparation to the celebration and the party, let’s dive into this wedding and see what was important for this successful event and what helped provide such beautiful photographs.
Warning: Through my photography experience, I will try to give you a variety of tips and recommendations when choosing your event center, and these are just my subjective opinions.
Table of Contents
Amazing couple captured at Spring Valley’s best wedding venue
First contact with Briana and John before their unique day
First of all, let’s say that Briana and John are just an amazing couple and one of my favorites of the year. While John is charming and discreet, Briana has officially won the largest smile of the year, and her smile is also in her eyes when she looks at him.
I first met Brianna in a coffee shop in Rochester, and we shot their winter engagement session a few weeks after.
She is full of joy, has an infectious laugh, is smart, and appreciates all my bad jokes. What’s more, she has a kind of natural beauty and expresses patience and attention to others (I love her relationship with her nephews). She embodies the dream of many filmmakers, offering at the same time the spontaneity of a child and the beauty of a fatal woman when she stops laughing.
Presentation of the Four Daughters Vineyard
Located on HWY 63 at Spring Valley, MN, the Four Daughters vineyards offer 6 acres of vines and much more. While weddings usually take place outside, surrounded by grapes, it also has majestic hundred-year-old Minnesota Oak trees. You can enjoy those trees as a forest or in their simplicity on a clean lawn.
Last but not least, the building itself. When you enter the vineyard, you stand in the restaurant; then you have a tasting room (where the cocktails also took place). A small windowless room is reserved for the bride and groom (serving as a bridal suite with a makeup table). Upstairs, a club-like mezzanine is dedicated to the groom and groomsmen’s preparation.
Finally, the main and larger room can handle up to 300 guests and has big windows. It’s decorated with a beautiful red wall, an outstanding shiny polished cemented floor, and, of course, charming oak barrels. It hosts your dinner and turns into the ballroom for the party. Along the entire length of the building stands a shaded patio that welcomes guests for cocktails and refreshments.
Wedding Preparation at the Winery
After their winter engagement session at Oxbow Park in Rochester, MN, I was excited to meet Briana and John for their big day at the Four Daughters Winery. It was a sunny day with an immaculate blue sky! Briana just arrived with her bridal squad. They got ready in the tasting room, which is spacious with a lot of natural light coming from the big windows. The girls were a bit excited, like every concerned woman. Kids were playing and having lots of fun.
I used this time to capture still-life pictures of the dress, rings, shoes, and other bridal attire.
Then the groom arrived with his groomsmen to get ready. After tying the knot properly, it was time for the first look under the Minnesota Oak tree.
Bride and groom photos
All the wedding party photos and first look were mixed together, but we make it work.
Bridal Party, Family Photos and Rehearsal
It’s under the same tree that we took the other bridal party and family photos. I offered at the same time some appreciated shade and a nice view of the vineyard. After that, the bride, the groom, and the bridal squad quickly performed a rehearsal.
Outdoor Ceremony under The Spring Valley Sun
When all the guests were seated by the ushers, the ceremony took place. Thankfully, ushers welcomed people, offering them bubbles and a bottle of water. The officiant, who was actually a friend of the couple, made a very personalized speech. It was a great moment and you can feel the emotion in the images.
As a photographer, I really enjoyed the emotion, the landscape, and the perfect blue sky!
Two other friends (musicians) sang and played guitar during the processional and the recessional. The bride and groom exchanged their vows and their rings. Then they struggled with the wind to light a unity candle. And, after being introduced to the world as a husband and wife, the newly married couple walked down the aisle, under the bubbles blown by their guests. Then they welcomed their guests in a receiving line.
Cocktail hour on the Patio
While the bar was inside the tasting room, most of the people actually enjoyed a slight breeze under the shaded patio. As I explained to the bride and the groom, cocktails are the perfect time for your photographer to catch candid shots of your guests.
Dinner, Party in the Barrel Room
The dinner took place in the main room (the Barrel Room), featuring those beautiful oak barrels. Brent Robertson (DJ at Ever After) played the bride and groom’s song and invited them to open the dance immediately. After this show, the dinner started, followed by the maid of honor’s (sister) speech and the best man’s (brother). His speech was nothing but hilarious!
More Bride and Groom during Sunset Pics
The couple wanted romantic memories of their unique day. So we escaped for 10 minutes, using the 6 acres of vineyards to capture some romantic shots.
Best Restaurants in Spring Valley and Maybe in Minnesota
I swear I am not sponsored by the Four Daughters Vineyard anyway! This was, by far, one of the best meals I ate at a wedding. And, as you know, I am a picky, pretentious French guy with high expectations regarding food!
Regarding their wines, they have an incredibly large production. When I asked questions, I learned that they import grapes from warmer states.
If you want to have a good dinner, that’s probably one of the best places to go in MN.
Artistic Picture during the Night
After turning the room into a dancefloor, I took the newly married couple outside for more staged pictures.
I first used the lighting coming from the Deer Creek Speedway Campground. After that, I set up another image, using a far-away thunder as my background! And finally, we had fun with sparklers and mosquitoes.
If you check at my portfolio, you will see that I always like to do a last artistic image.
Pros and cons of hosting your wedding at the Four Daughters Vineyard
Pros
- Close to Rochester from the highway
- Possibility to host your ceremony inside in case of rain
- 6-acre vineyard
- Oak tree, clean lawn with a century-old oak tree
- Forest-like area
- Cornfield, red barn (that offer other options for pictures)
- Cocktail room
- The beautiful main room, with red walls, nice floor and wood barrels
- Shaded patio
- Super friendly team
Cons
- Not a real bridal suite nor a real groom suite. Neither room has a window.
- Mosquitos during the night (which is pretty normal for fields, especially in MN)
- The parking lot is aligned with the ceremony aisle and thus could be in your picture background.
What to consider regarding vineyard ceremonies
In this last part, I will sum up what I have explained.
Bridal Suite to get ready
In wedding photography, the preparations are usually a big part of your album. It is the moment the photographer captures the interaction between you and your closest family. Taking pictures in a tiny space with no windows is clearly not an option if you want a good result. Also, pay attention to these details. If the venue doesn’t offer good space, you might need to book a hotel or Airbnb.
Variety of Landscape
You can have a 10-acre vineyard and have only one kind of landscape on the site. Make sure there are other options available in the area. Vines are great, but you might wish for a bit more diversity such as lakes.
Rain
It’s the major concern you must have. Rain can give your wedding some very different directions! For instance, I was supposed to shoot a ceremony at the Whitehaven winery two years ago. It was unfortunately a rainy day. The Whitehaven winery offers a covered place, but not big enough to handle all the guests, so we took only the family pictures there. What a shame.
Sun and Shadow
If it’s a hot day, you would appreciate having your celebration take place under the shade of a majestic tree.
Location
If you serve alcohol during your dinner (and who would not if your wedding took place in a vineyard), then you don’t want your family members to drive many miles. For this purpose, you will prefer a hotel close to your reception. So make sure that your venue is not isolated in the countryside but close to downtown.
Alcohol Policy
While some wineries also offer cider, beer, and juice, some wineries give no other choice than buying their wine production only. If you know your friends would love another kind of alcohol, then pay attention that the alcohol policy fits your needs.
Cocktail and Ballroom Size
You want to make sure you will have enough space to mingle and dance during your reception.
Pricing for getting married at the Four Daughters Vineyard & Winery
Four Daughters Vineyard offers their comprehensive wedding package with pricing based on your guest count, making it more affordable for a smaller wedding.
The package includes everything you need for your special day, from the getting-ready room, the ceremony space, to the reception setup.
Note that Friday and Saturday weddings are priced the same.
Wedding Package Rates
The pricing structure includes both the venue package and a food and beverage minimum:
- 1 to 49 guests: $3,500 package + $2,000 food/beverage minimum
- 50 to 99 guests: $5,000 package + $3,500 food/beverage minimum
- 100 to 149 guests: $6,000 package + $5,500 food/beverage minimum
- 150 to 199 guests: $6,500 package + $6,000 food/beverage minimum
- 200 to 249 guests: $7,000 package + $7,500 food/beverage minimum
- 250 to 300 guests: $7,500 package + $9,000 food/beverage minimum
The food and beverage minimum ensures you’ll have plenty to eat and drink, and any amount you spend on catering and beverages counts toward meeting this requirement.
You can read our dedicated article if you need more information on the average price of a venue in Minnesota, and understand the hidden prices.
What’s Included in the Price
Your wedding package covers everything from ceremony to reception. You’ll get the venue rental from 10am to midnight, including both the vineyard ceremony space and the barrel room for your reception. The package includes all tables, chairs, linens, and their signature glassware, plus complete setup and teardown services.
You’ll also have access to a bridal room for getting ready, a day-of wedding coordinator, and a scheduled rehearsal. The venue provides A/V equipment, customized signage for your bar and menus, and use of their decorations.
Keep in mind that an 18% service fee applies to your total bill, along with 6.87% Minnesota sales tax on food, beverages, and services. Alcohol purchases have a 9.3% tax rate.
The food and beverage minimum ensures you’ll have plenty to eat and drink, and any amount you spend on catering and beverages counts toward meeting this requirement.
What is not Included
Despite these venue offers an all-inclusive package, there are two costs to consider for the wedding:
- hotel for you and your guests
- Transportation to these hotels.
Should You Get Married at Four Daughters Vineyard?
Four Daughters works well for couples who want the natural elegance of the vineyard, and sophisticated architecture, enjoy wine culture, and value exceptional food and beverage quality. The venue suits those who appreciate authentic wine country charm and don’t mind a rural setting.
The venue is big enough and has enough different backgrounds for photography, whether it’s a sunny day or a cloudy day.
However, it may not be ideal if you need extensive bridal prep space, prefer completely indoor ceremonies, or are planning a wedding for over 300 guests.
The outdoor elements (weather dependency), might also be a consideration for some couples.
Conclusion
The reception space is remarkably bright thanks to windows all around and waxed concrete floors that reflect light beautifully. In winter, with snow covering the vineyard, this creates an almost magical brightness inside.
The quality of both food and wine sets Four Daughters apart from other Minnesota venues.
Thanks to Briana and John for allowing me to capture their special day and for being such a joy to work with!
If you’re planning your wedding at Four Daughters Vineyard or any other Minnesota venue, I’d love to help capture your special day. Contact me to discuss your wedding photography needs and let’s create beautiful memories together.
