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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 approach 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 that’s just my subjective opinion.

Amazing couple captured at Spring Valley’s best wedding venue

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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 larger smile of the year, and her smile is also in her eyes when she looks at him.

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 childlike 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 testing room (where also took place the cocktail).
A small windowless room is reserved for the bride and groom (serving as a bridal suite with a makeup table). Upstairs, a club-looking 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.
All the longer of the building stands a shaded patio that welcomes guests for cocktails and restaurants.

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Wedding Preparation for 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 Daughter 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 sites, like are every concerned woman. Kids were playing and having lots of fun.

I use this time to capture still-live 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.

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 on 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 usher, the ceremony touched place Thankfully, ushers welcome 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 struggle with the wind to light a unity candle.
And, after behind introduced to the world as an Husband and wife, the newly couple walk down the aisle, under the bubbles blew by their guests. Then they welcomed their guests in a receiving line.

Cocktail hour

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 and last artistic picture

The dinner took place in the main room, featuring those beautiful oak barrels. Brent Robertson (DJ at Ever After), played the bride and groom song and invited them to open the dance immediately.
After this show, the dinner started, followed by the maid of honor (sister) speech, and the best man (brother). This last one was nothing but hilarious!

Sunset Pics

The couple wanted romantic memories of their unique day. So we escaped 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 the wedding. And, as you know, I am a picky, pretentious French guy with high expectations regarding food!

Regarding their wines, they are 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 touched the newly married couple outside for more stage pictures. I first used the lightning 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 mosquitos.

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Pros and cons of hosting your wedding at the Four Daughters Vineyard

Pro

  • Close to Rochester from the HWY
  • Possibly to host your ceremony inside in case of rain
  • 6-acre vineyard
  • Oaktree, clean lawn with a century-old oak tree
  • Forest looking side
  • Cornfield, red barn (that offer other options for pictures)
  • Cocktail room
  • The beautiful main room, with red walls, nice floor and wood barrel
  • Shaded patio
  • Super friendly team

Cons

  • Not a real bridal suite nor a real groom suit. 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 catches 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 those 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 a bit more of diversity such as lakes.

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.

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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 several 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.

Venue Directions

When some winery also offers cider, beer, and juice, some wines give no other choice than buying their only wine production. If you know your friends would love another kind of alcohol, then pay attention that the alcohol policy fits with your needs.

Cocktail and Ballroom Size

You want to make sure you will have enough place to mingle and dance during your reception.

Black and White Portrait of Alexandre Mayeur, photographer at French-Touch-Photography

Born and raised in Paris, I am now a proud Wedding Photographer in Rochester, MN, serving MPLS.

I don’t only capture emotions in candid pictures, I also create timeless images and artful photographs.
Recognized as one of the best photographers in the Twin Cities.

I serve Duluth and also far beyond the 10,000 Lakes State (Wisconsin, Iowa, and destination). I am more than happy to discover beautiful landscapes and new horizons.

Have a look at my previous publications to learn more. As an experienced professional photographer, I don’t limit my field to lifestyle, family, or event photography! I invite you to visit my portfolio and discover my photography and work out of the studio.

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