Real Wedding at Pond View Barn: Melanie & Chris’s Rustic Rochester Wedding

Discover here Melanie and Chris’ wedding at the Rustic Pond View Barn in Pine Island. After a short presentation of the venue, we will see their day, from preparation to the dancefloor.
Melanie and Chris both live in Rochester, MN. Melanie is a music teacher; she plays saxophones (among other instruments) and performs in many bands. Christopher is a doctor at the Mayo Clinic. I first shot their engagement session in Rochester, MN, with the first snow of the season.
They both love the outdoors and were planning a wedding with 150 guests.

The Pond View Barn in Pine Island, MN

Nestled on rolling hills of Pine Island (just 30 minutes from Rochester, MN), the Pond View Barn is a beautifully restored 1890s barn that perfectly captures authentic rustic charm with its gray-black wood siding.
Owned by the dedicated Kerkhoff family, this 10-acre property offers couples an abundance of photogenic locations, from pine groves and a pond to weathered barn architecture and endless countryside views.
With a capacity up to 200 guests and exclusive weekend access, the Pond View Barn has become one of southeastern Minnesota’s most popular barn wedding venues. Check here for our dedicated wedding photography-oriented guide on the Pond View Barn.

Individual photos of each partner

Before seeing each other, it’s great to have some time for a portrait of the groom only and the bride only.

Bride and Groom First look

We staged the bride and groom’s first look photos on the main sand road, with the barn in the background.
There were a lot of emotion, even if both partners tried to keep their pocker faces ;D. it was beautifull.

Bride and Groom Photos

As a Rochester wedding photographer, working in such an environment felt like a kid in a playground.

So, after the initial look, we experimented with the pine trees to achieve a darker background.

The sand road at the entrance of the venue was an excellent spot as well, offering a perspective on the hills and bright lights;

After that, we took advantage of the wood wagon and continued with the triangle windows located on the top floor of the barn! I love this modern shape so much!

Wedding Party Photos

For the wedding party picture, we used the barn in the background. Luckily for us, it was cloudy, allowing us to shoot photos in every direction, by adding a bit of flash.

Wedding Ceremony: a lawn with a view on Pine Island hills

To get married, they planned the ceremony on the lawn, with oak trees and a view of the pond.
It was one of those June days when you don’t know if the weather will hold or if there will be a storm. We were pretty lucky that it didn’t rain.
You can see that there were musicians playing during the ceremony. I am not sure if it was the effect of the music or the speeches, but there were a lot of tears at the end of the ceremony.

Family photos

For the family photos, we used the area next to the bunkhouse for the photogenic background. We had many groups, but it was well organized and worked great.

Cocktail hour under the tent reception in the rustic barn

The cocktail hour took place mainly under the white tent, with some music. They had a French chef preparing galettes for the guests!
Then, the dinner took place inside the rustic barn, with more toasts.
During the reception, there was a lot of music, thanks to the band Loud Mouth Brass from Rochester, MN.

Sunset and last creative photos

At the end of the day, against all odds, the sun finally came out. It was time to take advantage of the golden hour lights! (Check here for the golden hour calculator.)

When I saw that, I ran to get the couple for sunset pictures and silhouette pictures.
Later that night, I set up flashes outside to create more artistic images, as I like to do.
I love shooting these last images that couples usually print in their wedding albums.

Rustic Barn Wedding Inspiration

Melanie and Chris’s celebration perfectly showcases why rustic barn weddings continue to capture couples’ hearts. Their wedding demonstrates how this timeless style effortlessly blends elegant romance with laid-back countryside charm. The natural beauty of weathered wood, exposed beams, and pastoral landscapes creates an inherently photogenic backdrop that requires minimal decoration to achieve maximum impact.

What makes rustic barn weddings especially appealing is their versatility: couples can dress them up with string lights and flowing fabrics for elegance, or keep them simple with wildflowers and mason jars for a more casual feel.
Melanie and Chris chose a middle ground, incorporating live music, a French chef, and Melanie’s custom-designed dress that honored her Asian heritage, proving that rustic doesn’t mean sacrificing sophistication or personal touches.

The outdoor ceremony among oak trees, cocktail hour under the tent, and reception inside the timber-framed barn created natural flow and distinct atmospheres throughout their celebration, offering guests varied experiences all within one cohesive rustic setting.

I can’t thank the couple enough for trusting me to cover their special day!

Last word on Melanie and Chris wedding

Melanie and Chris’s wedding perfectly captured what makes Pond View Barn special—authentic moments in a genuinely beautiful setting. From Melanie’s custom-designed dress that honored her Asian heritage to the emotional tears during the oak tree ceremony, every moment felt natural and unforced.

Their celebration proves that rustic doesn’t mean simple. With live saxophone music, a French chef preparing galettes, and the Rochester-based Loud Mouth Brass band keeping everyone dancing, they created an experience that was both elegantly sophisticated and warmly welcoming.

What struck me most about their day was how the venue’s natural beauty enhanced rather than competed with their personal touches. The weathered barn, rolling hills, and that magical sunset created the perfect backdrop for their love story—one that felt authentically theirs while embracing the timeless charm of Minnesota’s countryside.

If you’re dreaming of a wedding that feels both elegant and genuine, Melanie and Chris’s celebration shows exactly how Pond View Barn can make that vision come to life.

If you like the Pond View Barn, you might also be interested in the nearby Steeple Chase Event Center.

On the contrary, if you are looking for a new hype and fancy place, with a modern design, all white, with giant windows where indoor options look like a photography studio (which, let’s be honest, I love as well)…then the pond view might not be the place for you. Consider options such as the Spruce Hill Event Center in Zumbrota, or a quite similar venue further south, the Serenity Hills.

But don’t just take my word for it: come see for yourself and let Barb and Randy charm you in person (seriously, resistance is futile).

Wedding Vendors

Venue: Pond View Barn, Pine Island, MN
Photographer: French-Touch-Photography, Rochester Wedding Photographer
Music: Loud Mouth Brass, Rochester, MN
Catering: French Chef Jean Luc Rondreux
Bride’s Dress: Custom design by the bride
Guest Count: 150

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Ready to tie the knot in a rustic meets romantic countryside backdrop?
Contact me today, and let’s start planning your picture-perfect day!” I am based in Rochester, but I move everywhere in Minnesota.