So what exactly is an experiential wedding weekend? As we’ve seen a shift in weddings (especially post 2020), there’s definitely been a shift towards more intentional events. I’ve been photographing weddings for over 17 years at this point, and I’ve seen and felt in recent years this pull in certain couples for their wedding to have more depth. It’s not just about showing off or putting on a production for them. It’s about intentionally crafting an experience with their favorite people, and creating life-long memories while celebrating together.
So the experiential wedding weekend is less about the “shoulds” you typically see with weddings, and more about having experiences with your people, in one of your favorite places.
Katie and Roger did that to perfection with their destination wedding weekend in Michigan (see more from their 4th of July casual wedding welcome party here!). Day two of their official wedding weekend kicked off the morning with a game of pickleball (not pictured, unfortunately! But how freaking fun), before everyone headed into the town for the annual Leland 4th of July parade (which was every bit as cheese-mazing as it sounds!! Small town parades are the best). After the parade everyone was off on their own adventure, with a small group venturing a dip in the lake outside the family cabin (the center of the weekend’s festivities–read more in the welcome party post), before gathering for the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner.
Even the theme of the rehearsal dinner was chosen with intentionality and care. It was an Italian night, inspired by Katie and Roger’s favorite tradition of cooking and sharing an Italian meal together (this time, surrounded by all their favorite people).
I loved that they also had an Instax camera floating around all weekend capturing little in between moments. In my opinion, the more photos, the better!
After the parade, it was time to head back to the cabin for naps and a dip in the lake before getting ready for the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner!
The sweetest toast from Roger’s mom before dinner
If you’re currently planning a wedding, my biggest piece of advice is to remember that it can look however YOU want it to look! There’s so very few shoulds (outside the legal) of how things HAVE to be. Decide how you want to feel, think about who you want to share it with, and let that guide you as you’re planning your experiential wedding weekend.
If you’re looking for a photographer who captures the life in your wedding weekend, I’d love to chat and see if we would be the right fit for each other! I can’t wait to hear what you’re planning.
Finally, I’ll leave you with a few words from the bride, Katie, of this lovely wedding weekend:
“Through her pictures, Jen captures life. She is able to capture all the emotions of the wedding day in a way that I’ve never seen before- from the getting ready process to the staged pictures, but so much more in between. She captures everything from a different angle and perspective- rarely is anything head on. Instead, she snaps her camera when you aren’t even looking and what turns out is the most beautiful of pictures. She looks at your wedding day from an entirely different lens.” –Katie, 2024 bride
Stay tuned for the recap of Katie and Roger’s wedding day!
xoxo,
Jen
P.S. You might also enjoy checking out the post from their welcome party!
