Want to take the stress out of searching for the right venue? Have a wedding in your backyard! In Pearl and Kyle’s case, they chose to have it in Pearl’s aunt’s backyard. The property was nestled right outside Minneapolis and had so many areas for guests to mingle and dance in. Using property that is in your family is a great way to have a unique wedding venue, a laid back atmosphere and turns out to be pretty cost efficient too!

During the height of the pandemic, popularity of backyard weddings rise to 57% percent. Now in 2023, more couples are choosing to do something at their own homes or even choosing the backyards of airbnbs or VRBOS available.

Even though this couple went with an untraditional venue, they were able to keep alot of the common wedding traditions that bigger weddings see. From cake cutting to first dances, check out this gorgeous day that features a sun-drenched golden hour, classic summer bites and a epic overlook of the lush nearby forests. Pearl got ready with her closest friends, while Kyle got ready with his best friends as well.

Their ceremony was short yet sentimental. Her family built this arch themselves! The summer florals on the arch piece it together. I love the unique shape!

After their ceremony, they had a recieving line and we jumped right into getting some bridal party portraits and family photos done.

Afterwards, they did a big entrance back into the backyard ceremony space with a champagne toast. Guests enjoyed small summery bites from a local chef that Pearl grew up knowing closely.

While guests mingled, Kyle and Pearl got some bridal portraits done!

After cocktail hour, the evening moved into speeches from parents and close friends. Everyone was giggling and tears were shed. The atmosphere was joyful and love was in the air!

The day was slow moving and laid back. We had plenty of time for golden hour portraits. Check out the awesome view from this overlook we shot photos at. You can see the “just-married” glow on Pearl and Kyle’s faces!

As the late summer sun started to set. They ended the day with moving the reception area under a tent in the front yard with lovely string lights. Their reception was full of first dances, choreographed numbers with their friends to their favorite songs, and energetic music bumping all night long. Since they were far from the city and didn’t have to adhere to venue rules, their guests got to party all night long!