This fall has been nuts weather-wise, and I feel like it has been cooler than usual. We’ve had a few nice days sprinkled in here and there, but generally it’s been pretty cold, and now we’re even looking at some October snow?! Aaron and Evelyn’s wedding was at Bella Sala in Tiffin, Iowa, and they were planning an outdoor ceremony to take advantage of the venue’s picturesque waterfall and landscaping. But, they were dealt one of the fall’s colder than usual days and eventually decided against getting married outside (it was the right choice, guys). On the bright side, it was also supposed to rain all over their wedding day, but fortunately the precipitation didn’t pan out and we took so many waterfall photos that I think we made up for the ceremony not happening there.
We started the day getting ready at Evelyn’s bridesmaid’s home in North Liberty where Eden Salon & Spa took care of the girls’ hair and makeup. Afterward, we traveled to Bella Sala to hang out for the rest of the day. We got our two main characters dressed into their formal attire, but before we brought them together, Evelyn shared a first look with her dad. For Aaron and Evelyn’s first look, we headed out into the cold and thus began the overflow of waterfall photos! We shot for about 10-15 minutes at a time and then took warm up breaks. It worked really well with the warm reception space being close by. And of course, the grounds are beautiful, so it was easy to work efficiently.
The ceremony was indoors in the reception space, but just because there wasn’t a waterfall in the background didn’t change the weight and significance of what took place. As always, beautiful photos are nice, but the real reason you have a wedding day is to focus on your love for one another and to celebrate with your closest family and friends. That can take place in an old church basement and still be beautiful. Kudos to Aaron and Evelyn for writing their own vows and making themselves and their parents cry!
After the ceremony, we took a few family photos and got right into the reception. Aaron and Evelyn shared their first dance right after their reception entrance, so we got all the big events out of the way early. Toward the end of dinner, we had sunset photos on the schedule, and even though it wasn’t sunny out, and it was super cold and windy, those photos were definitely still worth doing to capture the dramatic evening clouds. With all the big events out of the way early, it was party time and the sprawling dance floor stayed full and high energy all night!
Aaron and Evelyn, it was such a pleasure to be a part of your wedding day! We appreciated how chill you guys were and how much you prioritized the photos we were creating throughout the day. You guys have been amazing! We hope you enjoy this little sneak peek, and we will look forward to sharing the whole shebang with you soon!
Hair & Makeup – Eden Salon & Spa
Flowers – Hy-Vee Waterfront
Cupcakes – Scratch Cupcakery
DJ – LMD Productions
Dress – Hope’s Bridal
Catering – Phat Daddy’s
Photographers – Carter Photography
