SuperUser Account / Thursday, November 9, 2023

Summer Wedding at Legacy Hill Farm | Alison + Riley

Legacy Hill Farm is a one of a kind wedding venue in Welch, Minnesota. Check out highlights from Alison and Riley's wedding day to see what makes this venue so special!

White flowers on a shrub outside of a white building

Alison and Riley’s summer weddings at Legacy Hill Farm in Welch, Minnesota is easily one of my favorite wedding days I’ve had the pleasure of photographing. Alison, Riley, and I all instantly clicked during their engagement session, so when they chose me to be the photographer for their wedding I was practically bursting with excitement. These two, along with the help of their incredible family, friends, and vendor team, put together a wedding day to remember.

A Bit About Alison and Riley

Before we really dig into Alison and Riley’s wedding day at Legacy Hill Farm, I want to take some time to talk about how they got here as it’s a pretty fun story! Alison and Riley met thanks to Alison’s best friend from college marrying Riley’s friend from high school. Their relationship bloomed quickly and soon came the time for Riley to pop the question to Alison. On the day Riley was set to propose to Alison, things were going anything but according to plan! Riley kept trying to get Alison to go to certain locations like where they had their first date to propose there. Alison had other ideas though as Riley’s family was in town and it didn’t make sense to her why they would sneak away for some time by themselves.

This went on most of the day until Riley tricked Alison into going to the Minneapolis Institute of Art saying they were meeting up with his family at the mall. After one more hiccup of the spot Riley was hoping to propose at being occupied, he finally popped the question! Alison of course said yes and the two met up with their families to celebrate and cry some tears of joy together.

A wedding ring sits on a pair of white women's shoes which rest on a chair

Getting Ready and a First Look

To start off their wedding day, both Alison and Riley got ready separately so as not to see one another before their first look. Legacy Hill Farm is an incredible wedding venue for a lot of reasons, one of them being the number of spaces available to use throughout your wedding day! Both Alison and Riley were able to get ready for their wedding day on location in the company of their wedding parties which was SO much fun. As they were getting ready they both had an opportunity to exchange letters and gifts with one another. Alison gave Riley a watch while he wrote her a poem. It was such a special and emotional way to start their day, Riley’s poem even got Alison tearing up a little bit!

Once the two were dressed and ready we met up outside their getting ready space for their first look. This was easily one of my favorite highlights from the day. Seeing both Alison and Riley light up with joy and excitement seeing one another for the first time really set the tone for the rest of the day’s celebrations. If you’re wedding planning and aren’t sure on whether or not to include a first look in your day check out my article on the topic! After Alison and Riley’s first look we had some time for family and wedding party portraits before making our way to their ceremony.

2 photos side by side, the left is of a wedding ring resting on a flower that is part of a bouquet, the right is a wedding day flatlay

Top down photo of a wedding ring atop a folded tie which is resting on a pair of men's dress shoes

2 photos side by side, the left is of a wedding dress hanging on the front door of a white building, the right is of a wire fence with padlocks dangling on the wires

A flower bouquet rests on a small table outside of a white building

A woman smiles while holding a flower bouquet while standing inside of a getting ready space at the wedding venue Legacy Hill Farm

A woman sits in a chair and reads a card on the morning of her wedding while inside the getting ready space at Legacy Hill Farm

2 photos side by side, the left is of a bride hugging her mother and smiling before putting on her wedding dress, the right is of the mother buttoning up the back of the bride's wedding dress

2 photos side by side, the left is of a bride in a mirror putting her earrings on, the right is of the bride putting her earrings on

A group of men sit and stand in a circle outside of a white building on the grounds of Legacy Hill Farm before getting ready for the wedding that will be taking place there

A man sits on a bench and reads a card attached to a gift he received on the morning of his wedding day at Legacy Hill Farm

A man holds a letter and reads it while sitting on a bench outdoors

A bride sits in a chair in her wedding dress and puts on her shoes while in the getting ready space at Legacy Hill Farm

A groom smiles while standing outside as a friend helps adjust his shirt collar before his wedding at Legacy Hill Farm

A groom sits in a chair on a front patio and adjusts his suit cuffs

A fountain outside of a white building on the grounds of the wedding venue Legacy Hill Farm in Minnesota

A groom faces the camera while standing outside of a white building, behind him in the doorway is the bride about to tap him on the shoulder for a first look on their wedding day at Legacy Hill Farm

2 photos side by side, the left is of a bride touching the groom's shoulder to get him to turn around for their first look, the right is of the groom tearing up seeing the bride for the first time

A bride and groom hold hands while facing one another on a front patio of a white building of the wedding venue Legacy Hill Farm

2 photos side by side, the left is of a bride and groom smiling at the camera while standing next to one another, the right is of them in the same position smiling at one another instead

A bride and groom stand side by side and smile at the camera while standing outside a building at their wedding venue Legacy Hill Farm

Close up photo of a flower bouquet being held by the bride while the groom stands at her side

A bride and groom sit on an outdoor bench with one another on a patio of a white building at the wedding venue Legacy Hill Farm

A bride and groom kiss one another while sitting on a bench at their wedding venue Legacy Hill Farm

Close up photo of a bride and groom's hands holding one another, each with their wedding ring being shown off to the camera

A bride and groom dance next to a fountain in a courtyard at their wedding venue Legacy Hill Farm

A groom smiles at the camera while leaning against a fence at the wedding venue Legacy Hill Farm

Close up photo of a flower bouquet being held by a bride

A bride smiles as the groom whispers in her ear while the two stand in front of a tree on the grounds of their wedding venue Legacy Hill Farm

A bride stands behind the groom and locks arms with him while they stand outdoors at their wedding venue Legacy Hill Farm

2 photos side by side, the left is a wooden cross with flowers on it, the right is a wooden cross with pink/red fabric draped across it

Their Wedding Ceremony at Legacy Hill Farm

Alison and Riley’s wedding ceremony took place at Legacy Hill Farm’s outdoor amphitheater which was simply stunning on this summer day. Riley’s brother was the officiant for their ceremony which was a nice touch to add to their day. Having their community of friends and family there, all of whom are SO kind and supportive, meant the world to Alison and Riley. After their ceremony had finished and the two were officially newlyweds it was time to celebrate! They had some time to mingle with their guests during cocktail hour before the rest of the day’s festivities began.

A detail photo of a wedding day timeline and order of events

A woman smiles while being walked down the aisle of a wedding ceremony by a man

2 photos side by side of bridesmaids and groomsmen walking arm in arm down the aisle of an outdoor wedding ceremony together

2 photos side by side, the left is of two young boys who are ring bearers walking down the aisle, the right is of the flower girl and a young boy walking down the aisle together

A groom stands and smiles with hands clasped while at the outdoor ceremony space of the wedding venue Legacy Hill Farm

A groom smiles in the background as the bride and her father walk down the aisle together in the foreground of the photo during the outdoor wedding ceremony at Legacy Hill Farm

An officiant speaks during an outdoor wedding ceremony while the bride and groom stand side by side at their wedding venue Legacy Hill Farm

An outdoor wedding ceremony takes place at the venue Legacy Hill Farm in Minnesota

A bride and groom stand side by side during their outdoor wedding ceremony at Legacy Hill Farm while guests watch

A bride and groom stand during their outdoor wedding ceremony at Legacy Hill Farm while their wedding parties watch on either side of them

A bride and groom hold hands while their officiant speaks during their outdoor wedding ceremony at Legacy Hill Farm

A family huddles around one another for a prayer during an outdoor wedding ceremony at Legacy Hill Farm

2 photos side by side of a bride and groom standing next to one another during their outdoor wedding ceremony

A bride and groom kiss one another during their outdoor wedding ceremony at Legacy Hill Farm

A bride smiles at the groom as the two walk away from their outdoor wedding ceremony at Legacy Hill Farm while holding hands

A bride stands in front of a row of trees and smiles with her bridesmaids and flower girls after a wedding ceremony at Legacy Hill Farm

A bride mingles with her bridesmaids and flower girls while standing outside in front of a row of trees at the wedding venue Legacy Hill Farm

A bride smiles as she stands with her wedding party members in front of a row of trees at the wedding venue Legacy Hill Farm

A bride and her bridesmaids lock arms and face away from the camera towards a row of trees after an outdoor wedding ceremony at Legacy Hill Farm

A bride and groom stand with a group of young children in front of a cluster of trees after their wedding ceremony at Legacy Hill Farm

A groom stands with his groomsmen and the ring bearers as they all smile at the camera while in front of a row of trees after a wedding ceremony at Legacy Hill Farm

A groom faces the camera while his groomsmen on either side of him look away from the camera while standing in front of a row of trees at the wedding venue Legacy Hill Farm

A bride and groom stand with their wedding parties, flower girls, and ring bearers in front of a row of trees at the wedding venue Legacy Hill Farm

A bride and groom kiss while members of their wedding party surround them and cheer in front of a row of trees at the wedding venue Legacy Hill Farm

A group of children dressed for a wedding sit and smile at the camera while outside the reception space of the wedding venue Legacy Hill Farm

Dancing The Night Away at Their Reception

Alison and Riley’s wedding reception took place at Legacy Hill Farm’s Pavilion which is a gorgeous covered space of the venue. The celebrations began with some wonderful speeches and delicious food before it was time to hit the dance floor. Alison and Riley’s first dance song was an instrumental song from The Greatest Showman which was a special treat for me as it is currently one of my favorite musicals! For Alison’s dance with her father the two got very much into it and even invited Alison’s sister out on the dance floor which made it all the more fun! After that the newlyweds were able to dance the night away with all of their favorite people. Of course it wouldn’t be a summer wedding though if we didn’t sneak out for some sunset portraits of the newlyweds!

2 photos side by side, the left is of a welcome sign for a wedding, the right is of a dessert table with hanging lights above it

2 photos side by side, the left is of a reception space decorated for a wedding, the right is a detail photo of a plate set up on one of the tables

2 photos side by side, the left is a menu for a wedding reception, the right is a detail photo of flowers on a table

2 photos side by side, the left is of a bride and groom celebrating as they enter their wedding reception, the right is of them standing and smiling about to enter the reception space

2 photos side by side, the left is of a bride and groom celebrating as they enter their wedding reception space, the right is of the bride and groom kissing while sitting at their wedding reception

2 photos side by side, the left is of a groomsman giving a speech at a wedding reception, the right is of the bride smiling during the speech

A bride and groom sit and smile at one another while at their wedding reception at Legacy Hill Farm

A bride and groom sit next to one another and look towards a standing bridesmaid as she gives a speech during their wedding reception at Legacy Hill Farm

A woman cheers and raises a glass during a wedding reception at Legacy Hill Farm

A bride smiles while sitting and listening to a bridesmaid give a speech during her wedding reception at Legacy Hill Farm

A bride and groom listen and sit next to one another while a groomsman gives a speech during their wedding reception at Legacy Hill Farm

A groomsman gives a speech during a wedding reception at Legacy Hill Farm's indoor reception space

2 photos side by side, the left is of the bride and groom grabbing dessert from the dessert table, the right is of them kissing one another

2 photos side by side of the bride and groom standing next to one another, the left is of the bride laughing at the camera and the right is of the groom kissing the bride's cheek

A bride and groom intertwine arms as they feed one another a piece of cake during their wedding reception at Legacy Hill Farm

A bride and groom embrace one another while standing outside as the sun sets behind them while at their wedding venue Legacy Hill Farm

2 photos side by side, the left is of a bride and groom about to kiss one another at sunset, the right is of the same couple walking towards the sunset away from the camera

2 photos side by side of a bride and groom standing with their backs to the camera at sunset, in the left photo the bride is looking over her shoulder at the camera

A bride and groom walk hand in hand along a dirt road away from the camera towards the sunset while at their wedding venue Legacy Hill Farm

2 photos side by side, the left is of a bride and groom dancing outside at sunset, the right is of the groom kissing the bride's cheek while outside at sunset

Close up photo of a woman's hand with a wedding ring resting on a man's hand while the sun sets in the background

A bride and groom stand outside and kiss one another while the sun sets behind them at their wedding venue Legacy Hill Farm

2 photos side by side of a bride and groom sharing their first dance while the sun sets

A bride and groom dance with one another during their wedding reception at Legacy Hill Farm as the sun sets 2 photos side by side of a bride dancing with her father during her wedding reception as the sun sets to the right

A bride dances with her father during her indoor wedding reception at Legacy Hill Farm

The father of the bride gestures towards her as the two dance during a wedding reception at Legacy Hill Farm

A bride dances with a young girl during an indoor wedding reception at Legacy Hill Farm

I’m so glad I was able to be a part of Alison and Riley’s wedding day at Legacy Hill Farm. Their wedding day was incredible from start to finish, and I’m so happy to be able to share the highlights of their day with all of you. If you’re ready to book me for your own wedding day be sure to send an inquiry through my contact page so we can reserve your date today!

A bride and groom dance with two of their flower girls during their wedding reception at Legacy Hill Farm as the sun sets behind them