Intimate Backyard Wedding in Rochester, MN | Lauren & Josh

Sometimes, life throws you a curveball. Sometimes, you get that curveball thrown at you while you're planning your wedding, and unfortunately for many couples in 2020, that curveball was Covid. When I met Lauren and Josh for engagement photos back in the summer of '19, an intimate backyard wedding was not the wedding that they were planning, and a pandemic was the last thing on our minds. But at the end of the day, choosing to get married in the backyard of their first home together with just 12 people in attendance (including the couple and myself!) ended up being even more special than a traditional wedding with a long guest list. Sometimes, less really is more.

Be sure to scroll all the way to the end - you won't want to miss their Rochester golden hour wedding photos!

As you can imagine, downsizing a 200+ guest list to just immediate family was a decision that Lauren and Josh did not take lightly. I admire them so much for prioritizing the wellness of their guests and loved ones, and in hindsight, Lauren said it best when she said, "We look back on the day with comfort knowing we did everything in our power to make the safety of our loved ones our top priority and remembering we made the best decisions we could with the information available at the time. Despite the chaos leading up to it, the day exceeded all of our expectations and it was more special than anything we could have imagined."

Lauren's flowers from Flowers by Jerry were stunning! I loved the simple color palette mixed with so many different textures. Plus (spoiler alert) it coordinated perfectly with the gorgeous floral arrangements decorating their ceremony space!

Lauren gifted Josh an engraved watch from Fossil with a special message.

Not only was Lauren's bouquet beautiful, she had a special reminder of both her grandmas on the bouquet as well. The bouquet was wrapped with lace from her paternal grandmother's wedding gown and pinned in place with a button from her maternal grandmother's wedding suit. Both of them passed away before Lauren and Josh were engaged, so it was very special to honor their memories through those details.

One of the perks of having an intimate backyard wedding in your own backyard is that you can get ready at your house! Lauren and Josh's home had SO much wonderful character, and there were so many personal touches that made it special to the two of them. 

"Getting married in the backyard of our first home together felt symbolic as well, as Josh proposed in the living room upstairs on the day we closed on the house just a year and a half before! In this way, the wedding felt like it had come full circle, and the experience of beginning our married life together during such a poignant time in history serves as a reminder to us to make the best out of tough or unexpected situations and to lean on each other as partners." 

Josh's suit was from Knight's Menswear in Rochester, and their big bay window gave us great light for his getting ready photos. 

A few last minute touches from Josh's family.

Lauren had her hair styled by Sharesa Does Hair and did her own makeup!

Lauren didn't even have her dress on yet, but I love these reactions from her mom and mother-in-law!

Next, Lauren's mom helped her get into her bridal gown from The Wedding Shoppe. I loved how relaxed the getting ready process was!

Lauren was absolutely radiant!

Lauren's earrings from Olive & Piper were the perfect pop of bling.

After Lauren was ready, she did a first look with her dad on the front porch of the house as her mom looked on.

This was such a special moment!

The backyard was seriously INCREDIBLE. Lauren and Josh put a LOT of hard work into all the landscaping, making it the perfect, picturesque location for their wedding. 

The floral arrangements from Flowers by Jerry were stunning, and fit perfectly with the intimate backyard wedding vibes. 

This made us all giggle - when Lauren and Josh told their neighbors that they'd be getting married in the backyard on a Saturday evening, their neighbors sent some well wishes on the fence between their yards.

Here comes the bride!

Josh was absolutely beaming as Lauren walked across the backyard with her dad.

Lauren's sister, Mollie read 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 and Josh's brother, Nathan read Ephesians 4:32.

Just when I thought this intimate backyard wedding couldn't get any more beautiful, the sun peeked out and the whole backyard glowed.

I think they were a little excited!

The first kiss!

The backyard was the perfect location for bride & groom and family photos!

Feeling all that "just married" love!

Lauren's family

Josh's family

This is a photo of ALL the people that attended Lauren and Josh's intimate backyard wedding (other than myself!)

One of my favorite parts of this intimate backyard wedding was the meal! After photos, everyone sat down for a delicious family style meal from Victoria's Ristorante & Wine Bar. Even though Lauren and Josh met in college, it was so fun to see the two families come together, laugh, and joke with each other as if they'd known each other their entire lives. 

After the meal was over and the sun was setting, we snuck away for a few Rochester golden hour photos! Also, can we talk about the train on this dress?! Amazing!

Golden hour photos are usually one of my favorite parts of the day, and this wedding was no exception. You can just feel the joy as these two look at each other! If you throw in a beautiful Rochester sunset, you've got a photographer's dream.

This is one of my favorite photos from the whole day! Josh (literally and figuratively) swept Lauren right off her feet!

I loved the last little bit of light in these Rochester golden hour photos as the sun slipped down under the horizon.

Last but not least, I wanted to get a few more photos that really featured the train on Lauren's dress, and we spotted these beautiful yellow flowers (weeds?) nearby! This little hill was the perfect spot to really fan it out and show it off.

All in all, Lauren and Josh's intimate backyard wedding in Rochester, MN was a wedding that I'll never forget! I have so much respect for these two and how they handled planning a pandemic wedding with grace and ease – not a simple task. In the end, it isn't the venue or the guest list that makes a wedding special – it's the LOVE that the couple has for each other. That's why Josh & Lauren's day was a smashing success!

Fun fact: Lauren and Josh are friends with another couple that also opted to do a small, intimate wedding that I photographed. Check out Paul & Taylor's North Shore Wedding at a Geodesic Dome here!