A Countryside Winter Wedding With A Horse | Little Falls, MN • Xsperience Photography

Central Minnesota isn’t known for its epic landscapes and beautiful weather, but Rice Creek Wedding venue in Little Falls, Mn has some beautiful countryside to roam in the midst of winter. It also offers a big warm reception room with glass windows to let plenty of natural light in. There are a few rooms attached for you and a some of your guests to stay, and a campfire pit you can all enjoy together. Hey, you can even bring your horse to model with you!! The parking lot is gives you plenty of room to maneuver the horse trailer;)

This editorial was created to inspire winter weddings here in Minnesota. Dees Decorating did a wonderful job bringing the outdoors inside. She turned Rice Creeks indoor reception area into a simply beautiful woodsy winter wonderland. It featured some frosted pine trees, wooded plate holders, snowflake wine glasses and a pine tree etched cake created by Dough-phoria based in Alexandria. To take the winter chill out of you and nurture your sweet tooth, she created a cute woodsy hot chocolate and s’more table.

Gabrielle and Jacob braved the below zero winter temps and even did it beautifully. I want to mention how incredibly cold this day was because many couples stress about the unpredictable weather winter throws at us. I have to be real honest… this was sooooo very cold. My camera froze up, we had to keep re-applying chapstick because the bride’s lips would chap up and turn purple, and we did photoshoots in 5 minute increments. The “cool” thing though (see what I did there;) is this winter day was one of the coldest of the year and look what we captured. You can still feel the love, the warm embrace, the quietness of nature, and can even sense the sun trying to break through the crisp chill in the air.

Winter weddings are wonderful because it’s a slower time of year. It’s a time of year when you can truly be present and enjoy the days together. It has a calming feel to it and of course if you’re graced with fluffy snowflakes, the beauty is undeniable. However, the cold does present its challenges so I’m here to help you out!!

HERE ARE SOME TIPS IF YOU WANT TO HAVE A WINTER WEDDING OR ELOPEMENT:

Wear a long flowy dress like this one from The Special Event Boutique in Alexandria, Minnesota. The overflowing of material on the bottom half was perfect for hiding wool leggings, knee high wool socks and winter boots.
WEAR BOOTS! Heels just won’t do the trick ladies. There are plenty of really cute, warm boots out there. Grab yourself a pair and you won’t regret it.
Bring chapstick. I’m sure you’ll be wearing lipstick, but you will need chapstick to keep them lips smooth. Apply before, after and in-between takes.
Furs and Jackets are recommended. Yes, I mean both a fur and a jacket. Most furs help keep you warm, but it alone will not do the trick. For the in-between photo moments I recommend a nice warm winter jacket. Even if it’s really ugly. It just needs to keep you warm until it’s your time to shine in front of the camera then you can swap it out for a fur or brave the cold in just your dress.
Aim for quality over quantity. Discuss your vision thoroughly with your photographer to ensure your minutes outdoor are utilized efficiently. Get those dream shots, choose one or two beautiful locations near a building or close to a place you can park your warm car, and HIRE A PHOTOGRAPHER YOU TRUST so you can just be in the moment. Those “in the moment” shots are priceless, but you have to be solely focused on the love of your life and not worrying about what you look like, where you should go or how to pose.
Simplify your wedding party and family shots. This goes along the same lines as the previous tip. The more people you have to round up and pose, the LONGER it takes. If you have 8 bridesmaids, 8 groomsmen, 4 ushers, an uncooperative freezing cold ring bearer and flower girl, that’s 24 people the photographer has to pose. Plus it requires more clicks of the camera to make sure everyone has smiling faces and eyes open. Winter weddings is the time to simplify folks unless you plan on being indoors the majority of the time;)

Now for the fun stuff…LOOK at how pretty winter weddings can be. AS SEEN IN MINNESOTA BRIDE, here is Xsperience Photography’s winter wedding editorial with a beautiful buckskin horse.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED CENTRAL MINNESOTA VENDORS: links included

Photography + Video: Xsperience Photogaphy | Venue: Rice Creek Weddings, Little Falls, MN | Dress, Suit, Veil: The Specialty Even Boutique, Alexandria, MN | Decorator: Dees Decorating, Little Falls, MN | Invitations and place cards: Tiger Lily Invitations | Cake: Dough-Phoria, Alexandria, MN | Rings: DJ Bitzan, St. Cloud MN | HMUA: Nikki Popp, Royalton, MN | Models: Gabrielle and Jacob Koltes | Horse Model: Dash N Drift, owned by Abigail Schwab of Royalton, MN

FEATURED HERE IN MINNESOTA BRIDE

VIEW ANOTHER TAKE ON A WINTER ELOPEMENT AT RICE CREEK WEDDINGS