Katie & Chris | A Beautiful Backyard Wedding

Katie & Chris are married! They had a beautiful backyard wedding in Mequon, Wisconsin.

There are few things better than seeing two great people find each other. You know the kind. The kind that never leave each other’s side. The kind that sits on the same side of the booth as each other.

Katie & Chris met at a mutual friend’s birthday in June of 2014. While at Landmark Lanes for the party, they couldn’t believe how many friends they shared. They were surprised they hadn’t met prior! Since their best friends were dating, it only seemed fitting they got to know each other. Their first date was at Comet Cafe where they were sat at a huge booth. After a few minutes, Chris got up from his seat to sat on the same side of the table as Katie so they could be closer. They haven’t left sides yet.

We loved working with Katie & Chris for many reasons. One, they are themselves. They knew going into wedding planning that this was their day. They planned a beautiful backyard ceremony at Katie’s parents home in Mequon. It would be earthy and quite nontraditional; “Nature is our church,” and it was to be involved in a very special way. The original plan was to then head to Pabst Best Place for a German style reception with their closest family and friends. After a few months of planning, we got an email from Katie. “Hey Uttkes, do you have availability in June? We’re thinking about changing our wedding date.” A few emails later, we were honored Katie & Chris took our schedule into consideration and claimed our last June of 2017 date. So, why the change? Getting back to what we loved most about this couple, their exact words were: “We just decided that we wanted to have the wedding the way we originally intended.” The entire day was to be held at Katie’s parents home. A backyard wedding it was!

With the help of a fantastic list of vendors (see all below photos), their parents and lots of friends, Katie & Chris pulled off the most perfect wedding. Katie began the day with an organized yoga session before getting ready inside the home she grew-up in. Katie & Chris were excited for the First Look and took the time to sit down with each other, exchange gifts and take a moment to breathe (this is our #1 advice as wedding photographers). We had time in the afternoon to dig up an old bottle of bourbon Katie & Chris buried. They passed out glasses and everyone got a few smooth sips. The ceremony performed by Katie’s aunt was personal and intimate. They had hammerschlagen, bean bag toss, German pretzels from Milwaukee Pretzel Co. and the best beer in town from Good City. The day screamed “Katie & Chris.”

Congratulations Katie & Chris!
Thank you for including us in your perfect wedding celebrations.

backyard wedding