backyard wedding

Rachel + Logan | Arlington, Wisconsin | Simple + Rustic Spring Backyard Barn Wedding

October 20, 2021 By Sarah Davidson

Rachel and Logan’s wedding was the most lovely day for the most deserving of couples.⁠ ⁠⁠Our first meeting with Rachel and Logan had us loving their laidback style and passion for being good humans.⁠ We turned a big, old (like 1830’s old) barn into a magical oasis on a quiet farm dotted with gardens, and it was beautiful.
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This couple was hoping for a simple and elegant day that had all the trimmings, but not a lot of fuss, and we had the BEST time making it happen in just 4 months!⁠⁠ Working with a blank canvas and a vision is our favorite art, and we’re not sure which part we loved more from Rachel and Logan’s wedding: planning it or executing it!⁠ ⁠⁠Enjoy each detail below!

The property belonged to a business client of Logan’s and was the perfect setting for these two to join in union surrounded by their closest loved ones.

We loved the fun and laughter yard games brought to both the couple and their guests!

This 1830’s barn was transformed into an absolute dream covered in twinkle lights for this fun-loving couple and their guests to dance their hearts out for the rest of the night!

Congratulations, Rachel + Logan!

To see more real weddings and events designed, coordinated, and produced by our HUE team, click HERE!

The Dream Team
Planning + Coordination: Loni w/ HUE by Sarah Davidson⁠⁠
Photography: Ueda Photography⁠⁠
Venue: Caldwell Farms⁠⁠
Rentals: Event Essentials⁠⁠
Floral: Great White Farm⁠⁠
Catering: Broadway Diner⁠⁠
DJ: Madison Mobile DJ⁠⁠ Service
Desserts: The Looking Glass Bakery

Chief Strategist and Creative Director of HUE by Sarah Davidson, Sarah is a sought-after event industry consultant, planner, and strategist based in Madison, WI. Follow her work on Instagram at @huebysd.

Michael + Lucie: Backyard Wedding – Milwaukee, WI

August 4, 2021 By Sarah Davidson

Whenever a couple tells me that they plan to host their wedding at their own home, I always like to kindly ask them if they are sure about that 🙂 For all the reasons listed in our blog post about backyard weddings, it can be a huge undertaking that may or may not be worth the payoff in the end.

But when it’s done right, it can really be something magical. And let me tell you, Michael + Lucie did it RIGHT.

As the couple dressed for their special day, so too did they dress their home for the occasion. From table settings to food displays to lighting – attention to all the details added up into something perfect.

Introducing structure with different areas to encourage mingling added to the transformation. Thinking outside the box, literally, including outdoor lounges brought about multiple layers of comfort and style.

Congratulations Michael + Lucie!

The Dream Team:
Wedding Coordination: HUE by Sarah Davidson
Photography: DJDAHL Photo
Catering: Hidden Kitchen MKE
Dessert: Miss Molly’s Cafe and Pastry Shop
Floral: Avenue Bloom
Vintage Rentals: Relics Rentals
Band: Professor Pinkerton and the Magnificents
Hair/Makeup: Beauty by Michelle Senuor

Chief Strategist and Creative Director of HUE by Sarah Davidson, Sarah is a sought after event industry consultant, planner, and strategist based in Madison, WI. Follow her work on Instagram at @huebysd.

Italian Inspired Styled Shoot: Harvest Moon Pond – Poynette, WI

October 5, 2020 By Sarah Davidson

I love creating impactful moments and bringing people together soooooo much. Like, SO much.

Well, when Covid-19 hit the USA in March of 2020 it temporarily put a damper on things like that. Personally, I went through a rough few months (as did many in the hospitality industry), stuck in this mindset that I just wasn’t going to be doing any events for a very, very long time. There was nothing that could be done, that we all just had to live through this, and also try to figure out how to survive until it was over.

By the time summer rolled around though and we realized this wasn’t ending anytime soon, I needed to shake myself out of it. It took a lot of watching and being inspired by industry friends seizing the moment, a lot of conversations with my business coach, and a lot of holding up the mirror to get through my head trash that nothing could be done. But finally I was able to get to a point like:

Loving this 2020 release from Ale Asylum

Right around that time is when I received my first message from Stephanie, one of the new owners of Harvest Moon Pond, a gorgeous venue in Poynette with a beautiful history. Somehow I had yet to have been to her space so she invited me out for a tour, along with Jason, Owner of Chance Productions, to get a lay of the land and brainstorm on ways that we could all work together. In this meeting we hatched the plan to collaborate on a styled shoot, meant to inspire in the current times, while showcasing parts of the venue that haven’t gotten as much love as the should. And voilà! Here we are.

While I enjoy a big, glamorous wedding as much as the next planner, I equally love creating a low-key yet personalized celebration. This sentiment served as the overall goal for this shoot, that a wedding doesn’t have to be cheapened by adding the term “casual” in front of it. Instead it offers an opportunity to define a very specific experience that a couple wants their guests to have.

To pull this together, I would only (as I always do) trust the best. With the venue and rentals already on board, the next key members were those who could capture the entire project’s ambiance and the creative work of all vendors flawlessly. Enter Tim Fitch (photographer) and Paul Gero (videographer), who I trust over and over again to capture the essence of HUE – our approach, our style, and the end result we want. And they deliver every. single. time.

Once the vision is set, it’s time to talk details. My approach in this is to leave the finer things to the experts, giving each vendor a general scope what what I want the end result to feel like and then letting them run with it. As per usual with this particular dream team, they ran hard and took things to a level far beyond what was asked of them. For instance, can we just soak in these daffodil*parker florals for a minute?

When I asked Kayla from DP to participate, she said “We’ve done so much with whites and greens, it would be awesome to incorporate more color into the palette! I’ve personally been really into rust, taupe, cream, beige, brown and pops of color that lean late summer.” With the shoot occurring in August, that was more than okay with me. We understand that casual couples prefer to lean into their surroundings, embracing the moment and everything that comes along with it, so floral and colors natural to the season in Wisconsin made perfect sense.

Delicate and personalized details have been the heart and soul of A LA CRATE Rentals for many years now, and there is no way the look could’ve pulled together as seamlessly as it did without key pieces from their collection. To some, the addition of something simple like a rug or vintage plates might not seem like that big of a deal. However it’s taken me years to learn that in the world of creating memorable experiences, these touches are everything.

These touches also include paper goods, which set the stage and put your guests in the proper mindset before they’ve even arrived. Kathy, Owner of Sugar Pear Design had a lot of fun for me on this one, designing an invitation suite poking fun at the time of Covid and leaning heavily into our Italian inspiration. You know, I love being a little extra now and then!

Geoffrey, the Owner of Celebrations Entertainment is another friendor of mine that feeds my “being extra” habit, which you can see from this particular shoot with the inclusion of his silent disco setup. Hosting an outdoor event and want to rock to the wee hours? Make sure to check these out for maximum party potential with minimum risk of noise complaints!

And finally, we could not have done this all without our amazing models! Carrie and Noah. From our first connection, to their trip to Moments to Cherish to be outfitted with Arlene, to being present on shoot day, they understood our vibe and were totally willing to go with the flow, enjoying these moments we had all created and helping our whole team forget about the pandemic for a little bit.

Thank you to all involved! Until next time!

The Dream Team:
Design, Planning + Coordination: HUE by Sarah Davidson
Venue: Harvest Moon Pond
Photography: Tim Fitch Photography
Videography: Gero Pictures
Arch + Rentals: Chance Productions
Vintage Rentals: A LA CRATE Rentals
Floral: daffodil*parker
Stationery: Sugar Pear Design
Catering: Salvatore’s Tomato Pies
Silent Disco: Celebrations Entertainment
Attire: Moments to Cherish Bridals
Models: Carrie Brick + Noah Hockett

The Truth About Backyard Weddings

April 11, 2018 By Sarah Davidson

You’ve said yes! Or popped the question! Or both! You and your betrothed have shared the news with everyone and already gotten way too much marriage advice. You’ve found the perfect wedding planner that just gets you (hint, hint) and the next decision to make is a big one – where is this all happening?

“That’s easy!” you say. “My parents have a big, beautiful yard and would be honored to host. We’ll just get a tent and do it there. It’s sure to save us a ton of money too!”

Don’t worry, we’re here for you.

A well done backyard wedding can be absolutely beautiful. It is the perfect unique venue that has both flexibility and sentiment. You have the opportunity to take photos among the apple orchard you used to climb around and many guests already know their way there. You don’t have to comply by any complicated venue rules and the party can last as long as you want. You also have the built in house itself, either used during the day or at least for emergencies.

Now the tough stuff. It’s a TON of work, a fair amount of stress, and probably won’t be much cheaper than a traditional venue.

Think of how you might clean your house to look nice for a simple dinner party. Now think of that effort multiplied by the fact that this is the biggest dinner party of your life. And you probably don’t actually want people coming in the house that much, so what you really want to look good is the yard. The acres and acres of yard. Are people going to go in that area or do this activity? They might! I want to give them the option! The amount of prep work to be done sometimes seems endless, and typically falls on the location host.

As far as cost goes, the rentals that need to be brought in usually add up to roughly the cost of an average venue. These can include but not be limited to – tent, tables, chairs, restrooms, heaters, fans, and flooring. If you think about it, to plan for weather and keep guests comfortable you essentially need build your own DIY venue.

And don’t forget the logistics. We’re talking about where the ice for the bar comes from, how to prevent bugs, where everyone will park, and how to avoid neighbor noise complaints. These are all things a venue would have covered, but without experience or a manager can sometimes be easily forgotten.

A backyard wedding can be exactly the right fit for you, and please don’t let us talk you out of it. Just consider everything that goes into it as you are making your decision, and don’t hesitate to ask for all the help you need. Happy planning!