The Blog

Hey! I'm Andi Jo. Wedding and Family Photographer from Minnesota. Welcome to my blog. Sit back, grab a cup of coffee, and enjoy!

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Siena and Sam: Summer wedding at Barns of Old Glory farm.

Zebras, cows, chickens, OH MY!

I am a farm girl at heart and you better believe I am ready to get down and dirty on your wedding day if I need to. When Sam and Siena told me that they were doing a destination wedding to Southern Minnesota, you know I was totally game. Then when they told me that they were going to be having their wedding on a farm….I was definitely game! Barns of Old Glory is located in St Charles Minnesota, the Gateway to Whitewater State Park. Surrounded by cornfields, rolling plains, and farm animals. What else could you expect for a summer wedding?

Sam and Siena have a beautiful love story, and their love shined throughout their entire summer wedding day. Their first look was dreamy and romantic and little bit sexy, while she was standing in a dim light doorway. Even her dress has a heart shaped cut out in the back.

My favorite part of the wedding day were all of the little surprises that they had throughout.

During their ceremony, after their vows, ring exchange, and pronunciation, Siena took a moment to thank her guests for coming. Then she told a story about how during their marriage counseling, she and Sam would take a moment after their session to share a 20 second hug with each other. She even did research on the benefits of doing so. You can check out an article here. They then asked their guests to help them commemorate their marriage by taking 20 seconds to hug someone sitting next to them. This moment was so beautiful and was also hysterical to watch all of her guests get out of their comfort zones and share a hug with their family for what feels like such a long time.

“A hug, pat on the back, and even a friendly handshake are processed by the reward center in the central nervous system, which is why they can have a powerful impact on the human psyche, making us feel happiness and joy… And it doesn’t matter if you’re the toucher or touchee. The more you connect with others — on even the smallest physical level — the happier you’ll be.”

Another fun surprise that Siena had up her sleeves was during their specialty dances. After their first dance, the father daughter dance, and the mother son dance, Siena called her mother to the floor, for a surprise dance! Her mom was completely caught of guard, and you could tell that she was touched and absolutely cherished it.