While some couples choose to hold big wedding celebrations, others choose to bring together their closest friends and families for a small, intimate ceremony. The Wisconsin State Capitol building makes the perfect backdrops for small ceremonies like this. You don’t have to do any decorating yourself, the building is already gorgeous! Since the ceremony is inside, you also don’t have to worry about Wisconsin’s unpredictable weather. And no matter the time of day, at least one side of the building will be shaded, making a beautiful setting for your portraits. I truly love capturing pictures outside the Capitol, as the photos look timeless and classy.
When this couple arrived at the Capitol, they quickly posed for a few pre-ceremony photos. There’s so many amazing spots around the rotunda to choose from, but we ended up choosing the spot that they also held their ceremony in. There’s these cute little alcoves around the building that create the perfect intimate setting for small ceremonies.
The judge who married them was super sweet, and the ceremony was to the point. In total it took about ten minutes! Their guests stood outside the alcove to watch, and everyone gave hugs after the couple celebrated their first kiss as a newlyweds.
We walked to a different area of the building to capture family portraits, and then headed outside for more.
Even though it was spring, it was quite a chilly and windy day outside. The bride did a great job of holding it together during the portraits.
While we waited for the steps to be free of people, we walked around the perimeter of the building. You can never skip walking photos, as these tend to be some of my favorites, and the couples’.
As we were walking around, I noticed a round bench that had a view of the Capitol building. I was so happy we went over there because these ended up being beautiful! I will definitely use this spot again for future photoshoots by the capitol.
Once the steps were free, we headed up there quickly. We got in as many poses as we could, and even fit the entire group up there. The bride was definitely in need of a break from the cold, so I just snapped as many photos as I could to make sure we got some good shots before heading back indoors.
The last photo we took was a cute detail shot of the flowers and rings. Detail photos are such a beautiful addition to an entire gallery of photos.
Overall, it was a lovely afternoon ceremony and I’m so excited for these newlyweds. After I left, they celebrated with dinner at a nice restaurant with their families. I wish the absolute best for them and their future together.
