I might be wrong, but I don’t think Emily had one ounce of stress in her body on her wedding day. I love giggly brides… when the bride is relaxed, everyone else wants to be! Another HUGE factor to their no-stress wedding day is that they had no bridal party. They had a bunch of friends come hang out while they were getting ready (girls at her parents’ home, guys at the Arbor House) and guess what? No one was in a hurry to do anything or worry about getting themselves ready. SO relaxed. SO one of our favorite things. :)

Emily + Nic live out in Los Angeles, and despite researching and planning their Madison wedding all the way from LA, they managed to find and hire the all the best vendors around (see our list of links below). Take these amazing vendors, mix in no bridal party, a barn, real cows! (right, Emily?), sweet families, an evening ceremony, lawn games, a crazy energetic Motown Band, good light that seemed to follow us around all day… and you get a wedding that makes you sigh and say, “wow.” Wow.

Here’s the thing about that giggle, though — Nic saw it first. When we asked him what his favorite thing about Emily was, he didn’t hesitate: “I love Emily’s giggliness. When she’s really amused or delighted with something she like radiates joy. It’s in her eyes and smile and laugh and her aura or whatever. You can feel it coming off of her.” He also introduced himself to us as “President of the Emily Nerad Fan Club,” which tells you most of what you need to know about him. Emily’s version of the same story is shorter: she knew Nic was her person the very first time they met.

What they wanted out of the day was simple. The first look was the part they were most excited about — the moment they’d finally see each other — followed closely by family, the ceremony, and the few minutes alone right after it. No wedding party, because narrowing it down from that many close friends and siblings felt impossible, so they folded people into the ceremony and reception instead. About 150 guests, a bluegrass duo for the ceremony, a Motown band for the reception, and a request that we mostly just catch everyone having a good time — lawn games during cocktail hour, dancing, all of it. “We know it is going to be so overwhelming and over so fast,” Nic told us before the wedding. “We just want photographers who can capture as much of that as possible so that we can hold on to those memories.”

 

And then there was the lip sync battle. We could go on about this one for a while — several full rounds of it, groomsmen versus bridesmaids (or, since there was no wedding party, the friends and siblings standing in for them), everyone committed well past the point of dignity. It was one of the most entertaining receptions we’ve ever photographed, and it was exactly right for a couple whose whole plan for the day was to have a good time with their people and not fuss about the rest.

Venue/Vendors:

Venue: O’Brien Barn (their old website is no longer up — Facebook is the best way to reach them now)
Day of Coordination: Cherry Blossom Events
Catering: Underground Food Collective (no longer operating)
Florist: Daffodil*Parker
Pies: Humble Pie (since closed)
Hair/Make-up: the amazing Lacey + Julissa of Julia Grace Salon
Decorations: A La Crate, now part of Event Essentials
Linens: Midwest Textiles
Motown Band: The Moods
Photo Booth: The Traveling Photo Booth

Getting married at the O’Brien Barn

Where is the O’Brien Barn?
552 Glenway Road, Brooklyn, Wisconsin — about four miles southwest of Oregon, and roughly 25 minutes south of downtown Madison. It’s properly out in the country; you’ll be driving past fields to get there.

What’s the history of the barn?
It was built in 1938 and sits on O’Brien Farms, a sixth-generation family farm. It ran as a working dairy barn until 1999, and the family began renovating it for events in 2004 — a project that took about a year and a half. The cattle you might see on the way in aren’t set dressing.

What’s the space actually like?
Roughly 90 by 40 feet across two levels, connected by two staircases. The upper level is the old hay mow — exposed beams, big doors, and a stage at one end, which is where the music and dancing happen and where a lot of couples hold the ceremony. The lower level is the old milking parlor: cement floor, stone walls, an entirely different feel, and usually where dinner goes. The old milk house has been converted into the restrooms.

How many guests does it hold?
The venue doesn’t publish a capacity number, so confirm directly rather than trusting a third-party listing. For a reference point: Emily and Nic had about 150 guests and the space handled it comfortably, with cocktail hour spilling outside onto the lawn.

What’s outside?
Open lawn for games — Emily and Nic’s guests spent most of cocktail hour out there — a fire pit, and farm country in every direction. The evening light is the real amenity, and an evening ceremony takes full advantage of it.

Is the O’Brien Barn still booking weddings?
Worth being straight about this one: their old website is no longer live, and their listings on the big wedding directories appear to have lapsed. Their Facebook page is still active, though, and the farm has kept posting events. So the barn is still there and still hosting — it just isn’t marketed the way a full-time commercial wedding venue would be. If you’re interested, message them on Facebook rather than hunting for a booking page that doesn’t exist anymore.

What should we know about photographing there?
The upper level’s light is the draw — it comes through the beams and the big open doors and changes character hour to hour. The lower level is darker and cooler, which makes a nice contrast for dinner. Emily and Nic specifically called out the architecture when we talked before the wedding: the beams, the big doors, the old calf pen. There’s a lot to work with in a fairly compact footprint, which is part of why an unhurried timeline pays off here.