Amelia and Elliot are hikers first, and it shows in how they described themselves to us. The first photo they ever sent us was from a 2016 camping trip to Yellowstone. As it turned out, we had our own Yellowstone trip already on the calendar for right after their wedding, so we drove straight from the parking lot at The Nature Place to Yellowstone ourselves. Funny, and fitting.

Their wedding day was a rain day, start to finish. We shot some portraits early with an umbrella, then again later once the rain let up just enough to show off a sky full of dramatic, moody clouds. No sun the whole day, and it didn’t matter. It was one of the more striking skies we’ve shot all year.

Amelia and Elliot did their first look indoors, up on the balcony above the main room, where the window wall runs the full length of the space and the area is tucked away from the rest of the building. It’s one of our favorite spots we’ve found in the building so far: private, well lit, and just far enough from the noise of people setting up for the day. Once the rain broke in the afternoon, we walked out to the marsh trails outside the venue and caught the fall color in full, yellow trees against a still-gray sky.

Elliot’s an aerospace engineer, and it shows in how he talks about figuring things out. He’s got a pilot’s license, a motorcycle, and three years into a sailing club with certifications in progress. Amelia describes herself as the type to say yes first and figure it out later. Ask Elliot what he can’t live without and he’ll tell you quiet time. By her own account, they balance each other out more than they match, and after a day with them, we’d agree.

Between the two of them there’s also triathlon, weightlifting, rock climbing, home remodeling, auto mechanics, baking, fermenting, and a cat they clearly adore. Their trips together follow the same pattern: camping, national parks, hiking, packing in as much as they can instead of sitting still. It’s the kind of vacation that leaves you tired in the right way.

Elliot’s favorite childhood memory is family camping trips to Lake Superior. Amelia’s is learning to fish with her grandmother. Grandparents showed up in a real way on their wedding day too: both sets came up during the ceremony to read letters to Amelia and Elliot. The longer we do this, the more we notice how much it matters to get those moments on camera. Not every wedding still has grandparents there to see it, and this one did.

Instead of cake, they brought in Pearl Street Ice Cream, a roll up freezer cart with its own little umbrella. Given that Amelia named ice cream as one of the things she can’t live without, that tracks. They set up a kettle corn bar alongside it, and neither one needed much explanation. People just wandered over and helped themselves, which fit the rest of the day.

Here’s the full gallery from Amelia and Elliot’s rainy day wedding at The Nature Place in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

We’ve shot a handful of weddings at The Nature Place by now, and this one was another reminder of how well the building handles weather it can’t control. Ray actually grew up coming to these grounds, back when this was still a zoo. There was a monkey cage and a meerkat enclosure exactly where the garden stands today.

The whole main room is wrapped in glass, so even on a day with no sun, the space stays bright and connected to what’s happening outside instead of feeling like you’re hiding from it. If it’s ninety degrees, you’re inside in the air conditioning. If it’s pouring rain, same thing, but neither one feels like a compromise. Guests wandered out under the awning throughout the day despite the weather, since it never fully closed the outdoors off.

A few things we loved this time around:
– A wall of windows that keeps the main room bright no matter what the sky is doing
– A hidden, light-filled first look spot on the balcony above the main room
– An awning that keeps the indoor-outdoor flow going even in the rain
– Marsh trails a short walk from the building, worth it for the fall color alone

Amelia and Elliot — thanks for a day that didn’t need the sun. Enjoy Yellowstone, we’ll see you out there.

We’re Ray + Kelly, a husband-and-wife team based in the Driftless Region. We shoot documentary-style, which mostly means we stay out of the way and pay attention — no shot lists, no posing people through their own wedding. The Nature Place is close to home for us and we’re there often. If you’re planning a wedding there, or anywhere around La Crosse and the Driftless, we’d love to hear about it. Get in touch here.