Spring Green feels a little like home to us. It’s a stretch of the Driftless that we know well, and the Octagon Barn sits right in the middle of it — run by our friends Cari and Owen, who honestly just get it. Katie and Riley brought a crew that matched the venue perfectly: warm, relaxed, and genuinely happy to be there. It was a great day.

5 Things We Loved About Katie + Riley’s Wedding

– We did their engagement session in Lincoln Park, right in their Chicago neighborhood, and it made a real difference on the wedding day. When you’ve already spent time with your photographers in a place that’s comfortable and familiar to you, the wedding day starts from a different place — there’s less warmup, less self-consciousness, more of just being yourselves. We’re big believers in engagement sessions for exactly this reason, and Katie and Riley are a good example of why.

– A first look with dad. When this is intentional — when a dad and his kid carve out that moment before the ceremony — it’s one of the most genuine things we get to photograph all day. Nobody’s performing for a crowd, nobody’s holding it together for the sake of the aisle. It’s just the two of them, and it tends to be really good.

– There was a dressed-up dog. That’s all.

– The Octagon Barn is about as close to our backyard as a wedding venue gets, and every time we’re there we’re reminded of how lucky we are to have it nearby. Cari and Owen have built something really special in Spring Green — a venue that feels personal and taken care of, not just booked and turned over. If you’re looking for the best vendor list in the area, skip Google and go straight to their website. Cari’s list is the one.

– Beautiful light all day. The kind you don’t manufacture or chase — it just shows up and cooperates, and you say thank you and keep moving.

Katie and Riley — what a wonderful group you brought together. Thanks for having us.

If you want the full picture on this venue, capacity, ceremony options, what we love about shooting there, our Octagon Barn venue guide covers it.

Dreaming about an Octagon Barn wedding in Spring Green? We’d love to be your photographers. Say hello here. More on how we work around Spring Green and the Driftless is here too.