Cari and Owen’s wedding day is one that’s hard to put into words. It was so full of everything you could want in a wedding day that it’s difficult to know where to start.
We first met Cari and Owen six years ago when they opened the Octagon Barn in Spring Green. Over the years we photographed other weddings there and got to know their whole Spring Green community. So when they told us they were planning their own wedding — at their own venue, the place they built and poured themselves into — we already knew it was going to be something. It was exactly that.
A Few Things We Loved About Cari + Owen’s Wedding
– Rain during the ceremony. We’ve said it before and we’ll keep saying it — rain at a wedding cools everything down and creates a kind of collective memory that good weather just doesn’t. People bond over it. This day was proof.
– An over-the-top rehearsal dinner. The kind that sets a tone for the whole weekend and makes everyone realize this is going to be a really good two days.
– Traversing a barbed wire fence to find the best photo location. We will always say yes to this.
– Friends who shaved the bride and groom’s initials into their hair. Not every couple has a crew like that. Cari and Owen do.
– The photo booth trailer. Adorable. Completely taken over by guests for the entire night.
– A kids’ tent. One of those details that makes an event feel genuinely thought through — the kids had their own space, which meant everyone else did too.
– Stargazing. Spring Green on a clear night is something else, and ending a wedding day looking up at that sky felt exactly right.
– Affogatos from a coffee truck. Espresso over ice cream is Ray’s favorite dessert and honestly this was a personal highlight. More couples should do this!
– A silent disco. We don’t think this needs any more explanation.
– The Octagon Barn is as close to our backyard as a wedding venue gets — and photographing the people who built it on their own wedding day was something we won’t forget. Cari and Owen didn’t just choose a venue, they got married in something they created. Every detail of that property — the vendor list Cari has quietly assembled over the years, the way the barn sits in the Spring Green landscape, the care that goes into every single wedding there — it all showed up on their day too. If you’re looking for a Spring Green wedding venue, skip the generic searches. Just go here — and check out another beautiful day we photographed there with Katie + Riley.
Cari and Owen — this one meant a lot to us. Thank you for having us there for it.
For capacity, ceremony options, and everything else worth knowing before you tour, our Octagon Barn venue guide has it.
Planning your own Octagon Barn wedding? We know this place well and we’d love to be your photographers. Get in touch here. More on Spring Green and the Driftless is here too.
