Tim and Rachel got married at Olin Park, right on Lake Monona in Madison with the Capitol visible across the water. Their ceremony was in the park’s pavilion, a spot with oak trees spreading overhead and a bright white ceiling that gives it away as a wedding venue instead of just a park shelter. It’s covered but still feels like an outdoor wedding, which makes it work for almost any style.
From there, everyone moved to Lussier Family Heritage Center in Madison for cocktail hour and the reception. The whole day was colorful and full of energy, with a lot of friends and kids running around from start to finish. There was croquet, ring toss, and bags, plus a trebuchet about six feet tall that guests took turns firing across the lawn, marking how far each shot landed in the grass. We’ve got a handful of photos here of kids in tiny mustaches running between the games, and we still love every one of them.
This gallery is a short one on purpose. Tim and Rachel’s wedding was the first one we ever shot as a full stop-motion film, and most of the story from the day lives there instead of in these few photos.
Tim + Rachel from ray + kelly on Vimeo. Music Credit: Ping Island by Mark Mothersbaugh
This was the first time we tried anything like it. Up to that point we’d only used little motion clips inside regular blog posts, just to show a bit of movement, and Tim and Rachel were up for letting us try something bigger. We didn’t storyboard it or slow anyone down to stage a shot. We kept shooting the day the way we always do, documentary style, and pulled the fun moments out of it afterward, which is why it still feels like a real wedding day instead of a produced video. It came out jumpy and a little out of focus in places, and that’s part of the charm if you like a quirky, homemade feel over a polished highlight reel. We’ve refined the technique in the years since, but this one’s still the original, made back in 2012.
And in case you want to see the trebuchet in action, or the pavilion at Olin Park, watch the stop-motion film above. Here are a few more photos from the day.
This was the first stop motion film we ever made. We didn’t really know what we were doing yet — we just had an idea and Tim and Rachel said sure. We wrote more about what a stop motion wedding film actually is and why we’ve kept making them if you’re curious.
Part of this day happened at Lussier Heritage Center, one of our favorite properties near Madison. If you’re weighing it for your own wedding, our Lussier venue guide walks through the ceremony spots and what to know before you book.
