Wisconsin Bride Marries Her Iowa Farmer with a Midwest Mansion Wedding along the Mississippi River | Prairie du Chien, WI

Last weekend, a beautiful Wisconsin bride married her Iowa farmer groom. They celebrated with their family and friends from the neighboring states in a historic mansion overlooking the Mississippi River. If I had to describe their day in three words: exquisite, comfortable, and fun! If you are searching for an elegant spacious venue with delicious food, great service, beautiful grounds, and a sunset river view, look no further than The Dousman House in Prairie du Chien, WI. It was breathtaking.

From the moment I met Melanie and Jerry, I could feel the comfort and love between these two. They came out to the farm to meet me, see wedding albums, and reserve their wedding photography over a year and half ago. That seems like a long time, but time flies by and wedding dates arrive quicker than one would guess! This gave the bride time to design her dream wedding: venue, date selection, florals, and all of the details in between. It all came together absolutely beautifully.

With extra traffic on the island for the annual Carriage Classic festival, along with other weddings in the area, it was extra important to arrive early to scope out our locations for portraits and travel times. This was also the first time I’ve photographed inside of the Dousman House, so it was nice to have extra time to get situated, photograph the venue, and get into our detail photos. It’s not every day you get to photograph a couple’s wedding details on white marble— stunning!

While every element of the Keleher wedding was well thought-out, I loved how smooth, joyful, and ‘go-with-the-flow’ the entire day was. The bride, the groom, and the whole wedding party were relaxed and there to soak it all in. The timeline and images flowed together seamlessly as the day unfolded. From the moment the mother of the bride helped Melanie into her chic stunning wedding gown, to the bride’s daughters helping with jewelry and shoes, to a low-key first look between the couple (which happened as the bride came out of the dressing room and the groom was playing football with a grandson in the dining room), every moment was perfection. 

The groom looked sharp in his tux with black baseball cap in tow as we headed to the riverside covered porch for their portraits. The couple’s immediate family members doubled as their wedding party, which made for beautifully-outfitted family formals and wedding party images. Then we took a stroll along the river to the stone carriage house and gravel side road for their couples portraits. The groom twirled his bride for a quick preliminary dance photo in her wedding gown before we all headed to St. John’s for their traditional church ceremony. I always tell the couple two tips just before the ceremony: walk slow and kiss long. And they delivered!

Mr. and Mrs. Keleher then drove away from the church and back to the island where we took a few images with the bride and her brothers before the wedding party made their grand entrance. These two didn’t just practice for their first dance; they blew everyone away with a grand entrance that involved fog and a choreographed dance to the Chicago Bulls theme song!

With a relaxed timeline, amazing spots for portraits before the ceremony, and family formals with wedding party images all at once, every aspect of this day ran smoothly and even ahead of time. After their grand entrance, the couple mingled and enjoyed time with their guests before they cut their cake and were seated to a delicious hearty meat-and-potato dinner, with decadent cupcakes for dessert. 

The speeches were sweet and funny. They had me laughing behind the camera, and you could feel the sense of love and appreciation that the couple has not only for each other, but for every single person who came to celebrate them. 

Just as we finished up dinner, the couple snuck out for a super quick set of sunset portraits. Thank goodness the DJ was keeping an eye out the window at the sun over the bluffs to let us know, because the sun definitely sets quickly this time of year and a little earlier than expected when you’re near the bluff! Alas, we made it outside at the perfect time, and those images are some of my favorites from the entire day. 

Last but not least, the couple made their third grand entrance of the day, this time to the dance floor, twirling, dipping, joking, and smiling their way through their first dance as husband and wife. It was wild and elegant, and they looked comfortable dancing like they'd done it a thousand times before. It was an epic way to kick off the dance party. The Night Nurse entertainment had everyone on the dance floor including the couple’s moms who got in on the fun! I had so much fun capturing all of the movement and energy with my camera. 

Can you feel the excitement and joy from these images? I hope so, because I feel like I’m transported back to their day and that’s what I’m all about! 

The Keleher Wedding: 

Melanie and Jerry, 

It was so wonderful to get to know you both and document your wedding day. From the way I’ve seen you talk to one another, the way you laughed together during your engagement photos, and knowing the details and even the choreography leading into your wedding day, you two have been a dream! I’ve had a blast getting to know you from the start and hope to see you around town soon, be it PDC or Elkader!  

All the best in your future together,
Jillian 

P.S. GO HAWKS! GO BADGERS! GO BULLS! 

The Vendor Team

Photography by Jillian Herrmann JWebbArt
Second shot by Rachel Franks
Videography by Maleah Polk
The Dress by Holly’s Bridal Boutique
The Rings by Keleher’s Jewelry
The Bridal Hair by HS Hair Salon
Florals by Bloomington Floral
Ceremony at St John’s Catholic Church
Reception at The Dousman House
Entertainment by Night Nurse DJ
Cupcakes by Kathy’s Simply Cake
Choreography by Brandi Dreher Goda Dance Lancaster