A Winter Wedding at Silverwood Park | Hamil & Vanessa
A Winter Wedding at Silverwood Park | Hamil & Vanessa
There's a certain kind of couple that looks at a Minnesota winter and says, yes, actually, this is exactly where we want to get married. Hamil and Vanessa are that couple — and honestly? They were right.
The patio at Silverwood Park with H+V’s wedding arbor
Silverwood Park sits just minutes from downtown Minneapolis along the shores of Silver Lake, tucked into mature oak forest and restored prairie that somehow manages to feel like you've left the city entirely. In the summer, it's lush and golden. In winter, it's something else — quieter, more intimate, the kind of beautiful that doesn't try too hard. Bare branches and soft light have a way of putting all the focus exactly where it belongs: on the people in front of the camera.
Feeling all the feels
Hamil and Vanessa leaned all the way into it.
One of the things I love most about photographing winter events is how much the season does for you visually. You don't need a lot of decoration when the backdrop is a frozen lake and rows of oak trees catching the last bit of afternoon light. The Great Hall at Silverwood with its cathedral ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows, and warm wood interior provided the perfect counterpoint: all that cozy indoor warmth against the pale stillness outside. Watching a couple hold each other close while snow-covered ground stretches out behind the glass is just... hard to beat, photographically speaking.
The bride Vanessa <3
For portraits, we didn’t have to wander far from the great hall and found moments everywhere: the patio with its stone fireplace glowing against the cold, the long shadows that only a winter afternoon sun can make. There's a quality of light in winter that I genuinely think is underrated. It's soft, it's low, and it turns everything golden in a way that feels completely effortless.
Hamil and Vanessa were the kind of couple who didn't need much direction. They were present with each other in a way that made my job feel easy, like I was just documenting something that was already happening, not engineering something for the camera. That's the best kind of session. The images from their day are some of my favorites I've ever made.
Fancy Ray, the ultimate hype man, officiated with all the grace, energy and genuinely good vibes you could wish for
If you're thinking about a winter wedding at Silverwood Park, here's what I'd tell you:
Lean into the season instead of fighting it. Embrace the layers, embrace the crisp air, and please, please consider a couples portrait session outside even if it's cold. Fifteen minutes in a coat is worth it for photographs you'll have forever! The Great Hall's windows give you beautiful natural light even on an overcast day, and the outdoor fireplace on the patio is genuinely magical once the sun goes down.
Silverwood is one of those venues that works in every season, but there's something about winter that strips it down to its most essential, honest version. Which, if you ask me, is a pretty good metaphor for what a wedding day is supposed to be.
Congratulations, Hamil and Vanessa. It was an honor.
Interested in a winter wedding at Silverwood Park or anywhere in the Minneapolis area?
