Intimate Summer Backyard Wedding in Downtown Madison, WI -

Ashley and Max hosted their intimate wedding in their backyard at their home in downtown Madison. The day was filled with their closest loved ones, intention + thought put into every little detail, and was overall an incredible experience they created for their guests. I truly will never get over this intimate summer backyard wedding, and I doubt you will once you look through these photographs, either.

Ashley + Max’s Intimate Summer Backyard Wedding

About the couple + their home

I like to give a little backstory to help you get to know the couple before I share more about their wedding, because I believe it helps give context to the meaning of the day + why they chose to celebrate the way they did.

Like I mentioned, Ashley and Max held their wedding in their downtown Madison backyard – but there’s more meaning to this home than you might think. Not only did these two want to have an intentional day focused on them; they also wanted it to take place in the home they had just renovated.

They purchased their home in the fall of 2021, and renovated the entire thing before their wedding on July 2nd. Yes, they renovated it all in less than a year, with a deadline fast approaching! How much more impressive could it get?

I can’t blame them for wanting to celebrate at their newly remodeled home – and to show it off to their loved ones, of course. They showcased before & after pictures of the home in an album for everyone to see their progress, which I absolutely loved!

An intimate day filled with intention

Above all else Ashley and Max wanted to celebrate in a way that was intentional + true to them and their relationship.

A majority of their 40 friends and family members in attendance were not from the area, as both Ashley and Max are not originally from Wisconsin. They wanted to spend intentional time with everyone since they were all traveling for the wedding from all over the country (and to showcase their new home!). Everyone in attendance was truly honored to be there, and they had numerous people give speeches all with heartfelt memories of times with both Ashley + Max.

This wedding was filled with intentional moments that were design for them from beginning to end. No forced walking down the aisle, a cocktail hour with friend prior to the ceremony, just to name two. And the day still had “traditional” elements like the beautiful table setting that helped create an incredible ambiance for dinner.

If you’re considering an intimate wedding, let this one be an example of how incredibly special it can be to celebrate only with your closest loved ones.

Let it be a reminder to you of just how worthy your wedding is of being photographed – no matter how many people you have, or how “big” it is. Just because you’re choosing an intentional day, with a non-traditional timeline, doesn’t mean that your wedding is any less worth of coverage – and I am so glad I got to be there to photograph the entirety of Ashley + Max’s special day!

The colorful + artistic details

Ashley and Max curated a day not only filled with intention, but also with some of the most unique, colorful, + artistic details and decor I’ve ever seen. Ashley’s closest loved ones wore bright dresses, the bouquets and floral arrangements boasted vibrant colors, and the highlight of the menus + table settings was the chunky, bold font choice. I know that boho-neutral is the trend right now, but this wedding is a beautiful example of how much fun it can be to bring color + vibrant decor into your day, and that you have full freedom to get creative with it!

A unique wedding experience for their guests

I always love it when couples put careful thought into the experience they’re creating for their guests, and you can tell Ashley + Max did just that.

For starters, they set up their garage to let guests enjoy sock hop vibes from the 50’s, complete with delicious desserts, fun paper decor hanging from strings, and a lovely bar setup. Grazing tables are always a win in my eyes, too – who doesn’t want to be able to grab tasty finger foods all day? They even set up Polaroid cameras for their guests to use, and truly had tons of other fun details that would take me too long to list out!

I absolutely love that Ashley + Max wanted more documentary-style photos than posed; they didn’t want the pressure to create forced moments just because it was their wedding day. That shined through in the unique details they invested in, the fun time they put together for their guests, and the amount of genuine fun they had interacting with their loved ones rather than putting on a show for the camera.

All in all, this intimate backyard wedding day was one for the books, and one I will never forget. I am so grateful I got to be there to photograph this intentional, vibrant day full of love, intention, and beautiful people!