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Wedding Portraits at Delaware's Willowbrook Weddings Venue

  • Writer: Shannon Ritter
    Shannon Ritter
  • 7 days ago
  • 3 min read

a Wedding Photographer’s Perspective

As a professional wedding photographer in Delaware, Willowbrook Wedding Venue offers many ceremony spaces as well as a variety of visually stunning locations for your formal wedding portraits. Willowbrook Wedding Venue is one of those rare places that truly delivers on both. Their timeless backdrops, includes a pond, stone walkway, forest, large stand of trees including their willow tree, and greenery wall. You can see all of them below.

Willowbrook wedding venue with pond has the couples photographed in front of it standing with their foreheads together. They are holding onto each other with their hands on the stone path. This groom graduated from a Sussex County high school.

Willowbrook is an intimate venue for Delaware couples to share their wedding day first look. There is a plant covered arch where this couple chose to share their first look. With trees lined in soft market lights, this area feels intimate and romantic without being overly styled. This is Courtney and Josh's first look.

Groom in his light blue suit is waiting for his future bride to walk up to him and tap him on his shoulder. You see the bride in her white dress with the forested trees with twinkling lights behind him.
Bride is standing behind her groom with her arm stretched out to tap his shoulder to signal for him to turn around and see her for the first time on their wedding day in Delaware.
Willowbrook groom turns around to see his bride with the willow tree and pond behind them.
Intimate moment at Willowbrook where groom has just turned around to see his bride wearing her white wedding dress. His smile is from ear to ear.
willowbrook's garden is behind the bride and groom as they hold hands during their first look.
Bridgeville, Delaware wedding venue garden is the backdrop to an intimate moment between bride and groom as they see each other for their first look.
Willowbrooks arched vines can be seen behind the bride and groom which was where the bride was hiding before her first look. Photography by Shannon Ritter
Sussex county's willowbrook wedding venue has a forest of trees leading up to their brick wall ceremony backdrop. Couple is standing kissing with the trees covered in tiny lights.
willowbrook wedding excitement for the first look with bride and groom seeing each other for the first time. The bride and groom are holding hands.
forested backdrop at willowbrook wedding venue with greenery and twinkling lights behind the couple exchanging their first kiss of the day
wedding couple walking towards Willowbrooks waterfall for their formal photographs. You are able to see the back of his blue suit as well as the open back of her lace wedding dress.
peeking through the Willowbrook bushes that frame the couple at the bottom of the photograph. The couple is standing forehead to forehead and holding onto each other with the waterfall and garden behind them.
Wedding clients photographed by Shannon Ritter holding each other and sharing another kiss with the Willowbook waterfall to the left of them.
Bride and groom standing on huge rock with all green leaves and shrubbery behind them.
Delaware waterfall backdrop at Willowbrook wedding venue. Shannon Ritter is their photographer who is closer to the couple so the couple appears to fill most of the photograph.
Willowbrook bride and groom slow dancing in front of their waterfall in Bridgeville, Delaware
Groom in bending his leg closest to the camera as the photographer, Shannon Ritter, had given to the bride creating a candid moment for the couple.

Yes, we always deliver the silly photographs so that you remember exactly how your day went and the silly one your are marrying.

Black and white photograph of bride and groom standing on huge rock in front of a Delaware waterfall at their wedding venue.
shannon ritter photography's bride and groom hold each other in front of a small Delaware waterfall installed at Willowbrook Wedding and Events.
forested trees behind a bride and groom for their formal wedding portraits in Bridgeville, Delaware. The groom is kissing the bride's cheek which has made her show her largest smile.
forested trees behind a bride and groom for their formal wedding portraits in Bridgeville, Delaware. The groom is kissing the bride's cheek which has made her show her largest smile.

After photos at the waterfall Courtney and Josh followed the stone path over to the pong with the Willow tress. This gave them a pond backdrop with lots of green September trees.

Bridgeville, Delaware has a large wedding venue with a pond that is behind the walking bride and groom. They are on a stone walking path that the wedding venue calls Willowbrook's Walk In the Park.
Willowbrook's Walk in the Park stone path is where the bride and groom are touching noses with the pond's fountain spraying behind them.
Bride and groom walking over to the Willowbrook Pond moving from the left of the photo to the right.
Bride and groom walking over to the Willowbrook Pond moving from the left of the photo to the right. The photographer, Shannon Ritter, is low to the ground which shows the walking path as well as Willowbrook's Willow Tree.
willowbrook wedding venue has a large pond with a running fountain pictured behind the bride and groom who are holding onto each other at the waist.
Shannon Ritter is photographing the Willowbrook bride and groom holding hands and walking on the stone path in front of the Willowbrook Pond.

The couple then joined hands and went to see their ceremony space that was set up perfectly by the team at Eventfully Yours. Courtney's chair decorations, lanterns with butterflies (in remembrance of Courtney's father) and the mums that were added for a pop of color to their fall wedding.

bride and groom walking into the Willowbrook Woods ceremony space to see the Eventfully Yours wedding planned space. You see willowbrooks large brick wall with three arches and greenery behind the couple that they are walking towards.
Willowbrook wedding ceremony in the woods with bride and groom standing in the aisle together while the bride stands on her toes to whisper in her groom's ear.
willowbrook brick wall in the willowbrook woods where this bride and groom would be married. The ground is covered in AstroTurf so the couples always have green grass no matter the fall or spring season.
groom dipping his bride for a kiss before their ceremony in the willowbrook woods in Bridgeville, Delaware. Photo shows the couple from head to toe in their wedding attire.
groom dipping his bride for a kiss before their ceremony in the willowbrook woods in Bridgeville, Delaware close up version of the photo only showing the couple from the waste up.
willowbrook woods with brick wall, arches, and white ceremony chairs behind the couple who is seeing their venue before the ceremony space fills with guests
willowbrook woods with brick wall, arches, and white ceremony chairs behind the couple who is seeing their venue before the ceremony space fills with guests

Since we worked together on Courtney and Josh's photography timeline we made sure to have time that they would be able to spend together. This gave them additional wedding portraits outside of their sunset portraits later in the day.

Bride standing in the Willowbrook greenery wall path with the groom behind 10 steps behind her. The bride has her hands at her side and she is looking to the right of the photograph. The groom is standing behind her with his hands clasped in his light blue suit.
bride is holding her engagement ring while her groom stands close to the greenery wall at Willowbrook Wedding Woods
bride is holding her her groom. They stand in front of the greenery wall at Willowbrook Wedding Woods
bride is holding her her groom's chin while he stands behind her making her giggle. They stand in front of the greenery wall at Willowbrook Wedding Woods
bride is standing with groom's holding her shoulders while he stands behind her making her giggle. They stand in front of the greenery wall at Willowbrook Wedding Woods in the forest.
Shannon Ritter Photography is photographing a bride is standing with groom's holding her shoulders while he stands behind her making her giggle. They stand in front of the greenery wall at Willowbrook Wedding Woods in the forest.
bride and groom's holding hands while walking through the stone walkway at Willowbrook Wedding Woods in the forest.

This is the sweet moment where they said goodbye to each other before their ceremony.

bride and groom in wedding attire couple walking out of the willowbrook woods holding their arms across each others backs.
willowbrook first look with bride and groom standing on the paved driveway
groom sticking his face in the crook of his bride's shoulder saying a quick goodbye before their willowbrook wedding ceremony

Sunset Photos

Just after dinner, Willowbrook had their 6 seat golf cart ready for sunset photos and took all of us over to their corn and soybean fields for portraits. Courtney and Josh were able to cuddle and hang out for their portraits.

Willowbrook has a golf cart to accommodate the bride and groom as well as the photographer and videographer. This is the bride and groom on the back of the cart heading to the corn field for sunset.

Another unique benefit of Willowbrook is its proximity to the farm property just across the street. We chose to use the low-growing soybean field with silos in the distance, timed perfectly with sunset. With the sky glowing behind them and the landscape stretching wide, this location delivers a cinematic feel that contrasts beautifully with the more intimate garden and pond settings. It’s an ideal spot for golden-hour portraits and adds depth and storytelling to the final gallery.

bride and groom standing in the soybean field owned by Willowbrook Wedding with the bride holding her flowers with purple, lavender, pink and green flowers. Bride is looking at the camera.
Shannon Ritter, the photographer, is lower to the ground so that you see the profile of the bride and groom standing close together. The sky is white which leaves negative space. The bride's train is spread out behind her.
bride and groom close up photograph with the bride's hand behind her groom's head pulling him into her ear. She is smiling and looking down so her eyes appear closed. You can see the dry corn stalks behind them with blue sky
vertical photograph of bride and groom in soy bean field with a two lane dirt path leading to them. The bride is holding on behind the grooms head and they are rubbing noses with each other. You can see the bride's hair comb with gems. The bride has her train in her hand so it doesn't drag on the ground.
vertical photograph of bride and groom in soy bean field with a two lane dirt path leading to them. The bride and groomare looking at the camera with their cheeks touching. The bride has her train in her hand so it doesn't drag on the ground.
Horizontal photo of the bride who has just thrown her train towards the groom as they were dancing. She has pulled him in for a kiss and has her arm behind his head. She is holding onto her back pulling her in close while standing in the middle of the two dirt tracks likely made by tractors.
bride is being lifted in the air by her groom while standing in the middle of the two dirt tracks likely made by tractors from Willowbrook Wedding Farm. Her train is hanging down and you can see that she is kicking her one foot up in the air. The couple is still smiling
while standing in the middle of the two dirt tracks likely made by tractors, the groom is spinning the bride who he has lifted up into the air holding her under her butt. She is holding on around his neck and is leaning her head on his forehead in this vertical photograph.
willowbrook farm field wedding couple holding hands between each other with the bride's train thrown over the couples hands. The groom is carrying the bride's wedding bouquet.
bride in her wedding dress with groom walking together in the willowbrook soy bean field with their foreheads together with sunset behind them.

This area adds variety to a wedding gallery without requiring travel time. Just a few steps away are the dried corn stalks, which naturally frame the couple and create strong leading lines that draw the eye inward

bride and groom holding hands with bride's train drapped over the couples joined hands not to drag in the dirt. The bride is looking at the camera as they walk into the distance surrounded by corn stalks. The groom is holding the deep purple bouquet in his hand on the left.
bride is showing off her new last name on her thigh high garter during their formal photographs at Willowbrook Wedding Venue. The lace of her dress is being held by the groom's hand. You are looking from above and seeing only the bent leg of the bride surrounded by lots of lace and her little white bridal heels.
Groom is bent over in the private corn field of Willowbrook with his bride who is also laughing. The path is small stones and dirt and corn is on either side of the bride and groom.
Groom in the private corn field of Willowbrook with his bride who is also laughing. The path is small stones and dirt and corn is on either side of the bride and groom who are looking at each other while they walk.
Groom in the private corn field of Willowbrook with his bride who is also laughing. The path is small stones and dirt and corn is on either side of the bride and groom who are looking at each other while they walk.
bride and Groom in the private corn field of Willowbrook. holding each other. The path is leading your eye to the couple who is between corn on either side of them. The couple is off center in this photo.
bride and Groom in the private corn field of Willowbrook. holding each other. The path is leading your eye to the couple who is between corn on either side of them. The couple is off center in this photo.
vertical portraits of bride and Groom in the private corn field of Willowbrook. holding each other with blue sky filling the top third of the photo. The path is leading your eye to the couple who is between corn on either side of them. The couple is off center in this photo.
Black and white photo of the cuddling Willowbrook bride with dried corn stalks behind them and Shannon Ritter, the photographer, is standing in the corn in the foreground framing the couple with bokeh corn stalks.
Color photo of cuddling Willowbrook bride with dried corn stalks behind them and Shannon Ritter, the photographer, is standing in the corn in the foreground framing the couple with bokeh corn stalks.
Bride and groom standing together holding each other. Bride has her hand in the foreground holding her deep purple bouquet at her side. Her eyes are closed and you see the green soybean field on either side of the couple. The sky is a bright blue with white.

Couples married at Willowbrook Wedding Venue in Delaware benefit from having multiple portrait locations that feel cohesive yet distinct, all within minutes of each other. From stone paths and garden terraces to open farmland, Willowbrook offers a thoughtfully layered backdrop that allows wedding days to unfold naturally—without rushing from place to place.

For couples planning an intimate Delaware wedding in Sussex County and looking for a venue that supports genuine moments and beautiful photography, Willowbrook continues to stand out as a venue that truly understands their client experience.


Vendors

Venue: @willowbrookofde https://willowbrookweddingsde.com/

Photographer: @shannonritterphotography

Videographer: @tjdukesfilms

Coordinator @eventfullyyoursmd https://www.eventfullyyoursmd.com/

DJ: Nick at Night

Cake : Desserts by Rita

Catering : Farmer’s Daughter BBQ

Bar Service : @ktboozery

Transportation @executiveTransportation

DE Officiant : Vows to Cherish

Hair @hairbyalossa @seaberryfarm

Rentals: @bartonsrentalsupply

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Serving Couples in Delaware, Virginia, Maryland, & Pennsylvania

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