Groom's Quarters
Where the groomsmen stop joking around for one minute and help him with his tie
The guys arrive with garment bags over their shoulders and more energy than the schedule allows. Someone has already opened a drink. Someone else cannot find his cufflinks. The groom sits on the leather sofa to tie his shoes, and for a second the room goes quiet while his dad straightens his collar in the mirror. Then a card from the bride gets passed to him, sealed with a lipstick kiss, and the jokes stop just long enough for him to read it. By the time the photographer calls them out for portraits, the room is loud again, and he walks out looking exactly like the person she is about to marry.
The groom's quarters is where the morning slows down long enough for him to notice it is actually happening.
Getting ready is half of the wedding day story, and at Windmill Winery the groom gets a room of his own for it. The Barn and the Lake House each have groom's quarters separate from the bridal suite, so the two of you can stay apart until the first look or the aisle. In the Barn, the groom's quarters has tufted leather seating, tall wood framed mirrors and sunny windows, with room for the groomsmen to dress, pin boutonnieres and raise a toast before the ceremony. At the Lake House, the groom's quarters is finished in warm wood paneling with the balcony just outside the door, a natural spot for a quiet moment or one last portrait before the ceremony. Photographers love both rooms because the light and the wood tones do the work, so the small details come through in the photos: the cufflinks, the pocket watch, the boutonniere, the blessing from his parents.
