Engaged! // Erin + Mickey

Life has a very funny way of working out. I met Erin and Mickey years ago, when Erin hosted a co-birthday-extravaganza with one of my friends at a cabin in Wisconsin. It was SUCH a fun weekend and a big moment for this couple. Mickey had just moved back from California and Erin mustered up the guts to ask him out on a date that weekend. In fact - there was something inside of her that knew she would marry Mickey from their first moments. 

That first date happened to be at Mancini's Char House in St. Paul, where we went back to for their engagement session! They sat at the bar, had martinis and that was that. Now here we all are, years later and I am invited to document the biggest party of their lives - I can't wait. These two are amazing and I am so happy for Mickey + Erin!

LOVEe

Married! // Sara + Jeff

Where do I possibly begin this blog post? Sara Montour came into my life years ago and she quickly became one of my best friends. We have been through some LIFE together and who would think that within the same year and a half, we would both fall in love and decide to get married within two months? Not us - at all. But life has a funny way of bringing the perfect people in at the right time and I think that is true in both our friendship and when Sara met Jeff (aka. Hat). 

Jeff is the steadfast home to Sara's wanderlust heart. He is not afraid to jump in the car on a whim to travel and Sara agreed to get a Costco membership. (Hint: We all knew this was serious when Montour started going to Costco.) They started their family by bringing Wyatt, their giant Newfoundland puppy, into their life and all throughout the time they have been together, I have never seen Sara more happy than this! 

It's a special thing to be a part of weddings, but when your close-personal-friends get married, it is even more humbling and great to be a part of. Sara is an amazing photographer herself and it meant the world to me to photograph her wedding day! I also got to shoot alongside my other best gal, Liz for the first time and it was So. Much. Fun. 

Sara and Jeff had the perfect wedding for themselves. They got ready together at their home, while records played their favorite music. (By the way - Sara's dress was handmade by her wonderful sister / designer Kyra Deva). Next up was a quick stop in the forest for their photos and then we were off to get LewTour officially married. They invited all of their close family and friends to Bauhaus Brewery for a  quick ceremony - and then it was onto the games, beer, food and fun for everyone! Congratulations to Sara + Jeff - we are all SO very happy for you!

LOVEe

Engaged! // Joanna + Jordan

Jordan and Joanna are a wonderful couple. Their happiness and positivity just make you smile and seeing the two of them just naturally puts you in a better mood. The couple met in college and have been having fun together ever since. We waited (literally) almost all winter to get the perfect snowy day for their engagement session and it was so worth the wait! We spent some time with their gorgeous Chocolate Lab, Ryder, and ventured into their neighborhood of the North Loop! 

Congratulations to Jordan and Joanna on their engagement! I am so excited for you two and can't wait for your wedding this fall!

LOVEe

Best Moments of 2016!

2016 was an amazing year for us! We photographed some absolutely amazing weddings and had the best time with our clients. We launched our new website and also introduced new branding for all of our companies! To top it all off, our sister company, Rivets and Roses had their best year ever!

I wanted to take a moment to look back at the 2016 season and share some of my personal favorite images from each wedding. Once they were all selected, I realized my favorite images are still deeply rooted in moments. Moments that we can't predict and pictures that might not be technically perfect, but you can feel exactly how it felt to be in that space. 

There are so many reasons why I love to photograph weddings, but working along side my team to document these days is always what keeps me coming back. A big thank you to all of our clients for an amazing year - and congratulations to you all!

LOVEe

Married! // Samantha + Bryan

From the moment I met Samantha and Bryan in the studio, it was clear to me that they had a love that inspires everyone around them! I have been looking forward to their wedding ever since that day and it was even better than I could have imagined! It was a day filled with romance, gorgeous scenery and celebratory moments! It was such a pleasure to document this day for Samantha and Bryan and I am just so so so thrilled for this couple!

LOVEe

VENDORS//

Ceremony + Reception Location: Mayowood Stone Barn

Dress: Che Bella, Alvina Valenta

Suit - Macy's

Event Coordinator: Letecia Holter of Ardently Yours

Florals, Lighting and Linens: Fox & Fern Floral

Cigar Bar: Fox & Fern Floral

Hair and Makeup: Lindsey Weber and Rachel Notch of Hair District, Maple Grove

Catering and Bar: Canadian Honker

Cake and Dessert Table: Top Tier Delights

DJ and Photobooth: Wedding Day DJ's

PHOTOGEN INC. // New Brand Identity!

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Brand identity by dschwen

I am super excited to share the new identities of all of our companies! This is our eleventh year of business and as our work and businesses grow and become more refined, so do our brands. Last year, we took on the big project of updating all of our websites and this year brought along the next phase of that project, which was to unify all of the brands. We worked with the brilliant mind of David Schwen of Dschwen to bring this all together and I am SO happy with how it turned out! Each company still has it's own individual presence, while still feeling cohesive with all we do here in the studio. 

PHOTOGEN INC. is a luxury wedding photography brand that takes me around the world to photograph weddings. Our sister company, Rivets and Roses, is an affordable wedding photography studio, serving the Midwest and features the work of six different artists. Part of the new identity was creating branding that separated the different price points and client base of work. As PHOTOGEN INC. grows, it has become more grown up and refined, while still staying a bit badass. The Rivets and Roses brand took on a friendlier font that is more approachable! 

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You can check out all of our other brands at the sites below:

eliesaconsults.com

eliesajohnson.com

rivetsandroses.com

Married // Anna + Derek

Anna and Derek have a very serendipitous meeting. The two met at a wedding, in which they were both a part of the wedding party. (You can read more about that story here.) However; we all learned during the father-of-the-bride-speech that Derek had met his future-father-in-law a few times in life, before the couple had ever met! How cool is that, seriously.

The thing about Anna and Derek is that they make you believe in love. Just being in their presence makes you happy and seeing how they are with one another is inspiring. They truly have it all, but their connection is beyond cool to bear witness to. 

On the wedding day, it started as a stormy summer day here in Minnesota. But the skies cleared for us just at the right moments and ended with ALL the sunshine. I must say, the day felt quite romantic with all of the weather and it ended so perfectly.

I am so so so happy for Anna and Derek! Congratulations to you and cheers to all that is to come!

LOVEe

VENDORS//

Ceremony Location: Diamond Lake Lutheran Church

Reception Location: Lafayette Club

Wedding Planning: Lasting Impressions Weddings

Dress: Posh Bridal Couture

Suits: Men's Warehouse

Stationary: Paper Rock Scissor

Floral: Zinnia Design Floral

Hair: Bang Bang Salon

Makeup: Nan Fletcher

Cake: Buttercream

Live Band: Downtown Band, Nashville

Married // Laurie + Tim

There is no greater honor, as a photographer, than to be asked to document another photographer's wedding. Laurie is an absolutely amazing photographer herself, so I was very humbled when she asked our team to document her day! 

Laurie and Tim are incredible and it has been so great to connect with them on a more personal level this last year. They planned their wedding exactly how they wanted it: A small ceremony on family land in Northern Minnesota and then a reception in the city at 514 Studios! Both events were entirely magical and the perfect mix between intimate and celebratory. Everyone who touched their wedding was a close friend or family and it made for the most thoughtful wedding!

Congratulations to Laurie and Tim! I am so excited for you!

LOVEe

VENDORS//

Northern MN Location: McVean Family Property

Beer: Made by friends

Florals: Whimsy Designs

Wedding Dress: Leann Marshall from a & bé Bridal Shop

Party Dress: Made by the Mother of the Bride

Suit: Heimie's Haberdashery 

City Location: 514 Studios

Food Truck: Gastro Truck

Live Band: The Jana Nyberg Group

 

Married // Lexie + Nick

Lexie is a woman who's upbeat energy is contagious to everyone around her. She is the life of the party and when it came to planning her wedding day, she had a vision for exactly what she wanted. Nick is her steadfast soulmate who is the perfect match for Lexie! 

Preparation for their wedding day began years ago, right after Nick proposed. Lexie knew she wanted to be married on her family farm, so her father set out to make that happen. They cleared and leveled land, refurbished the barn and as the day came closer and closer, all of the details fell into place to make this dream come true. And let me tell you - it was a dream wedding! 

From the gorgeous details to ALL of the couple's friends and family - it was an incredible day! I must make note of the miraculous weather, too. All signs pointed towards severe thunderstorms on the day of their wedding, but somehow the storms completely missed us and there was nothing but sunshine! Totally incredible!

This might be one of the longest blog posts I have ever put together, but there was so much beauty in the moments of this day to share! Congratulations to the new Mr. and Mrs. Larson!

LOVEe

VENDORS//

Location: Private Residence, Buffalo, MN

Brides' Dress: Posh Bridal Couture

Floral: Buffalo Floral

Married! // Kayla + Brian

Kayla and Brian had such a gorgeous wedding. Truly, it was perfect. Their day was planned with the help of their rockstar wedding planner, Julia LaCroix and every last detail was thoughtful and so so lovely for the event. The couple had an all-star vendor list, which you can see below, but beyond all of the gorgeous details, there were some grand moments. Kayla and Brian are so sweet with one another and it was great to see how close their families had become over the years that they have been dating. Everyone was SO excited to celebrate this couple and their union! Congratulations to the newlyweds!

LOVEe

VENDORS//

Wedding Planning & Design: Julia LaCroix Styled Events

Ceremony Location: St Andrews Lutheran Church

Reception Location: Solar Arts by Chowgirls

Catering: Chowgirls

Cake: Buttercream

Hair & Makeup: Swept Up

Brides Dress: Posh Bridal Couture

Stationary: A Milestone Paper Co. 

Floral: Martha's Gardens

Live Music: The Bruce A. Henry Band

Transportation: Rent My Party Bus

Decor & Rentals: Linen Effects

Welcome to the new Photogen Inc!

Welcome to the new website for Photogen Inc.! I am super excited for this new space and wanted to share some thoughts about this process and our new look!

- The Photogen Inc. brand is officially entering our eleventh year of business and I felt it was time to ask myself the question again: Why do I love photographing weddings and what inspires me the most?

The answer was simple - it all comes down to moment. I love documenting this day in our client's lives and I especially am inspired by the moments we capture that we couldn't possibly plan for. The first image you see when coming to the new site is of Maddie and Ben. They had just walked down the aisle and were taking a minute with each other before heading out to celebrate with all of their guests. I am obsessed with this image. I love how badass it feels, how naturally cool it is and how real this moment was for the couple. 

 

- As technology advances each year, I want to make sure and bring you a website that is both current and functional! Over the course of last year, I moved all of our sites to the Squarespace platform and I couldn't be happier with this decision! You will find that the new site is more responsive and mobile friendly - as well as image based, which helps us share the work more easily. You can check out all of our sites here:

Rivets and Roses

Eliesa Johnson

ELIESA Consults

- We stripped it down. When I look through a lot of websites in the wedding industry, I get overwhelmed with the amount of 'fluff' that there is. I wanted to get back to the basics and just focus on the work. We have been fortunate to have the best clients over the years who have absolutely stunning weddings. My portfolios could easily be around 100 images, but I was challenged to narrow it down to 25 images per gallery and I feel like this is SO refreshing and highlights the work better! I wanted to make a site that connects with our perfect client, not to please the masses. I think we definitely achieved this. 

 

- I am personally most inspired when photographing weddings that are in new spaces. Whether that’s in the Minneapolis area or across the world - I love to travel and experience a new place for the first time. You will notice that all of the wedding galleries are organized by different locations around the world to highlight some of our favorite places. 

 

- One of the the most common questions I am asked by couples is "When should we do our engagement photos?" You can have them photographed at any time of the year, so we arranged our Engagement portfolios to reflect the different seasons and show the possibilities for each time of the year!

 

- You better believe our blog will still be a hot spot for recent wedding work! After each wedding, I will be sharing highlights of the day! Also make sure to follow along with us on Instagram @photogen_inc and on Facebook to see the latest and greatest! 

 

- Lastly, I want to say thank you to my incredible team and friends who help me on the daily. We have a LOT happening over here and I love every minute of it. However, I couldn't do it all with out the support system I have. I specifically want to thank Sara, Loop, Melissa, Liz, Josh and Jonny for challenging me with critique and technically helping me set up all of these sites in the last year! 

 

I hope you enjoy the new site! We are about to kick off the 2016 wedding season and I could not be more excited!

 

LOVEe