The Machine Shop

The Machine Shop is the newest - and hottest - wedding venue in Minneapolis. We had the pleasure of photographing a gorgeous wedding a few weeks ago and though we are keeping most of the images private, we did want to share some of the stunning details!

When it comes to planning a wedding, couples spend so much time and energy on designing the look of their day. They also place a lot of trust in their vendors to make their vision come to life. That is part of the reason we credit all of our vendors in each blog post - we know they have given their time and talent to create and amazing space for us to photograph and for the couples to experience the best day of their life!

This wedding was nothing short of stunning. Scroll down to see the vendors who created such brilliance!

LOVEe

VENDORS//

Venue: The Machine Shop

Event Planning & Design: Rachelle from Style Architects Weddings + Events

Floral: Ashley Fox Design and Phos 

Invitation + Paper: Paper Rock Scissor

Rentals: Linen Effects + Apres Party Rental

Video: Snowshoe Productions

DJ: Rock With U

Cake: Farina Bakery

Catering: Fabulous Catering

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

Married! // Emily + Chad

Emily and Chad technically met when they were young - like real young. Their families have nostalgic photos of these two all the way back to preschool, but the two moved to different schools in 2nd grade. It wasn't until they were adults that Emily and Chad reconnected and became a couple - and now husband and wife!

Emily grew up as a figure skater and has gone on to coach and even start her own business as a designer for figure skating apparel. The theme of her life is Winter Sparkle, which also became the theme of her wedding! It took place at Calhoun beach club and was simply a magical winter wedding!

Congratulations to Emily & Chad!

LOVEe

VENDORS//

Venue and Catering: Calhoun Beach Club and D'Amico Catering

Event Planning: Lasting Impressions Weddings

Florist: Arts and Flowers

Hair & Makeup: Brett Dorian Artistry Studios

Cake: HyVee

Dress: Romona Keveza from L'Atelier Couture Bridal

Videography: Snowshoe Productions

Ceremony Musicians: Lake String Quartet

DJ and Lighting: Instant Request

Married! // Kim + Jake

Oh man, I don't even know where to begin in speaking about Kim and Jake's wedding! After a GREAT season of weddings, this was our last wedding to photograph for the year and it ended on an EPIC note. Kim and Jake hosted their wedding at the Grandview Lodge, so all of their guests from near and far had a weekend getaway in Northern Minnesota. The weather was perfect, the leaves and season of fall was in full effect and the sunshine gave us some amazing light.

Beyond the setting, there were many Jewish wedding traditions that took place and made for some absolutely unforgettable moments. If I could describe this wedding in one word, it would be celebratory. Everyone was so deeply happy and joyous for Kim & Jake and also so thankful to be a part of this time in their lives. 

I couldn't think of a better way to round out the amazing year we have had with all of our couples. To Kimmy and Jake - thank you so much for inviting us to document this day. You are an amazing couple who is going to go so far in life and I can't wait to see where all of the adventure takes you!

LOVEe

VENDORS//

Venue and Catering: Grandview Lodge

Dress: Mira Zwillinger from L'atelier Couture Bridal

Event Planning: Allie Markman, Divine & You 

Florist and Event Design: Bloom Designs

Stationary: Spark Letterpress

Decor: Dee's Decorating, Linen Effects and NP Event Space

Videography: Ladd Films

Entertainment: Northstar

Dessert: Edible Art

Ketubah: Alexandra Minkoff

Popcorn: Maddie and Maize

Lighting: AVEX

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

Married! // Adell + Curt

Adell and Curt's wedding took place on one of the most beautiful days of late / summer early fall. The weather was gorgeous, the sun was shining and the colors were lush. The couple chose Hennepin Ave. United Methodist Church, which matched the beauty of the outdoors for their ceremony. The reception took place at the Town & Country Club and it was simply stunning! I am so very happy for Adell and Curt! I wish you all the best in your new life together!

LOVEe

VENDORS//

Ceremony Location: Hennepin Ave. United Methodist Church

Reception Location: Town & Country Club

Coordination + Floral: Artemisia Studios

Hair & Makeup: Bb Makeup

Cake: Cakes by Jan

Videographer: Capture the Moment Productions

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! // Kate + Jake

Kate and Jake's wedding day started out with a lot of rain, but spirits were high. Absolutely nothing was going to keep this group from celebrating and as luck would have it, the clouds parted and the sunshine came out for all of their photos! 

The common theme throughout Kate and Jake's day was that the secret to a happy life is filled with friends, family and faith. This couple has strong roots in all of those categories and I just know that they are going to have the best life together! Congratulations to the new Mr. and Mrs. Sturk! 

LOVEe

 

VENDORS//

Ceremony: St John the Baptist Catholic Church

Reception: Radisson Hotel

Florals: Chenoweth Floral

Cake: Buttercream

Catering: Axel's 

Character Artist: Caricatures by Lisa

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