Married! // Katie + Travis

New Years Eve is a special time for Katie and Travis. It's the time of year when these two started dating and also the date they decided to become Husband and Wife. Katie and Travis are complete romantics who are each other's perfect match in life. They equally balance one another and push each other to be better people. Their energy, smiles and laughter are contagious and you just can't helped but be excited about life when you are around these two!

For their New Years Eve wedding, the couple were married in an intimate and unique wedding ceremony. The theme of their wedding revolved around dreaming - to always believe in yourself, the people around you and that truly anything is possible. Of course, Katie and Travis also have impeccable taste, so their wedding was nothing short of absolutely gorgeous. 

One of my favorite parts of the day was watching how happy and excited their families were. Both the bride and the groom's side had so much love and history and their stories and excitement over the marriage made the day so much more meaningful. 

It's been a pleasure to get to know Katie, Travis and their families. I can't wait to see where life takes these two and I am so damn happy for the new Mr. and Mrs. Block!

LOVEe

VENDORS//

Ceremony + Reception Venue: The Loring Social

First Look Location: Café Lurcat

Event Planning: See Jane Plan

Florals: Arts & Flowers

Catering: D'amico and Sons

Dessert Table: Gail's Cakes of Minneapolis

Stationary: Champagne Press

Dress: L'Atelier Couture Bridal

Rentals: Linen Effects

Photography: Photogen Inc. 

Videography: Ladd Films

Live Band: Twice on Sunday

Photo Booth: The Traveling Photo Booth

Hair: Jenica Lee and Ashley Richards

Makeup: Tina Beaupre

Officiant: Nielle Arnold

Married! // Erin + Mickey

"You love me in a way that still makes me feel free" - these are some beautiful words that Erin and Mickey shared to one another on their wedding day and I absolutely love that description. I think this is the greatest way to describe any love, but specifically for Erin and Mickey. They are a couple who inspires everyone around them - and both come from families deeply rooted in strong and long relationships. Erin and Mickey's wedding day was one of my favorite weddings for many reasons, but I'll share a couple here:

Call it fate, call it serendipity or call it the universe putting these two in my life, but years ago, I ended up at a cabin in Wisconsin to celebrate Erin's birthday. It was a co-birthday, actually, and Erin and I had a lot of mutual friends. I didn't know Erin or Mickey particularly well at that time, but it was at this weekend cabin adventure that they decided to date. When they asked me to photograph their wedding, I felt honored and it was great to document their love story coming full circle. 

Erin and Mickey are a couple who has great style and taste. They are also a couple who is not afraid to take risks. While photographing their wedding, I noticed I felt permission to also take risks. I shot more using hard light, motion blur and even more out of focus images that I love. 

This wedding was so refreshing and wonderful, so without further adieu, lets congratulate the new Mr. and Mrs. Nelson! 

LOVEe

VENDORS//

Ceremony + Reception Location: Paikka

Invitation + Design: Colasacco Creative

Floral Design: Maven 

Dress: BHLDN

Catering + Cake: Vivo Kitchen

Photo Booth: Photo Booth Memories

DJ: Events by MV

Engaged! // Stephanie + Neal

Stephanie and Neal met on their very last night of Law School and it was one year later that the couple took a trip to Colorado where Neal had that moment. He just knew that Stephanie was the one for him and that he had to marry this girl! Later that following Spring he proposed and here they are - planning their wedding! 

For their engagement session, we wanted to incorporate some real moments of their life. We stopped at City Hall, grabbed a cocktail at one of their neighborhood bars and spent the afternoon at Theo Wirth Park with their dogs. We took full advantage of the fall scenery and it was a beautiful day! 

Congratulations to Steph + Neal on their engagement! I can't wait for the big day!

LOVEe 

Engaged! // Jenna + Darrin

Jenna and Darrin met in the 9th grade. He was best friends with her brother and totally had a high school crush. It wasn't until their senior year that the two began dating and they have been together ever since! Darrin proposed on his 30th birthday in their hometown of Duluth, where he had all of their family and friends gathered. What a way to ring in your 30s! 

Jenna has been following our work here at Photogen Inc. for a long time, so I was deeply honored when she asked me to photograph their upcoming wedding! It's been so wonderful to get to know this couple and for their engagement session, we went out to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, which was the perfect backdrop for their portraits. 

Congratulations to Jenna and Darrin on their engagement! We're so excited for the big day!

LOVEe

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

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! // 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

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! // 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

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