Mr. and Mrs. McDonald!

Every bride plans her wedding day to be absolutely perfect. This past weekend, Minnesota was hit by a series of storms that took out most of the power in the metro area. On the morning of Ashley and Matt's wedding, they woke up to discover that the salon, their church and their reception venue were all without power. To make matters even trickier, most of the cell towers were down, along with the internet, in most places. For us, as we were traveling to the couple to begin the day, the always quaint and gorgeous city of Wayzata was almost like a ghost town. Everything was shut down and closed, trees were down and as we were driving, we magically received a voicemail, letting us know a new location that had power! It turns out that good ole atlas maps still hold value and we found our way to the wedding! Once we arrived, I was so happy to see Ashley totally chill, getting her hair done and sipping a mimosa...perfect! She said it best herself, "You know, I planned for almost 2 years for this day. I had a plan for rain, for snow and just about every other situation...except for a power outage! Earlier this morning, I was driving with my sister and I thought, 'I could be a bridezilla. I could start freaking out. I could get upset, but there is no point. Power or no power, I'm getting married today and I am SO excited!"  I have always loved Ashley and Matt since the moment I met them - and their families, too! Despite the crazy weather, the day everyone managed with with style and grace and at the end of the day, everything went exactly as planned. The power came on to the church, then the venue and one-by-one, everything started to fall back into place! The incredible team at Mimi Design made the Wayzata Country Club look absolutely gorgeous - and at the end of the day, Ashley and Matt ended up happily married!

Congratulations to Ashley and Matt! We had such an adventure with you all and I'm so happy to have been a part of it!

LOVEe

Minneapolis Institute of Arts Wedding // Mr. and Mrs. Cadogan!

Allison and Brett have been amazing clients and so much fun to get to know while planning their wedding. I first met Allison when she was a bridesmaid in another wedding I photographed a few years ago and I loved this girl instantly. When her and Brett became engaged, we got together and I found out that we had way more in common than I ever imagined. We all share the same favorite restaurant, the 112 Eatery, we all love our dogs to an enormous degree and last, but not least, we all love to go to happy hour. It turns out that I run into Allison and Brett all over town - and they are just simply 'my people'. It was an honor to be asked to photograph their wedding, years after I initially met Allison, and I am SO happy I was able to do so. It also turns out that this couple has impeccable taste when it came to their wedding. Allison wore a gorgeous Vera Wang dress from L'atelier Couture and their wedding marked the first official wedding event at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. Style Architects brought Allison's vision to life and put together a beautiful reception, while Just Bloomed made our jaws drop with the all-white floral theme. Nan Fletcher, one of our favorite makeup artists to work with, made all of the women look so beautiful and the entire day was just a lovely work of art! Oh - and Allison and Brett brought the party and secured local musicians, Roster Mccabe. This band has made its rounds on the local music scene, but rarely will you see them play at weddings. It was SO refreshing and fun...and the dance floor was hoppin'.

Congratulations to Allison and Brett on their absolutely stunning wedding! And this isn't the last we will see of these two...their wedding also marked the first official wedding where Chris can show off his mad-video-skills...stay tuned!

LOVEe

Mr. and Mrs. Herskowitz!

Mike and Melissa are a gorgeous couple. The two live in San Diego and totally have that easy-breezy-California-free look about them. However, when it came to their wedding, they chose to come back to Melissa's home state of Minnesota for an intimate winter wedding! They experienced a true winter day here in Minneapolis, complete with chilly temperatures, a little fog and even a little snow; but despite the dreary looking weather, spirits were high and it really was the perfect day! One of my favorite 'themes' of the day was how much family history they incorporated. For starters, there were family heirlooms everywhere. Melissa's bouquet was filled with broaches from past family members, there were old photographs and even old love letters that her grandparents had written to one another back in the day. Old jewels were worn and Melissa even wore a veil that was passed down from two of her best friends. What I love about this the most is that there was a true presence of SO much love, over time, at their wedding. The idea that love is absolutely timeless, as well as very solid, was a message that was heard loud and clear! Melissa and Mike chose some of Minneapolis's top vendors to bring their romantic visions to life! The Bliss Life was on top of the planning and Carra of La Petite Fleur did a jaw-dropping-job with the florals for the day. (That amazing bouquet took 5 hours and 2 people to assemble!) Linen Effects helped beautify the tables, and The Depot was the perfect venue for such a classic themed wedding. Melissa and Mike were absolutely stunning in their attire and they danced the night away to music by Generation Now DJ's. The fellas over at Copper Clover Films also joined us for their day and we can't wait to see the footage!

Congratulations to Melissa and Mike on your absolutely gorgeous wedding day! We are so happy for you two and this new adventure you are embarking on! You are truly perfect for one another!

LOVEe

Mr. and Mrs. Oien!

12/12/12 is a day that Tamara and Russell will never forget and either will I! As a wedding photographer, each and every wedding is very different and special in it's own way. This is the second wedding I've had the pleasure of documenting for the Carlyon family and I found it very refreshing for a few reasons. First, Tamara and Russell spent their money on only things that were a priority to them, such as their flowers (who the mother-of-the-bride did a lovely job arranging the bouquets!), food, and photography. Secondly, they kept the entire day very intimate by only inviting their immediate family to the wedding. And lastly, they totally and completely enjoyed themselves. Tamara and Russell's day was simple, thoughtfully put together and a true reflection of what matters most to them.

If you remember a few weeks back, I traveled with Tamara and her friends to San Francisco to document their bachelorette party. I REALLY love this idea and I think it might be an up-and-coming trend for brides. For Tamara, she had the best of both worlds. A bridal party photo session with her favorite women in her life, along with the small and intimate wedding day. Both were planned to a T, but her and Russell also left enough room to totally go-with-the-flow.

On the wedding day, Russell came and picked up his bride at the salon she was getting ready at. A couple of her friends took some time off of work to be with her during the 'getting ready' part of the day and had lots of laughs together! Before the ceremony, we decided to pop over to Tilia for a quick drink, and about 5 minutes before the ceremony was to begin, we decided to mozy on to the location, which was a little gazebo by Lake Harriett, right in the heart of Minneapolis. Their ceremony was short, sweet and full of love! For the reception, the couple rented out the 110 North Loop Loft and all of the food was catered in by Gastrotruck Catering, which, I must say, was to die for! The venue was set with all of the little DIY details that Tamara, Russell and their families had crafted together and it was simply a gorgeous and perfect venue for this intimate winter wedding!

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Congratulations to Tamara and Russell on their marriage! Thank you SO SO SO much for inviting me along this entire journey with you to document this time in your life. I've loved every second of it!

LOVEe

Mr. and Mrs. Smith!

Angela and Phil were not just getting married, they were officially embarking on a new chapter in their lives and joining together their families! During their ceremony, they brought up all of their children and included them to be just as much of a part in their marriage than the couple themselves. It was a very touching moment and one that I'm sure all of the kids will remember for their lifetime! Angela and Phil's wedding was a celebration of life, happiness and family. We had so much fun with them and our team of vendors on this day! Sarah Trotter of Lasting Impressions Weddings and Events, along with Sadie's Floral brought together a 'blingin'' space, which is absolutely Angela's style! Everything was bedazzled and sparkled! The event took place at WINDOWS on Minnesota and the lights of the city were simply gorgeous that night!

Congratulations to Angela, Phil and their new family on getting married! We were so happy to be a part of it!

LOVEe

Mr. and Mrs. Siedband // Part 2

I began Part 1 of Jacey and Aaron's blog feature by saying that there were two beautiful elements to this wedding; the honest moments and gorgeous details. Today's post is all about the absolutely stunning details. Jacey and Aaron made a good move in the beginning of planning their wedding. They hired the best. In fact, during the dance, I asked the father-of-the-bride how the day had been for him and he said, " This has been absolutely spectacular. We hired the best and this is just stunning." Stunning, indeed. First off, Jacey chose a stunning Vera Wang dress from L'atelier Couture Bridal. It's one of those dresses that was a show-stopper and I personally love the fact that is a blush color! Yes, her dress made a statement, but it also tied in perfectly to the color scheme and theme of their wedding. Jacey wanted things romantic. Very, very romantic. Aaron is a musician and cared greatly about the music and overall guest experience. To make all of this happen, they worked with the lovely ladies over at Amy Zaroff Events + Design, who brought together some absolutely amazing details. Zaroff and her crew hired the best vendors to pull Jacey and Aaron's event together! Richfield Flowers and Events transformed The Depot with their gorgeous arrangements, BeEvents brought in some amazing chandeliers, and Linen Effects collaborated with Wild Flower Linens to create some stunning cashmere table runners and custom chair covers! The talented artists at Gateaux created a gorgeous cake and Cocoa & Fig rocked another dessert bar, complete with little Minnesota's & Illinois on-a-stick! (Jacey and Aaron reside in Chicago.)  Last, but not least, there was the band. Jacey and Aaron literally hired the best wedding band in the country, Starlight Orchestras. Valerie, the leader of the band, and her crew absolutely brought the house down with a night filled with amazing tunes!

One thing I absolutely loved about this reception was that it was a progressive dinner through out the entire night. The guests didn't just sit down for a couple of hours for dinner, but rather between courses, the Starlight Orchestra kept the party going with dancing and music in between! I loved this pace of a reception, because there was something always going on. The entertainment was endless.

I always commend clients who hire a team to produce their weddings. First, they are trusting the best-of-the-best to bring their day to life and when you give us artists that freedom, it works wonders! I also love this sense of collaboration among vendors, because we're all doing exactly what we do best and when all of that comes together, you are left with the most magical experience! Because they were in such great hands, Jacey and Aaron were able to entirely relax and enjoy their day together - and they, themselves, were able to have one incredible experience from start to finish! From the moment their guests walked into their intimate and romantic ceremony, to the moment they arrived at the reception to be greeted by a gorgeous tree-of-art, and all the way up until the last dance song of the night, the bride, groom and guests at this wedding were experiencing a whole other world. It was a world of love, luxury and life. It was one beautiful night!

Congratulations, once again, to Jacey and Aaron on their fabulous wedding! And a double-thank-you to all of our amazing vendors who worked so hard to give us such beautiful things to photograph all day!

LOVEe

Mr. and Mrs. Siedband // Part 1

Jacey and Aaron's wedding and two beautiful elements to it; honest moments and gorgeous details! I've decided to blog about their wedding in two parts to highlight each of these and also, because there are simply too many wonderful images to fit into one post. First, let me start out by saying that I loved everything about this wedding. The people, the vendors, the details, and our gorgeous couple - everyone was SO great to work with and it made the day SO much fun to be a part of! Even in our own little crew, we flew in Jeffrey from JNP Studios to shoot with us and it was a day of perfect collaboration with friends and clients. So, lets get back to the meaning of this first post - the honest moments. Our day started at the Thomas Charles Salon with the ladies and from the moment we arrived, I noticed that not a single person was stressed or nervous. Everyone was simply happy, relaxed and excited for the day to begin. I also noticed that everyone was taking time to enjoy the real moments that were happening and truly taking everything in. At one point I remember the mother-of-the-bride saying, "There's a lot of love here today. A lot of love." It's true. Jacey absolutely adores her new husband and it's very clear that these two are a perfect match! Jacey and Aaron are an incredibly fun-loving couple that makes you smile when you are around them. I remember during our final consultation, Aaron had just flown in from Chicago and had rushed to make it to our meeting. Once he arrived, we were in mid-discussion and he stopped everything, looked his bride in the eyes and said, " Hey. How are you? I missed you." That's when I knew they were going to have an amazing wedding!  Jacey and Aaron had a Jewish wedding ceremony that took place at Temple of Israel. It is a gorgeous synagogue and the team at Amy Zaroff Events + Design, along with Richfield Flowers & Events did an amazing job bringing a sense of romance to the temple. It was an intimate, candle lit ceremony that was simply stunning. I love Jewish ceremonies for so many reasons, but specifically for the tradition and customs that bring so much culture to their day.

Mazel Tov to Jacey and Aaron on their amazing wedding! Make sure to check out Part 2 and see all of the stunning details - and yes...we'll talk about that dress!

LOVEe

Mr. and Mrs. Payne // A Northeast Minneapolis Wedding

Minneapolis is a pretty amazing city. In fact, if you live here, you're bound to have some MPLS pride and if you visit here, you know you've just experienced a hidden-gem-of-a-city. When I first met Lindsay and Elliott, I knew they were totally 'my people', because they literally hung out at all of my favorite local joints. They also reside in Northeast Minneapolis, which is where our studio is and, in my humble opinion, one of the best neighborhoods in town. The vibe in NE is unlike any other place in the city. It's a little working class, a little hipster, filled with artists and there is a church and a bar on every corner. Lindsay and Elliott's wedding took place from start-to-finish in the NE area and I was SO SO SO excited to shoot a wedding in an area of town where I feel such a personal connection to! I love everything about the way that L & El (cute nicknames, huh?) planned their wedding. The ceremony took place in their friend's backyard - just a few doors down from where the couple lives, too! An intimate group of 30 guests watched the couple get hitched over beers and we headed to a little park just a couple blocks from the couple's home for their portrait session! For the dinner, Lindsay and Elliott treated their wedding guests to a 4 course dinner at the Modern Cafe, one of Minneapolis's best restaurants. There was nothing by family, friends, amazing drinks and food, laughs and great conversation - literally, the essence to life! To wrap the evening up, we all went to the Varsity Theater to continue the party, where more of the couple's friends met to celebrate!

Our entire day was so relaxed and chill. My goal with this wedding was to tell a more intimate story of the day and to capture special moments of every person who attended! I feel like my documentary switched flipped on during this wedding and I'm a lot a bit in love with these images!

Congratulations to Lindsay and Elliott! It's been a true pleasure to get to know you as a couple and document this day for you!

LOVEe

Mr. and Mrs. Keefer

Alisha and Dan are one of my clients who booked long before their actual wedding date. Over the last year, I've really enjoyed getting to know these two! We took their engagement photos last winter and have enjoyed some awesome conversations over beers! Dan adores Alisha, like completely adores her. What I also love about Dan is that he wants to give his wife the world. The couple met on match.com and were together for about a year before he proposed in a hot air balloon ride over the picturesque town of Stillwater, MN. When it came to planning their wedding, Alisha knew that she wanted to be married in an old church. They made the perfect choice with Hennepin Avenue Methodist in Minneapolis. the church as so much character and was a very romantic space for their ceremony. It was also important for the couple to have a very modern, yet elegant vibe to their wedding day. The bride wore a gorgeous Vera Wang dress and Richfield Flowers created some awesome bouquets for the ladies...and you have to check out the gold bridesmaid dresses! Everything is absolutely stunning!

Congratulations to Alisha and Dan on getting married! I couldn't have asked for a better experience with you two! We are so happy we could be a part of your day!

LOVEe

Mr. and Mrs. Schack!

Alex and Brian are two of my favorite people. I first met them 3 years ago when I photographed Kristi and Herb’s wedding, who is the bride’s brother! I fell in love with the Tousely family and felt incredibly honored that they invited me back to document their day.

Getting to know Alex and Brian better over the last year has been an absolute joy. I learned two things about this couple that will stick with me. 1) Being persistent pays off. The couple actually met all the way back in the 5th grade and have pretty much been together that entire time. Of course, as we grow up through our teenage and college years, we all learn a lot about ourselves, but Brian and Alex grew to know that they were absolutely meant to be together. 2) Brian has pure adoration for Alex and it makes me SO happy to see the way he looks at her and to see how consistently excited he is to spend time with her. Alex and Brian are an incredibly endearing couple who’s love definitely inspires those around them!

The wedding took place high above the city of Minneapolis at the WINDOWS on Minnesota! It was a gorgeous day and absolutely everyone looked stunning! One of the highlights of the night was during the father-of-the-bride speech! We all learned that the exact day was the bride’s parent’s wedding anniversary of 30+ years! There was plenty of reason to celebrate and one of our favorite live bands, the Dan Ristrom Band, gave an amazing performance for everyone!!

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Congratulations to Alex and Brian! Thank you for welcoming us back to document, yet another, grand occasion for your families!

LOVEe

Mr. and Mrs. Jacobs!

Patrick and Maggie are an awesome couple. They have a very unconventional kind of love and I absolutely love this! The two met, at what might be considered the 'old fashioned way' now..at a bar! Old Chicago, to be exact! When I first met with this couple, I knew they were the perfect fit for me for three very specific reasons. 1) They're total foodies and so am I! 2) They love to travel..get ready...they are currently in Bora Bora on their honeymoon! and 3) The bride wanted to wear black.

Maggie loves black and her color wedding colors revolved around deep reds and purples, which added the perfect touch of drama to her day! The couple were married at the International Market Square in Minneapolis and had an A-List of vendors working on their event! Sarah Trotter of Lasting Impressions Weddings brought it all together and did a fantastic job! I was most impressed with their florist, who was Le Petite Fleur. Carra incorporated barbed wire in the table arrangements and even wrapped the bouquets in black leather, which was the perfect touch for Maggie and Patrick!

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Congratulations to the new Mr. and Mrs. Jacobs! We are SO happy for you!

LOVEe

Mr. and Mrs. Burgess!

I have so many great things to say about John and Amanda, but someone said it best on their wedding day. Without a doubt, "John is one of the quickest, wittiest, and funniest people you will ever meet. And Amanda, this girl has one of the most genuine and beautiful smiles that you will ever see - and her laugh! Her laugh will put a smile on your face. Together, they are truly a perfect fit."

It's so true. John and Amanda are a couple who just make complete sense together. If John makes a joke (which is pretty much all of the time, for the record), Amanda has the perfect reaction, whether that is rolling her eyes or flashing her signature smile, they compliment each other absolutely perfectly.

I first met John years ago when he worked for Metro Magazine! He would come along to photo shoots and film segments for the magazine's website and I always loved it when John was on set, because there was no doubt it was going to be a fun day. Personally, I think John should be in front of the camera, rather than behind it, because he really can entertain people for hours on end. One great thing about the Burgess's wedding was realizing how much this couple really valued so many people they had come in contact with throughout life. Their reception was filled with family, both from near and far, old friends, new friends, past co-workers, and current colleagues. The great part was that when you looked around, the room was filled with such a well rounded group who were all coming together and having a grand ole' time. I think this is a huge testament to John and Amanda and the amazing people that they surround themselves with.

As for the couple, they kicked off their relationship 10 years ago, so it was about time to make this official!

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Congratulations to John and Amanda! I can't thank you enough for choosing us to photograph your day and be there for you! It was absolutely our pleasure!

LOVEe

Jenny & Aashish: An Indian Fusion Wedding!

I love culture and especially when it comes to weddings! It's fascinating for me to document a day that is so rich in tradition and Jenny & Aashish  totally tailored their wedding day to made it their own! Their ceremony was a fusion between Christian and Indian beliefs and practices, and to be perfectly honest, it was SO much fun! I mean, SO. MUCH. FUN. I personally love Indian ceremonies, specifically. There's so much color, dancing, bangles, the couple is showered in flowers, and a giant celebration from the entrance to the exit. Jenny and Aashish are a couple who were continually smiling, laughing and enjoying themselves throughout their entire day as well and it was so refreshing to see a couple truly enjoy every single moment of their day!

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Congratulations to Jenny & Aashish! The wedding celebrations are only beginning for these two! They will be having receptions in both New York and India in the coming weeks and we wish you THE best and hope you had as much fun as you did on the official big day!

LOVEe

Mr. and Mrs. Mundahl!!

Betsy and Josh are one super fun couple who walk-to-the-beat-of-their-own-drum! The story was told on their wedding day of how they had courted for 9 years and were engaged for 9 weeks! That's right, these two planned their entire wedding in a couple of short months and it was absolutely perfect! Betsy and Josh were married in the groom's family's back yard and is was absolutely lovely! The bride wore a stunning Oscar de la Renta dress, that was fit for a ballerina - which is exactly Betsy's number one passion in life! And, to bring their reception to life at Spill the Wine, the oh-so-fabulous Kirsten from Fab Event Design came in and worked her magic!

At the end of the day, we had one gorgeous couple, surrounded by their closest family and friends, drinking good wine, eating amazing food and dancing the night away. It was a perfect wedding!

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Congratulations to Betsy and Josh for being one amazing couple!

Cheers to you!

LOVEe

Mr. and Mrs. Stewart!

At Ashley and Justin's reception, the father-of-the-bride was giving a speech and he said some simple words that completely sum up this couple for me. He said, "You know, Justin, you are exactly everything that Ashley has ever wanted in a man and Ashley, you have found everything you were looking for." Those words might seem like a no-brainer to some, when it comes to getting married, but that is truly what this is all about, and why I photograph weddings. It is such a true pleasure to document the moment that a couple decides to become husband-and-wife. And it is an even more amazing opportunity to be able to capture a time in a couple's life where they have truly found each other. Cheezy, I know, but it's the honest truth! Ashley and Justin have such a passion for one another, but it's clear that their family and friends are their biggest fans. I decided to focus a little more on the portraits for this post, rather than their details, because to me, it was absolutely the people in that room that made their day as beautiful as it was!

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Congratulations to Ashley & Justin on getting hitched!

LOVEe

Mr. and Mrs. Klaas

Back when the bride's parent's got married, Kelsey's mother had a true DIY (do-it-yourself) wedding, right down to making her own wedding dress. Fast forward to 2011 and Kelsey would have it no other way. There are DIY weddings...and then there are DIY weddings! For Kelsey and James's big day, family and friends came together months ago to begin making all of the details. The mother-of-the-bride made each bridesmaid their own custom dress, the girls came together to make their super-fun-hair-pieces and the bride even made all of her attendants custom jewelry! Beyond all of this, they also made all of their own flower arrangements, bouquets and boutonnieres - that turned out gorgeous!! One of the coolest details of the day was a handkerchief from the women on the groom's side. This particular handkerchief has been carried by every woman being married in the family since the 1800's - and every bride signs and dates the envelope after the big event. There's something so cool about a tradition like this - and being able to feel like you are taking part in this very special experience that so many other generations have done!

The festivities took place with the ceremony at the Lake of the Isles Chapel and continued onto the Nicollet Island Pavilion and even though it was rainy - it was a very happy day!

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Congratulations to Kelsey and James!! You two are a couple who is absolutely perfect for each other and it is so clear that you are going to have a long and happy life together!

LOVEe

Mr. and Mrs. Howe!!

Amy and Eric had a PHENOMENAL wedding! There really is nothing else to say! I have been looking forward to their wedding all season, because it was the grand finale to my wedding season this year! Their all-star-event took place at The Depot downtown Minneapolis and the setting couldn't have been more beautiful!

Here are the official stats: Dress: Monique Lhuillier Shoes: BCBG Bridesmaid Dresses: Vera Wang Makeup: Nan Fletcher Hair: Bella Salon Floral: Skinner Jones Programs: Anjenu Linens: BBJ Linens Chairs: Apres Cookies: Home made! ;0) Live Music: Synergy

Congratulations to Amy and Eric on becoming newlyweds! The couple is honeymooning in Thailand...I'm SO jealous! Thank you SO much for allowing us to capture your big day!

LOVEe