I blinked and it’s been 365 days. 6 Engagement Sessions, 10 weddings, 17 commercial shoots, 10 newborn sessions, 25 portrait sessions, and a whopping 125 mini sessions. So much love and joy in one year, and so much gratitude. The little moments of connection really kept me going this year. With such a heavy time in our world leaving each shoot brought lightness and joy and the reminder that I can focus on the mundane moments of connection. That the little things are actually the big things and those are worth noticing.
This end of the year recap will be our last annual review. We’ve got some really amazing ideas brewing for 2026, including a new website (eek!) and brand strategy. We want to share more of our work with you without having to create this tombe of a post. Something lighter, more artistic and more US is coming through in this season of creation. As we close our 15th year in business we are finally refining our craft, our customer experience and our artistic voice that we’ve kept pretty quiet for some years. Those days are over and I think we’ll be stronger for it.
Big hugs dear friends. May peace, love and light find you in 2026.
If you've been following our blog for any time at all you'll know how much we love when couples infuse their wedding with their relationship and personalities. Kelsey and Rhys did this with spunk and style. They decided to keep things *really* local and got married where they live; the Schmidt Artist Lofts. Not only do they call this historic brewery in Saint Paul's up-and-coming West 7th neighborhood home, but the property also yields itself to become a lively wedding venue when treated right. The couple brought in an all you can eat Mexican fiesta of food from the neighborhood hotspot, Burrito Mercado which everyone loved (especially us). Their table settings were named after board games they love and play, so the evening of celebrating was extra fun with a few rounds of 'Cards Against Humanity' and 'Catch Phrase'. The bride's new Mother-in-Law hand made (!!) her wedding dress and nearly every other element of Kelsey and Rhys' wedding was home spun. The best part of it all was truly watching these two love on each other. They are getting married for all the right reasons and it's clear they belong together. Kelsey and Rhys, you two make us so happy. We've had such a great time working with you and feel honored to have documented your wedding. Congratulations!!
This wedding makes us excited for so many reasons. First off all, did you see Kelly and Dylan? They both look like they just walked off the set of The Great Gatsby. Classy, timeless and (dare I say) sexy, these two are easy to photograph. Beside the fact that their wedding was filled with personal touches and styled elements that made our job easy, these two really are as good as it gets. Their hearts are big and open, ready to welcome life and whatever comes their way, together. Secondarily, we're over the moon to share this wedding because it's a testament to why life is such an exciting surprise. If you've been following our blog lately, you'll know that we've been training a new Midwest Associate Photographer, 
Recently, we've had a pretty cool trend with our couples having been together for nearly ten years. There is such a great familiarity in these relationships that feels like each person is the calming force of the other's world. The comfortable, stable love and commitment these folks share is so sweet and tells us how great they will do in their marriage together. TuVan and Peter are a perfect example of this. TuVan is the type of girl who has a million things running through her mind and takes everyones feelings into consideration before speaking a calming word or making a well-thought-out decision. Peter is the kind of guy who makes you feel welcomed from the first hello with his magnetic, kind personality. Together they are a perfect match. TuVan and Peter shared not one, but two beautiful Vietnamese Tea Ceremonies on the morning of their Wedding Day that incorporated family and religious traditions such as generous gifting and delicious tea and food. After their families fed all their guests (and us!) with some seriously amazing food (two Vietnamese brunches before noon is a pretty awesome challenge if you ask us) TuVan and Peter changed into their stylish Western Wedding attire and gathered on the University of Minnesota campus (where they met!) with their wedding party for some fun photos between the rain storms. The celebration continued at a nearby Chinese banquet hall for more awesome food (a 10 course feast!), a hopping photobooth and some sweet dance moves. Special thanks to our Associate shooter Abby for third shooting with us on their wedding day and Congratulations to Tuvan and Peter!
I'm not sure if we've ever worked with a couple SO EXCITED to get married. Morgan and Jordan are so well suited for one another, and their love left us with a huge grin wiped across our face. With common loves for travel, adventure, God and the outdoors, these two are as beautiful on the inside as they are on the outside. Their Wedding day was filled with 300 of their closest friends and family, lots of great stories (and songs!) and a skies that had forecasted 100% chance of rain but not a drop touched their shoulders during their wedding. It was a pretty spectacular day. We were thrilled to have the opportunity to capture their wedding story (special thanks to our talented friend and second shooter, 
Amanda and Adam had one of the sweetest little weddings that we've seen all year. They kept their wedding simple and stylish with an intimate gathering of their closest friends and family at one of their favorite restaurants; 
What do you get when you put two stylish Minnesotans with huge hearts together? Amanda and Adam, that's what. We met up with these two in Minnesota awhile back to capture their Engagement in one of our favorite areas in the Twin Cities; Saint Anthony's Main. We had photographed in the area in the past and knew the cobblestone streets and brightly colored accents mixed with one of the best views of the Minneapolis Skyline photographed well, but we were in for quite a treat when Amanda and Adam showed up with their natural knack for being in front of the camera. Aren't they so sweet together?
We loved photographing Julia and Chris' Wedding at 
Jessica and Greg live in Chicago and had an entire week's worth of fun planned for their family and friends making the trip to Cape Cod for their wedding. I think it's safe to say that if our couples are worried about anything during their wedding day, it's the weather. This is especially true if any of their wedding day plans revolve around outdoor activities. While I know they had a lot of fun that week, the impending storm system and weather forecast for their late September wedding was not looking promising. As they say in New England,"If you don't like the weather, wait five minutes" so when we were looking at the forecast, we tried to stay positive because it really could turn itself around and become a beautiful day. The night before the wedding brought buckets of rain and as we drove down to Brewster the rain did not let up. When I arrived to Jess's room, the venue had just finished telling her one of the hardest things a bride has to hear: not only was her outdoor ceremony going to be forced indoors but her reception pavilion was flooded and they were going to have to choose a different reception site. Talk about a double whammy. Jess handled the news with grace and the support of her bridesmaids and family kept her moving forward. A few minutes later, their coordinator Heather showed up again with some amazing news. Not only had the sun come out and the storm system passed allowing the ceremony to be moved back outdoors on the beach - but she had called the Army to pump the water out of the reception site and they were going to have the reception in the place they had planned to begin with! Cue Hallelujah chorus! Everyone was thrilled and blown away by how amazing Heather and the entire crew at 
From the beginning, Annette and Jason wanted the theme of their wedding to be a celebration of family. They consider their friends family as well, so really, the goal was a celebration of relationships. Annette and Jason are very relational people, so this was an easy task. Every aspect of their wedding was planned with this in mind - from the family-style food at the tables that guests shared, to the specific vendors involved with the wedding. For example, an aunt designed all of their paper goods, a friend made the photobooth wall, the mothers crafted the adorable and cheery decorations and Summer Street photographed their wedding. Matt and Annette have been friends since they were four, so it's been a true pleasure knowing Annette and Jason first as friends and then as clients. They are so sweet and charismatic. With all of these elements its no wonder their wedding day went off without a hitch. We were honored to have 
We've had the distinct honor of knowing Sarah and Ben since the beginning of their relationship, which coincided with our cross country move from Minnesota to Massachusetts four years ago. They too, were moving from MN to MA and Sarah was a dancer, Ben was an academic - just like us. It was destiny that we meet once we moved out here and the four of us became fast friends. Our time in Massachusetts has been bench marked by a few very special relationships, and Sarah and Ben are a huge part of that. We've shared countless dinners, artistic projects and genuine conversations with them. To say that photographing their wedding was an pleasure would be an understatement. We loved documenting their day in a way that reflected their distinct personalities and united commonality (in fact, their wedding ceremony readings were from The Metamorphosis of Plants and Julia Child's autobiography...which is SO perfect for both of them). Ipswich Mass has become a very special place for Sarah and Ben, so 
What do you get when you combine a stunning New England mansion, a sea of happy faces, an adorable Golden Retriever named Pudgey, a steadfast and happy groom and an beautiful bride? I'll tell you. Janet and John's wedding. Photographing Janet and John's big day was a true delight. I started with the ladies at