Megan and Jen's Wedding at Heartland Restaurant in Saint Paul was a delight to photograph. As we've gotten to know these two throughout their engagement, we've learned that they are not only well suited for each other, they bring so much joy into people's lives with their generous hearts, boundless talents and compassionate outlook on life. They have been together for a long time (they have the sweetest daughter) but it wasn't until recently they decided to make their commitment a legal union. A few highlights from their wedding included a traditional Japanese flute and drum performance featuring the brides' very own ensemble which brought a personal touch to their ceremony. Their guests shared various readings and accolades throughout the day which left few without dry eyes. And of course the phenomenal food Heartland provided for the guests brought Megan and Jen's vision for an intimate gathering with really good food to life. All in all, it was a great day and we were honored to tell Megan and Jen's wedding story. Congratulations to the newlyweds!
Katelyn + Mark = Engaged
Katelyn and Mark's Engagement Session at Como Park in Saint Paul has to be one of the most quintessential "Spring" sessions we've ever done. The night was perfectly May - 65 degrees, sunny and full of soft pretty blooms. Their session was sort of a pseudo Engagement meets Married Portrait session since they are technically still engaged but will be getting married with a very small guest list (under 10!) in Colorado later this summer. They live in Saint Paul and wanted to commemorate this milestone with some photos in a park they love with some laid back photos. We had a great time, I practically wanted to adopt them as new best friends and invite ourselves over for game night and pizza at their place. Their chemistry together is that of a couple who has been together for decades: easy, trusting and compassionate. We wish them the best wedding day ever (they will be getting married at sunrise and having a wedding breakfast as their celebration!) and know that where bacon, Katelyn and Mark meet, it is bound to be an amazing day. Congratulations Katelyn and Mark, and thanks for allowing us to document this special time!
Lif + James = Married
What a lovely little wedding this was! Lif and James were married with an audience of three guests back in April. James grew up here in the states, and Lif grew up aborad, but Minnesota brought them together. They will be celebrating with two more traditional weddings (one here and one abroad!) but wanted to make their commitment legal before they waited any longer. They had a brief ceremony at the Semple Mansion in Minneapolis and I joined them afterward for some portraits around the Mansion and since it was rainy we hit up one of our favorite Minnesota indoor spots - the Como Conservatory in Saint Paul. The lush greenhouse provided a beautiful backdrop for the newlyweds who were literally giddy with excitement at their new state as husband and wife. It made my job a piece of cake as they waltzed through the Conservatory on their cloud of wedded bliss. Lif and James, thanks for trusting us to capture this special day, we know there will be so much happiness in your future together! Congratulations!
Angela + Tom = Engaged
Hey guys! It's been awhile. We've missed blogging - and just in time too because we have a roster of great shoots to share and it's officially WEDDING SEASON! Before spring morphs into summer and we wonder where the time went, we had to share some of our favorite photographs from Angela and Tom's Engagement Session in Wellesley, MA at the lovely Elm Bank Horticultural Center. Chuck captured these photos and he'll be returning when they tie the knot this July at Fruitlands. We're in love with the photos and think these three make an incredibly adorable trio. Angela and Tom, little L is lucky to have you as parents. We can't wait for July!
Autumn + Kate = Married
We love this wedding and this couple for so many reasons. The one that sticks out the most though, has to be their natural ability to make each other smile. In their vows, Kate promised to keep Autumn safe, and Autumn promised to keep Kate wild. How beautiful is that? Their entire wedding day was filled with genuine love and infectious laughter. We could not wipe the smiles off our faces watching these newlyweds together and know the world will be a better place because they are together. Some highlights from the day included taking photos in front of the Bob Dylan mural downtown Minneapolis (with NO cars in front of the wall, thank-you universe!) and watching their guests (unsuccessfully) resist the impressive dessert table. And when I say impressive I mean IMPRESSIVE. Their day in one word could easily be summed up as: happiness. Congratulations Autumn and Kate! We are so happy for you both.
A - First Birthday
Few things are sweeter than a one year old baby. Eyes glittering with life, love brimming over and a spirit full of adventure, there is a reason parents of babies transitioning to toddlers are happily exhausted. Sweet A's family asked me to photograph their newly minted one year old in our studio and we couldn't resist. A few simple and colorful streamers made a happy accent to Miss A's bubbly personality. Shooting in our new studio was also a treat for me since we've spent several years renting space from others but photographing this sweet peach was the best part of it all. Happy Birthday little A, you are a lucky kid to have such an amazing family!
Noelle + Chris = Engaged
Winter and early spring in Minnesota can be pretty drab outside. Don't get us wrong, we love cozying up under a blanket with a good book after romping around in the snow for a little while, but come March and April, we're ready for green. When Noelle and Chris approached their Engagement Session, they wanted to do something with a little color and personality. We started their session off in our studio Downtown Saint Paul, and took a few photos downtown before heading to the oasis of the Como Conservatory for some photos with a punch of color. The warm, dewy air of the Conservatory left us feeling like we were at the spa for a few hours, and the lush colors and bright flowers were the perfect backdrop for these two. We will be photographing their South Dakota wedding come May, so it was fantastic to get them in front of the camera for a little while before the big day. I loved their calm and trusting connection together. It's as though they've been together for decades! Noelle and Chris, thank you for allowing us to photograph you...see you SOON!
The E Family
It seems like just yesterday we were photographing Maggie and Louis' Wedding in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Fast forward a few years, a cross country move and two babies later - this family has grown in size and love. It's not often we get to document personal friends of ours, but when it happens it's incredibly special. We enjoy every interaction with Maggie and Louis. They are thoughtful, smart and fun folks to be with. Their kids are lucky to have such strong role models in life! They welcomed their daughter in October and when they invited us to come take photos of their new family of four, we were honored. Big brother R seems to be settling into his role with such grace, and little C is just a bundle of sweetness. Maggie and Louis, we are lucky to call you friends. Thank you for allowing us to photograph your family!
Holly + Barry = Engaged
If there is one thing we know about our couples, it's that they are always up for an adventure. Getting your photo taken can be a vulnerable experience, so even though most of our couples have a few minutes of feeling nervous about being in front of the camera, after a little while they throw caution to the wind and have fun with it. Holly and Barry are definitely up for anything, and I loved photographing them where they call home in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. We started at the Diner DTSF where they had their first date. Barry wins some major points for showing up 45 minutes early to get a table for them while Holly finished getting ready. We took advantage of the balmier-than-average January temps for a few photos downtown (the grimiest ally ways make for the best photos, no?) and then jumped over to the Leif Erickson park for some photos with their right hand man, their dog Easton. Holly was prepared with some warm hot chocolate, which Easton loved more than the couple. At the end of the session Holly had an idea for a photo with them *in the snow* and promptly jumped into a pile of fresh snow, and suggested Barry lay down in it. This is when I knew these two were our people. Usually we are the ones suggesting and directing how photos might evolve, but when Holly and Barry took the lead for photos they wanted, I had no choice but to go on *their* adventure, which made for a great time all around. Can't wait for October when they tie the knot in The Middle Of Nowhere, SD.
Bohemian Proposal Editoral Shoot
Well hello there! We've taken our annual blogging hiatus for the month of January and are excited to share this project on the blog with you today. Late last summer, the National Stationer Wedding Paper Divas reached out to us about doing a wedding inspiration project with one of their paper suites. We were intrigued and then promptly gathered some of our favorite Minnesota wedding vendors to collaborate on the project. Lizie from Lizie Anne Weddings and Proposals, set the stage with a concept she dreamt up for a Bohemian Wedding Proposal among dreamy weeping willow trees. The lovely Tara from A Day in Provence joined forces to create lush, bright florals for our scene that complimented the summery green foliage. Julie from Julie Swenson Beauty made our models even more beautiful with breezy hair and makeup and our real-couple Paige and Savaughn who made my job a piece of cake. The shoot was featured on 100 Layer Cake last week which felt like just the right avenue to share with their readers. It's always fun for us to work on these sorts of projects because it's not often we (as vendors) get full creative control with a team who shares the same vision. Then, by the time wedding season comes we have new vendors to recommend to our couples who are looking to round out their wedding day team. It's a win-win for us all, and this shoot definitely makes us anxious to get the 2016 wedding season rolling!
2015 - In Review
2015 marks our fifth year documenting weddings full time. We've always said that you can enter a career by way of education or experience - and our path has been experience. Of course we are constantly pushing ourselves to take classes and workshops to learn more, but there are no professional photography degrees behind our team of photographers. In 1993, a professor at the University of Colorado - Anders Ericsson, wrote a paper about how 10,000 hours of experience will make someone an expert in their field. After five years, we've well passed the 10,000 mark, and while I wouldn't say we are experts, I can say this business has taught us far more than we ever thought possible about entrepreneurship, hard work, setting boundaries, weddings in every shape and form and dreaming big.
This year brought us documenting weddings in 13 states, photographing past (and new!) clients growing families and a true welcome as Midwest Photographers in addition to our New England base. With over 300,000 images processed (I'm not exaggerating) by Matt, myself, Chuck and Abby not to mention our crew of phenomenal second photographers - Missy, Jenny, Devin and Mike - it was a year of living and loving big. With the volume of work it might seem like we're a well oiled machine with lots of minions to keep things running. And while we have our workflow down, each and every wedding and portrait shoot is handled in our humble little studio without elaborate outsourcing. It's a labor of love, and one we are honored to call our life's work.
Thank you for joining us this year. From the highest points in Maine to the shores of the Mississippi River, we've been honored to tell these stories with our cameras. We are eternally grateful for your support and look forward to another year documenting love.
*Previous years in review: 2011, 2012 (part I, II, III), 2013, and 2014*
Baby F
You may remember Dani and Carl's Maternity Session on the blog a few weeks back. They have made it to the other side with little baby boy F and we couldn't be happier for them. I visited them on a cold December afternoon a few weeks back when little F was just two weeks old to document the first few days of their new lives together. He was a photo champ the entire time I visited and when he wasn't happily taking in his new world he was soundly sleeping like a bug in a rug. His Grandma got him a cozy 'Very Hungry Caterpillar' outfit which we had to take some photos in. Dani and Carl weren't sure about the little outfit but once it was on him we all swooned at the sweet little bug he was! Little F; you are a very lucky boy to have such loving and strong parents. We will be documenting his 6 and 12 month photos, so keep your eyes peeled for more baby goodness in the months to come! Congratulations Dani and Carl! You did good.
The B Family
We may be biased, but we have to believe the best Holiday gift a family can give is documenting a photo session for their family archives. Even in the corse of one year, children grow and change so rapidly, it's a treat to look back at the photos when your children were one, two, three, an so on. The B family invited us into their home to get some photos of their sweet family of three and it was such a treat spending time with them. Little E pretty much stole the show with her curious and playful spirit and sparkle in her eyes. It was clear that Ellie and Matt are such loving and grounded parents to her. We love this little session and hope you do too!
Jess + Tom = Married
This wedding makes our hearts happy. Jess and Tom are two of the most genuine, loving folks who exemplify 'better together'. They were married in November in Minneapolis at the Polish Hall in Northeast. We love that these long-standing event venues are making a hip come back with couples getting married today. These spaces went through a phase when 'bigger and better crystal drenched hotel ballrooms' were all the rage and they were forgotten, but now that weddings are as diverse and varied as the couples who make the party, historic event halls are making a serious come back. The energy in these spaces automatically make them a great place to get married because you know there have been weddings there for 100+ years, as well as family reunions, church potlucks and anniversary parties. In short, a lot of love and laughter have passed through these halls. Jess and Tom took full advantage with their crew of loving family and friends who toasted to their vows to be together forever. After getting ready in different rooms at Tom's charming childhood home in south Minneapolis, the pair set aside a few quiet moments to see one another for the first time before the ceremony and take advantage of some pretty fall foliage. Everyone gathered at the Polish Hall for a few more photos before the ceremony as the wedding jitters set in. The ceremony was heartfelt and sweet, and when the couple was announced husband and wife, the crowd burst into happy applause. They had delicious BBQ catered in for their wedding dinner and a spread of desserts that would have made the old Polish ladies proud. The dancing was a hit for all generations and the newlyweds beamed on cloud nine. It was a very good day, and a lovely wedding to end our 2015 season on. Congratulations Jess and Tom! We are so happy for you!
Baby M
We love this little family and their newest member. Stephanie and Peter are dear friends of ours (we may have had something to do with their courtship beginnings....;) ) so when they shared with us that they would be welcoming a baby into their lives we were over the moon for them. A few weeks before her anticipated arrival little M decided she could wait no longer to meet her family. They welcomed her with open arms and loving hearts and she's already made things better in her first weeks on earth. I had the privilege of chatting with little M's great-great grandmother (baby M made for great great grandchild number 13!) and she remarked that at just shy of 5lbs M was the smallest of her roost yet, but no doubt the mightiest! Sounds about right. This sweet girl has such a loving life ahead. We're so happy for you, Steph and Pete - and think you're already amazing parents. Congratulations!!