Noelle and Chris had such a fantastic wedding day. It's always such a treat for me to photograph a wedding in my hometown of Yankton, South Dakota - and their wedding was no exception. The day started at the Historic Cramer Kenyon house where the ladies all got ready together. The house was buzzing with excitement when I arrived and Noelle was cool as a cucumber, handling any day-of nerves like a pro. She opened gifts from Chris which included a stunning necklace and tickets to see Beyoncé live (nice work, Chris) as laughter echoed through the hallways. Having your wedding party get ready at a home or historic place like this makes for such a great mood as the final preparations occur. Chris and his guys made their way to the Cramer Kenyon house in time for the bride and groom to share a private first look. Noelle beams when she's around Chris, and Chris is pretty much always smiling when Noelle is around. The rest of the day went off without a hitch: we went to the Lewis and Clark Lake for some fun bridal party photos, asked Noelle and Chris to trust us as we dragged them to the most random field off the side of the road for couple portraits, their ceremony by the Missouri River was beautiful and heartfelt, and the party was filled with laughter and fun down the road at the historically renovated Old Mill wedding reception space downtown...it was a good day. The party wouldn't have been complete without the outpouring of love from their family and friends who showed so much support for the newlyweds (the pizza fest for dinner also didn't hurt anything!) Noelle and Chris, we are so happy for you two. Congratulations on such an exciting time in your lives!
Megan + Jennifer = Married
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!
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!
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.
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*
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!
Kathleen + Brad = Married
Kathleen and Brad were married on Halloween right outside of Chicago. Their wedding was a classy, perfectly autumnal day which was such a treat to photograph. They are a lovely pair with generous spirits, and their classic wedding was nothing less than our expectations. They choose not to see one another before the ceremony, so when Kathleen and her father walked down the long aisle at the Alice Miller Chapel on Northwestern's Campus, the anticipation and love filled the grand space. Brad choked back a few tears as he saw his stunning bride and Kathleen beamed with admiration. It was such a sweet moment! After the ceremony we took some photos on the beautiful campus grounds with their wedding party and boarded a trolley to cruise around Evanston a bit before heading to the venue. Since it was Halloween, one of the wedding party attendants suggested we stop at a house to do a group trick'or'treat stop. The driver happily obliged and the whole crew got out of the trolley and made a stop at a very gracious family's house (they were strangers) who dolled out candy for everyone. It was equal parts hilarious and awesome. The party continued at the grand Michigan Shore Club where the gothic architecture style of the building suited the celebration to a T. Think: 'classy dinner party meets Hogwarts.' The reception continued at an easy and celebratory pace with a small surprise: Brad happens to be a talented guitar player and joined the band up on stage for a few songs! The crowd went crazy and everyone loved it. It was a fantastic day, and we were glad to be a part of it. Special thanks to Mike Fan who joined Summer Street for the day as our talented second photographer. Congratulations to the newlyweds!
Trisha + Matthew = Married
There is nothing quite Autumn in New England. People from all over the world flock to see the spectacular display of color and perfect temps that highlight the area's historic architecture and charm. It's no surprise that autumn weddings in Boston are one of the most popular times. Trisha + Matt decided to use all these things to their advantage for their wedding at one of our favorite venues in New England; Elm Bank in Wellesley. Chuck was there to capture all the details and we love the images he captured that tell Trish and Matt's wedding story. From the teary moments these two saw one another for the first time on their wedding day to the joy that radiates from their families faces - their wedding was not only beautiful but full of the best kind of love. Trisha and Matt deserve one another. They are both compassionate, genuine and generous. The world will be a better place because they are together. Thank you for trusting us to capture your big day, Trish and Matt! Congratulations!!!
Nhu + Chris = Married
About one wedding we shoot every season is a Traditional Vietnamese Wedding celebration. Having done a handful of them by now, we know a few things going in: 1. It's a long day for everyone. 2. There is amazing food throughout the day in abundance. 3. There are usually several hundred guests. 4.These weddings have some SERIOUS dancers on the dance floor. Nhu and Chris did not disappoint. Matt, Abby and myself all got to join in on the fun for this one and from a story tellers point of view there were so many memorable moments. Nhu tends toward the reserved side, but the moment she and Chris saw each other at the Traditional Vietnamese Tea ceremony held at her parents house the morning of the wedding, she was beaming. Chris almost always has an infectious smile on his face, which we found energizing and made things easy on us as photographers. The day started very early with a buzz of bridesmaids primping and prepping (the guys had their fair share too) at Nhu's family's home in Brooklyn Park, MN. Part of the tea ceremony involves the groom and his friends/family bringing traditional gifts (a whole, roasted hog, for example) for the bride and her family. This procession gets the whole day off to a fun start. After the tea ceremony and many meaningful gifts, the couple celebrates with brunch and lots of family photos. Nhu and Chris wanted to incorporate their Catholic faith into their wedding so they changed into Western attire for a first look and headed to their church which does mass in Vietnamese on a weekly basis. The mass was in two languages, so it was fun for us to pick apart the ceremony as compared to other Catholic weddings we've shot without hearing when the first kiss was coming up - for example. After the mass the whole bridal party loaded up and headed downtown Saint Paul for some photos in Mears Park and around some of our favorite little nooks. The evening concluded with a huge reception where more folks joined them for a 10 course feast, more gifting and dancing. Their guests hit the dance floor hard and we had a blast documenting it all. Nhu and Chris, thank you for allowing us to photograph your big day. We had a great time and have loved working together. We wish you may happy years together!