Brandon and Jenna were married today!

There really is something magical about preparing to walk down the aisle to the thunderous chiming of church bells. Jenna had this etherial moment when she married Brandon at The Basilica of Saint Mary this afternoon. This truly was a picture perfect wedding, especially when the darling flower girl walked down the aisle dragging her kissing ball!

Though there were plenty of jokes about this Minnesotan and Wisconsinite getting married (even by the priest!), you could tell the families were so happy to become a part of each other's lives. Everyone involved with the wedding were so warm and fun to be around. The wedding party took cool to whole new heights by having their pictures taken by the ruins near the Stone Arch Bridge. Such an amazing location! We had a blast and got some fantastic shots. And props definately has to be made to "I Do" Flowers for their purple arrangements, they were so fresh and bright.

After partying in the limo a bit, we all went to the McNamara Alumni Center for the reception. Brandon and Jenna had wonderful details at their reception including a lovely candelight dinner, cute signature mojitos and margaritas, The Traveling Photo Booth for everyone's entertainment, a seperate movie and coloring area in an adjacent room so the kids would be kept busy, and dancing the night away to the spins of Instant Request.

Brandon and Jenna, thank you so much for having us be a part of your wedding day! Here are our favorites!

Luke and Jesseli were married today!

Luke and Jessie love the outdoors and being a part of nature, so it was so fitting that they chose Gale Woods Farm for their elegant country wedding.

The fall theme was embraced whole heartedly by Tonkadale Greenhouse, who filled the indoor and outdoor spaces with large arrangements full of texture and color. All of the details of the day were taken care of by Hire A Host.

The ceremony was so sweet. Luke's aunt was the officiant and spoke about how the children's story The Velveteen Rabbit perfectly described the type of love that builds a solid marriage.

After the ceremony, the sun came out and family and friends were able to enjoy the breathtaking view of Lake Minnetonka.

Dinner, provided by Divine Swine, and Country Cake Cupboard cupcakes kept the guests full and their taste buds satisfied. And the dancefloor was hopping thanks to the fantastic music of Metro Jam.

Luke and Jessie, thank you so much for having us be a part of your day. Here are our favorite images!

I was asked to cover the First Annual Vision Awards presented by Meetings: Minnesota's Hospitality Journal. The awards are for the hospitality industry, so I knew this was going to be quite the party, and it was! I love photographing events that are full of details!

The Awards ceremony was held at the gorgeous Chambers Hotel, where we all enjoyed fabulous food by D'Amico, and the showstopper was the flowers by Festivities...they captured the spirit of the event so well and really took the idea of sculptural floral arrangements to a whole new level.

Congratulations to all of the winners for being leaders in the industry! Here are my favorite images from the night.

Here is the second installment of Emily and Miranda's senior pictures. I simply love them.

Enjoy!

Tonight I had the joy...nay...the HONOR to photograph two fantastic seniors. Emily and Miranda are a force to behold. Energetic, quirky, and intelligent, they kept me so entertained as we ran around shooting their portraits. We produced so many amazing images that I'm posting them in two editions. This first blog is their individual senior portraits, and the second blog will be shots of the twins together.

Miranda and Emily, thank you so much for letting me get creative with your shots. I just love these pictures! Here are my favorites.

Tonight I covered the Ivey Awards for MN Monthly.

I first visited the raucous VIP part at the W Hotel where guests enjoyed the delicious food provided by The Capital Grille. Then it was time for the red carpet at The State Theater, complete with paparazzi and screaming fans. I had a wonderful time, and hope everyone involved had a fantastic evening supporting Minnesota's renowed theater groups!

Jesse and Stephanie had a portrait session today. Stephanie and I came across this really great building that was half way through demolition and I had to use it for a session before it was gone! We had a fabulous time playing around and though it got a little dusty, we got some amazing shots. Thank you Steph and Jesse, you two are truly super models...keep practicing those Blue Steele stares!

Tyler and Gabrielle were married today!

We started the day with pictures around lovely Minnehaha Park. We were sure to make full use of both the waterfall area and our favorite spot near the train depot. The ceremony started with the music of an accordian and bagpipe and Gabe's parents walking her down the aisle. Tyler and Gabe had beautiful poetry read and a hand fasting ceremony on this warm, summer day.

After the ceremony, we headed over to Old Arizona Studio for the reception. What a hidden gem this venue is! Though normally used as a theater and cafe, this location provided both indoor and outdoor space and has such whimsy to it. It was definately fun to photograph. And then there was the best part...AMAZING food provided by Chowgirls Killer Catering. I could write a whole seperate blog on the fantastic presentation, wonderful service, and quality of their food. They definately had the crowd satisfied.

The most touching part of the evening was when Tyler's 5 year old son and best man gave his speach. "I love my daddy. He takes care of me. That is all I'd like to say". It was so sweet!

Tyler and Gabe, it was such a blessing to have met the two of you! We had a fantastic time tonight and wish you all the best. Here are our favorite images from the day. Enjoy!

Today I toured the Hotel 340.

It is located in 3 stories of the former St Paul Athletic Club and is owned by the University Club. Of course my mind emmediately goes to weddings and this is the perfect location! The foyer and ballrooms have such grandeur and oppulance, but the scale is very manageable. You can have a gorgeous wedding for 150 people and not feel overwhelmed by the space. The main ballroom and accompanying bar is just amazing and my brain was filling with all kinds of great photo ops.

Though I loved touring the halls, I was really there for the hotel. Halley showed me around and I was very impressed with what I saw. It is an ideal space for families. Since it is a boutique hotel with under 40 rooms, it has an intimate feel with public spaces that feel comfortable and homey. The pricing structure is very impressive for being in the heart of downtown, and some of the rooms even have kitchenettes which makes them all the more valuable. What I was really impressed with was when Halley talked about their customer service ethic and how they give you the comforts of an upscale hotel without the heafty pricetag. It doesn't take much extra effort to give quality service, and this hotel values that idea.

So look into this venue for your downtown St Paul wedding and hotel needs. I will definately be using these rooms in the future!

I recently photographed floral arrangements for The Style Laboratory's "Battle of the Bouquets". The finalists came from Festivities, Ashley Fox Designs, and Pazzobello Flowers.

Arrangements will be judged on multiple criteria by four judges and the winner will be posted on The Style Laboratory's blog.

What do you think of these creative arrangements? All of them used some sort of fruit or vegitable, which I thought was really cool!

Chris and Mandy were married today!

It was an excellent day to get married by the lake. Chris and Mandy held their morning wedding at Como Lakeside Pavilion, which was the perfect location for these nature lovers. Both their love of birds and biking were integrated throughout their ceremony, and the happy couple even "rode" down the aisle on a tandem bike!

We loved all of the personal and unique details that Chris and Mandy included in their wedding day. Mandy's brown wedding dress from Flutter Boutique, the very personal and heartfelt ceremony lead by a good friend, the basil in Mandy's gorgeous bouquet created by Flowerama, and the table numbers that captured a moment of the couple's history, all shared a piece of Chris and Mandy with their guests.

Sonny Bryant and his band kept everyone entertained during the brunch and dance to follow. We also enjoyed hearing the story of how Chris and Mandy were set up by none other than the matchmakers themselves. All in all a fantastic day.

Chris and Mandy, thank you so much for including us in your wedding festivities...here are our favorite images!

Sammy had her senior session tonight. She immediately caught my attention with her technicolored shoes and gorgeous smile. We had a great time wandering around the park and her mom helped coax that lovely smile with embarrassing comments =)

I loved the mixture of Sammy's sweet and funky sides and tried to get a good variety of portraits that would show them off. On the drive home, I was inspired to create her own logo and had to put that in one of the shots as well.

Here are my favorites!

I was so happy to be asked by Earle Brown Heritage Center to cover their 20th Anniversary Celebration. I truly love this venue not only because it is unique and the food is amazing, but because everyone I have met there is so sweet and great to work with.

They had the place decked out for this celebration and open house. The food was presented beautifully and tasted fantastic (especially the cantaloupe rum shooter), the flowers were lovely, and both Avant Decor and Linen Effects gave the rooms lovely draping and table design.

Speakers at the event were Brooklyn Center Mayor Tim Willson, City Manager Curt Boganey, and auther and radio host Cathy Wurzer. I not only covered the event, but also was asked to roam the grounds and do some architectural photography, which I just love!

Here are my favorite images from the event!

Joe and Amanda were married today!

We truly enjoyed this small, classy affair. Amanda was simply stunning in her flowing dress and cute pink shoes. Her flowers, designed by Pazzobello Flowers, matched perfectly.

Joe and Amanda live near the Guthrie theater, so we took a stroll around their neighborhood for pictures, stopping at all the beautiful locations by the river. We loved having enough time to utilize the many locations and got some fantastic shots!

Then we headed over to the Excedra at The Como Conservatory for the ceremony. Gorgeous cello music filled the air during the ceremony, and Judge Armstrong even had vows for the parents to give to their children.

The reception was held at the Bridgewater Lofts, with a magnificent view of the Minneapolis skyline. An intimate dinner party, with delcious food provided by We Cater to You, welcomed the guests. It was a truly beautiful night.

Amand and Joe, thank you so much for having us be a part of your day! We had a fantastic time and hope you enjoy this sneak peak of your images!