Jeremy & Nadia ~ November Splendor!

Athletes.  Animal lovers.  Adventurers.

Nadia was a gymnast, played softball and rugby, and was a member of the track & field team.  Jeremy was a wrestler, played football, and also ran track. They met in college four years ago and have since adopted their pup, Gamora, and cat, Drax.  Together, they’ve gone skydiving, finished a marathon, bought a house, and are currently nursing students working on becoming RNs!

Although nervous she couldn’t keep a conversation going for the 30 minute drive to dinner and back on their first date, Nadia quickly found Jeremy to be a TALKER…and the smiles and laughter came so easily it turned their evening into the best first date EVER!  This former Army medic, who currently works security at the Mayo Clinic talking down difficult patients and resolving dramatic situations in a calm manner, stole her heart…and that was pretty much it for her! Their sparkle together hasn’t changed one bit since then, as  it was instantly obvious to us how much they enjoyed each other’s company!

Nadia made a beautiful bride, getting ready at the home of her sister. 

Family is everything to her, and her first looks included both her adoring father and best-bud brother.  They surrounded themselves with love and support from their friends and family all day long!

After photos in Springvale County Park, it was off to Nadia & Jeremy’s  traditional Catholic ceremony at her family’s home church, St. Elizabeth’s, where the brand new priest performed his very first nuptials!  (And, a fun little side note here, we actually met him while he was still a deacon at another wedding we photographed in Glenwood two years ago!)

With some freshly fallen snow and an incredible sunset casting an orange glow on the Rum River, Riverside Park made a stunning backdrop for bridal portraits on the way to the grand reception.

Then it was time to get the party started with their family and friends at the Northern Lights Ballroom!

And how about this sweet confection created with love by bridesmaid (and gymnastics teammate) Emily?!!

Nadia & Jeremy are two of a kind, and soulmates at heart!  We loved spending your best day ever with you!

 

 

 

Abby and James: Exquisite Minneapolis Wedding

If you love fairy tales, then you would love this wedding!  From the Minneapolis Club, to the Basilica, to The Depot, this wedding was saturated with class and romance.

The day began with breakfast for the gentlemen at the Minneapolis Club. During this time the Father of the Groom presented his original sword to be used during the sword arch (which you’ll see)  TOTAL surprise to the groom..such a special moment!  Meanwhile, the bride was getting ready with her beautiful bridesmaids at the Renaissance Hotel, and her excited energy was just contagious!

 

Abby told us the sweetest story about the shoes she was wearing for her wedding.  When she was a little girl, she saw these shoes in a store. She told her mom, “I’m going to wear these shoes when I get married.”  Her mom surprised her by buying the shoes and saved them all those years.  Seriously??! How incredible is that?!!

We then headed to the Basilica for a beautiful wedding ceremony. This historic place provided a beautiful backdrop for Abby and James to exchange wedding vows.

On their way out, guests lined the steps of the Basilica and were able to witness a formal sword arch.  Wow. Wow. Wow.

Beautiful weather gave us the opportunity to take outdoor photos, and the bridesmaids, in their soft-toned dresses looked INCREDIBLE! We sure got a lot of use out of those Basilica steps!

From there we headed to the Mill City area for bridal portraits, and these two were just radiating with love!

There was still lots more to come at the reception! The Depot was incredible and the romantic candlelight provided beautiful ambiance to close out the day.

As beautiful as it was, there were so many more FUN surprises as well!  Umm…The groom playing drums, a military friend joining in with the band?!  So much dancing, so many smiles…This wedding was just magical!  We are  so thankful for the incredible vendors who helped make this day so incredible for Abby and James!

Vendors:

Hair/Makeup–SM Hair and Makeup

Reception—-Ultimate Events and Linen Effects

Flowers–Westdale Florists

Cake—Queen of Cakes

Reception Venue—The Depot Minneapolis

Ceremony Venue—The Basilica of St Mary Minneapolis

Reception Music—Band-The 72s

Videography–Event Exposure

 

Abby and James: The Princess and the Pilot

We LOVE sparkle around here.  And if there’s anyone who knows sparkle, it’s Abby.  We first met her when she was the Hopkins Raspberry Festival Queen, and weren’t at all surprised when she went on to be selected as a Minneapolis Aquatennial Princess. But wait…there’s more!  Most recently she spent a year playing the role of West Wind Princess for the legend of the St. Paul Winter Carnival.  Yeah, she’s a pretty big deal here in the Metro…and we dig her…a LOT.  Abby is one of those people who is just a blast to be around…witty, spirited, and more adorable than is fair for one person to be.

And then there’s James…the dashing Navy pilot who entered Abby’s life and swept her off her feet, just like a perfect prince should.  It’s easy to see she’s as smitten as smitten can be!

Planning their engagement photos was so exciting…we KNEW there had to be a themed shoot with planes…but where?  James set us up at the Minnesota Air National Guard Museum for part one of their session, and it couldn’t have been more perfect…wouldn’t you agree?

We had way too much fun with part one, and kind of lost track of the time, so we had to hustle over to part 2 at a regional park in Eagan where we planned to get a ton more shots in before the sun set.  Once again, the evening light was spectacular for capturing the stunning fall colors and, of course, the adoration they have for each other!

Absolutely cannot wait to capture all the beautiful at your best day ever next July!

 

A Perfectly Perfect Sweetheart Session

To know Allie is to know, without a doubt, what “walking on sunshine” means.  The girl is a walking, talking billboard for upbeat and positivity; not to mention being the most sincere hug-giver in the history of all mankind!  Enter Brian…the man who loves, supports, pushes, and encourages Allie every single day.

Together, they are magic.  They are both entrepreneurs, owning several businesses each.  Allie owns a clothing boutique called She Laughs MN as well as Natural Suds Cleaning.  Brian has his own lawn care company, B’s Lawns and Landscapes, and he’s also a real estate professional at Lakes Area Realty.  Brian is a real go-getter who pushed Allie to start both of her businesses, and she’s grateful he did.

We got together on a late September afternoon in order to catch a magnificent golden hour just before sunset.  As you can see, we weren’t disappointed!  Scheduling your session towards the evening definitely lets us take advantage of the most incredible, soft glowing light…as long as the clouds are cooperating with our plans!  And on this night, they were.

Allie & Brian had so much fun, they scheduled another session…but this time they were hoping for a Christmasy feel with their new puppy, Benny!  Seriously…is there anything cuter than a floppy-eared puppy…in the snow…wearing a sweater??

There wasn’t much snow to speak of the day before our shoot, but the weather forecaster promised plenty of snow was coming!  We totally lucked out on this December Sunday with about four inches of new snow on the ground (and still coming down, obviously!) the day of our session.

All the best to you, sweet Allie and Brian, as you continue to make a beautiful life together.

 

First wedding of the year!

Brrrrrrrrr, the January morning of our first wedding of the year was so cold the coffee wouldn’t stay hot as we headed to Bloomington for Molly & Ben’s best day ever.  In the back of the van was not only our photo gear, but also snow pants, fur-lined boots, and a pile of hand warmers for outdoor photos at Edina’s Centennial Lakes Park.  But just look at these girls…Molly’s fur wrap and her bridesmaids’ cozy plaid blanket scarves (perfectly matching her jewel-toned theme, of course) kept everyone looking radiant and comfy…would you even guess the windchill was nearly twenty below??

Back inside the warmth of the wedding and reception venue, Radisson BLU offered some ultra modern backdrops so we could incorporate their use of blue and pink lighting…perfect for showing off Molly’s pink ombré gown…can you even believe how lush and gorgeous that dress is?

Molly & Ben are SUCH a fun couple, always laughing and smiling…it’s easy to tell they really enjoy each other’s company.  Leave it to them to have Roxy the Rottweiler be a part of their ceremony!

And Roxy certainly made herself the star of the show with a grand departure… check out the capture she made from the aisle vase on her way out!  You should have seen her strut…that girl was quite proud of herself!

Molly knew exactly what she wanted for her dream day and thought of everything down to the very last detail.  We so loved all of her sparkly touches…but seriously…that brooch bouquet??  Perfectly  exquisite, and what fun to collect all those pieces!

And finally…we can’t forget about the guys!  They were a riot all day long…and best friends to the end.  How lucky Ben & Molly are to have friends like these who love and support them so much!