Sunday, December 30, 2012

2012 - The Year in Review


What an amazing year!  We are so grateful to have the clients we have.  We've compiled a condensed list of our favorite images from the year.  Believe me, the number could have been several hundred, but with great restraint it's been whittled down to 40 images.  Some of them you have seen before, some you haven't.  All of them represent either an idea we tried and it worked exactly as planned, a moment we're proud to have captured, or something unique that we hadn't done before.  One image was technically taken 23 minutes before 2012, but on the east coast it would've been this year, so we included it.  :-)

Looking forward to a great 2013!

Friday, December 28, 2012

Karrli & Caleb - Wedding | Saint Cloud, MN

Here's our last wedding of 2012!  Karrli and Caleb's wedding was the second wedding we've shot for their family.  We photographed Karrli's sister's wedding 3 years ago on the same weekend.  It was great seeing some familiar faces and working with some of the same people.  This wedding was held at the Saint Mary's Cathedral in Saint Cloud, and it was beautiful.  The guests nearly filled the main section of the church.  Afterwards, we stopped at a nearby park for a couple quick pictures and then headed to the reception at The Grands at Muligans for dinner and dancing.  It was a wonderful and emotional day and we were honored to be a part of it.

If you missed their engagement session from last fall, check it out here!


Thursday, December 13, 2012

Lauren & Brad - Engagement | Excelsior, MN

We met in downtown Excelsior for Lauren and Brad's engagement session.  We love shooting at locations that have meaning to our clients, and in this case we got some pictures on the bench where Brad proposed to Lauren.  Looking forward to shooting their engagement party as well as their wedding next year!




Katie & Jurgen - Engagement | Como Conservatory, Saint Paul, MN

We met at the Como Park Conservatory for Katie and Jurgen's engagement session thinking it would be a nice indoor location if it was cold outside, but it turned out to be a rather nice day so we got some shots outside around the park as well.  Looking forward to their wedding next year!

Sara & Erik - Anniversary | Bluefin Bay Resort

Sara and Erik celebrated their 10 year anniversary with a week on the north shore at Bluefin Bay Resort.  Kelly was there to get their pictures on the shore.  Here's a few from their session!


Friday, November 30, 2012

Katelyn & Jeremy - Wedding | Grand Superior Lodge, Two Harbors, MN

This wedding day started out very foggy and looking like it was going to rain, but as you can tell it cleared up beautifully in the afternoon.  Katelyn and Jeremy's wedding ceremony and reception were held at Grand Superior Lodge and before the ceremony we had time to run up to Gooseberry Falls for some pictures.  The evening shots by the lake are some of my favorites.

Here are a few from there engagement session.

Click "see more" to see the rest of their wedding.




Thursday, November 29, 2012

Alyse & Micah - Engagement | Saint Paul, MN

We hit a few locations in Saint Paul for Alyse and Micah's engagement session, starting at Grand Old Creamery for some ice cream, and ending up in Rice Park.  We found the last of the fall color too!  Looking forward to their wedding at the Carlson Center next year!




Sunday, November 18, 2012

Christi & Ben - Wedding | Duluth, MN

It was a  foggy Duluth day for Christi and Ben's wedding, but even though it was a little chilly, we still managed to hit Brighton Beach, Lester Park, and Canal Park for some pictures.  The wedding ceremony was held at the DECC in the Gooseberry Falls room, and the reception was over in the Harborside Ballroom.  It was a wonderful evening, and we were honored to be a small part of their wedding day.


Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Andrea & Grant - Engagement | Bunker Hills Park

We had a somewhat chilly fall evening for Andrea and Grant's engagement session.  Looking forward to their wedding next year!


Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Megan & Brian - Wedding | Grand Superior Lodge, Two Harbors, MN

It was an extremely sunny day for Megan and Brian's wedding at Grand Superior Lodge.  I think I got sun burnt.  Leaves were a little past peak, but there was still plenty of fall color on the shore.  We met down at the pier in Two Harbors for their first sight.  Did a few pictures with the wedding party by the lake, then headed back to the lodge for the ceremony and reception.  The wedding party was all kinds of crazy, and the dance was a party.  We even had a full moon to finish off the night.  You can see their engagement session here.

Here's a few images from their day!




Thursday, October 11, 2012

Lacey & Nick - Engagement | Stone Arch Bridge, Minneapolis

Met Lacey and Nick for the first time in person for their engagement session down on Saint Anthony Main in Minneapolis.  Things just seemed to come together just right for this one.  The lighting was amazing and the leaves were just starting to change.  Looking forward to their wedding next year!


Tiffany & Nate - Trash the Dress | Saint Paul, MN

Our good friends and fellow photogs Tiffany and Nate of Tiffany Lynn Photography wanted to do a trash the dress/anniversary/we-didn't-get-great-wedding-pics type of session.  A lot of planning went into this and while we didn't end up in the mud, or water, or a completely spontaneous paint fight, we DID manage to rip Tiffany's dress, so we got the "trash the dress" part down.  This was probably one of the most fun photo sessions ever.


Amanda & Brian - Wedding | Bluefin Bay Resort

We headed up to Bluefin Bay resort  one more time this season for Amanda and Brian's wedding day.  It was a little chilly, but we avoided the rain and the sun took a bit of the edge off.  We even had a rainbow for a few minutes right before the ceremony.  We never get tired of the beauty of the north shore.  There's always something new to see and the changing seasons, weather and lighting always shows a new side.  You may remember Amanda and Brian's engagement session in Minneapolis this past spring.

Here's a few from their wedding day!  Full gallery can be seen here.



Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Julie & Mike - Engagement | Minnehaha Park, Minneapolis

Julie and Mike's engagement session at Minnehaha Park.  Had a great time with these two, and we're looking forward to their wedding next year!

This first image is a composite of 10 images.



Grace & Tim - Wedding | Grand Marais, MN

Grace and Tim's wedding was our 100th that we have photographed.  Wow how time flies!

We had shot Grace's sisters wedding about 4 years ago, and have worked with her mom for the past few years as the event coordinator at Bluefin Bay resort.  Grace and Tim's wedding was planned to be entirely at her parents home but the weather radar was looking ominous, so there was a last minute scramble to relocate the reception indoors.  Even with the big change in plans the outdoor wedding ceremony was pretty much on schedule, and the rest of the day went without a hitch...  with beautiful weather.  ;-)  We had a great time and got some great images of a beautiful couple.

To see their winter engagement session, click here.


Schmidt Family | Minnesota Landscape Arboretum

Here's a family session we did a while back at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Click "see more" to see more cuteness!

Megan & Joe - Wedding | Duluth, MN

Megan and Joe had a very intimate wedding ceremony on the shore of Lake Superior with family and a few close friends in attendance.  Joe and the guys played a round of golf in the morning while the girls were at the salon.  The morning started off beautiful, sunny and hot.  As the day progressed, the clouds started rolling in and as we finished up a few shots after the outdoor ceremony a light rain started falling.  Perfect timing for that as it was time to head inside for the reception and dinner.

You can see their engagement session last spring here.

Thank you Megan and Joe for inviting us to be a part of your wedding day!


North Shore Wedding

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Nicole & Stephen - Wedding | Superior, WI

This was wedding #1 of a two wedding weekend in the Superior/Duluth area. Nicole and Stephen's wedding ceremony was held at the beautiful Christ the King Cathedral in Superior. It was our first wedding there, and from a photographer's perspective... wow! After the ceremony we headed to the Rose Garden in Duluth for some pictures with the wedding party and then to the reception at the Moorish room at the Greysolon Ballroom.  You can see their engagement session here.

This first shot is a composite of 15 images:

Greysolon Wedding

Sara & Eric - Wedding | Superior, WI

Yet another gorgeous day in a long string of perfect wedding weather. We've got a perfect streak going this year! You may recall another beautiful day when we did their engagement session. Sara and Eric's wedding ceremony was held at Concordia Lutheran Church in Superior. After the ceremony, we headed over to Billings Park with the wedding party for some pictures. A quick stop at The Shack, and then off to Blackwoods event center in Proctor. Sara and Eric were great to work with and the wedding party was awesome!

Here's a few images from their day:

Minnesota Wedding

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Kaitlin & John - Wedding | Finlayson, MN

We had the honor of photographing Kaitlin and John's intimate wedding ceremony at Kaitlin's parents cabin on Big Pine Lake. As you can see it was a gorgeous day and the clouds created a beautiful backdrop.

Here's a few images from their day:

Minnesota Wedding

Friday, August 31, 2012

Lizzy & Josh - Wedding | Buck Hill Ski Resort

We've worked with Lizzy before at her brother's wedding last year, so Lizzy and Josh were sorta repeat customers, but not really.  :-)  It was great seeing familiar faces and working with some of the same family.  You may remember seeing Lizzy and Josh's engagement session last December.  It was a little chilly then, not so on their wedding day. The ceremony was held at Rosemount United Methodist Church, and the reception following was at Buck Hill.  It was our first time there for a wedding and we had been told we were allowed to go to the top of the hill for pictures.  It indeed was a great location for pictures, but the staff forgot to mention there wasn't really a road up the hill.  Note to self, next time bring the 4x4.  Not a problem, though, we got up and down the hill in air-conditioned comfort and our van was no worse for wear.  I was secretly hoping to be able to ride the ski lift though.

We had a great time and we are truly thankful to have been  invited to share their wedding day.  Thank you!

Here's a few images from their day:

Buck Hill Wedding

Friday, August 17, 2012

Tory & Travis - Wedding | Lutsen Resort

Even though we've done quite a few weddings at Lutsen Resort and the North Shore in general, we never get tired of shooting there. We even found some new angles this time around, and that's what keeps it fresh for us. There's always something new to see and try.

Tory and Travis had a gorgeous day for their outdoor wedding.  This is the first time in recent memory that people were swimming!  The ceremony was held on the lake shore with a cocktail hour following on the terrace.  The dance was held in the Superior Ballroom.  Great day and a wonderful couple to work with.

Here's a few images from their day:

Lutsen Resort Wedding

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Kathy & David - Wedding | Minneapolis, MN

Working with wedding clients, we don't have "repeat" customers in the traditional sense. The closest we get is more weddings from the same family. We shot David's sisters wedding about four years ago (wow time flies!), and we were very honored to be asked to do the same for Kathy and David. In case you missed it, you can see their engagement session here.

After their beautiful wedding ceremony, stopped at Coon Rapids Dam park for a few pictures with just the bride and groom, and then it was off to the reception at The Elegance Room. Instead of a receiving line, they visited each table and did a toast. Something we hadn't seen before. Very cool. We had a great time working with people we knew, and meeting new ones. Thanks for trusting us again!

Here's a few images from their day:

Minneapolis Wedding

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Alison & Dan - Wedding | Duluth, MN

We met Alison and Dan at the Mountain Villas at Spirit Mountain. From there we went to Chester Park for a few pictures with just the bride and groom, and then to Leif Erickson Park for the wedding ceremony. The flooding in Duluth the week prior didn't cause any issues for us, much of the cleanup had already begun. After the ceremony, it was back to Spirit Mountain for the reception and dance, but before then we made a stop at The Reef where the wedding party showed their unreal skills at Buck Hunter. Seriously, it was amazing!

 Here's a few images from their day:

Spirit Mountain Wedding

Monday, July 9, 2012

Wendy & Shawn - Wedding | Bluefin Bay Resort

Guests and family traveled from all over to attend Wendy and Shawn's wedding at Bluefin Bay Resort. We narrowly missed keeping our perfect record of rain-free outdoor weddings at Bluefin, but luckily the rain stayed a few miles south, and the sun even came out later in the day. Our record stands! You can view their St. Paul engagement session here, and click the jump for a few from their wedding day!

Full gallery is here!

Minnehaha Falls Engagement

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Megan & Brian - Engagement | Minnehaha Falls

After all the rain we got recently, Minnehaha falls was flowing pretty well and made a great backdrop. We then headed up to the Saint Anthony falls area in Minneapolis for a few more pictures and a panoramic shot of downtown. Looking forward to their wedding!

Minnehaha Falls Engagement

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Karissa & Chris - Wedding | Bluefin Bay Resort

Those of you who have visited this blog more than once know that we've been to Bluefin Bay Resort a few times, in every weather condition. This time, we had fog, but the sun kept trying to peek out which made a fantastic backdrop. Karissa and Chris's wedding was a day of emotion, joy and a lot of fun, as you can tell with these few images. You can check out their engagement session here. Of interest to photo nerds, we did some composite and panoramic images for the first time at a wedding.

Cake by How Sweet It Is.
Coordination, flowers, decor by Northland Special Events.
Entertainment by Sounds Unlimited.

Click the jump to see more!  Full gallery now available here!

Bluefin Bay Wedding

Monday, May 21, 2012

Amanda & Brian - Engagement | Stone Arch Bridge, Minneapolis, MN

For Amanda and Brian's engagement session, we met in the NE Minneapolis area, and then went to the Stone Arch Bridge for the rest of the session. The weather and sky were perfect. Looking forward to their wedding this fall on the north shore!

Stone Arch Bridge Engagement

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Gina & Travis - Wedding | Pine City, MN

We had a great time at Gina and Travis's wedding. Regular readers might remember their engagement session last fall. Here's a few images from their wedding and reception at Grand Casino Hinckley:

Wedding

Andy | Family

This is Andy. He just turn 1 year old. Andy's parents were wedding clients of ours a couple years ago, and we loved the opportunity to see them again.

Kids

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Megan & Joe - Engagement | Saint Paul, MN

This session holds the record for longest hike through a swamp. Seriously, we covered at least 3 miles. Megan did the hike in a dress, so I can't complain at all. We crossed some backwaters of the Mississippi and ended up on the main channel. I pretty much guarantee there's never been an engagement session at this location. Here's a few teasers!

Engagement

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Christi & Ben - Engagement | TCF Bank Stadium

So, turns out Ben know's a guy and just like that, we're doing their engagement session in TCF Bank Stadium, home of Gopher Football. Awesome! We had the place pretty much to ourselves and even got to go up to the Presidential Suite. We also stopped at the Stone Arch Bridge for a few shots as well. Here's a few images from their session:

Engagement

Saturday, March 31, 2012

Grace & Tim - Engagement | Minneapolis, MN

It was one of the last chilly winter days for Grace and Tim's engagement. Looking forward to their wedding this fall!

Wedding

Monday, February 27, 2012

Breana & Kurt - Wedding | Granite Falls, MN

We had more great February weather for Breana and Kurt's wedding. The ceremony was held at the beautiful Granite Falls Lutheran Church, and someone actually had to prop open the door outside because it was a little warm inside. A very cool addition to our shoot was their 1978 Vee Dub camper van, restored by them to better than original status. Kinda jealous about it! The reception was held at Prairie's Edge Casino a few miles south of town. It was a great day for a beautiful wedding.

You can check out their engagement session last summer here.

Wedding

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Amanda & Dan - Wedding | Duluth, MN

We were back up in Duluth for Amanda and Dan's wedding celebration. After the ceremony we headed down to Canal Park for some very quick pictures as it was actually a more typical (for February) 14 degrees out. After that we headed to the Greysolon Ballroom to get set up and wait for the wedding party to arrive. After dinner the dance was put into full swing by the Rock-A-Billy Revue and they kept the party going till the end of the night. Congrats Amanda and Dan!


Greysolon Ballroom Wedding

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Jen & Fred - Wedding | Minneapolis, MN

Here's our first wedding of 2012! Jen and Fred's wedding and reception was held at the Great Hall in Silverwood Park in Saint Anthony. There was a snowflake theme running throughout the wedding, but that was pretty much the only snow we saw. It was a beautiful November day... in February! We did manage to get out on the lake for and few pictures, after I thoroughly tested the ice.

Full gallery here.

Silverwood Park Wedding

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Jena & Jason - Reception | Carlson Center, Minnetonka, MN

Jena and Jason's wedding celebration was wrapped up with a reception at the Carlson Center in Minneapolis. It's a beautiful location and the decorations and flowers complemented the venue. The cake merits special mention as it was one of the most amazing cakes we've seen. The pictures do not quite do it justice. The detail was incredible. Adagio provided the entertainment and kept the party going into the night. We were even able to sneak outside for a couple minutes to get some pictures, before the cold chased us back inside.

We had a fantastic time working with Jena and Jason, and we appreciate their trust in us to capture their entire wedding adventure. Congratulations!

Cake by Gateaux Inc.
Flowers by Berries & Blooms by Cindy

Full gallery here.


Carlson Center Wedding

Friday, January 13, 2012

Jena & Jason - Wedding | Maui, Hawaii

Here's our last wedding of 2011! When Jason and Jena contacted us about a year ago and asked if we could possibly photograph their wedding in Maui, I had to think about it for about 2 seconds and said "yes". When trying to think of words to describe this wedding, I keep coming back to "epic". Perhaps I need a thesaurus. The wedding ceremony was held at the Grand Wailea Resort and Hotel, probably the most amazing resort on the island. To say we had a blast would be a severe understatement. We spent a lot of time hanging out with Jena and Jason and their families. Everyone was so hospitable that we occasionally forgot we were working. The weather was absolutely perfect on their wedding day (and every other day). Here are a few pictures from their wedding day.

The full gallery can be viewed here.

Maui Hawaii Wedding