Places to Elope in Minnesota
Minnesota, the land of 10,000 lakes and endless elopement possibilities. From urban skylines to black sand beaches. There is something for everyone in our beautiful state to be able to experience the perfect elopement. In this blog we go over some elopement locations in Minnesota that you may not have thought of!
Adam and Jenn
I cannot BELIEVE I am writing a blog post about a Montana wedding! Photographing destination weddings has been my dream for so long and I am so THANKFUL that Adam and Jenn trusted me and allowed my dream to come true. A few years ago I went on a road trip with a friend of mine. We drove 26 hours out to the Pacific Northwest and part of our route was driving through Montana. It was during that trip that I fell in love with Montana and needed a reason to go back. The mountains are my happy place and I am so glad Adam and Jenn brought me back.
Charles City, Iowa Wedding
Next up on the June wedding blog lineup is Danielle and LJ! They had a beautiful VRBO wedding in Charles City Iowa and incorporated so many personal touches into their wedding day. From a traditional hand-binding ceremony to notes from Danielle’s students. The created a perfectly intimate and personal wedding day and I am so thankful to have been chosen as their wedding photographer.
Book Your Engagement Session With your Wedding Photographer
Booking your engagement pictures session with your photographer is a must-do before your wedding day. It's a chance for you and your fiancé to get comfortable in front of the camera, and for your photographer to learn your personalities, style, and how to make you both look your best. It's also a great opportunity to get to know your photographer before your wedding day and you can find out if you even like your photographers shooting style and posing. Plus, engagement pictures make for great keepsakes and can be used for save-the-dates, reception displays, and as gifts for family and friends. Overall, booking your engagement session with your photographer paves the way for a stress-free and enjoyable wedding day and provides cherished memories for years to come.
Wedding Timelines
When it comes to planning a wedding, timeline building is a crucial aspect that requires careful consideration. A wedding timeline is a detailed schedule that outlines all the key events and activities that will occur on the big day. It is essential to create a comprehensive timeline in advance to ensure that everything runs smoothly and on time. A good wedding timeline takes into account everything from hair and makeup to photography and reception details. It is important to allow adequate time for each activity and build in some buffer time for unexpected delays or issues. Having a great wedding timeline can really help you keep your day running smoothly!
Why You Need a Second Shooter
Let’s start out by talking about what even is a “second shooter,” a second shooter is a second photographer that is hired by your photographer to help them document your wedding day. They are great for many reasons like being a second pair of observing eyes to capture the little moments, and an extra set of hands to help when needed. I think one thing that I regret about my own wedding was not spending the little extra money to have a second photographer at my wedding day. There are so many little moments I wish were captured that just having one photographer wasn’t able to handle. It’s a little thing that makes a big difference. Wedding’s are huge events and very busy and FULL days for everyone involved. When I became a Minnesota wedding photographer I knew that I always wanted to have a second shooter with me on wedding days. Having that second person has been so crucial in my business and serving my clients, so in today’s blog post I want to go through all of the benefits of having a second shooter
A Snowy Minnesota Engagement Session
It's not to often I get to photograph a Minnesota winter engagement session. But Tiffany and Seth braved the cold and snow and had a gorgeous Minnesota engagement session at Lake Carlos State Park in Alexandria, Minnesota. My little wedding photographer heart is so happy!
Ways to incorporate your kids into your wedding or elopement
As a new step-mom, I did quite a bit of research while planning my wedding on how I can include my future step-son in my and his dad’s wedding. It is so special getting to include your kids in your big day and to find a way to involve them and demonstrate two families becoming one is so amazing. In this blog, I share some ideas on how to include your kids in your wedding or elopement.
Elopement planning tips
Planning your elopement can be such a daunting task. Even as a wedding photographer, planning my own wedding was so hard. This week I wanted to give some tips to plan your elopement and hopefully make the elopement planning process a little easier!
How I would plan a Minnesota Elopement
Raise your hand if you are a deeply rooted Minnesotan like me. I might be biased but nothing can top our beautiful state of Minnesota. Even as a travel wedding photographer, I planned my own Minnesota intimate wedding when I got married. In this blog I wanted to create a vision for how I would plan a Minnesota Elopement if I were to replan how I got married!
My Approach to Elopements
I’ll admit, I am newer to the world of elopements and intimate weddings. But the few intimate weddings I have photographed as a Minnesota wedding photographer, I am obsessed. Being part of wedding days is such a blessing, but being part of a smaller, more intimate setting for a wedding… makes my introverted heart soar. In the blog, I describe how I have taken my approach to shooting elopements and intimate weddings.
My Own Dream Minnesota Intimate Wedding
The appreciation I have for my brides and their gorgeous wedding days has doubled if not tripled. Because wedding planning is HARD and I’ll be honest, I really did not enjoy it. I loved everything up until the actual putting together part. The Pinterest boards, the ideas, getting the dress, and creating the vision that part is fun. But calling vendors, finding supplies, and putting everything together causes so much stress. So for the girlies that love wedding planning- you have a gift and should share it because wow, I honestly had no idea how much work planning a wedding is. Like as someone who has been to 30+ weddings in the past few years, I had an idea that wedding planning was a ton of work. But I don’t think I comprehended how much work it would be.
Wedding Planning Tips
As a Minnesota Wedding Photographer and a 2022 Bride, I have learned a lot this year about wedding planning. I also learned that even though I have been a wedding photographer for three years now, there was still so much that I did not know about planning a wedding. I found the whole wedding planning process overwhelming and to be completely honest there are things I wish I did differently when it came to planning. Because the only regret I have about the whole process of planning my wedding was letting it overwhelm me and allowing myself to disassociate and stop caring. I also need to mention that my mother-in-law and my mom were so incredible when it came to planning because I got so anxious I could not bring myself to do it and procrastinate. So without them, things would not have come together and I am so grateful for them.
Questions to ask your wedding photographer
Booking your wedding photographer is sort of a big deal. These are your memories and moments we are talking about, so you want to make sure you bring on a photographer who understands how important their role is and ultimately can provide the vision you have. When picking a wedding photographer you need to know what is important to you and what type of images you are drawn to. Here is a guide on what to ask your wedding photographer, from 2022 bride and a Minnesota wedding photographer.
Minnesota Backyard Wedding
There is just something so special about a backyard wedding. Let alone a backyard wedding in the prime Minnesota Fall Season and getting all of the gorgeous fall colors that you can imagine at a Minnesota Fall Wedding. Margy and Michael had a perfect fall day for their intimate wedding in their own backyard and I am so grateful to have been chosen as their wedding photographer.
What is a First Look?
Let’s take a minute to talk about whether or not you should do a first look on your wedding day. In this blog post, we are talking about the pros and cons of doing a first look on your wedding day.
Wedding Albums
As a Minnesota wedding photographer, there is nothing more important to me, which is making sure my wedding couples get their wedding pictures printed. Once I realized how priceless it is to own a wedding album that can be passed down for generations. I made sure to have wedding albums included in all my packages.
Let’s Talk About Wedding Details
As a Minnesota wedding photographer, I selfishly love shooting wedding details for obvious reasons. But have you ever thought about why having your wedding details photographed on your wedding day is important to you?
Intimate Vow Renewal at Sable Inn Foley, MN
This intimate vow renewal at the Sable Inn Bed and Breakfast in Foley Minnesota could not have been a more perfect way to celebrate this couple and the life that they have created together. It was such a blessing to be able to witness a true perfect pair and get to know them throughout the evening, to witness and be able to capture so many perfect moments was so incredible!