Katie & Greg

Katie & Greg are the kind of people who, when meeting for the first time over coffee, remind you of your own friends. Three minutes in, we were laughing, rolling our eyes, and talking about our design aesthetics. I love working with clients who are visual people, and Katie being an art director was able to give me detailed ideas and visual cues that, I think, allowed me to really nail this wedding. 

What transpired was a Wes Anderson a la Moonrise Kingdom styled intimate wedding in the middle of Camp Tanadoona in Excelsior, Minnesota. There was quiet love wherever you looked. Family and friends embraced, people gathered together closely and had in depth conversations-- there was something very peaceful and intimate about it all.

it's almost like this web of humans who love Katie and Greg were all speaking a language that I couldn't hear. It was blissful and humbling. As I left that night, I felt a pull to stay. 

Venue: Camp Tanadoona
Dress: BHLDN
Hair / Makeup: friend of the bride
Suit: Atmosfere
Rings: Brilliant Earth
Stationary: designed by bride
Cocktail hour musicians - Jake Hansen and James Buckley
Flowers: Eclectic Elegance Florals
Baked goods: Sarah Jane's Bakery
Photobooth: Blue Goose Photo Booth
Food Truck: Bark and the Bite
Coffee: Coffee Cart Mpls
Furniture rental: Rustic Elegance

Hallie & Adam

My wedding season has mostly come to an end, and I'm left reflecting on some of my favorite moments from an incredible summer and fall. September was crowded with weddings-- 11 all in all. It was a fast paced, challenging, yet extremely rewarding month for me. Hallie and Adam's family & friends focused farm wedding (holy f) was a very sweet and bright spot in a whirlwind of a month. Like many weddings this season, Hallie is an old friend-- we swam together as kids on swim team and ended up going to high school together. Hallie witnessed the beginning of my interest in photography and I saw her develop a passion for labor justice which has led her to working on behalf of unions.  

I had never met Adam until their wedding morning. He was in the kitchen of the main barn helping finish appetizers, surrounded by busy relatives and friends donning aprons, holding flowers, carting around cone-shaped bunting. It became clear to me throughout the day that Hallie anchors Adam and slows him down. There is a nonverbal language that flits between the two of them that only they understand. Hallie's eyes crinkle when she looks as Adam every single time. It was sweet to witness. I felt like I was slowing down with them that day-- they seemed to have that effect on a lot of people. 

The owner of York farm took me on a tour of the grounds when I first arrived. He fed me every kind of table grape they grow. I already knew this was going to be a good day. Guests strolled around the property all day and into the evening after pitching their own tents. Adam's mom performed reiki on the two as they got dressed quietly together. Then, a sweet and thoughtful ceremony followed by a warm and cozy barn reception. There was pizza from the pizza oven, a bonfire out front, golf cart rides packed with children to and from the pig pen. The night ended with Hallie running around in the twilight checking on friends and gathering people to dance. As I walked out, I shot the final image of the night at the end of this collection. I hope some of the feelings I witnessed translate to these images.

Happy, you two.

Elissa & Patrick

Simple and sweet. This half-day wedding at Paikka was intimate and lovely. It's probably one of the better examples of weddings that I truly love to photograph in terms of the size, decor, and mood. There was an ease in working with Patrick and Elissa that allowed me to float comfortably between observer and director and I think it shows in the resulting imagery. Also, these two make each others eyes light up. For real. Below are some of my favorite moments. 

Venue: Paikka
Food truck: Foxy Falafel
Bar: Bittercube
Hair: The Hive Salon & Heimie's Haberdashery
Dress: Fame & Partners Suit: Heimie's Haberdashery
Makeup: Blush Beauty Room
Flowers: Bachman's
Rings: Charlemagne Fine Jewelry

Rachel & Erik

The Olm/Wiggan family are some of the only people I've ever met who are absolutely unafraid to slow down and feel Big. Anyone who is in their presence knows exactly what I'm talking about. You've never met a sweeter, more sincere, more hardworking family.

This wedding was incredibly emotional for me. It marked two summers since Rachel's older sister Leah's wedding-- one that forever changed my photography career and life. It meant a reunion of sorts, as I am the official Olm family photographer and get to bear witness to almost all large gatherings of Olm's, Wiggans, Macaulay's, Meyer's, and now Jahn's. it also meant getting to watch sweet Rachel look at Erik and see her husband. After years and years of together-ness, now a new kind. 

Rachel and Erik and their families are easy to photograph because they love so bigly (I'm taking that word back, okay?) They not only invite people in but encourage them to make physical contact in the spirit of forming connections. When Rachel and Erik and I were talking about what kind of imagery they wanted for their wedding, they kept saying to me, "Just do your thing. We trust you." But what I wanted to say back was, no, do YOUR thing. Your thing is the magic explosive magnetic thing and without it, I have nothing. 

Here are my favorite images from their two day weekend celebration that I was lucky to witness, participate in, and make art from. I love you guys. 

Kayla & James

I've known Kayla most of my life. We grew up in the same neighborhood in SE Minneapolis and we went to all of the same schools up until college. She and her husband (!) James just recently moved back to that same old neighborhood and threw a lovely wedding near to where we went to elementary school. It was heartwarming to watch friends and family from all parts of Kayla and James's life return to a space that held a lot of beginnings, to cheer on the start on a new one. 

The day started off with a lovely service at the family church. While Kayla and James were saying their "I Do's" friends were gathering at the back of the church with signs, horns, drums, and streamers. What followed was a second-line style parade from the ceremony to their reception hall. We followed a path very familiar to those who grew up in Marcy Holmes: along St. Anthony Main's cobblestone path and through a secret thoroughfare behind the Aster Cafe. Folks holding signs that read "one ring to rule them all" and "this is kind of a big deal!" skipped along behind Kayla and James, as others played Kazoo's while the groom himself sported a harmonica.

These two have fun. There is an element of play and genuine tap-your-feet, clap-your-hands joy that emanates out from them and draws people in. So, it was quite fitting that towards the end of dinner, Kayla and James stood up, grabbed a guitar, and performed Randy Newman's classic Toy Story tune, "You've Got a Friend in Me." Faced with a standing ovation, Kayla looked over at James and beamed. 

Thank you Kayla for including me in a special way. And thank you James for making one of my oldest friends truly happy. 

Vendors:
Venue: Minneapolis Event Center
Catering: Brasa, La La Homeade Ice cream
Dress: Lillian West of TLC bridal boutique
Flowers: Stephanie Hagen, Paula Johnson
Rings: Nick Lundeen Jewelry

update: a photo from this wedding was recently published in the Washington Post along with a lovely write-up about how the two fell in love. Click through to read Kayla and James' story!