closeHappy May to you! I love that summer is just around the corner. I love Spring though, all the blooms, green grass and pastels make everything gorgeous! I would love to book a spring or summer session for you, email me today for more information!
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As spring continues we are getting busier and busier and with that, less and less photos being taken. I am getting off my game, but here’s to progress, not perfection!
This past week we spent some time with my sisters and their families, went on a grandma date, got through a spring snowstorm and gloomy days, painted rocks outside, my new baby arrived ( my lens!) and finally picked some daffodils! I am so happy to have the spring weather!
One of the very first questions I receive in a wedding consultation is
How much time do I need for photos on my wedding day?
Knowing how long and when photos are to take place sets up most of the other vendors for the day and knowing how to put this together can help tremendously and alleviate lots of stress when meeting with other vendors and figuring out how your day might look.
Typically when I get this question, there are a few other questions that I usually have for the couple:
What time is your wedding at?
How long is your ceremony?
Will you be doing a first look, or do you plan on not seeing each other before the ceremony?
How large is your wedding party?
What photos are most important to you?
Do you want to go to an alternate location between the ceremony and reception?
From here, we can start setting up the time line of the day. So to give you an example say you have a 4:00 wedding, the ceremony is 30 minutes long, you are planning on seeing each other beforehand for the first look, want an alternate location and have an average wedding party of 10 attendants and the photos of you and your spouse are of utmost importance.
Knowing all this information, I would advise you on booking a 10 hour day and the time line would look like this:
1:00- Wedding party to arrive at getting ready location, detail shots, finishing touches shots
1:30-First look with bride and groom, photos together
2:00- Wedding Party photos
2:30- Bride’s family photo (add in grandparents and other extended family)
3:00- Groom’s family photo (add in grandparents and other extended family)
3:30- Prep/ hide for ceremony
4:00- Ceremony Begins
4:30- Ceremony ends/ greet guests
5:00- Head to alternate location in transportation
7:00- Announcement of bride and groom
7:15 Dinner served/ Cake cutting/ Sunset photos of Bride and Groom/ Toasts
8:30- Dance begins- Reception candids
11:00 End of contract
Hope that helps in your planning!
It was wonderful meeting Alex at the last Styled shoot I did. Alex is a wildly talented dress maker who, after I met her, I found out made her OWN wedding dress AND reception dress! Frank Murphy Fashions is located in the quaint and beautiful downtown White Bear Lake area. Their fashions are elegant and timeless formal wear. I would highly recommend checking them out and giving Alex a huge hug from me when you see her! Head on over to their web-site to be in touch and see more of their incredible work.
What 3 words describe Frank Murphy? Luxurious. Timeless. Sophisticated.
How long have you been in business? The Frank Murphy design and store was established in 1931.
Why or how did you get started in your industry? I am one of the new owners of Frank Murphy.
What have weddings taught you? Weddings are such a joyful occasion and it’s important that you feel good about yourself and what you’re wearing to the wedding!
What is the style of Frank Murphy? We carry everything from casual to formalwear catering to each generation in the full range of sizes and price points.
What the newest trend you have seen happen on a wedding day? It’s a current trend for the bride AND the mother of the bride to do an outfit change! Such a fun bonding moment to surprise the guests with your second look.
What are some sources of inspiration or influences on your work? I personally design wedding gowns for brides who want a one-of-a-kind piece. I’m passionate about quality fabrics and construction techniques. I encourage my brides to help with the design, fabric selection, and even a couple stitches so that on their wedding day, they can take credit for their gown!
What’s your favorite way to wind down after a hard day? At the end of the day, I love sketching new designs for my clients!
What was the best thing you did to make your wedding day unique? To design my own dress! It was so fun to be able to take credit for my one-of-a-kind gown on my wedding day.
Advice you would give to newly engaged couples. Keep the wedding planning fun! Don’t get too stressed or annoyed with all the advice you will get. Try to enjoy the process!
What sets you apart in your industry or what do your clients say about you? My primary concern is for my clients to look and feel good in their clothes! I am always glad to special order pieces just for them – in their size, color preference, and vision. Let me know how I can help dress you for your upcoming event. We can even design a custom piece together!
Oh my goodness. What a wonderful, sweet joy it is to see past clients. (If you have been following me for any length of time, you KNOW this is one of my greatest loves!) I photographed Jackie and Vineet’s wedding back in 2010. Over the past 7 years they have moved from state to state for Vineet’s job, and have just landed back in Minneapolis and just in time for me to meet their sweet little boy. It was wonderful connecting with them again and seeing them as amazing parents. I hope for more times like these!
What a joy it was to capture Lizzy and Ryan and their now family of five! Adding these two sweet twins to the mix definitely brought life and so much joy to their session! Congratulations to you both!!
From their engagement session, to their wedding, to the birth of their first daughter and now to their second, it’s been a joy and honor to be able to photograph couples like the Wargo’s as their life changes.
It’s what makes my job so meaningful and fulfilling! Congratulations Hannah and Jake, your family is beautiful!
Including siblings in your newborn session… yes or no?
My answer is always yes.
It might feel a little chaotic in the moment, but those are often the images you end up treasuring the most—the real connection, the tiny interactions, the beginning of a new family story.
I’ve loved watching the Luong family grow through all three of their children’s newborn sessions, and those sibling moments are always some of my favorites.
If you’re wondering how it all works (and how we make it easy), I wrote a full blog post about it! Check it out in my stories
#newbornphotography #minnesotaphotographer #familyphotography #siblinglove
NEW WEBSITE. SAME HEART.
After a long time behind the scenes… it’s finally here.
And I want YOU to be one of the first to experience it.
So I made it a little more fun 👇
✨ I’m giving away TWO mini sessions for 2026 ✨
How to enter:
• Visit the new website (link in bio)
• Look around
• Enter the giveaway
That’s it.
If you’ve been thinking about booking photos this is your sign!
Tag a friend who should enter with you below and add to your stories for another entry!! (Make sure to tag me!!)
Based in the Twin Cities area and available for travel worldwide.
