closeIn the last week I have referred two of my clients to my all time favorite wedding blogs. I am continuously inspired by these sites and awestruck at the creativity that vendors and brides have created to make their wedding day spectacular. Check out these great sites, but make sure you have some time. I have been caught for hours perusing the sites…
Utterly Engaged (this is actually a wedding magazine on-line!)
Happy Planning!
West Bend Iowa is known for being Home of the Grotto of the Redemption, Iowa’s Eighth Wonder of the Modern World, but for Audie and Jeff, West Bend is where the two reconnected. Jeff had been one of Audie’s older brother’s good friends. Throughout high school Jeff was continuously in Audie’s life, but after graduation they both moved on. Then during one summer night street dance the two reconnected and picked up right where they left off. Their friendship had grown as they had grown more and more in love with one another. I just adored being with these two. They were so easy going and generous, kind and considerate to all around them. Blessings to you both as you embark on this wonderful journey!
I am in love with Forepaugh’s in St. Paul. Elegant, yet so simplistic. Audie and Jeff chose such a beautiful location to exchange their vows with their intimate group of family and friends attending.
Audie’s dress, fit the elegant location, and it was beautiful on her. It was found at Dena Marie Bridal and Tux.
Hub Jewelers provided the couple with beautiful wedding rings, necklaces, earrings, and bracelets for not only Audie, but for her beautiful bridesmaids.
The men wore JoS A. Bank tuxes like studs.
Audie’s hair was done by Morgan at Regis Hair Salon.
Her make up was finished by Emily at Ulta Salons.
The Red bridesmaid dresses were purchased from David’s Bridal.
Cellist , Greg Nelson, from Jason Price Music Services provided exquisite music for the ceremony and social hour.
One of the reasons Audie chose the location of Forepaugh’s was this beautiful chandelier in one of the rooms. She just knew her Buttercream cake would fit perfectly below it.
The flowers that brought more beauty to the rooms were created by Debbie Turner of Debbie Turner Originals.
She and Jeff created their own invites.
I can not wait to share more of the beautiful couple, and all of the details that make this location one of my favorites. More to come!
They planned for Greece. His family is there and it is the perfect place to get married in. But many of her friends and family were based in Minnesota, and she really wanted to have them there and be able to do a wedding in a church. Therefore this Tennessee couple flew up to Minnesota and planned a very intimate wedding for under 30 people at Nazareth Chapel in about 2 months. It was simple and elegant, just what she had wanted. Cynthia and Vasileios, had a beautiful March evening to get married. A summer 2012 wedding in Greece is planned, and I am sure it will be just as stunning as this couple!
I love photographing weddings. I have been at it since 2002, and every couple is so unique and different. Every time I show up, I am thrilled to see how the entire day unfolds. It has been so fun to see how each couple incorporates his and her style into the day making it completely their own. So what makes it your own? How do you create a day to be solely yours?
Going through my archives helped me to narrow this down and hopefully helpful if you are in the process of planning a wedding!
Family Traditions. No matter how you slice it, your family is involved. You can choose to integrate your traditions a lot, or just a bit.
Vineet and Jackie chose to incorporate Vineet’s Hindu traditions into their wedding day.
Dan and Allison chose to use Dan’s father’s collector car as their get-away vehicle
Annnika’s mother collected antique cake platters, the couple chose to use these to hold their centerpieces.
Luda and Jon celebrated Luda’s Russian heritage by including a giant fur hat for Jon and a fur coat for Luda.
Home Made. These items are so much fun to photograph because they are completely unique to the couple.
Sam and Josiah’s weding was held in a small town in southern Minnesota. On the farm roads, they used this sign to direct guests on where to go.
Dan and Mary wanted to use a photo to thank guests for coming to their wedding. A hand painted sign was used for photos.
Mary and Dan also decided they wanted to incorporate their guests by having them bring home made desserts to the reception. Each family member brought a sweet treat to share and Mary labeled each with what it was and who brought it.
Historic. To incorporate family history or just plain history into your wedding is another way to make your day memorable.
Sarah and Chris decided to have a small intimate wedding for immediate family only. The chose to rent out the William Statury Mansion in Stillwater. Sarah used her grandmother’s beautiful coat to cover up from the January cold.
Anna loved the handkerchief that her grandmother had given to her, and used it as her something old.
Amanda chose to use her grandmother’s broach to decide on the color scheme of the day. She used the broach on her flowers!
It fits the environment. There are so many seasons in Minnesota, and what can be used in spring, can’t necessarily be used in winter. These details can help fashion the feel of a wedding day.
Jody and Cory were married in California. We used a starfish to show off their wedding rings.
Karna and Joe were married in March. Because Karna didn’t want her shoes to get muddy from the spring melting, she chose to wear Coach boots to do her outdoor photos.
Dan and Mary were married in a small quaint church. Mary chose to use Kerr jars to hold the candles for the ceremony and dried hydrangea’s to line the pews of the old fashioned church.
Josiah and Samantha chose to make it simple and left punch and a bowl for beer tops out at their summer wedding.
Unique. Not everyone would be up for doing the same thing, this using these details make it completely yours.
Keith and Candace decided they wanted guests to mingle while choosing their favors. They chose to set up a candy bar with their wedding day colors to have guests bring home sweets.
Jody chose a necklace to brighten the look of her dress making it one of the coolest I have ever seen!
Those are just some of the ideas that came to my mind! Happy Tuesday!
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!!)
No one said you had to do newborn photos inside! Taking lifestyle newborn photos outside and making them true to your style makes them even more meaningful and significant!!
Based in the Twin Cities area and available for travel worldwide.
well thank you very much for making my day happy!!!