Saturday, August 23, 2014

Rachel & Shane Get Married!

They did it! Shane and Rachel are married, and it went perfectly. Rachel and Shane are such a sweet couple and I'm pretty sure Rachel has the best "laugh face" ever. So much energy and so genuine. And luckily, Shane makes her laugh, a lot! :) We started the day getting our bride and maids ready to go at the Hyatt Place. Rachel looked divine in her Watters gown from the Wedding Shoppe. I will mention that Rachel's mother is probably the nicest lady you could come across and this was quite possibly one of the sweetest mother-daughter moments I have seen! What a sweet relationship. 

For Rachel's "somethings" for her wedding day she had the new, borrowed and old and the cutest "something blue" I have ever seen! A tiny blue heart on each of her ring finger fingernail! Such a darling accent! We met her groom dressed sharply in a gray suit from Savvi Formalwear on the "little bridge" near St. Anthony Main; a great structure without the heavy foot traffic the other bridges can have.

As always in Minnesota it can be a risky little game to plan an outdoor wedding and while the clouds hung around all day, it didn't ruin a thing! And the city backdrop was perfect during the ceremony at Water Power Park.  The bride's uncle performed the ceremony giving it an extra boost of personal touch and love. Rachel was escorted by her mother as her father has passed but both Rachel and her mother wore hair pieces handmade out of pieces of his clothing. What a sweet momento! After they were officially hitched the bride and groom hopped in a pedicab and were whisked away across the street to Vic's for their reception. Guests were greeted with the view of an amazing dessert bar from Angel Food Bakery and Coffee Bar. Such a darling display. 

The couple's guest book was a beautiful handmade book from a friend in Europe, SO unique! Passed hors d'oeuvres and food stations were set for the guests to fill up on provided by Vic's. A travel photobooth was available by Complete and it was a hit! And nothing can complete a wedding more than a wedding crasher; gracefully taken care of by Vic's employees... :) Friends of the bride and groom kept the day music-filled as their DJ, taking lots of requests and keeping energy flowing. 

Such a loving and sweet day for this loving and sweet couple! Enjoy your sneak peek you two! It was a joy working with you both.  

















The veil wrapped around both women made me tear up...I think Rachel's dad was definitely there today in spirit.

















Saturday, August 9, 2014

Emily & Kevin Get Married!

Emily and Kevin tied the knot today! The whole day was full of surprises (literally) and such considerate and personal details. First, we started our day at the Hilton (on American Boulevard West... not east ;)) where the bride and all of the ladies were getting ready. Such a relaxed and loving group of maids. Lots of ooh's and aah's as Emily put on her champagne Allure gown from Mestads. So stunning! The maids looked lovely in their blue Bill Levkoff dresses and string of pearls as well. 

We headed to Richardson Nature Center to meet the groom for their first sight. Kevin was dashing in his classic tux and bow tie from Savvi Formal Wear and smitten with his bride-to-be. Friends and family started to fill the amphitheater  as the afternoon rain started to sprinkle. But Emily and Kevin's guests were prepared with umbrellas, and good spirits. Luckily enough though the rain stopped just as the ceremony was about to begin. Such a fun ceremony! Emily and Kevin met in a chemistry class in college so, instead of a unity candle or even sand, they had a unity chemistry experiment. Three vases, all appear to be filled with clear liquid but when poured together it created a beautiful color blue. How clever! 

Following the unity experiment the happy couple and guests were serenaded by Emily's parents who just happen to be musicians. Emily's mom on vocals singing Jack Johnson's Better Together and dad on piano wowed the crowd. Lovely right? Well, to make it even more amazing Emily's dad had the idea to have a surprise accompaniment mid-song with a tuba and a ukulele!! It was incredible! Without missing a beat, the musicians slowly walked up the center and outside aisle and Emily's parents kept on doing their thing. Such an amazing moment! 

Emily and Kevin were surrounded by guests with a bubbled filled exit, and hopped into their (borrowed) Bentley! Another thoughtful surprise from Emily's dad. The couple and guests headed over to Pinstripes to get the party started! Such a fun and unique location! Everything you can think of is available. Bocce ball, bowling, fantastic patio area with a great view, fire pit... guests were fully entertained! Family-style dinner was served (yum!) and a beautiful arrangement of cupcakes from Cupcake. And a gelato bar... we can't forget about the gelato bar! ;) 

Surprise number three of the night: a second wedding dress! Emily and Kevin popped out on the dance floor for the first dance and Emily had spiced up her attire with an adorable white pencil dress with a tulle overlay. Pretty sure one guest said she looked smokin'! ;) Emily and Kevin truly blew their guests away, and us, with their first dance! They had taken lessons and did an amazing foxtrot (fairly certain that is what it was). Guests were awed! So, so fun. 

Needless to say, Emily and Kevin had a day to remember! Thank you so much for having us there to capture all of these amazing moments! Enjoy the sneak peek!