Twin Cities Photography | Sarah McGee Photography

Twin Cities Wedding & Family Photographer ~ Sarah McGee

Welcome

Welcome to my blog! I'm Sarah McGee, of Sarah McGee Photography. I'm a photographer based in the Minneapolis and St. Paul metro area. I've been photographing weddings, bar mitzvahs, and other events since 2007. I also create children and family portraits on location. I love capturing genuine, unposed emotions and preserving special moments for years to come. My style is modern, colorful, and fun. On this blog, you'll see sneak peaks of some of my client work, photos of my travels, of my life in the Twin Cites, and other things I find interesting.

If you're looking for more information about wedding photography, please see my Frequently Asked Questions section.

If you're looking for your session's gallery, you can purchase prints here. If you would like more information, or just want to say hi, please send an email to info@sarahmcgeephotography.com. I also love comments on my blog, so please let me know if you were here! Thank you for visiting my site.

~Sarah

Category Archives: Iowa Wedding Photography

Vanessa + Jeff: Last Night at the Abbey!

Vanessa and Jeff were married this past Saturday, at the Abbey Hotel in Bettendorf, Iowa. Isn’t this a stunning building?

The Abbey was home to Carmelite Nuns from the turn of the century to 1975. Sometime in the early 1990s it was converted to a hotel and banquet facility. The beautiful chapel was the site for many weddings. Vanessa and Jeff’s wedding will be the last at the Abbey for a while, as the hotel closed its doors the night after their wedding! Vanessa and Jeff certainly had a memorable celebration for the hotel’s last night.

Vanessa had a custom-made wedding gown that was simple and gorgeous. Here the family friend who made the dress is sewing her in for a perfect fit.

Vanessa was clearly excited.

We went out onto the lovely hotel grounds for some individual, couple and group portraits. It was another sunny, gorgeous September day — even warmer than most days in August.

The whole wedding party traipsed around the front of the building for a few group photos.

A wide shot of the ceremony and the beautiful chapel.

A big thank you to Quad-Cities photographer Tiffanie Weaver who was up in the balcony second-shooting for me, and generally helping me stay on track all day long.

Just married! Everyone walked outside from the Chapel and back into the Grand Ballroom for the reception. We took a quick minute to make sure Vanessa and Jeff had a moment to catch their breaths (and for a couple great photos of the two of them alone).

Following cocktail hour and a three-course dinner, the entire bridal party gave short and moving toasts.

The cake was cut, dessert was served, and the dances were quick to begin.

Congratulations, again, Jeff and Vanessa! It was wonderful to finally meet you and be part of your celebration.

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Ellie & Brandon Tie the Knot

Posted in Iowa Wedding Photography

Usually, I post a sneak peak of wedding photos on this blog within a week of the wedding. The sneak peak is usually a handful of fun shots that catch my eye as I’m transferring the cards to my hard drives and give a brief story of the day. This time, because the bride was my friend on Facebook, I posted the images to the Sarah McGee Photography Page (I can’t get the link to work!) and was able to tag her and some of the wedding party in the images. That way, all of their friends were notified of the photos at once, and the guests can all tag each other.

This wedding was held in Davenport, Iowa (one of the Quad Cities) at the beautiful Outing Club. This venue is special to me, because it is where my parents and sister were both married. I’m excited that I’ve already booked 2009 reception there, too! I know Ellie worried about the weather for her August wedding all spring, concerned it would be typically humid. But, the day was absolutely gorgeous and unseasonably cool. Here are a few extra “sneak peak” images!

I love when I get a copy of the invitation from the couple, so I can take pictures of it too!

The bride’s wedding band is a combination of diamonds (her birth stone) and peridot (his birth stone).

Ellie, waiting for Brandon to arrive to start taking photos.

A stunning (and huge!) cake, decorated with hydrangeas.

A candid moment of the bride while we were taking couple portraits. The wind was blowing her veil all around.

The groom and his groomsmen, waiting while I photographed the ladies.

Flowergirl, bridesmaids, and the bride. I loved how summery their hydrangea bouquets were.

Ellie & Brandon had several different favors — personalized matches for the cigar bar, and drink koozies that were put to use even before the ceremony.

I know I’ve said this before, but I adore outdoor ceremonies, because I can usually move all around and catch unusual angles. I got this shot from the balcony on the opposite side of the guests. I love the look that the bride has in this one.

Look at that grin as they exchange their rings. If any photographers are out there, I have to put in a huge plug for Lightroom 2.0 here. The bride in white was standing in the sun, the groom in black was standing in the shade, and try as I might, I couldn’t expose for both at once. But the new gradient filters in Lightroom really worked to save these images.

And it’s over — time to party!

Here are Ellie’s “unofficial” bridesmaids, on the lawn during the cocktail hour.

And jumping way ahead, because this has gone on too long already, a quick snap from Brandon & Ellie’s first dance. Mazel tov!

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First Wedding of the Season!

Posted in Iowa Wedding Photography

Ann & Kanishka were married Memorial Day weekend in her parents’ backyard. The garden was in full bloom, and the weather was amazingly cooperative! Here are some of my favorites from the day.

Ann’s dress:

A couple of the bouquets: