As part of the fabulous Independent Wedding Association, I was involved in two styled shoots over the summer that are featured in the new quarterly magazine Hearten (together with photographer Becca Dilley).  The first feature shows how stylish a church basement wedding can be and showcases the amazing food of the Chowgirls (including their modern take on jello molds and mini tater-tot hotdish!), Minnesota-shaped pies on a stick by Cocoa & Fig, Norwegian-inspired florals by Ashley Fox, and lovely paper — including a recipe-card guest book — by Armato Designs. For the second shoot, we did a modern take on Paul Bunyan and his Babe in the deep woods of a Minnesota State Park.  You must check out the tackle-box and fishing-inspired florals by Sassafras Gardens, the locally-made jewelry by JWP Jewelry, and another amazing invitation suite by Amy Armato.

The issue also features a flow chart for planning the timing of your wedding day photographs, a glossary of floral terms, and other real Minnesota weddings.  So go check it out!  Hearten Magazine.

And as this was yet another wedding where I was on crutches, it was co-shot by the very talented Minneapolis wedding photographer Becca Dilley.   I can’t thank her enough for her help.

And this summer, the worst came true:  I broke my leg and had to find someone to take the lead at Brian & Kathleen’s wedding.  The hero of this day:  Jeannette of Wild Curl Photography.  Jeannette stepped up and joined the bride, groom, and wedding party on a trolley through the Twin Cities for some pre-wedding portraits, including these at the Twins’ new home, Target field.  

I waited back at the Crowne Plaza Northstar hotel in Minneapolis, and was able to second shoot the ceremony and reception with Jeannette.  And what a lovely rooftop the hotel has for an outdoor wedding ceremony!  The sun was just setting and it was a beautiful evening.

Venue – Crowne Plaza Northstar Minneapolis
Flowers – A Precious Petals Florist
Cake – Queen of Cakes

I’d like to give a shout-out to all the other vendors who participated this weekend.  First, to the fabulous Becca Dilley who was the brains and inspiration behind the fair.  Festivities Event Services decked out the Five Event Center with beautiful tableclothes, flowers, and candlelights.  They really helped create a beautiful, luxurious atmosphere!  Hailley from LeEvent Designs, a wedding planning service specializing in day-of coordination, was on hand to give planning advice.

In between the informative panels, the Urthema Quartet string musicians played beautiful music. They would be a wonderful addition to your ceremony or cocktail hour.  Downstairs, Radio K had a booth at the fair and would be a modern, fun alternative to the traditional DJ.

Jessica’s Cakes brought some beautiful cakes for display and lots of yummy samples for tasting.   The lovely ladies from Sweets Bakeshop brought their delicious corn cupcakes, orange cupcakes, brownies, and vanilla macaroons for tasting.  They also had the most elegant cupcake display I’ve ever seen ~ and of course, I didn’t bring my camera!  Finally, the Chowgirls Killer Catering had a beautiful spread of antipasta, cheeses, and a wonderful pea pesto pasta.  I kept stopping by when I thought they weren’t looking.

Three florists brought a burst of spring with them.  Just Bloomed, Distinctly Debbie, and Diana’s Floral Affairs showed what a range of options are available for weddings from traditional to ultra modern and chic.

Several other photographers participated as well! It was great to finally meet folks I know only online, including Katrina of Studio Laguna and Krista of Never Miss a Moment. Maribeth of Red Ribbon Studio, and brand new mom Jennie of Sewell Photography were there with some inspirational displays! I love talking shop with other photographers. The guys from The Traveling Photobooth also had their booth up and running.  What a fun addition to any reception!

Two lovely invitation designers had their creations on hand – Paperista and Armato Design.  I know when I redesign my branding I need to incorporate some letter press elements.  I just adore the way it looks and feels.

JWP Jewelry Design showed off her beautiful and classic jewelry, perfect for a bride or as a gift for your girls (or mom!).  I was seated next to the lovely Knit N Jules and folks couldn’t stop touching her soft and gorgeous wraps.  She has some great dress options for flowergirls, too.  The flower and bead necklaces by Jessica of  Liebling Designs are beautiful and for sale on her Etsy site!

I am just kicking myself for not bringing my camera ~ I had so much to carry with my sample albums and large canvases that I left it at home.  But there will be some photos on the Independent Wedding Fair site, so you’ll have to check those out.

As part of the fair, I offered a free engagement or “day-after” engagement session to all packages booked between now and March 1st.  I’d like to extend that offer to all of my blog-readers, so just mention it when you set up your consultation!

During the workshop, we had the opportunity to photograph some Atlanta-area musicians.  Here are a few photos of Ryan Horne ~ his new album just came out this week {iTunes link}.  Good stuff!

The reception was held at Gibbs Farm in St. Paul.   Because it was the 4th of July, there were many patriotic touches to the decorations.

Lettuce Cater provided a beautiful buffet and selection of grilled meats.

One of my favorite parts ~ Cindi and David cut the cake with his sabre!

In lieu of a first dance, the entire wedding party performed the Virginia Reel.

And the couple exited the wedding to sparklers on what turned out to be a gorgeous night!

Congratulations again, David & Cindi!  And a big thanks to Nancy Van Thorre for second shooting with me.

The first was on Friday, July 3rd, at the Minnesota History Center.  We started at the lovely Estetica Salon, in Cathedral Hill, where the bride, bridesmaids, and grooms women had their hair and make-up done.  I have to give a huge thank you to the always-awesome Becca Dilley for shooting this wedding with me.

We then moved down the hill to the classic St. Paul Hotel for the ladies to get dressed.

A few of the many details, below.  And a tip for brides:  send your photographer an invitation, so we can be sure you have a picture of it!

We then headed out to Rice Park, downtown St. Paul, for the couple’s first look, on this unseasonably cool July day.

Finally, we arrived at the ceremony site, and took advantage of  Minnesota History Center’s terrace for some more picture-taking.

Judge Thor Anderson provided over the ceremony, that over looked the State Capitol.  Judge Anderson also wrote one of the more entertaining legal opinions of  2009.  (PDF).

The tables were decorated in shades of pink and green, with a subtle scrabble theme.

The Woullett cupcakes for dessert were delicious.

The live band, Orange Whip, kept the dance floor packed until midnight.

And did I mention fireworks?  The Taste of Minnesota Fireworks were viewable from the History Center’s terrace.  Such a great end to the evening!

Katie & Jon were featured the next day in the New York Times‘ style section.  Best wishes for a long and happy marriage!

See the 7 minute slideshow on 1 Fine Day’s Facebook page!

The Gale Mansion has beautiful, spacious rooms for getting ready upstairs.   Much more light and color than the typical church basement!

The bride and groom were willing to see each other before the ceremony, so I set up a “first look” to capture their reaction.

The ceremony was held indoors as the sun peeked through the mansion windows:

Here’s a better look at the full bridal party, taken in one of the mansion’s beautiful parlors.

Tiffany’s friend Liz (who was married in September) designed beautiful printed materials for the evening, including the programs, seating cards, centerpieces with meaningful song lyrics, menu cards, and many other special details.  Tiffany also made her own custom guest book using their engagement session photos.

The reception was a lovely sit-down dinner, starting off with short, sweet and funny toasts.

And a few photos from the first dance. 

Please visit my Facebook page (and become a fan!) to see a few more sneak peak photos.   Congratulations again and have a great time in Hawaii!