The St. Croix River in Stillwater was higher than ever and their wedding, originally planned to be in the pavilion had to be relocated to the patio off the side of The Water Street Inn. The bagpipers started the ceremony as K’s son walked her down the aisle. At the end of the ceremony, after the high five’s and the hugs I reminded K what she said; “come hell or high water we WILL get out on that pavilion and that is exactly what the did. Shoes came off, pants rolled up and K had help keeping her dress out of the water and out they went, knee deep in water to the pavilion. The night ended with them surrounded with the people that love them-just the way it is supposed to be.

For those of you that don’t know me and how much I love dogs, I am involved in one of the very best organizations ever; Pet Haven of MN. I found out about Pet Haven of MN about 4 years ago and have been a volunteer with them since. After sitting down with the then president and learning more about the organization, I knew I had to volunteer. Pet Haven in an all volunteer run, cat and dog rescue that does so much more! Re-homing dogs and cats is not their only priority; education and reducing overpopulation are two of their other concentrations. You can find out more info here: www.pethavenmn.org

Non-profits all around are feeling the pinch of the economy right now, donations are down. In the past, Pet Haven has been part of a great fundraiser called Twice the Gift; we have brought in over $3000 each year through this fundraiser. This year, Twice the Gift did not receive the funding to open their doors; this means Pet Haven along with other non-profits are going to miss out on significant funds that allow our causes to operate. We decided to be creative this year…Pet Haven of MN will be participating in the St. Paul Art Crawl the weekend of October 8th-10th.Not only is this a great organization to support but we have some ROCKIN’ items for sale! For the hounds: Dip, Sprinkle, Dry dog biscuits. For the cats: Catnip Strawberries. For both; hand tied blankets for warmth and cuddliness.

Our goal is to sell out of all of our products! If you have dogs or cats yourself or your friends do, this is a great place to get a few early holiday gifts  and cross them off your list. Please pass this information along and allow us, Pet Haven of MN, to continue to re-home dogs, cats and the rest of the great work we do!

Where:

• lmj {originals} photography studio
• 275 E. 4th Street, Suite 110
• St. Paul, MN 55101

When:

• Friday, October 8th, 6pm-10pm
• Saturday October 9th, Noon-8pm
• Sunday October 10th, Noon-5pm

Thanks so much for your support!

Lindsey and Andy decided to get married at Noerenberg Gardens in Wayzata; can I just say “Wow, what a place!” Noerenberg Gardens in Wayzata is a great place to visit but an amazing backdrop to a June wedding in Minnesota. There are a few places in the gardens that I particularly loved. The first is the landscaped entrance, Lindsey was able to have a first meeting with her fiance without people all around; a private moment for the two of them.

After a great wedding at a fantastic location, Lindsey and Andy had a very intimate reception at their parents house; cupcakes, a DJ and a swing set kept them busy for the rest of the evening.Weddings are supposed to be all about the bride and groom and Lindsey and Andy certainly made their day really “theirs”. They did things their way and at the end of the day, glad they did. I was so lucky to be part of such an amazing couples’ day.

It's all in the details

Bride and Groom see each other for the first time

Great Wedding Photography at Noerenberg Gardens in Wayzata

Fun wedding photos

One of the things that I like most about photographing destination weddings is the ever changing location. For me, a new location is like exploring a new cave,  there are so many possibilities…. The first thing I do is spend some time exploring the area; if there is a downtown area I go check it out, I always find an alley or building to photograph against to add that city look. Escanaba Michigan is a very small town in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan; this does not stop it from having a plethora of areas to explore and photograph in.

The fact that this city is on the water is just one more amazing thing about it! After the wedding ceremony we were able to go over to the beach and have some fun. I find that the best smiles are once the ceremony is done, the jitters are gone and the bride, groom and the bridal party knows that from now on, the get to relax.

Sarah and Rich’s wedding in Escanaba Michigan was great! The weather was perfect, the bride and groom glowed and this St. Paul photographer loves destination weddings.

Escanaba Michigan, Destination WeddingsParts and Pieces on a Wedding Day

Parts and Pieces of a Wedding Day

Capturing Those Candid Moments

The Bridal Party Expressing Their Joy After The Wedding

Wedding day styles are changing; no more does it have to be matchy-match and colored rhinestones. You can be super creative with your bridesmaids’ jewelry and they will thank you for it for years to come.

I met an amazing artist when I was in South Dakota last year and fell in love with her store, her style and her product. This is the perfect place to look for that unique touch you want, the wearability your ladies want and a way to get one more “WOW” on you wedding day. Shawn and Shaviq is an amazing artist and a great person as well. She has a whole store of one of a kind pieces (I think they are all pieces of art) and will work with you on what you would like to see incorporated into your custom pieces. I had to buy a waterfall necklace while I was there; I get compliments on it every time I wear it. In fact, I have started buying more tops just so I have more things to wear it with.

Look at Shaviq’s site or “like” them on Facebook and stay in touch with her. That way you will get constant updates about her newest pieces and remember, you bridesmaids are your friends, give them a gift they really will wear again!

Unique Wedding Jewelry | Shaviq Designs

5. Make sure you are asking questions and getting answers. Because every wedding photographer does things very differently, this is really important. This does not mean that you have to love every answer or that every photographer is meant for you, but ask the questions and expect answers.

4. I may not be like by many of my colleagues for saying this, but I am going to anyway….don’t break the bank, find a photographer that is in your price range. That being said, your wedding photography is going to be the only thing you have left over after your day is done so don’t skimp on it but be reasonable as well. If your budget says $1500, don’t spend $5000. Being married is hard enough (trust me on this one, I have a great marriage but it is work) without starting out massively in debt. Keep looking, you will find a photographer that you love within your budget.

3. Like what you see; what you see is what you will get. As wedding photographers we love what we do and we all have our own style and do things our own way, so make sure you like what you are seeing in our work. If you don’t like it, and trust me you will know if you don’t, then keep looking. Photographers are always (or should be) open to suggestions, but you can’t expect them to photograph a wedding like “that guy” or completely change their style.

2. Follow your gut. I believe in “womens intuition” (sorry guys, I am sure you have it too but I am not a guy) so follow your gut. I think this applies to all aspects of your wedding; when you find your dress you WILL know; it will just feel right. When you find your shoes, jewelry, flowers etc., you will just know. Most importantly, when you found your fiance  you knew right? At some point, you decided “yep, this one’s it”-follow that same feeling with your wedding photographer. If it feels right, it usually is.

And the MOST important tip……here it is…..

1. Make sure you like them. I know, seems simple right? It really is as simple as that, you want to like the photographer that will be with you for many, many hours on such a special day. They are going to be interacting with you, your friends and your family members so make sure you like them. Do you want to spend your wedding day with someone you don’t like? No way!! You want to have fun and enjoy yourself so make sure you do  and select a wedding photographer that you really enjoy talking to and feel comfortable with.

The wedding expo gives each vendor the opportunity to be part of the “Grand Prize” drawing at the end and I will be donating a gift certificate for an engagement session and a 3×3 mini book. The mini books are a great size to carry in your purse or give as gifts. They are also magnetic so you can stick them almost anywhere.

In addition to being part of the Grand Prize giveaway, I will also having drawings for other free stuff, who doesn’t love free stuff right? I will be giving away a variety of different things to  qualifying brides; parent albums, signature guest books and few 30 minute massages at My Inspiration Salon and Spa.

If you happen to be in the neighborhood and want to stop by to see my booth, inquire about my services or heck, just say ‘hi’, feel free. The expo runs from 12:00-4:00 on Sunday, January 30th at the Event Center in Hutchinson.

The new site is comprised of portraits that for the most part, have been created over the course of the past year. As I was selecting images for the site, which is harder than it sounds, it was like a year book of 2010. I looked at all the families I photographed, the high school seniors that I worked with and the weddings I photographed. It helped me see where I have come in a few short months. In January 2010 I did not have as much as a thought of a studio and at the end of the year, I have a great studio, awesome clients and excitement about the upcoming year.

I want to thank all of my clients for a great year, my friends for their ears to chew when I had an idea (good or bad)  and most of all my husband. Without Chris, none of this would be possible. He was the one that told me “don’t worry about working or doing anything until NOT doing something hurts you every day; that is how you know what you should be doing”. I still remember the day in the car when I told him I wanted to open my own photography studio. He was quiet for a minute, looked at me and said “OK, go for it. If that is what you want to do, then do it. You will be great!”.

Keep an eye on the new site for new specials this year and more updates as the weeks come. This ‘blogging’ thing may be difficult to keep up on and to punctuate correctly (I use too many commas and exclamation points!!) but I am going to keep at it! (see, they start already!)