The fall color was in full effect during our portrait shoot last month.

The tree behind them in this photo is always a fiery orange each fall, all the way until it drops its leaves. I love that tree…and the photo, I like it as well!

Scott loosing it, great moment.

Thanks, Alix and Scott, for a great shoot. I enjoyed our time together and am looking forward to next June and your wedding day!

I had the chance to hang out with Chelsey and Tyler on warm and sunny evening back in October. The fall colors were starting to pop and the sunshine was golden and toasty. We had a great time shooting and drove around to a few different locales around Minneapolis before the night was through.

One of my favorite photos from the day.

It was good getting to know you two a little better, Chelsey and Tyler. I look forward to the big day next June!

I met up with Angie and Kerry on a cool evening in early October. Out of necessity, this session was a snuggling, close quarters shoot.

Relaxed and natural portraits.

Great moment here.

A casual candid, and wonderful look between these two.

Staying warm and close on a cold and windy rooftop.

Thanks so much for a fun and relaxed engagement session, Angie and Kerry. I hope you enjoy your portraits as much as I did taking them! See you two again next summer!

What a great way to end the 2008 wedding season!

Amy and Andy, one of the most laid back couples I’ve photographed.

Their day started at the Northland Inn with getting ready preparations including fresh mimosas and circut-breaking father-of-the-bride Egg McMuffins®.

The awesome Lacey Mae O’Sullivan doing her thing…

A very symmetrical sanctuary at the King of Grace.

Bustlin’ time!

The grand march, set to the Monday Night Football Theme by the great guys at Instant Request who kept the dance floor moving the whole night!

This kid was holding down the dance floor like he owned the place, just great.

You’ve lost that loving feeling, a la Top Gun (Hall & Oates), what an awesome moment!

Such an awesome night and I think this smile sums it all up.

Thanks so much, Amy and Andy, for having me along to document your wedding day. It was such a great celebration and an honor to be a part of it!

Sarah and Jeremy are engaged to be married May 16th, 2009.

Recently I had the chance to meet up with Sarah and Jeremy for their engagement session in Minneapolis.

The fall colors were just starting to turn, so we had to hunt out certain types of trees to find color.

It was a darker day with a heavy overcast, so we worked the lighting.

Too much seriousness leads to this:

Really liked this shot.

It was a lot of fun, Sarah and Jeremy. See you two again in May!

What an awesome wedding day to be part of. It was the culmination of family and friends from across the globe and the mixing of cultures in a expression of love understood in any language.

I had such a great time celebrating and documenting the coming together of Sarah and Matt, I even got the [German] bride to work in a couple American smiles…

I was taking this picture when I tried explaining to Sarah and Matt an anecdote from my childhood… when I was in grade school, during recess it was NOT cool to be in sync with someone while swinging, you were considered “married”. They had never heard of such a thing, did anyone else grow up fearing to be swinging in sync with cootie ridden girls/guys?

Love this moment at the altar…

The bridesmaids get a little bouquet tossing in before the bride, Matt was unharmed in the making of this photograph.

Matt mentioned being more nervous for his first dance, a waltz. They nailed it.

And the party begins! The energy on the dance floor was so much fun!

Thanks so much for having me there to document your day, Sarah and Matt. I wish you two all the best!

To those with dial-up or a slow broadband connection to the internet, I apologize. I suggest you get up, go to your kitchen and prepare a meal, catch a T.V. show and return in a while once these images load. To the rest of my readers with a fast internet connection, continue on!

I ended up taking so many fun images on Corinne and Jared’s wedding day that I had a real tough time narrowing down a reasonable blog post, so here’s a bunch of keepers I thought I’d share.

The first look…

A new shot to add to my wedding day/flagpole repertoire: The Iwo Jima

The toasts were amazing, full of the Holy Spirit and so Christ-centered, a wonderful reflection of the relationship between you two.

The first dance…

Let the party begin!

Best Man + Necktie + Dancing =

The very last image I took: A friend helps out with retrieving the necktie using the Tiki torch technique..

Corinne and Jared:
Thank you so much for having me as your wedding photographer. It was such a memorable day and one of the most fun bridal parties I’ve had the pleasure of working with. Enjoy your honeymoon and we’ll talk again shortly!

What a gorgeous day for a wedding, clear skies and high temps in the upper 70’s. It was an intimate sunset wedding with about 30 close family and friends in attendance.

The day began at Jaide Salon + Boutique…

Followed by makeup and getting dressed at the Elmwood House Bed & Breakfast where Rolaine’s family, from out east, was staying.

I love this picture! Rolaine’s little sister watches while the final touches are being made, dreaming for her turn some day.

The emotional vows brought tears to most everyone in attendance.

A friend provided music and sang “All I Want Is You” by Barry Louis Polisar, pretty dang well I might add!

This moment was absolutely priceless. While taking some portraits on the bluffs overlooking the river, a giant yacht cruised by and when people on board noticed the bride and groom, the entire ship began applauding and hollering. Then, right before this picture, the captain sounded a super loud horn which echoed through the valley. Truly the best moment of the day.

Dinner at the fabulous Heartland Restaurant in St. Paul.

If the previous four courses weren’t enough this dessert certainly topped it off. Description from the menu:
Chocolate-hazelnut-raspberry sablé torte with a Moscato-poached apricot, a hazelnut-chestnut blossom honey tuile, thyme-scented raspberry coulis and chocolate sauce.

Thank you so much for having be a part of your wedding, Rolaine and Leo. What a joy working with you two on your big day.

Last week I had the pleasure of hanging out for an evening with Sarah and Matt and was blessed with some great weather and fantastic light. This couple is in love, and the images don’t lie.

The golden hour…

This photo is genuine happiness. You can’t fake this, folks.

Sarah and Matt, you two were phenomenal and such a joy to work with. Here’s to another photo session like this on your wedding day!

I read about a “trash the dress” style photo shoot on a photography forum, which was scheduled to happen on the day we were leaving for our trip. Having never been in St. Louis longer than a quick detour, we decided to make it our first stop and participate in the trashing*.

The event planner, and awesome photographer Michelle Ross, slated three locations for the evening. There was quite a nice turnout with about a dozen photographers (mostly local) that met at the St. Louis Art Museum to begin the evening. After some getting warmed up on the grounds of the museum, we headed over to a unique location, an old monastery/convent with lots of gorgeous courtyards and Gothic arches. We finished up the night “in” the fountain at Maryland Plaza.

*from the website trashthedress.com, “it’s about creation, not destruction”

Katie and Nick met while attending Shattuck-St. Mary’s and it was a fitting venue to host the beginning of their new life together.

The Chapel of the Good Shepherd, built in 1872, is an impressive structure having an all-stone spire and monastic pew arrangement (all pews facing the center aisle) . This chapel was truly a joy to see and photograph.

I love this relaxed portrait.

Katie’s eyes were definitely welling up with tears while Nick recited his vows.

Katie and Nick had their reception at the beautiful Vintage Ballroom & Suites in downtown Faribault. Here the stone is shown off to guests during the cocktail hour.

There wasn’t a formal dance held during their reception, but that didn’t stop Katie and Nick from dancing a tango to “Por una Cabeza” and receiving a standing ovation from their guests. Bravo, you two, bravo.

Ahh, instant gratification. RIP Polaroid, I will miss you.

Katie and Nick:
You two had a beautiful wedding and are an amazing couple. I thoroughly enjoyed documenting your day and cannot wait to show you the rest of your images. Enjoy your honeymoon and we’ll talk again soon.

It was an honor to be a part of your day, Danielle and Marc. I hope the images I captured will be cherished by you two for many years to come. Your wedding was beautiful and it was a joy to be there with the many wonderful friends and family you have, it truly made my job simple and enjoyable.

Venue: Semple Mansion
Catering: Kraemers
Dress: Demetrios
Flowers: The Flower Guys
Music: Midwest Sound and Light

Last week I met up with friends Lydia and Jarrod for a engagement session in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I was in town for a couple days and I must admit, Tulsa started to grow on me. The population is just about the same as Minneapolis but it’s spread out a bit more. Tulsa has a laid back feel with a downtown similar to many major cities throughout the US.

Lydia and Jarrod met while attending ORU and decided to stay in Tulsa to work after college.

We started at the rose garden in Woodward Park where Jarrod proposed.

After the park we headed over to some alleys downtown, no signs of rogue pigeons.

We ended the evening on what I can only assume is Tulsa’s “make-out point”, a hill next to the highway overlooking downtown.

Mary had some pretty nice words to say, check out the review: blogs of photogs

You’re awesome Mary, thanks so much for the positive remarks!

Last week I spent a perfect summer evening with Corinne and Jared in and around downtown Saint Paul, Minnesota. They were by far the best dressed engagement couple so far!

We began our evening in Rice Park and the surrounding area:

F. Scott himself looking on…

After Rice Park we made our way to an alley on downtown St. Paul’s east side where I had Jared stand against this wall. A few shots into the pose a flying rat (aka pigeon) felt nature’s call and made Jared the target. “I think I just got pooped on…”

By the end of the night after multiple apologies it was decided, “pigeon poop happens”. Sorry ’bout that, Jared.

Some dusk photos from the evening that I absolutely love:

Thanks so much, Corinne and Jared. I enjoyed our time out on the town and know that I’ll have about 10x as much fun covering your upcoming wedding. Can’t wait!

-Daniel Snow

Thanks so much you two for a fun shoot.  You guys were awesome in front of the camera, super relaxed and totally willing to sit in a wildflower patch with who knows what crawling around in it! I had a great time exploring the chain of lakes and discovering new places. Can’t wait to capture your wedding day, I’m looking forward to it.

Lake Harriet, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Lake Calhoun, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Take care you two, see you guys in August!
-Daniel Snow

The Cathedral of Saint Paul is an absolutely magnificent venue for a wedding. The grandeur of its location perched atop the hills overlooking the city suits the structure very well. On the weekends the Cathedral is a wedding machine pumping out an average of three each day.

We started out working with the bride and her bridesmaids.

Followed by Joel and his groomsmen.

A quick prayer before the ceremony.

All that petal throwing takes a lot out of a girl…

We stole Holly and Joel before they were announced at the reception and found some great places with beautiful light. You’d never guess we were next to the parking lot of a hotel in the suburbs.

I had a great time working with you Christina, thanks so much for having me along. Congratulations Holly and Joel, your wedding was beautiful and a lot of fun to be a part of.

-Daniel Snow

First we got together with Jasmine a senior at Northfield High. (BTW, if you or a senior you know wants rockin’ senior portraits make sure to get a hold of Ali)

Man, I wish I had senior photos like that.

A couple days later we met up with Alyssa and wandered around in some of downtown St. Paul’s dark alleyways followed by a sunset shoot at Dayton’s Bluff.

Play slideshow

If you or someone you know have photographs of Julie and would like to share them with her family, please contact me and I will provide the means to get those images in the right hands.

My thoughts and prayers go out to her family, and the family of Andrea Evans during this tough time.

They’ll be tying the knot on July 18th, 2008 at Gale Woods Farm which will surely make for a beautiful outdoor ceremony.

You guys were so easy to work with and are such great couple. Congrats on the upcoming nuptials, Lacey and Ben!

-Daniel Snow

Amy and Dylan have both worked at the camp and it’s where Dylan popped the big question, so returning to the camp for the wedding seemed only natural. It’s a gorgeous retreat with a newly built lodge and chapel. In fact, Amy and Dylan got to break the chapel in with its first wedding.

Despite tornadoes and severe weather elsewhere in the state we had sunny skies and great weather for the entire day along the shores of Big Sandy Lake.

Moments before the emotional first look. Amy was working hard to hold back tears. Dylan proposed to Amy on this swing which made for a very fitting place to stage the first look.

The giving of the bride.

Once again, thanks for having me along Johnny and a heartfelt congratulations Amy & Dylan!

Amy & Dylan will be getting married May 31st, 2008 and I will be second shooting the wedding for John.  These guys were troopers and didn’t let the cold rain stop them from getting out and having fun, they were all smiles and loving life.

Thanks for having me tag along, John, and congrats Amy & Dylan!

-Daniel Snow

After lunch we went out for a shoot and took turns photographing each other at the nearby Shoppes at Arbor Lakes.

Good times guys, let’s get together again soon!

-Daniel Snow

First, the guests all sit quiet and orderly and listen to someone speak. Sometimes there’s talk of guidance and how to conduct yourself.

Next, the guests jump around on the giant inflatable structures nearby. (OK, maybe that one isn’t similar to a wedding)

Then all the attention turns to the lucky person(s) who get to be the first to try the cake.

Often there’s gift giving involved followed by moments of sheer joy.

Well, it may not have been a wedding, or exactly relate to one, but I had a great time being around family and sharing the day with my now seven year old niece. Happy Birthday Sadie!

-Daniel Snow