tiffany & dean - feb 22, 2008

tiffany and dean had a beautiful friday winter evening wedding in downtown mankato. their ceremony was at saints peter and paul catholic church overlooking the city and the reception was at the holiday inn. it was a great afternoon together and their family and friends made me feel so welcome and i felt like i had known them forever.

since it was a bit chilly outside, we took advantage of the interiors of the church. i love this particular shot of tiffany and dean:


and this one of tiffany and her stunning dress. i like how the sweeping lines of her dress contrast with the lines of the windows and frame:


a shot of the bride from above:


and i love the sun flare on this picture:

shoooz:



a ray of light shining on the church. i am a big fan of trying out new equipment, so for this wedding i rented the canon 24 1.4, which is a really sweet lens.


the bridesmaids' flowers. the purple hydrangeas looked so cool against the black dresses:

the flower girls being silly:

these guys kept me cracking up (and watching my back) all day :-)

doin' a charlie's angel pose waiting for the ceremony to begin:

i couldn't help but throw in a picture of adorable little jessa, who is tiffany and dean's niece, and who was also a highly photographed flower girl at tenia & chad's wedding last spring:

being escorted down the aisle by her mom and dad:



the vows:




sharing a moment after the unity candle was lit:

after the ceremony we were off to the holiday inn which was beautifully decorated. and when you entered, you could not miss their impressive cake:


the head table enjoying a slide show that tiffany's dad and sister created:

a kiss from the new mr and mrs!

the toasts were full of laughs:

and a few tears:


after the dinner, the guests were treated to a dance with an awesome band the gin daddies. seriously, these guys rocked.:




congratulatons to a great couple and i am glad you had a great time in costa rica! i wish you the best and i hope your puppies don't cause too much trouble for you ;-)

nancy & dan - february 12, 2008

nancy and dan were married in an intimate ceremony on a chilly winter morning. it was a wonderful day that honored nancy's chinese culture and also western wedding traditions. it all began in the morning with a tea ceremony at nancy's parents' home.

just some of the colorful details that filled the house:

part of the tradition is that when the groom comes to meet his bride at her parents' home, he has to prove his worthiness. this was done with games that nancy's sisters came up with. dan was definitely put to the test as he had to demonstrate his strength, singing abilities and his sense of humor:

nancy sneaking a peek as to what her sisters are putting her husband-to-be through:

preparing for the ceremony:


presenting the tea to her parents:


nancy and dan used the same tea set for their tea ceremony that nancy's parents used 40 years ago:

as they left nancy's house to meet dan's family and other guests to perform the tea ceremony again, nancy's sister held a traditional red umbrella over nancy to ward off any evil spirits:

one of my personal favorites of the day is of the umbrella reflecting in the car door as nancy is waiting to be escorted to the house:

after performing the tea ceremony for dan's parents, all the guests enjoyed a meal together. here is dan doing his impeccable hosting duties:


a close-up of nancy's dress and rings:


nancy's mom with a chinese wedding cake that would be taken to their neighbors' homes to celebrate their daughter's upcoming wedding:


a shot of the couple. nancy's dress was custom embroidered and was absolutely stunning:

after the meal, she snuck away to change into a traditional western bridal gown:


i love the light on this portrait. she looks absolutely stunning:

surrounded by their family and friends:

a view of some of the other wedding portraits from dan's family:


husband and wife:

the guests threw confetti to celebrate:


toasting their guests:

thank you for letting me be part of such a wondeful experience. it was a great time and i can't wait to see you and your family again in may!