erin & eric - january 5, 2007

erin and eric's lives have taken them all over the world, but when it came time to celebrate their wedding, they chose the small town of st. james, mn. erin spent much of her childhood there and many in her family still live there. her grandmother gave me some history about the church where their ceremony was held, which just added to why it was such a special place for them and their family. her great-great grandfather was one of the original builders of the church and it has been the center of many celebrations in their family--beginning with the marriage of erin's great-grandparents, grandparents, parents, and many aunts, uncles and cousins had been married there, too.

some of my favorites of erin & eric:




eric, a southern boy who is used to warmer weather than minnesota in january, was a great sport about getting fun outdoor shots. here they are heading back to the car to get warmed up:

here's erin getting ready. it was a very fun morning with the gals. everyone got together at the salon where erin's cousin works, and her sister did her makeup:

eric working on his cufflinks:

erin's mom helping her with her necklace:

the couple seeing each other for the first time:

eric and the guys:

erin and the girls sharing some laughs. erin's uncle is a talented upholsterer who made the gorgeous shawls the bridesmaids wore:


getting to the church on time:

erin's grandmothers looking through the program together:

erin coming down the aisle:

eric watching his bride:

smiles during the vows:

the memorial candle and the bride and groom:


sharing hugs with family:


the wedding party took a horse-drawn trolley to the reception. here's the best man surrounded by bridesmaids (which i don't think he minded at all):

erin's aunts have a decorating business and transformed the reception hall into a beautiful, illuminated winter wonderland. here is erin's grandmother clapping along to the music at the dance:

enjoying the toasts:

sharing a special dance together:

congratulations to an amazing couple, who is blessed with great family and friends. like charlie, the best man, said in his toast -- he had never felt so much a part of a family so quickly as with this group. i couldn't agree more. even though i had just met many of the people there that very day, i felt like i had known everyone for a lifetime. thank you and best wishes!

dana & travis - december 30, 2006

i have loved shooting weddings for all sorts of great couples this year, and i think travis and dana's wedding was a perfect way to cap off 2006. they planned an intimate and classy evening wedding at st. andrew's church in eden prairie and threw a great party afterwards. i was amazed to find out that not only did they plan everything so well, but dana just graduated from college two weeks before the wedding. my clients never cease to amaze me.

here are some of my favorite pics of the couple:



and here's the wedding party:

a fun shot with the rings:

the flower girl playing hide and seek:

dana had her bridesmaids and attendants sign the bottoms of her shoes, which i thought was a very cute idea:

during the ceremony, lighting the unity candle:

after lighting the unity candle, the couple used their flame to light the candles of their family and friends. here they are surrounded by that candlelight:

here are the newlyweds leaving the church, surrounded by sparklers:
an outdoor shot of the wedding party between the ceremony and reception:

dana's grandpa snapping a photo:

the bridesmaids taking a self-portrait:

travis and dana's first dance:

on the dance floor. this group was definitely ready to dance and have a good time:

the bouquet toss:

dana's mom and dad on the dance floor:

thank you, travis and dana, for letting me be a part of your big day. you are a wonderful couple with great families and really fun friends (go bison!). have a blast on your honeymoon, and i am very excited for you to see the rest of the pictures!