Importance of a Personal Attendant | Minneapolis & St Paul Wedding Photographer | For the Bride

As the wedding day draws closer, I hope you are envisioning all the good moments, your groom's face the moment he lays his eyes on you the first time, being able to say your vows in front of your loved ones,seeing all your months of preparation come to life. 
Your mind my be consumed with excitement for the great moments; One thing you don't want to focus on is the possibility of the bad moments on your weddings day.( people getting lost, No one wants to even think that there may be a disaster around the corner on what is supposta be one of the best days of your life!
If there is one thing that many people in the wedding industry understand there is always one thing that goes wrong on a wedding day!  So why not plan for it! 

I advise having a friend who will be your human fire extinguisher. This person is the one person that people will go to with problems, question, ANYTHING. They will be the one that puts out all the fires before they spread! This will help the bride to truly relax on the big day, which is how it is supposed to be! It helps knowing that no matter what happens someone else will take care of it.

Who should it be? I advise to have it be someone other than close family and someone in your wedding party. These people shouldn't be torn away from enjoying the day with you and your groom! They have already invested so much time and effort into both of you. Have a relaxing day where everyone can soak up every moment.  This could be a personal attendant, cousin,  close friend, someone from your church. Trust me it will be Well Worth it in the end.

One photographer that I love always says " If you fail to plan, you plan to fail."  -Jasmine Star  Plan on being prepared! So when you look back on your wedding day you will hopefully remember the best day of your life! 


Just for the fun of it,  whoever you decide to be the person to extinguish all the wedding day fires, I found some cute gift ideas for them of fire extinguisher themed. Here are some cufflinks (here) for guys and rings and necklaces (here) for female attendants! This will help everybody know their job! ;) And keep you enjoying your day!

Lebanon Hills Portrait Photography | Suzy

 My wonderful sister headed to a new job this past week. She has now started working for an international cruise liner, the Norwegian Sun. 
This is a whole new experience for her that I know she has been really nervous about starting. Like anyone starting a new job, she doesn't quite know what to expect. We had both agreed we wanted to go out to document the occasion. We headed out to a sunset filled shoot in the rolling hills of Lebanon Hills Park in Eagan, Minnesota.(It is known for its winding trails which I highly recommend if you are looking for a lovely walk.) 

 We went on our own trail through the tall grass. I was making sure to look where I was waking in case we might meet with a slithering new friend.  Suzy stunned in her beautiful session (Which was not hard for her as you can see). Suzy primarily shoots with her Nikon, with her new She did a great job in following what I asked and she did not land on her butt while running sideways on this hill.  All in all she looks to her next step and All we can say is Adventure is out there for anyone brave enough to follow it.

My Photography: Purpose

Has anyone ever asked you what your purpose is? Today, someone presented this question to me about my business. After thinking about it, I identified a couple of things that I hope will help you  understand what I am about. 

First and foremost, I shoot to create. I truly believe that everyone has a gift that can be used to express one's self; my photography is my own expression. I enjoy the challenge of taking a random idea in my thoughts and transforming it into a real, tangible thing. It is similar to craving a certain food, you think about it long enough that when you finally take that first bite all you can do is grown in pure satisfaction. 

I shoot to document life. I want others to know how life is at this time in my life and your life.  My grandmother , who I often consider my third parent, was a strong believer in keeping photos of every event that my family had. She would often be found with a small yellow disposable camera, that was stashed close by in her purse ready for use at any moment. Do to her love for memories, when she passed away,  we were left with all her photos of family and friend's smiling faces. My desire for others to have that ability to look back at their loved ones at some of the happiest times of their lives. 

I shoot to share. When dealing with little kids, I always tell them "sharing is caring." Now I promise I won't randomly say this on a shoot, but I do believe it to be true. When you share yourself and your talents with others, it shows them that you care for them.  I want to share other's love stories in a way that others can see is just as beautiful as the couple sees it.  Sharing my skills and knowledge can bring other joy, whether it is a bride and groom or a makeup artist or florist. 

And in all honesty , I shoot because I love it. With this passion, I get to meet people and be a part of their love story.   Moments, big or small, I can capture so they will be a moment remembered. Photography can help be a mirror on how that situation was and felt. I love capturing natural moments with a slight direction to make a situation more in its element.

Lastly, I shoot to grow. I really enjoy learning more and more with photography and using what I have learned.  Through each session I have been able to walk away with something new whether it is good or bad it gives me an opportunity to take what I have learned and apply it to future sessions. My experiences are not just photography lessons but also life lesson. And my wish is that I always continue to be growing. I wish the same for all my clients that come along. 


Huge disclaimer : I am a horrible speller. If you see these mistakes please have mercy and tell me kindly. =P