AV for You Archives – Studio Laguna Photography

Jason and Craig celebrated their marriage today! One year ago today, the couple tied the knot in Hawaii, and chose their anniversary to celebrate with friends and family in Minnesota. Since these men have such a stylish eye it wasn’t surprising that they chose Calhoun Beach Club as their venue. Our super mild winter didn’t disappoint and the day was warm and sunny (which the guests from Arizona greatly appreciated)! We started the day with portraits of the grooms around the venue.

Julie from Fabulous Functions along with Event Lab created a sophisticated lounge space for the reception using a palette of gray and blue, full of textures and a hint of sparkle. We had to have the guys pose Mad Men style in the space! We were soon joined by family ready for pictures and excited to celebrate alongside the grooms.

Big lovers of theater and performance arts, Jason and Craig chose to turn their ceremony into a three act concert. They treated their loved ones to performances from some of their favorite local talent, and Jason himself sang! Julie has plenty of experience stage managing musical acts, so she was in her element. Sarah Elizabeth Artistry kept the men looking dapper and concert ready. Paper Thick Ink designed all of the printed pieces as playbills and posters, AV for You made sure the concert had professional grade sound, and Reverend Susan acted as the MC as well as led an exchange of vows at the end of the ceremony.

The talent in this room was very humbling, there was much wiping of tears along with huge smiles as these musicians and singers performed music from a large swath of musicals, all which focused on the theme of the stages of love.

You may kiss the groom!

The ceremony ended as the sun started to set, and guests enjoyed passed hors d’oeuvres and gushed about what they had just experienced. We snuck Jason and Craig out for a few more portraits and then it was time for dinner and dancing!

The reception looked like it was set up for a photoshoot! Alice-Lynne Olson tied in the blue accent with her lovely blooms, and there was a nod to Hawaii with her use of orchids.

The cake topper to this lovely (and delicious!) cake was created in Hawaii. D’Amico didn’t just wow with their cake, they pulled out all the stops for the food, from darling walleye BLTs for appetizers all the way to a decadent mashed potato bar and a spread of comfort foods that had guests coming back for seconds and thirds.

And just when we were all about to slip into a food coma, Erin Schwab took the stage and cranked it up! She is such a fantastic performer and the live band had people up and dancing in no time. We had the pleasure of working with Blizzard Video Productions, I bet they captured all kinds of great footage of the dancing going on tonight!

Jason and Craig, it was such a joy capturing your day! We are so happy for you! Enjoy your sneak peek!

Last night the Independent Wedding Association presented a new concept for the wedding industry. Hearten Magazine is where IWA members get to flex their creative muscle and educate their clients. It is something near and dear to the members hearts, and we wanted to introduce it to the masses. So Hearten Social was born. A place for vendors, clients and past clients to support their favorite IWA members and see what is new and trend setting in the wedding world. It was a lovely open house event hosted by a few key vendors. Brett Dorrian Artistry Studios provided mini makeovers, The Vintage Type created lounge spaces for guests to relax, The Traveling Photo Booth introduced their newest product which is oh so AWESOME, Avant Decor draped the lovely Aria to perfection, and A & Be turned a few of their gorgeous gowns into wall art.

Spark Letterpress, Distinctly Debbie Floral and Flutter Boutique worked together to create a gallery of looks for every style. Chowgirls and Patisserie 46 had delicious snacks for the guests to enjoy, Sky Focus Films sponsored the refreshing drinks and flavored waters, Becca Dilley, Jeannine Marie, Lauren B, Natalie Champa Jennings, and Studio Laguna (thats us!), hung banners of their work and photographed the event. Uptown Valet made sure guests parked with style and Marie from International Cigars showed guests how awesome it is to have cigar rolling as a part of an event. Reverend Debra Ting had an interactive board where guests could write their favorite wedding traditions. Something New LLC displayed one of her custom pieces framed by her design sketches. A rotation of Hearten’s beautiful images, all collaborations of the members, rotated on a giant screen behind the bar provided by AV for You.

I truly love everything about the Independent Wedding Association! The collaboration, the focus on education, ethics, and quality, and the innovation and ideas that come out of this group are all stellar and top notch. Thank you to all who came and be sure to check out the past editions of Hearten Magazine which is chock full of inspiration and ideas!