Mintahoe Archives – Studio Laguna Photography

Rick and Lindsey

April 28, 2013 By katrina 3 Comments

Rick and Lindsey were married today!

Wow, I had to really sit back and process this wedding. Wow, just wow. The day started with all the ladies getting dolled up by Brett Dorrian Artistry Studios. After a sweet first sight, we hopped in the limo and joined what seemed like the entire city of Minneapolis enjoying the outdoors. I don’t know how they did it, but after a huge April snowstorm and record low temperatures, Rick and Lindsey managed to have perfect spring weather today!

How many groomsmen does it take to help a brave bride in heels climb over rubble?

Was it worth it? Oh HECK yes!

After our Minneapolis pictures, it was time to head back to the beautiful Van Dusen Mansion for the ceremony.

Rick and Lindsey love music, and they incorporated it in every way they could during the ceremony. The couple had St. Anthony Brass play a variety of songs and Lindsey and Rick performed with each other for their unity ceremony.

These two have such a great eye for design, and they applied it to every facet of their day. They paired their vibrant grey and yellow color scheme with bold graphic design, and incorporated the Minneapolis skyline throughout.

The mansion opened up their doors and cocktail hour spilled out onto the front steps. Guests enjoyed specialty drinks as well as delicious butler passed hors d’oeuvres from Mintahoe Catering.

We even managed to find a little bit of snow left in the garden for a ring shot =)

In the dining room, guests chatted and ate…little did they know the evening that was in store…

…a flash mob singing a song about the couple (complete with saxophone solo)…

…AND the U of M marching band performance! It was amazing!

In the carriage house, Midwest Sound played tunes for the two floors of guests as they danced, played in the Traveling Photo Booth, and filled out wedding ad libs and advice for the couple.

What a fantastic night!

Rick and Lindsey, thank you SO MUCH for having us be a part of your day. It was truly an honor! Enjoy your sneak peek!

Pete and Ashley

August 4, 2012 By katrina Leave a Comment

Pete and Ashley were married today!

Pete and Ashley’s wedding can simply be described as “so them”. Relaxed, sweet, and heartfelt. Every detail was carefully planned and full of personal touches. The ceremony and reception took place at the Plymouth Creek Center and Millennium Gardens. The manicured gardens fit perfectly with the classical music heard throughout the ceremony and was a wonderful backdrop for Ashley’s gorgeous Ian Stuart gown from Posh. Taking from the silver netting in the details of the gown, deBruyn Designs used metallics to compliment the vibrantly bright colors of the flowers. Bright pinks, greens and oranges popped as accent colors against the silver, charcoal and champagne of the bridal party’s attire.

We love when couples incorporate their pets into the wedding day…and love it even more when everyone looks and smiles at the camera at the same time =)

Plymouth Creek Center gave us plenty of lovely spaces to use for photography, and the weather was fantastic which allowed us to have a low key and relaxed portrait time. We also enjoyed using some backdrops that were a little off the beaten path.

Pete and Ashley planned for their guests’ comfort by having large fans as their programs and supplying bottles of water at the ceremony.

The ceremony was full of beautiful music that flowed like a soundtrack. It started with classical and ended with the Iowa State fight song! A fantastic reading “How Falling in Love is Like Owning a Dog” and a unity ceremony where instead of sand, family members filled a jar of cookie ingredients (later, jars of the same ingredients were handed out as favors) further personalized the ceremony.

A tender moment between best friends.

At the reception, guests enjoyed the creative food stations created by Mintahoe. Three different parts of the room allowed for guests to flow from one culinary delight to another, enjoying salad in a margarita glass, gourmet macaroni and cheese in a martini glass, and hand carved meats for sandwiches complete with kettle chips. Seconds and thirds were encouraged, and with variety of toppings, the options were endless. After everyone had eaten their full, Instant Request got the party started.

Pete got some height from his custom kicks. Both he and Ashley had a pair of Adidas made that featured their wedding date and the Sydney skyline. Hopefully they’ll wear them all over during their Australian honeymoon!

Pete and Ashley, we hope you enjoyed your sneak peek! Thank you so much for having us be a part of your wedding day!

Katy and Lindsey

May 26, 2012 By katrina 5 Comments

Katy and Lindsey were married today!

These two love St. Paul so much that the city was central to their wedding. Their table numbers were pictures of numbers found around the city, they chose the Minnesota Boat Club as their venue with gorgeous views of downtown, and the skyline appeared in their decor and invitations. La Petite Fleur did an amazing job with the soft yellow and navy color scheme and her arrangements echoed both the lace and detail of Lindsey’s look with the structure of the skyline theme.

The first sight was fantastic, Lindsey kept taking deep breaths and couldn’t wait to see Katy. When they finally saw each other, they just started giggling and were all smiles! We did quite a few shots outside under the shelter of the bridge until the rain got so bad we had to move inside. Luckily, their venue had plenty of verandas with gorgeous views of St. Paul, so we were still able to incorporate the backdrop Lindsey and Katy love so much. Their son, Will, was so darling and even teared up when he saw Lindsey for the first time that day…and the entire wedding party clearly enjoyed celebrating this special occasion.

I love argyle!

There was even some Tebowing going on…

The ceremony, officiated by Reverend Derek Kiewatt, was heartfelt and sweet. The vows had quite a few of us crying, and when Will gave Lindsey and Katy their wedding bands to exchange, I lost it. There was SO much love in that space this evening.

After the ceremony, we had time for a few more pictures with Will…he loved the yellow umbrella!

After Mintahoe served a delicious dinner, and we heard sweet speeches (one included props!), Midwest Sound got the party started. The rain tapered off, the clouds rolled away, the skyline sparkled, and Katy and Lindsey had a gorgeous evening to spend with their family and friends.

Katy and Lindsey, we are so blessed to have been a part of your day! Enjoy these sneak peeks!

Andrew and Kenzie

January 21, 2012 By katrina 1 Comment

Andrew and Kenzie were married today!

The temperature stayed in the single digits today, but it was all warm cozy love in the Nicollet Island Pavilion. A talented family friend designed the wedding with an elegant black and white theme that included a bird motif and lots of sparkles. Ice luminaries lined the sidewalk up to the entrance and various focal points in the interior were decorated with twinkle lights. A large swag hung above the harvest table, hanging with crystals and other sparkly details while mercury glass flickered with candlelight. A Milestone Paper Company designed lovely programs with a swirl of black, and the filigree was used at the candy buffet and on the cake as well.

Kenzie looked lovely in her ruffled gown from The Wedding Shoppe, and her ‘maids wore sassy black cocktail dresses from the shoppe as well. Their flowers, from Christine’s Floral Touch, were a romantic design of soft hued blooms that complimented the romance of the venue and decor. Kenzie gave each of her bridesmaids and her three personal attendants monogrammed cashmere scarves for their gift and they definitely came in handy today! (Also, the guys got some rockin’ kicks…I love wedding party gifts that are practical!) Even though Kenzie was all dolled up, she and Andrew still ventured outside for some pictures, which was so worth it.

As the evening arrived, so did the guests. While waiting for everyone to be seated, Andrew and Kenzie joked around, and were all smiles…they were so excited to be married! I really love their relationship because it is such a solid friendship…complete with all the teasing and laughing that you’d have with a best friend. This is why I love my job, I get to see such great couples in love!

The sweetest moment of the night was when the wedding party was walking down the aisle and it was just Kenzie and her dad in the side room. Kenzie leaned out to watch the processional, and her dad just took a minute to look at her. He had such tenderness in his eyes and you could tell he was savoring that moment…drinking it all in. Kenzie noticed her dad looking at her and said, “you’re a good daddy.”…and off they went down the aisle. So sweet.

The ceremony, officiated by Rev. Derek Kiewatt, was short and sweet. With the beautiful classical guitar and candlelight, the ceremony had a very romantic feel. The ceremony was simply a partitioned off a section of the Pavilion, and it was a really neat use of the space. And the kiss was awesome…Andrew had definitely practiced =)

After a few chilly pictures outside, the couple joined their guests for a delicious meal. Mintahoe did a fantastic job, the service was impeccable and everyone loved their dinner and dessert. There were some tear-filled speeches and then Kenzie wanted to DANCE. And dance they did. Instant Request kept the dance floor packed, and I believe some Zumba moves were even unveiled by some of the aunts and uncles. And speaking of moves, Grandpa was twirling granddaughters around left and right, it was such a blast to watch. This night, the candy buffet said it all…Love is sweet.

Andrew and Kenzie, it was truly an honor being a part of your day. Here are our favorite images, enjoy!

Colin and Ellen

November 19, 2011 By katrina 6 Comments

Colin and Ellen were married today!

Ellen and Colin are such a fabulous couple. They love the outdoors and the more adventure the better…so it really wasn’t surprising that they were excited when the snow started falling. The bride wished for snow on her wedding day, and snow she got!

Ellen was simply stunning in her blue and white wedding gown. Her mother made the dress, basing the design off of an Oscar de le Renta pattern and incorporating detailed lace and luxurious fabrics. The bridesmaids also had hand-made dresses in varying shades of blues and neutrals. They carried bouquets of thistle, delphinium, greens and Ellen’s favorite…ferns. The guys looked dashing in suits from Heimies Haberdashery with bow ties that matched their bridesmaid’s dress. The boutonnieres had a personal touch with a couple coffee beans lining the stems to give a nod to how Ellen and Colin met…at a Dunn Brothers.

We started off with a sweet first sight and pictures at Silverwood Park. The couple’s well worn canoe was at the reception site to hold wedding gifts, so we utilized said canoe in some portraits. The wedding party was prepared for winter weather, wearing boots, long johns and furs, and they were troopers as we ran around in the snow taking pictures. We visited the Walker to get some indoor shots, and as we went out to the cars, an impromptu snow ball fight started.

Guests braved the icy roads and snow to arrive at Immanuel Lutheran just in time for the ceremony. Ellen walked down the aisle to dramatic organ music and incorporated lovely music throughout the ceremony. Sweet words were read and blessings were given and Colin and Ellen could not stop smiling at each other. In the car afterwards, they kept looking at each other and saying, “we’re married!” “hey! you’re my wife!”…and the happiness kept us going, even when a groomsman’s car got stuck on a hill and we trudged through the snow to get a few last shots before the sun disappeared.

At the reception, Colin’s Norwegian heritage was celebrated fully. Evergreens, ferns, birch and moss adorned tables washed in candlelight. Skol! was cheered after each speech and was sung to get the couple to kiss (I believe Colin was even referred to as a Viking warrior at one point). After a dinner served by Mintahoe, Kransekake was served for the guests and they were treated to an amazing coffee bar with custom lattes by Dogwood Coffee (an extra bonus, the reception hall smelled fabulous all night!). Two of Colin’s groomsmen spent months brewing beer and had cases of many varieties for guests to enjoy. Cigars came out later in the evening and were smoked by the outdoor fire as the snow tapered off, and the dance floor was hoping thanks to Lance from Humans Win!, DJ extraordinaire. Lance did a great job mixing the wide range of tunes these music lovers wanted at their dance. Playing in the snow continued as well, with the groomsmen pushing the bride and groom down a hill in the canoe! What a fun group =)

Ellen and Colin, it was truly an honor being a part of your day. Here are some of our favorite images, enjoy!