Mt. Olivet Lutheran Archives – Studio Laguna Photography

Theo and Courtney were married today!

Spring weddings in Minnesota are always a joy. Peonies are in season, and everything is soft and new and romantic. Pair that romance with gorgeous weather and you’re golden…which is exactly what we were blessed with today. Love was truly in the air.

This power couple chose an intimate heartfelt wedding surrounded by their friends and family. Families that truly love each other to the core. Friends that have been close since grade school. The connection they all have has true history and strength to it, and we were blessed to witness such warm loving families join today. The day started with Courtney and Theo reading love notes they wrote each other, followed by a tender first sight. We then zoomed around St Paul taking portraits and headed off to Mt Olivet Lutheran for the ceremony.

We really enjoyed portrait time since Theo and Courtney love photography and we wanted to give them something unique and creative. We were joined by Make Your Memory videography and worked side by side to capture all the moments. We had a blast tearing up the town with this awesome group! Aspen Limo made us feel like we were celebrities, and the wedding party looked the part decked out in finery from The Wedding Shoppe! The reception took place at the gorgeous historic University Club of St Paul, where guests enjoyed a signature drink, spring breezes and the sounds of dueling pianos! After dinner the dance floor was packed with energetic dancers singing along to the raucous pianos, we were really impressed with how dynamic the music was. What a perfect warm spring night. What a perfect day for love.

it was a tad windy…

We just had to use this space for a quick portrait!

yep, this group was a blast to hang out with!

Theo and Courtney, thank you so much for having us tell the story of your wedding day! We had a marvelous time and we hope you enjoy your sneak peek!

Mike and Sarah were married today!

Mike and Sarah couldn’t have picked a more gorgeous day for their wedding. The leaves were turning, the sun was warm, and the sky was blue. Mike’s excitement was palpable as he got ready and he was over the moon when he saw Sarah all dolled up in her wedding day finery. We spent the first part of the day roaming the grounds of Mt. Olivet Lutheran taking pictures and enjoying the quiet before the business of the day.

Since Sarah is from South Africa she wanted the flower protea to be featured in her floral designs. Pazzobello did an amazing job taking these blooms and designing a soft romantic bouquet.

In front of friends and family that had literally traveled from all over the world to witness the event, Mike and Sarah exchanged vows and were pronounced husband and wife. You should have SEEN the grin on Mike’s face after the first kiss =)

Mike is a veteran of the wedding industry, and we were so honored when he and Sarah chose us to photograph their wedding. They issued us a challenge to really be creative and get some artistic shots. And Sarah rose to that challenge by being adventurous herself! When I asked if she’d venture into a less than clean area for a picture, she jumped right to it (with the help of some fantastic groomsmen!). SO worth it!

After some sun drenched Stone Arch Bridge pictures, we headed over to the Weisman Art Museum for the reception. Eclipse Transportation did a fantastic job taking us around and navigating some tough corners! At the reception, we did a few more pictures outside (which included cartwheels and heel kicks) and then headed inside.

Sarah worked hard on the design of the wedding. She chose a vibrant teal, silver, and fuschia color scheme and added a damask pattern to keep it more formal. Tall vases with fushia orchids caught the setting sunlight and Jessica’s Cakes created the perfect light and simple cake for the couple (and oh boy did it taste good!). Guests enjoyed wandering the art museum and were entertained with the guestbook and a jenga set they were asked to write marriage advice on (and stack up). There were even CDs of the night’s wedding soundtrack available, which isn’t surprising since half the guys were DJs.

The white walls of the Weisman were perfect to show off the uplighting skills of Instant Request, and they decked this reception out! Lighting changed colors throughout the night, and each room had its own color. The bar had a custom gobo, and the dance floor became vibrant as the colors shifted with the mood of the songs. After the grand march, Mike and Sarah went immediately into their first dance (I love this tradition, it flows so nicely!) and then everyone sat down to enjoy a truly scrumptious meal from Kafe 421. Seriously, the food was WONDERFUL.

After speeches, the dance was underway. Instant Request pumped the jams and everyone rocked out!

And to truly knock our clients’ socks off, John produced THIS. BOOOYA! It was almost as much fun watching John run around creating this as it was seeing Mike and Sarah’s face when we showed them the picture.

A Dragon Ball Z wedding perhaps? Wizards sending out love spells? We’ll let you decide ; )

Mike and Sarah, thank you so much for choosing Studio Laguna to photograph your day. We had an amazing time and hope you enjoy your sneak peek!