Gorgeous Bridal Photos | St. Paul Minnesota

I’m breaking up this wedding into a few posts. Cuz, yeah, I love it that much.

I included images from the wedding in my Sample Wedding Collections gallery, on my wedding site, late last year, so the images have officially been on my site for awhile. And then I was absolutely thrilled when Love My Dress, a top 10 wedding blog, featured the wedding on their site two months ago [of course they would — Jen’s dress is RIDICULOUSLY amazing, and that she found it at a vintage shop on Cape Cod for a steal makes it even more fabulous].

But, really, where do I begin about this couple and their Day? I’ll save my write up about them for the post that showcases their nuptials and, instead, share the following words with the following images: that these two love & value imagery & style made my entire experience shooting their wedding completely & totally awesome. Okay, well, really, the fact that they couldn’t have been more in love and that they had a highly original wedding was *really* what made my day, but a close second was that they were into the photography.

Sounds weird, right? That a couple or a family would hire a photographer but not really care too much about making time for the images? But, honestly, it ends up happening more than you’d imagine. The photography part of the day gets squeezed in, seemingly an afterthought or a nuisance, and as a result I feel like a dentist delivering bad news when I have to ask, ‘can we do a few portraits in this magic light?’

I get it, I really do. The Day is certainly not about me and my camera, and everyone (not just me) that day is on a strict and crunched timeline. And as such I work as quickly as I can, capturing the vast majority of my images photojournalistically (non-stagey, non-posey, unobtrusively, authentically). But, every now and again, when, pre-wedding-day, I’m sharing my Day-of photo timeline with the bride and I’m telling her, “so we’ll motor through these portraits as fast as we can to get you back to your party so I’m not keeping you from your guests,” I get a dreamy, sigh-y, fantasy response: “ummm, Carla… we’re TOTALLY into taking the pictures! Take your TIME!’

Jen & Matt were totally into taking the pictures. I loved that. Matt’s a photographer (among other personal & professional visual artistry talents), so I was n-n-nervous that I wouldn’t meet expectations (his… or my own!). But I also knew that someone that spends a lot of time behind the lens would understand my perspective and needs, which is beyond helpful when I’m trying to absolutely kill a session. In the case of the images below, we’d already done the First Look and an indoor portrait session (so we could explore the unique venue, and shadows, and all kinds of fun stuff — I’ll be posting those soon!). So, imagine my glee when they were up for a second portrait session outdoors, even at the expense of taking 20 minutes away from reception. V & I had spied this alley when we scouted the property the day prior, and we were really hoping for the chance to shoot there. I mean, c’mon — brick, vines, cobblestone walk, lush trees, windows, wild flowers?!?! Like, incredible. Just… love these. And love Jen & Matt for being into it :).