This beautiful fall day was perfect for Holly and Eric’s engagement session. We had so much fun together throwing leaves and watching the ducks swim around. Their love for each other was so evident and their laughter contagious. I am so excited for their wedding day this coming weekend at Aldo Leopold. I can’t wait to see what shenanigans we can get into!

A beautiful fall afternoon walk at devil’s lake state park is even better

when you get to take photos of a fun and loving couple like Emily and Michael. These two share a great passion for the outdoors and hiking together in beautiful places like Devil’s Lake are one of the best ways for them to connect. Their willingness for adventure and to try anything make them such a great match. It was a joy to spend the afternoon with them checking out all the sights and getting to know them as a couple. Their wedding day is going to be so fun coming up this summer and I can’t wait to see what they have in store!

The Wedding Of Steve Schave and Kari Kovacs

So my brother-in-law got married last month! I was so honored that they asked me to be involved with the wedding as not only a bridesmaid, but also to have Azena Photography take the photos. I got Heidi on the phone and asked her to take the reigns on this one. Then I could just be the second shooter and enjoy my day with my family. My husband, Mikey was the best man and my son, Wesley, was literally the greatest ring bearer of ALL TIME!!!

Kari and Steve met at a Rendezvous a couple of years ago, which is surprising that it took so long for them to meet. They both grew up in families who went to these events and traveled in similar circles, just parallel ones. It seems as though they have always known each other. The wedding was very casual and beautiful.  All of the decorations were DIY by Kari and her family. Her gorgeous ceremony structural backdrop was built by her dad and all the food was brought in by the family as well! One of my favorite parts was that we got to choose our own bridesmaid dresses and suits.  It was beautiful but it was cold, I think I may have even saw some snow at some point. But, we had fire, we had love, and we had a lot of beer!

Venue: Blackhawk Recreation Area  //  Lead Photographer: Heidi E Johnson

Oh my god, I’m in a wedding and not shooting it!

Morgan + Thomas

It all started 6 years ago with Thomas wearing a pair of bunny ears and asking Morgan to prom after following a crazy trail of Easter eggs with a code inside. Of course she said yes, I mean come on! How cute is that??? They went as friends but fell in love all the same. For years they kept a long distance relationship visiting each other from LaCrosse to St. Paul even without owning cars for the first few years. They would take bus rides to each other even though sometimes it would take several hours just to get there. One of my favorite stories is of their first kiss where Morgan had to dress up like a boy to sneak on campus at midnight to kiss Thomas under the Arches so he could become a true Tommie at the University of St. Thomas.

There were so many great stories printed on cards about their relationship on the tables at the wedding. What a great idea to share with your guests! I grabbed a few so so I could share some stories for this blog post! It was such a beautiful day and everyone was so sweet. You could just feel the love between Morgan and her parents. Especially during the father/daughter dance and she gave him a bunch of “Butterfly kisses.”

Vendors involved in the gorgeous day:

Ceremony: Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church  //  Reception: Wyndham Garden Hotel  //  Dress: Charlotte’s Bridal  //  Floral and Stationary: Pages + Petals  //  Cake: Creative Confections-Alicia Russell  //  Hair and Makeup: Ultimate Veritas Spa and Salon  //  DJ: Andrew Szlapka