Last Saturday, I had the opportunity to shoot a wedding at the Semple Mansion with Daniel Snow. The Mansion is a beautiful location and the wedding was beautiful as well. I wanted to share a few quick shots while I’m in between editing sessions!

Just a few quick images for tonight. I had the opportunity to shoot a wedding with Scott Bolster a few weeks ago, down in Winona. The weather threatened rain on and off on my drive down there and this is what it looked like when I arrived.

But the weather cleared up and we were able to get some great portraits.

Across the street was a great old house (tudor style I think? I don’t know my house styles very well) that was covered in ivy and had a yard full of beautiful trees so we “snuck” over there (turns out one of the groomsmen knew the people who lived there and was able to call and get permission) to do some storybook portraits.

It did start to rain shortly after that so we spent some time waiting it out under the tent but it cleared up nicely in time for Dad to walk the bride down the aisle.

I had a great time shooting with Scott (who kindly took a tentroof full of water for me) and his beautiful assistant (and wife). Unfortunately, the circumstances that brought me there weren’t so ideal. Scott was originally to be accompanied by Julie Steiskal, an accomplished local photographer and dear friend to many. Sadly, Julie lost her life several days prior when trying to pull a younger girl from the Temperance River. Just a quick Google search of her name shows the number of lives she touched in her short time and the positive ways in which she’ll be remembered.

From her website…

“we need a renaissance of wonder. we need to renew, in our hearts & in our souls, the deathless dream, the eternal poetry, the perennial sense that life is miracle & magic.”
e. merrill root

I can’t believe it’s June already! I also can’t believe we’ve gotten this far with such consistently cool weather. I’m not complaining though, I prefer cool to hot and as long as it isn’t raining all the time and we can get outside for some photos, I’m happy. And speaking of photos, my June calendar is jam packed with upcoming sessions so, with the exception of newborn sessions (done within the first two weeks of birth), mid-July is my earliest availability. Drop me a line if you’d like to set something up!

On Saturday, I shot a wedding with my friend Sarah of Sarah McGee Photography. Both the ceremony and the reception were held at the Crystal Lake Golf Club in Lakeville.

The weather report wasn’t especially favorable but the rain held off and we were able to do portraits and the ceremony outside. It was almost too sunny!

They whole wedding party was a pretty fun and goofy bunch and I have to say, the toasts were among the best I’ve heard - hilarious and touching at the same time, even for someone who had no history with the bride and groom.

That all being said, guess who my favorite two of the wedding party were?

[A quick note first: I moved the blog to the same domain as the Glimpses of Soul Photography main site so it now resides at http://glimpsesofsoul.com/blog. The old url will still forward and the rss feed should still work. ]

Until yesterday, it had been almost two years since I’d attended a wedding as a guest and not as a photographer. Walking out of the house with just one bag, my only responsibility up until then having been to dress myself, felt pretty nice. But I have to admit, once I got there, it was pretty difficult to not be taking lots of photos and to not have the freedom to move to a better vantage point. I couldn’t capture anything of the ceremony from my seat but I did pull the camera out after they left the church (the ceremony was held at the Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel).

The two flower girls were just adorable.

But maybe not so into pictures. This little one was wandering around with a bouquet of dandelions in one fist and a handful of pinecones in the other. Walking up and down the aisle had maxed out her public performance reserves though so she didn’t want to show me her treasures.

The reception was held in the M Street Cafe in the downstairs of the Saint Paul Hotel. I hadn’t been there before but it was very nice. Sort of a 40’s feel to it with white glove service and everything.

Not wanting to be the annoying Uncle Bob figure who shows up with all his gear and gets in the way of the professionals, I only brought a 50mm lens and no flash so I was a bit limited but I still managed to grab some shots that I like. (I love this first one.)

If you’re in the Twin Cities area, I hope you’re outside enjoying the weather today! I hit the back porch for awhile to get my requisite dose of Vitamin D but sadly, the computer screen is impossible to see in the sun so I am back inside working for the afternoon