Mr. and Mrs. Herskowitz!

Mike and Melissa are a gorgeous couple. The two live in San Diego and totally have that easy-breezy-California-free look about them. However, when it came to their wedding, they chose to come back to Melissa's home state of Minnesota for an intimate winter wedding! They experienced a true winter day here in Minneapolis, complete with chilly temperatures, a little fog and even a little snow; but despite the dreary looking weather, spirits were high and it really was the perfect day! One of my favorite 'themes' of the day was how much family history they incorporated. For starters, there were family heirlooms everywhere. Melissa's bouquet was filled with broaches from past family members, there were old photographs and even old love letters that her grandparents had written to one another back in the day. Old jewels were worn and Melissa even wore a veil that was passed down from two of her best friends. What I love about this the most is that there was a true presence of SO much love, over time, at their wedding. The idea that love is absolutely timeless, as well as very solid, was a message that was heard loud and clear! Melissa and Mike chose some of Minneapolis's top vendors to bring their romantic visions to life! The Bliss Life was on top of the planning and Carra of La Petite Fleur did a jaw-dropping-job with the florals for the day. (That amazing bouquet took 5 hours and 2 people to assemble!) Linen Effects helped beautify the tables, and The Depot was the perfect venue for such a classic themed wedding. Melissa and Mike were absolutely stunning in their attire and they danced the night away to music by Generation Now DJ's. The fellas over at Copper Clover Films also joined us for their day and we can't wait to see the footage!

Congratulations to Melissa and Mike on your absolutely gorgeous wedding day! We are so happy for you two and this new adventure you are embarking on! You are truly perfect for one another!

LOVEe

Mr. and Mrs. Siedband // Part 2

I began Part 1 of Jacey and Aaron's blog feature by saying that there were two beautiful elements to this wedding; the honest moments and gorgeous details. Today's post is all about the absolutely stunning details. Jacey and Aaron made a good move in the beginning of planning their wedding. They hired the best. In fact, during the dance, I asked the father-of-the-bride how the day had been for him and he said, " This has been absolutely spectacular. We hired the best and this is just stunning." Stunning, indeed. First off, Jacey chose a stunning Vera Wang dress from L'atelier Couture Bridal. It's one of those dresses that was a show-stopper and I personally love the fact that is a blush color! Yes, her dress made a statement, but it also tied in perfectly to the color scheme and theme of their wedding. Jacey wanted things romantic. Very, very romantic. Aaron is a musician and cared greatly about the music and overall guest experience. To make all of this happen, they worked with the lovely ladies over at Amy Zaroff Events + Design, who brought together some absolutely amazing details. Zaroff and her crew hired the best vendors to pull Jacey and Aaron's event together! Richfield Flowers and Events transformed The Depot with their gorgeous arrangements, BeEvents brought in some amazing chandeliers, and Linen Effects collaborated with Wild Flower Linens to create some stunning cashmere table runners and custom chair covers! The talented artists at Gateaux created a gorgeous cake and Cocoa & Fig rocked another dessert bar, complete with little Minnesota's & Illinois on-a-stick! (Jacey and Aaron reside in Chicago.)  Last, but not least, there was the band. Jacey and Aaron literally hired the best wedding band in the country, Starlight Orchestras. Valerie, the leader of the band, and her crew absolutely brought the house down with a night filled with amazing tunes!

One thing I absolutely loved about this reception was that it was a progressive dinner through out the entire night. The guests didn't just sit down for a couple of hours for dinner, but rather between courses, the Starlight Orchestra kept the party going with dancing and music in between! I loved this pace of a reception, because there was something always going on. The entertainment was endless.

I always commend clients who hire a team to produce their weddings. First, they are trusting the best-of-the-best to bring their day to life and when you give us artists that freedom, it works wonders! I also love this sense of collaboration among vendors, because we're all doing exactly what we do best and when all of that comes together, you are left with the most magical experience! Because they were in such great hands, Jacey and Aaron were able to entirely relax and enjoy their day together - and they, themselves, were able to have one incredible experience from start to finish! From the moment their guests walked into their intimate and romantic ceremony, to the moment they arrived at the reception to be greeted by a gorgeous tree-of-art, and all the way up until the last dance song of the night, the bride, groom and guests at this wedding were experiencing a whole other world. It was a world of love, luxury and life. It was one beautiful night!

Congratulations, once again, to Jacey and Aaron on their fabulous wedding! And a double-thank-you to all of our amazing vendors who worked so hard to give us such beautiful things to photograph all day!

LOVEe

Mr. and Mrs. Siedband // Part 1

Jacey and Aaron's wedding and two beautiful elements to it; honest moments and gorgeous details! I've decided to blog about their wedding in two parts to highlight each of these and also, because there are simply too many wonderful images to fit into one post. First, let me start out by saying that I loved everything about this wedding. The people, the vendors, the details, and our gorgeous couple - everyone was SO great to work with and it made the day SO much fun to be a part of! Even in our own little crew, we flew in Jeffrey from JNP Studios to shoot with us and it was a day of perfect collaboration with friends and clients. So, lets get back to the meaning of this first post - the honest moments. Our day started at the Thomas Charles Salon with the ladies and from the moment we arrived, I noticed that not a single person was stressed or nervous. Everyone was simply happy, relaxed and excited for the day to begin. I also noticed that everyone was taking time to enjoy the real moments that were happening and truly taking everything in. At one point I remember the mother-of-the-bride saying, "There's a lot of love here today. A lot of love." It's true. Jacey absolutely adores her new husband and it's very clear that these two are a perfect match! Jacey and Aaron are an incredibly fun-loving couple that makes you smile when you are around them. I remember during our final consultation, Aaron had just flown in from Chicago and had rushed to make it to our meeting. Once he arrived, we were in mid-discussion and he stopped everything, looked his bride in the eyes and said, " Hey. How are you? I missed you." That's when I knew they were going to have an amazing wedding!  Jacey and Aaron had a Jewish wedding ceremony that took place at Temple of Israel. It is a gorgeous synagogue and the team at Amy Zaroff Events + Design, along with Richfield Flowers & Events did an amazing job bringing a sense of romance to the temple. It was an intimate, candle lit ceremony that was simply stunning. I love Jewish ceremonies for so many reasons, but specifically for the tradition and customs that bring so much culture to their day.

Mazel Tov to Jacey and Aaron on their amazing wedding! Make sure to check out Part 2 and see all of the stunning details - and yes...we'll talk about that dress!

LOVEe

Happy 4th of July!

I love holidays – especially when I get the chance to enjoy them! Just in time for our Independence Day, I was asked to collaborate with some of Minnesota’s lovely vendors for a 4th of July inspired stylized shoot! We were lucky enough to have both Wedding Chicks and Minnesota Bride publish the shoot on their blogs! Special thank you to our crew!

Photography: Photogen Inc. Styling and Desserts: The Bliss Life Flowers: Munster Rose Linens: Linen Effects Veil, Jewelery, Accessories and Dress: Che Bella Food: CRAVE Catering Hair and Makeup: Julie Swenson Beauty Invitation Design: KAD DesignsSee all of the awesome photos & ideas to inspire on the Wedding Chicks blog, here!

And check out the Minnesota Bride blog post here!

Have a very happy holiday!

LOVEe