Cystic Fibrosis Cycle for Life Event | Minneapolis Event Photographer

As most people know, my son has Cystic Fibrosis.  After I started up my photography business almost 2 years ago, one of my personal, as well as business goals, was to donate as much of my time and talent to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to help raise money for the research that goes into finding a cure for this disease.  I donated 2 canvas gallery wraps to last year's annual gala's silent auction, and I'll be doing so again this year with 2 canvases ordered and on their way for delivery.

In May I shot the Great Strides Walk at Lake Calhoun and last month I was honored to have had the opportunity to shoot the first ever Cycle for Life Event in Burnsville, MN, which turned out to be a great success given the cool and cloudy day.

The event started bright and early at 8:00am, which meant I had to get up at 6:00am to get down to the event by 7:00am to shoot the goings-on before the cyclists were scheduled to start.  They had coffee, juice and breakfast for the cyclists.  Good thing for the coffee because as luck would have it, in all my early morning drowsiness I realized about 20 minutes into my drive to the event I left my nice piping hot thermos of coffee sitting safely on my kitchen counter back at home.  It made for a very long drive.

Once I arrived at the event with 2 cups of coffee now warming me up from the inside, I began shooting the pre-event festivities.  Cyclists having the air in their tires checked, registration and of course, getting in that last cup of coffee before heading out.

I really do love shooting these events for a variety of reasons, but first and foremost it's the positive energy and vibe from all the participants and volunteers that gives me the hope and encouragement I need to keep me and my family going in our fight to battle this disease.  I love speaking to other families and friends of loved ones with CF, the workers at the foundation and of course, the Vertex rep who always has encouraging news of new drugs in the pipeline that are on their way to the masses (roughly 35,000 people in the US have CF).

Please enjoy these photos from this wonderful day and if you have a chance visit www.cff.org to educate yourself on this disease and/or donate money to the foundation. :)

50th Wedding Anniversary Photos | Plymouth Event Photographer

Last Fall I had the pleasure of photographing a 40th Wedding Anniversary party, so when I was asked to photograph a 50th Wedding Anniversary party a few weeks ago I was over the moon excited.

I'll admit it.  I'm a sucker for love.  I love love.  I'm pretty sure I have every single Meg Ryan and Julia Roberts movie ever made on DVD.  I'm a hopeful romantic and always hope that the most recent celebrity marriage actually lasts and that they will live happily ever after like the characters they portray in their movies.  I actually do get a teensy-weensy bit sad when I hear about a marriage that has broken up.  Even when I have never met the couple and probably never will.

The sad fact is, is that the divorce rate in the United States, let alone in Hollywood (which I'm sure is much higher) is at 50%.  But, I am extremely proud to say that my parents have been married for over 40 years and my husband's parents the same, giving both my husband and I fabulous role models for our own marriage (which we will be celebrating 5 years coming up in October). :)

So, when I get a chance to meet another great couple celebrating 50 years of marriage, 4 children, and many grandchildren, I am not only over the moon excited, but completely honored to document the momentous occasion.

Church: St. Barnabas Lutheran Church, Plymouth, MN
Caterer: One Dish At a Time

A day blessed with gorgeous weather.

A room full of family and friends.

A wonderful gluten-free spread put on by One Dish at a Time.

Catching up with old friends.

Sincere and emotional speeches put on by all four of their children.

Speeches that led them to laughter and tears.

Even the Maid of Honor and Best Man made an appearance.

Congratulations on 50 wonderful years of marriage!

A Wedding in the Park | Champlin Wedding Photographer

When I got married almost 5 years ago, I took a very logical approach to my wedding planning.  My husband and I didn't have the biggest budget so we chose to spend a little less on certain things and spend a little more on others. 

When my husband and I sat down to plan and budget for our wedding, we each gave each other permission to splurge on one thing each.  His choice was the cake, which came to no surprise to anyone who knew him well.  My husband has the biggest sweet tooth of anyone I've ever known.  I'm glad we splurged on that cake because the cake truly was amazing, although the cake maker is no longer in business (enter sad face here).  My choice ended up being our wedding photography.  The logical part of me during a very emotional wedding planning process knew that 10 years from our wedding day...the cake would get eaten, the flowers would die, but our wedding day pictures would last forever, possibly to be handed down for generations to come.

Not every bride and groom have the budget to option for one wedding day item to splurge on, which as a photographer and past bride, truly breaks my heart.  I sincerely believe everyone deserves to have beautiful and memorable photos from their wedding day.

I was contacted by Brittany just a few months before her and her fiance's May 19th wedding just to photograph the ceremony at Doris A. Kemp park in Champlin, MN.  This happens to be a favorite location of mine to shoot at as I have done several child and family portraits in this park.  Brittany explained they were on a budget and just needed someone to photograph the ceremony.  I was more than happy to oblige.  I was also very excited to photograph their wedding in the exact park I had my own wedding photographs taken almost 5 years ago.  It really is a beautiful park and definitely has special meaning to me.

Brittany and James were blessed with a beautiful and sunny, albeit, hot and humid afternoon for their wedding in the park.  It felt more like a mid-August wedding rather than mid-May, but I'm sure all of Minnesotans can agree we would take that over any chillier day in a heartbeat.  We get plenty of cold 'round here!  They also managed to dodge the rain showers and storms that quickly approached once we wrapped up with their photos.  When I got home less than 30 minutes later, a rather large storm came along bringing heavy rain, thunder and lightening.  But I am convinced it did nothing to damper the light-hearted mood carried over from their ceremony to their reception.

Congratulations to James and Brittany, and your beautiful family, on your gorgeous wedding!  I wish you all the best in your marriage. :)