Just a little peanut | Plymouth Newborn Photographer

Meet Aiden!

Aiden was born 6 days after this Maternity Shoot and 5.5 weeks early!  He weighed in at just a little over 5 lbs when I got to finally meet him last weekend for his newborn photos.  I brought along some newborn props I had received from some of my Etsy vendors, which may have been just a little big on his tiny (but oh so cute!) little body.  That's ok.  Even drowning in props, he's so sweet and precious.

In the nick of time! | Minneapolis Maternity Photography

Warning!  Booking a Maternity Session with Alicea Rose Photography could induce labor and result in early delivery of your baby.

Yes, this is now my 2nd client to have had her baby 4+ weeks early (5 and a half weeks in this case).  At least this time it happened after the Maternity Shoot - 5 days to be exact.  Which, I can only imagine, makes having these images that much more precious.  My other client never made it to the maternity shoot.  She ended up having her baby 4 weeks early, just days before our scheduled shoot.

So, for those looking to book a Maternity Session, please plan accordingly. :)

I thought it only fitting to share this beautiful evening Maternity Shoot today as I will be shooting the little guy's newborn pictures on Saturday.

Congratulations, Matt and Alli!

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. :)

Cassie and Wrin - Engaged | Minneapolis Engagement and Wedding Photographer

This is a post I am super excited about writing.  I am honored that I get to share these images from this colorful and fun engagement session at the Guthrie Theater/Mill City Ruins/Stone Arch Bridge area in downtown Minneapolis with this most amazing couple whose wedding I will be shooting in August.

Cassie and Wrin found me while searching for a maternity and baby photographer while Cassie was pregnant last summer with their first child.  After we had scheduled their maternity session for the middle of October, Cassie e-mailed me back a few weeks later with some amazing news...Wrin popped the question!  Then she proceeded to "pop the question" to me:  Will you photograph our wedding in August?

I won't lie.  At first I was very apprehensive about saying yes because I had no experience with shooting weddings and I really didn't know what I would be in for.  Weddings are a huge deal.  I know when I picked out my wedding photographer and was budgeting for my wedding, I wanted the best.  I wanted someone with a massive portfolio and oodles of experience.  I knew that everything from my wedding day would be gone within 5 years, but my wedding photos would always remain.  Thinking back on all of that, I was very tempted to say no.  But, after reading Cassie's e-mail expressing how much confidence she had in my ability to capture their wedding day not only left me near tears, but left me with no other choice, but to say YES!

I am counting down the days to their wedding...with joyful anticipation!