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. :)