A second celebration.
A few new adventures.
Avanti Kunamneni and Anthony Lang celebrated at Interlachen Country Club in Edina, Minnesota, on June 11, 2016. This was the second part of their wedding story, following their first wedding in Mexico.
Before we headed to the club, we spent time at their downtown Minneapolis apartment and went walking with their friends beside the Mississippi River. Tony and Avanti brought a wonderful sense of fun to the day. We found a few surprises along the way.
A downtown beginning.
Avanti and Tony got ready in their downtown Minneapolis apartment, with some of their friends there, too. I started with the view out the window. The city would become part of our photographs before we headed to Interlachen Country Club.
An introduction worth remembering.
Hair and makeup happened at the apartment. I was referred to this wedding by Minneapolis makeup artist Brett Dorrian of Brett Dorrian Artistry Studios, and I’m glad she connected us. It was a wonderful day to spend with this group.
An important little guest.
Before we went out, a photograph with their cute little dog. I like making room for the pets who are part of a couple’s life. This little face belonged in the wedding story, too.
A little room to move.
We headed downtown and walked around by the Mississippi River. This bridesmaid gave me a lovely bit of movement on the bridge, with the strong lines of the steel around her.
A little adventure along the way.
Some guys were jumping off the bridge into the river, and Avanti and Tony were cheering them on. We had a few unexpected adventures that day. I kept photographing what was happening around us.
The people who came along.
These were the friends who had gotten ready with them at the apartment. We made a group photograph during our walk, keeping a little of the bridge and the riverfront setting around everyone.
A quieter view of the city.
A quieter moment for just the two of them. I made this black and white photograph with the Mississippi River and downtown Minneapolis behind them. After all the activity on the bridge, I liked the stillness here.
The things you don’t plan.
Walking through the park, we found kids who had set up their own slip and slide. The wedding party stopped to encourage them, and it became one of those fun, unusual wedding moments. Downtown Minneapolis was right there in the background.
A few new friends.
Then we took a group photograph with all of them. Their wedding party, a few people we had just met, and the city behind us. I love having a photograph that remembers an unexpected part of the day.
On to Interlachen.
At Interlachen Country Club in Edina, I photographed the details and decor before the celebration filled the room. The name cards were all set out beneath these bright flowers. The gold and purple carried through the afternoon.
A cake with a little personality.
Their wedding cake had beautiful texture and color, with flowers and their custom design worked into it. I wanted to keep the whole cake in its setting, with that lovely window light behind.
Beautiful light at Interlachen.
Interlachen is a beautiful place to photograph. The windows bring in lovely light, and the decor made the room feel ready for a celebration. I made an overall view before moving closer to the tables.
Purple, gold, and flowers.
A close view of one of the tables. The purple linens, the gold chairs, the flowers, and the reflections all belong in the story of how the room looked that afternoon.
The details at each seat.
I photographed their place cards and the menu, too. These small details help remember the afternoon just as it was arranged for Avanti and Tony and the people celebrating with them.
The table at eye level.
Then another view across the table. I like to photograph the room as a whole and also make a few closer images, where the colors, glassware, and flowers can tell their own part of the story.
A little time for family.
Of course, we made family photographs as well. Here are Avanti and Tony with his parents. The people closest to a couple are such an important part of the wedding story.
A little green beyond the windows.
This is the golf-course view you would see out the ballroom windows. I wanted a photograph of the landscape beyond the room, too—the green course, the water, and all those trees.
The room from another angle.
Another overall view of the dining room. A different angle shows how the tables, the draping, and the flowers came together, with that beautiful light coming through the windows.
Something sweet for later.
There was a little dessert table, too. I made a photograph before the treats disappeared, keeping the rows of little glasses and their spoons as another detail from the celebration.
A personal mark on the night.
They had their own custom logo projected down onto the dance floor with a gobo. I like photographing these personal touches. It was another way they had made the room theirs.
Remember the music, too.
The band was really good. During a wedding reception, I always try to make a few photographs of the musicians to help remember the night. Here, the stage lights gave the bass player a portrait of his own.
A little light on the music.
A close portrait of the trumpet player. The music is such a big part of how a wedding evening feels, and I want the people making it to have a place in the photographs.
The night, still going.
And the drummer, still smiling as he played. From the apartment to the riverfront, a slip and slide in the park, and an evening at Interlachen, there was plenty to remember. A second celebration, with a few adventures of its own.