A day along the river.
A night at The Depot.
Matt and Annie married at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Minneapolis on June 27, 2015, then celebrated at The Depot. Their day began at Nicollet Island Inn, in the St. Anthony Main area along the Mississippi River.
A first look, a walk over Merriam Street Bridge, and a quiet moment with Annie and her dad before the ceremony. Then family on the church steps, a bus full of friends, and a few stops along the way to the reception.
The girls, all together.
Matt and Annie’s day began at Nicollet Island Inn in Minneapolis. The girls got ready together, and there were plenty of cute moments to photograph in the bridal room.
A little fun before the first look.
Once Annie had her dress on, we had a little fun. This photograph says a lot about the mood in the room. There was plenty of laughter before we ever made it outside.
A cheer for the bride.
A big fist pump and a cheer. Annie was excited, and everyone around her was right there with her. I love keeping these little bursts of energy in the wedding story.
Before we went walking.
The first thing we did together was Matt and Annie’s first look. Before the bridge photographs and the ceremony, they had a moment to see each other and take it all in.
A moment after the first look.
Then a little time together. I made this black and white photograph after the first look, before we headed out around Nicollet Island and St. Anthony Main.
A little Minneapolis history.
We made photographs on Merriam Street Bridge, right by Nicollet Island Inn. The ironwork carries a little history with it: this span dates to 1887, when it was part of the Broadway Bridge, before being moved here a century later.
Out for a walk together.
Then Matt and Annie with the whole wedding party on the bridge. This part of Minneapolis has so much within a short walk—the river, the old buildings, and the church just over the bridge and up the hill.
A little stop along the way.
Walking around, we had this cute little moment with the flower girl. She wanted to smell Annie’s flowers. I like leaving room for these small things that happen between the photographs we planned.
A simple, powerful moment.
I always stay with the bride for the last twenty minutes before the wedding. I had never seen a moment quite like this: just Annie and her dad outside Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, waiting to walk up the steps and into the ceremony. Such a simple photograph, and such a powerful one.
Inside Our Lady of Lourdes.
There was laughter inside the church, too. I wanted this moment in their story alongside the quieter photograph of Annie and her father outside. Both are part of how the ceremony felt.
A kiss on the way out.
After the ceremony, a kiss on the way out. I stepped back to include the church and the sky above them. The building becomes part of the memory, with the two of them right there on the steps.
Everyone together.
We made a few family groups on the steps after the ceremony. A place for everyone to gather, with those bright blue church doors behind them.
A photograph inside the photograph.
There were selfies, too. I like photographing people making their own pictures. Another way to remember who was there and how much fun everyone was having.
A window on the celebration.
After the family photographs, Matt and Annie took a bus with their wedding party. Here they are at the windows, ready for the next part of the day.
The celebration travels with them.
Everyone came along on the bus. We had some time between the church and the reception, and the wedding party made the most of it.
A little Northeast Minneapolis fun.
We stopped for drinks along the way and made a photograph with everyone at Betty Danger’s Country Club. The mini-golf animals, the bright colors, and the Ferris wheel gave us a very different backdrop from the church.
One more stop along the river.
We also stopped at Lowry Avenue Bridge. The shape of the arch and the lines of the cables made a beautiful setting for a portrait of just Matt and Annie before we continued to The Depot.
The guest-book welcome.
At The Depot, I photographed the guest-book sign-in and the framed photographs on the table. These personal details belong in the story, too, alongside the room and the celebration.
On to The Depot.
The reception was at The Depot in downtown Minneapolis, not far from where the day had started. Fun was had here, too. I photographed the people around the tables as the evening got going.
Everyone taking part.
A toast, with Matt and Annie surrounded by their guests. I like a view that includes the couple and the people celebrating them, all in the same photograph.
A little room for the whole scene.
For their first dance, I made a wider photograph that shows the room around them. The windows, the chandeliers, their guests, and the two of them on the dance floor all have a place in the story.
A little closer.
A couple of close portraits to finish their story. Here, Annie leans in to kiss Matt’s cheek. After the wider views of the city and the celebration, I like coming back to the two of them.
The two of them, one more time.
And then Annie, with Matt leaning in close. A day around the river, a church ceremony, a few fun stops with friends, and an evening at The Depot. These are the little moments I want them to have alongside it all.