MN Landscape Arboretum Family Photography | Ford Family

Minneapolis Family Photographer

As a Minneapolis family photographer, I love getting a chance to work with my clients again after their big day. Whether headshots, portraits, or even their growing family, I’m open for most anything. In 2017, Safiyyah + Rory asked me to photograph their maternity session and their newborn session once their son Remy made his debut. (I had previously worked with them on their 2014 Aria Mpls wedding photography.)

Safiyyah + Rory contacted me this summer to schedule Remy’s first birthday photo session. When deciding upon locations, they gravitated toward the natural beauty of the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chanhassen. Anytime I can work at this beautiful location, I jump at the chance. So I was naturally super excited not only to work with my awesome friends and clients, see how big Remy had gotten (wow!!!) and also to see how things were looking at the beautiful Arboretum.

Family Photo Session

Our family session was so much fun! In the year since I had seen him, Remy had grown into a running, laughing, babbling little munchkin! It was a warm and humid day, perfect for him to explore every place he could reach. We meandered through several of the gardens and photographed Remy taking it all in with mom and dad.

Viewing and Ordering Session

Holding our Viewing/Ordering session, it was a tough choice to narrow down the images to Safiyyah + Rory’s “best-of-the-best”. They selected an Heirloom Portrait Box – a handmade copper-foiled glass box filled with gorgeous heirloom matted 8×10 prints. Their final box was absolutely stunning!

Safiyyah + Rory, thank you so much for choosing to work with me for your MN Landscape Arboretum family session. I always love working with you guys. It was a joy to see little Remy growing so fast, and I wish you every happiness as you grow together as a family!

If you would like more information about working with me for your children and family portraits, contact me soon!

Minnesota Landscape Arboretum Wedding Photos | Allison + Joseph

By Joanna Carina 1 Comment

MN Landscape Arboretum Wedding

Allison + Joseph wanted a winter wedding. They loved that time of year and felt it was perfect for them. We first met up for summer Minnesota Landscape Arboretum engagement photos last year. Then they had their Minnesota Landscape Arboretum wedding photos on a crisp, cold winter day just past the 2017 New Year.

Arboretum Wedding Day Preparation

First they held their wedding preparations in a few rooms in the building. The two of them held their first look in the Conservatory inside the Snyder Building. The glass room was filled with succulents, orchids and other delicate plants. Allison + Joseph were so sweet and joyous together. There may have been a few tears too!

They followed that with formal posed photos. First up were the wedding party photos. Then finally photos with family.

Arboretum Wedding Ceremony

Their wedding ceremony was held in the Fireplace Room in the Snyder Building. A charming, elegant space, it featured a fireplace as its centerpiece. Such a perfect atmosphere for a bright, sparkling, chilly winter day! After Allison + Joseph said their ‘I Do’s’, they headed straight out to cocktail hour just down the stairs to welcome their guests.

After they spent a bit of time visiting with well-wishers, we snuck out to photograph them among the light sculptures of the Bruce Munro Light Show. One word to describe it: WOW!!! Such gorgeous artwork. Mysterious, fanciful lights among the trees. It would have been easy to spend a whole night photographing there if it wasn’t such a cold day in MN!

Arboretum Wedding Reception

Once we were back in the building to warm up, we headed to Allison + Joseph’s reception at the Snyder Auditorium. The building is highlighted with gorgeous chandeliers and curved ceilings. They had such a wonderful time with dinner, toasts, and dancing! They even followed it up with a dessert bar featuring donuts, cookies and other treats.

Thank You!

Allison + Joseph, thank you so much for including me as your Minneapolis wedding photographer on one of the biggest events of your lives. I always love working at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, and I’m so happy for the two of you, and with you every happiness in your new lives together!

Want to talk more about photography for your Minnesota Landscape Arboretum wedding? Contact me soon!

MN Landscape Arboretum Wedding Photo

Take a look at their slideshow of all highlights:

Venue/Catering: MN Landscape Arboretum
Wedding Dress: Luxe Bridal
Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo
Hair/Makeup: Hairitage House Salon
Bridesmaids Dresses: The Wedding Shoppe
Groom/Groomsmen Attire: Men’s Wearhouse
Wedding Rings: Wedding Day Diamonds
Florist: Flowers by Avice
Rentals: Ultimate Events
Wedding Cake: Taste of Love
Invitations: Basic Invite
DJ: Anthony Hemsworth
Videography: Make Your Memory

Minnesota Landscape Arboretum Wedding Photography | Robin + Paul

By Joanna Carina 1 Comment

MN Landscape Arboretum Wedding Photography

“If we want to go, we’ve got to hurry!” I was watching the weather and radar on my phone. A huge rain cloud was moving toward us as we were photographing the preparations for Robin + Paul’s Minnesota Landscape Arboretum wedding photos. We had to get outside as fast as possible for their first look so we could ensure it was captured before the deluge! We headed outside as quickly as we could, and felt occasional drops as the storm edge was coming.

MN Landscape Arboretum Wedding Portraits

Their first look went off without a hitch. Then the sprinkles started to let up a bit, so we decided to head over to some nearby gardens for portrait time. Lucky us, we had enough time to spend in the Japanese Garden, Hosta Glade AND the Woodland Azalea Garden before the sprinkles came back. We had so much fun. Robin + Paul are a laugh a minute and our cheeks hurt from giggling!

Our luck apparently ran out, however, as their wedding party and family formals were cut short when then sprinkles quickly turned into a torrential downpour. We flipped into Plan B mode and were able to use our emergency umbrellas to ferry everyone over to the space underneath the skyway between the buildings for portraits. We then also moved their entire ceremony indoors to the Oswald Visitor Center lobby. Hooray for flexibility and fast thinking!

MN Landscape Arboretum Wedding Ceremony

Even with the big changes to our plans, Robin + Paul’s MN Landscape Arboretum wedding was still an amazing day. The two of them are so fun to be around – full of giggles, jokes and laughs, and they are a perfect complement to one another! We also had such an amazing time working on their MN Landscape Arboretum engagement photos too!

Thank You!

Robin + Paul – thank you so much for hiring me as your Minneapolis wedding photographer for your Minnesota Landscape Arboretum< wedding photos. Even with the rain, it was so fun and beautiful. Congratulations to you both - I am so happy for you!Want to talk more about your Minnesota Landscape Arboretum wedding photography? Contact me soon!

Minnesota Landscape Arboretum Wedding Photos

mn-landscape-arboretum-wedding-photo-11

Minnesota Landscape Arboretum Wedding Photos

Watch their slideshow here for more photos from their big day:

VENDORS
Venue/Catering: University of Minnesota Landscape Arboretum
Dresses: Bridal Aisle
Grooms/Groomsmen Attire: Milbern Clothing Company
Jeweler: Shane Company
Hair/Makeup: Beauty by Belle
Officiant: Shawnna Orwell at Away We Go Weddings
Florist: Away We Go Weddings
DJ: Instant Request

Minnesota Landscape Arboretum Engagement Photos | Allison + Joseph

By Joanna Carina 1 Comment

MN Landscape Arboretum Engagement Photos

“Yikes, there’s one!” ~Whack~

“OK, you guys, let’s walk over this way.”

“Hold on, there’s another one!” ~Whack~

So went Allison + Joseph’s Minnesota Landscape Arboretum engagement session. Allison + Joseph have been planning their wedding date for a mid-winter day at the MN Landscape Arboretum. Naturally they chose an engagement session that contrasted with gorgeous scenery of the Landscape Arboretum in the summertime. We forgot, however, that Minnesota in late summer is pretty much a full-on mosquito party. Nothing a little swatting couldn’t handle, of course!

MN Landscape Arboretum Engagement Session

We started their session at the new Arboretum Dog Walking Park. It’s an awesome trail through the woods and the beautiful landscape. It’s a great nature hike for humans and canines to enjoy together. Nothing like the plain chain-link fenced plots of grass or dirt that make up most dog parks in the area. Allison, Joseph and their two fur-babies had such fun together! Once their doggies left with “grandma,” the rest of us continued on. We photographed in some of the other gorgeous parts of the park, including the Japanese Garden, waterfall, and near an amazing tree out in the Prairie area.

At their Image Viewing and Ordering Session, Allison + Joseph chose to order a 10×10 Engagement Album, Save the Date cards, and a few gift prints. I can’t wait to show them their final items in a few weeks. They will be so beautiful!

Thank You!

Allison + Joseph, thank you so much for working with me as your Minneapolis engagement photographer. I’ve had such a great time getting to know you. I am so excited for your big day in January!

If you’re planning for MN Landscape Arboretum engagement or prewedding photography, contact me soon!

ETA: Be sure to check out Allison + Joseph’s MN Landscape Arboretum wedding photos too!

MN Landscape Arboretum Engagement Session

Minnesota Landscape Arboretum Engagement Photos | Robin + Paul

By Joanna Carina 2 Comments

MN Landscape Arboretum Engagement Photos

The day was upon us. We could *finally* go through with Robin + Paul’s winter Minnesota Landscape Arboretum engagement session after continually delaying it for almost a month. Why the delays? Because even though we live in the mega-snowy state of Minnesota, we had NO snow! Zip. Zilch. Not a flake! We were hoping to get some beautiful snowy engagement photos at the ever-amazing MN Landscape Arboretum. So when we finally had a couple of snow days (I believe it was only a mere 4-5 inches or so) we jumped at the chance!

MN Landscape Arboretum Engagement Session

Robin + Paul were so much fun to work with. From Paul’s cute one-liners and jokes, to Robin’s infectious laughter, we had such an awesome time together! They brought in some great props and some of their own fun ideas to the mix as well. We ended up spending almost two hours together! The two ways we knew our session was coming to an end: first, the sun was setting (treating us to an awesome sunset) so we were losing light fast; and second, we all started to notice that, as the sun was going down, we were getting reeeeealllly cold.

Robin + Paul, thank you so much for working with me as your Minneapolis engagement photographer! The Arboretum under a fresh snowfall was such a beautiful backdrop. And of course, you guys are SO adorable together. I am so excited to be working with you, and can’t wait for your big day later this summer!

If you’re planning for a Minnesota Landscape Arboretum engagement session, contact me soon to find out how we could work together!

ETA: Take a look at Robin + Paul’s gorgeous summer Minnesota Landscape Arboretum wedding photos too!

Winter Minnesota Landscape Arboretum Engagement Session Photos

Watch Robin + Paul’s highlight video to see more images too:

Minnesota Landscape Arboretum Wedding Photos | Lindsey + Mark

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MN Landscape Arboretum Wedding Photos

“Oooooooooooohhh!” All the girls oooh’ed and ahhh’ed when Lindsey had her dress buttoned up, pins and jewelry in place, and finally spun around. “Wow, Lindsey, you look so beautiful!” Several girls, as well as her mom, were tearing up too. It was then that Lindsey let us in on the secret that finally sealed the deal on choosing this dress – “It has pockets so I can hold my flask and traveling shot glass.” Haha!

MN Landscape Arboretum Wedding Ceremony

Lindsey + Mark were excited for their Minnesota Landscape Arboretum wedding photos. Their ceremony was held on a warm, late summer day. They chose the Ornamental Grass gardens for their ceremony site, and the tufted grass tops looked really spectacular in the breezes and late afternoon light. The garden had a huge oak tree at one end, and it was a perfectly gorgeous spot for their ceremony. They had chairs and blankets set around the site, and a friend had even climbed up the tree to fasten the sheer panels to create the perfect backdrop.

After their friends lead the ceremony and gave lively readings, Lindsey + Mark read their own hand-written vows. They then took a moment to pull out their custom engraved pocket flasks and shot glasses and toast a ceremonial shot to each other before sealing their vows with a kiss.

MN Landscape Arboretum Wedding Reception

After their ceremony and receiving line, we all headed back through the winding wooded road to the MacMillan Auditorium. Lindsey + Mark celebrated their wedding with dinner, toasts, cake, a photo booth, and dancing. Everyone had such a blast!

Lindsey + Mark, thank you so much for including me as your Minneapolis wedding photographer. Your Minnesota Landscape Arboretum wedding was so awesome. I loved spending the day with you, and it was so great to see the two of you so happy together. Best wishes in all your years ahead!

Planning a Minnesota Landscape Arboretum wedding? Contact me soon to find out how we could work together!

Minnesota Landscape Arboretum Wedding Photo

Watch the slideshow for more images from their beautiful day here:

Minnesota Landscape Arboretum Engagement Photos | Jesse + Ashley

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MN Landscape Arboretum Engagement Photos

“A willow tree. Do you know of any places that have a willow tree?”

“Why yes, of course I do. Why don’t we plan on having Minnesota Landscape Arboretum engagement photos?”

So went my conversation with Jesse + Ashley when talking about ideas for their engagement photos. They were really drawn toward willow trees, but they are not always easy to find! So we instantly settled on having a gorgeous Minnesota Landscape Arboretum engagement session. You cannot get much better than that!

MN Landscape Arboretum Engagement Session

We were so lucky to have a beautiful early fall afternoon to spend our time at the Arboretum. The weather was perfect with awesome temps. There were just a few clouds that appeared to be painted in the sky. The fall colors were absolutely spectacular. I had some ideal spots already picked out, so we were able to travel between each location quickly. Even without the photos, it was fun wandering through the beautiful fields and among the trees and gardens. We made sure to spend enough time out by the willow trees of the Arboretum, as that was on the top of Jesse + Ashley’s favorites list. We even got a quick session in the hedge maze. The sun was setting in the west as we finished our last location.

Thank You!

Jesse + Ashley, thank you so much for hiring me as your Minneapolis engagement photographer. I loved working with you for your spectacular Minnesota Landscape Arboretum engagement photos. Best of luck on your big day. I wish you every happiness in your new lives together!

Thinking about having a Minnesota Landscape Arboretum engagement session? Contact me soon to find out how we could work together!

Take a look at another MN Landscape Arboretum engagement session here. Also, take a look at a third Minnesota Landscape Arboretum engagement session here too.

Minnesota Landscape Arboretum Engagement Session Photo

Take a look at Jesse + Ashley’s highlight video here:

Minnesota Landscape Arboretum Wedding Photos | Molly + Andy

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MN Landscape Arboretum Wedding Photos

Many people would find themselves at home in a lush, green, landscaped garden. So naturally, when I got the chance to work on Molly + Andy’s Minnesota Landscape Arboretum wedding photos, I was ecstatic! I always feel like I could spend a whole day at the Arboretum and never see everything I wanted.

MN Landscape Arboretum Wedding Ceremony

Molly + Andy held their wedding ceremony in the beautiful Wilson Rose Garden. The garden is near the main Visitor Center building. They had a perfectly sunny and warm July day. The Arboretum had special meaning for them because Molly grew up nearby and visited frequently. They were able to enjoy their ceremony right in between the roses and bubbling fountains. It was the perfect backdrop, and their families were absolutely overjoyed at their wedding.

MN Landscape Arboretum Wedding Reception

After their ceremony, we had some time to meander through the woodlands and Japanese garden for photos of them together. Afterward, we headed to the back of the Visitor Center for their reception dinner. The dinner was held on the patio that overlooked the green pond and lake. Molly + Andy enjoyed cutting their beautiful cake, and Molly’s dad gave a sweet toast to them to cap off the night. Their dinner ended as the sun set on the horizon.

Thank You!

Molly + Andy, thank you so much for including me as your Minneapolis wedding photographer. I loved working with you to create your beautiful Minnesota Landscape Arboretum wedding photos! I wish you all the happiness in the world in your new lives together!

Planning a Minnesota Landscape Arboretum wedding? Contact me soon to find out how we could work together!

MN Landscape Arboretum Wedding Photo

Watch their highlight video here:

VENDORS
Ceremony+Reception Venue: Minnesota Landscape Arboretum
Officiant: Tom Armstrong
Wedding Dress: Allure, The Wedding Shoppe
Hair/Makeup: Blowdry Bar
Suit: Men’s Wearhouse
Catering: Minnesota Landscape Arboretum
Cake: Buttercream
Flowers: Richfield Flowers & Events

Minnesota Landscape Arboretum Engagement Photography | Sam + Bryan

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Minnesota Landscape Arboretum Engagement Photos

Being that my one of my first photography loves was landscape photography, I was looking forward to the day that someone hired me to create MN Landscape Arboretum engagement photos. My dream was realized last fall with Sam + Bryan’s engagement photos! The biggest challenge of that location is being able to narrow down the areas you want to work. There are acres upon acres of spectacular settings. We ended up spending a couple of hours. I could have easily spent a couple more, except for the fact that Sam + Bryan had reached their modeling limit for the day! lol

MN Landscape Arboretum Engagement Session

Sam + Bryan – thank you so much for hiring me as your Minneapolis engagement photographer. I wish you a lifetime of happiness, smiles, laughter and love together. Best of luck on your big day!

Planning a Minnesota Landscape Arboretum engagement session? Contact me soon to discuss how we could work together!

Take a look at another of my MN Landscape Arboretum engagement sessions here too!

MN Landscape Arboretum Engagement Photo