Prewedding Photography Archives | Carina Photographics

Como Park Conservatory Engagement Photography | Katie + Jared

Como Park Engagement Session

Jared + Katie were excited to have an engagement photo session the summer before their big day in 2021. They wanted photos to treasure as well as photos for their Save-the-Date cards. We talked over options, and they loved the idea of Como Park and Conservatory for its gorgeous green space as well as being the site of one of their first dates. I will admit I am biased toward Como Park, as I got married there myself! 🙂

Como Conservatory Engagement Portraits

The day came for their engagement session, and lucky for us, the closure of the Conservatory (due to the pandemic) meant that we had most of the park to ourselves. We spent lots of time around the Conservatory, Frog Pond, pergola, gardens, benches and green space all around. We even had time to visit Como Park’s new Lily Pond feature with its bridges, flowers, pergola, pond and fountains. It is such a beautiful park. We worked together for about 1-1/2 hours and had an awesome time!

Thank You!

Katie + Jared, thank you so much for working with me as your engagement photographer! I had so much fun working with you for your beautiful engagement photos. And I am so excited for your big day next year!

If you are considering Conservatory engagement photos, contact me soon!

BONUS: Be sure to take a look at some other engagement sessions I photographed at Como Park, including a spring engagement session, a winter engagement session, another spring engagement session, another winter engagement session, another spring engagement session, a summer engagement session, an anniversary portrait session, and even a Como Town Amusement Park engagement session!

EXTRA BONUS: Be sure to check out Katie + Jared’s slideshow of their engagement photos too!

Minneapolis Engagement Studio Photography | Troy + Juliana

By Joanna Carina

MN Studio Engagement Photography

I met Troy through mutual friends many years ago. I was thrilled when he started dating Juliana – it was so clear that they became head-over-heels in love! When they announced they were getting married, I was even more thrilled! Naturally, I was excited to work with them at my St Paul studio for their engagement photography session.

St Paul Engagement Photography

The day came and they jumped right in and were so excited for their session. They had planned to get dressed up, have their photoshoot, and then go out to dinner for a date night. In fact, they said they had so much fun that the session almost felt as though it was part of the date too!

They visited my St Paul studio at a later time for their Cinematic Presentation + Design Consultation. They were thrilled with their final selections and now have a number of digital files for their own use. We even designed a gorgeous custom wall art collection so they could see their love on the wall each day of their lives.

Thank You!

Thank you, Troy + Jules, for choosing to work with me as your fine art studio engagement photographer. I had so much fun working with you two, and I am so happy that you love your photographs!

If you’d like to work together for your engagement photography, contact me soon!

Make sure to take a look at some of my other engagement photo sessions too, including another studio engagement session, MN Landscape Arboretum engagement photos, another Landscape Arboretum engagement session, Mill City Museum engagement photos, a Como Park Conservatory engagement session, Guthrie Theater engagement photos, St Olaf College engagement photos, and a Stillwater engagement session.

Minnesota Landscape Arboretum Engagement Photography | Marcie + Dave

By Joanna Carina

Minnesota Landscape Arboretum Engagement Photos

Marcie + Dave are planning their wedding at the MN Landscape Arboretum next fall. They decided they also wanted to enjoy an engagement photo session in the gorgeous gardens too. We were lucky enough to find a beautiful autumn day with stunning colors with perfect weather for their session!

MN Landscape Arboretum Engagement Session

We started their photo session in the Arboretum woodland gardens and shared lots of fun and laughs. We wandered around the stone trails, benches and beautiful pond. Then we moved on to the gardens, ponds, waterfalls and trails behind the Visitor’s Center. We found so many beautiful scenes and spectacular fall color, and even crossed paths with a pack of wild turkeys. A bonus feature during sunset was Patrick Dougherty’s giant willow building sculpture that is currently featured at the Arb. It is so spectacular, and we were excited to have the chance to photograph with it. It was such a beautiful autumn day and an amazing photo session!

Thank You!

Marcie + Dave, thank you so much for choosing to work with me as your engagement photographer. I’ve had such a great time getting to know you, and I am so excited for your big day next fall!

If you are considering MN Landscape Arboretum engagement photography, contact me soon!

BONUS: Be sure to take a look at additional engagement sessions I photographed at the MN Landscape Arboretum, including a summer engagement session, a winter light sculpture engagement session, another summer engagement session, another winter Landscape Arboretum engagement session, an autumn Arboretum engagement session, and even an Arboretum engagement session at the dog park!

BONUS: Be sure to take a look at Marcie + Dave’s slideshow too!

Minnesota Landscape Arboretum Engagement Photography | Katharine + Zach

By Joanna Carina

MN Landscape Arboretum Engagement Photos

Katharine + Zach’s Minnesota Landscape Arboretum engagement session was so perfect. The two of them love to spend time together in the beautiful outdoors, going hiking, visiting National Parks, etc. In fact, they were engaged right in Zion National Park! So when we began to plan for their engagement session, they really wanted a place with beautiful outdoor landscapes. The Landscape Arboretum was the perfect choice!

Minnesota Landscape Arboretum Engagement Session

We started their session at the Arboretum near the waterfalls. Since Zach is an architect, he is drawn to bridges and other interesting architectural features, so the bridged waterfall gardens were a great choice. We started with a more hidden waterfall, then moved on to the woodlands garden and the frog pond with waterfall too. A bonus feature was Patrick Dougherty’s giant willow sculpture that is currently featured on the grounds. It is so spectacular, and we were excited to have the chance to photograph with it! Once we finished with the gardens near the Visitor Center, we headed out to the Three Mile Drive to take in the wildflower fields and the grass garden just as the sun was setting for the day. Everything was just picture-perfect!

Thank You!

Katharine + Zach, 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 next summer!

If you are considering Minnesota Landscape Arboretum engagement photography, contact me soon!

BONUS: Be sure to take a look at additional engagement sessions I photographed at the MN Landscape Arboretum, including a winter light sculpture engagement session, a summer engagement session, an autumn engagement session, a winter Landscape Arboretum engagement session, another autumn Arboretum engagement session, and even an Arboretum engagement session at the dog park!

Bonus: Take a look at Katharine + Zach’s slideshow too!

Mill City Museum, Guthrie Theater + Gold Medal Park Engagement Photography | Wittne + Scott

By Joanna Carina

Mill City Museum Engagement Session

Wittne + Scott were in the midst of planning for their upcoming fall 2019 wedding. Being that we were in our typical early spring, they wanted to have an engagement session that had options for both indoor and outdoor photos. They loved the look of the gorgeous Mill City Museum, so we chose to work there. I had so much fun with their Mill City Museum engagement photos!

The day arrived and we were so excited. The weather had been unseasonably warm, and it was going to be a beautiful sunny day, so we were so excited that we could work in both locations! We spent the first half of our time in the beautiful Mill City Museum. We had lots of fun and laughs as we meandered around the weekday afternoon quiet of the historic building. Once we had our fill, we decided to head to the back of the museum, facing the Mississippi River.

We started at the back of the Mill City Museum, then detoured over to the back of the Guthrie Theater for some classic photos of the two of them by the large blue back wall. These locations are always stunning!

Gold Medal Park Engagement Photos

After we finished up with the architectural building photos, Wittne + Scott were excited to spend a bit of time at Gold Medal Park for some views over the city and river. We headed to the top of the hill at the park’s center for some beautiful photos with the trees and with the city skyline. Such a fun day!

Thank You!

Thank you so much, Wittne + Scott, for working with me as your engagement photographer. I am so happy for you both, and can’t wait for your wedding day coming up later this year!

BONUS: Take a look at another spring Mill City Museum engagement session and winter Mill City Museum engagement photos too! Also be sure to check out a beautiful Mill City Museum wedding with Guthrie Theater and Gold Medal Park portraits that I captured too!

Take a look at Wittne + Scott’s slideshow too!

Como Conservatory Engagement Photography | Sarah + Eric

By Joanna Carina

Como Conservatory Engagement Session

Sarah + Eric live in Chicago. They are planning for their Mill City Museum in Minneapolis later this summer, and were in town to work on planning and details for their big day. So we made time for their engagement photography while they were here too. Since it was winter, and a bitterly cold time of year at that, they loved the idea of having Como Conservatory engagement photos.

St Paul Engagement Photography

We started first thing on a busy weekday morning. Sarah + Eric wanted a few photos with their puppy Sage, so we started off outdoors. Sage was so adorable, and was a perfect model, especially considering it was below zero that morning!

After Sage headed home with Sarah’s dad, the three of us ran indoors to the warm, humid Conservatory. The Sunken Garden featured the bright, fun colors of the spring flower show. Bonus: the light that morning was amazing! The filtered sun was perfect – not too harsh or dull. The gorgeous water, greenery, bright flowers and wonderfully humid air really made us feel like we were in the tropics. We worked in the Sunken Garden, Palm Dome and North Garden before our hour was up. When we were finished, we had a short turnaround until Sarah + Eric came to my studio to see their final photos as they were only in town for a couple of days. They loved their photos!

Thank You!

Thank you so much for choosing to work with me as your engagement photographer, Sarah + Eric. I loved working with you both (and Sage too!) I can’t wait to photograph your wedding later this summer!

If you are interested in having a Como Conservatory engagement session, contact me soon to discuss how we could work together!

BONUS: Be sure to take a look at some other engagement sessions I photographed at Como Park, including a spring engagement session, another spring engagement session, another winter engagement session, a summer engagement session, another spring engagement session, another summer engagement session, an anniversary portrait session, and even a Como Town Amusement Park engagement session!

Take a look at more of Sarah + Eric’s beautiful Como Park Conservatory engagement photos here too!

Mill City Museum + Guthrie Theater Engagement Photography | Alison + Steve

By Joanna Carina

Mill City Museum Engagement Session

Alison + Steve are in the midst of planning for their upcoming fall 2019 wedding. Because it’s the middle of our chilly Minnesota winter, they wanted to have an engagement session in a location with both indoor and outdoor options, so opted for the gorgeous Mill City Museum. I had so much fun during their beautiful engagement session!

As is pretty normal for most couples, getting in front of the camera for the first time is never easy. They were a bit nervous starting out, but once they got the hang of it, they were having fun during their session too! We met up during a weekday afternoon while the Mill City Museum was pretty quiet. We had lots of time to wander around, hanging out in the museum’s nooks and crannies and beautiful lobby setting. I particularly love the beautiful light near the back of the museum, the courtyard views, and the light around the stairway and basement. The Mill City Museum has such beautiful architecture and history from Minneapolis’ beginnings. After we spent plenty of time indoors, we opted to head outside for a few photos outside the museum, facing the Mississippi River. It was definitely a typical chilly Minnesota winter day!

Guthrie Theater Engagement Photos

Once we got a bit too cold for more outdoor fun, we headed over to the Guthrie Theater. We started out in the yellow room near the top of the Guthrie. Such a spectacular view of Minneapolis! Once we were done warming up, we headed outside to the back of the theater for a few photos by the beautiful blue siding and green shrubs. Another building with spectacular architecture!

Thank You!

Thank you so much, Alison + Steve, for working with me as your engagement photographer. I am so happy for the two of you, and so excited for your wedding day coming up this fall!

BONUS 1: Take a look at another spring Mill City Museum engagement session, a spring Mill City Museum + Gold Medal Park engagement session, and another winter Mill City Museum engagement photos too!

BONUS 2: Check out a beautiful Mill City Museum wedding with Guthrie Theater portraits that I captured too!

Take a look at their slideshow too!

St Olaf College Engagement Photography | Sarah + Ezra

By Joanna Carina

St Olaf College

Sarah + Ezra met several years ago while attending St Olaf College in Northfield MN. They now live half a country apart for jobs and school, and won’t be moving back to Minnesota until next summer. While they were in town visiting family and planning their wedding, they were excited for the opportunity to photograph their engagement session. Naturally, they gravitated toward the alma mater where they met. Luckily, the rainy fall weather held off long enough for us to have their beautiful St Olaf College engagement session!

St Olaf Engagement Session

We headed down to Northfield on a day with patchy rain. Since they were only in town together very rarely, we had to work no matter what the weather. Luckily, we timed it just right and photographed the two of them in some of their favorite spots on campus between rain clouds. We visited the running fields, a quiet bench overlooking a pond, a few of the gorgeous old buildings, the quad between buildings, a few walking paths, gardens and trails, and even on a spot overlooking downtown Northfield. The umbrellas came out at one point during a slight drizzle, but the rain left as soon as it had appeared. Sarah + Ezra loved visiting their old stomping grounds. A perfect fit while they are in the midst of planning for their big day. We had so much fun!

Thank You!

Thank you so much, Sarah + Ezra, for working with me as your engagement photographer! I had so much fun working with you for your beautiful St Olaf engagement photos, and I am so excited for your wedding next year!

If you are considering St Olaf College engagement photos, contact me soon to see if we’d be a good fit together!

BONUS 1: Check out Sarah + Ezra’s gorgeous Semple Mansion wedding photos too!

BONUS 2: Take a look at a beautiful St Olaf College wedding I photographed too!

Take a look at their awesome slide show too!

Stillwater MN Engagement Photography | Anna + Adam

By Joanna Carina

Stillwater Engagement Photography

Anna + Adam were former residents of Minnesota before moving to their current home of Chicago. They planned to get married back in MN to be near family and friends. When they thought about where in MN they wanted to take their engagement photos, the beautiful Twin Cities suburb of Stillwater came to mind. It’s such a cute, quaint town set amongst the trees along the St Croix river. When they mentioned to me their interest in having Stillwater engagement photography, I was so excited! I love Stillwater too, and I would finally have the chance to work at a location I had always hoped to visit: the St Croix Boom Site.

St Croix River

We started their mid-fall prewedding session at Pioneer Park. The park is on a high bluff that has a spectacular view over the gorgeous river and architecture of Stillwater. It’s surrounded by beautiful old Victorian homes, quaint streets and brick buildings.

After we spent some time there, we headed over to the St Croix Boom Site for a walk below the bluffs, cliffs and caves down by the water’s edge. Our options for walking around there were slightly reduced as the river flooding had not yet fully subsided. It’s been a rainy summer and fall for us!

After the fun at the Boom Site, we headed in to downtown Stillwater to work around the river walk and vintage buildings. Again, the actual river walk was still under water, but we were still able to catch a few photos of them nearby.

Thank You!

Thank you so much, Anna + Adam, for choosing to work with me as your engagement photographer! I loved working with you for your beautiful Stillwater engagement photos. I am so excited for your winter Hamline Church and Semple Mansion wedding!

Make sure to take a look at my Stillwater wedding photography and Pioneer Park wedding photography too!

ETA: Check out Anna + Adam’s gorgeous Semple Mansion wedding photos too!

Considering a Stillwater wedding or engagement session? Contact me soon to see if we would be a great fit together!

Check out their slideshow for more fun images from Anna + Adam’s Stillwater engagement session!

Mill City Museum Engagement Photography | Danielle + Emmanuel

By Joanna Carina

Beautiful Mill City Museum Engagement Photos

Danielle + Emmanuel wanted a Mill City Museum engagement photography session to capture some beautiful images of the two of them to celebrate their engagement. Their wedding will be held in the Dominican Republic, so it was perfect to have their engagement photos held in Minneapolis, where they live. Being that it was winter, they were hoping for a nice (and warm!) indoor space. They loved the idea of the modern, rustic elegance of the Mill City Museum.

Minneapolis Engagement Session

We visited the Mill City Museum on a quiet weekday afternoon. A few spots in the museum were closed for the winter (such as the beautiful rustic courtyard and train depot), but the rest of the museum was open to us. Danielle + Emmanuel quickly got into the groove of having a photographer direct them around and capture their every move. While the museum is small, there are a ton of nooks, angles and views that make for great photo backdrops. Even though it was winter, the weather was a bit warm that day. We not only got to spend a fair amount of time working throughout the museum, but we also were able to head outdoors to the back side of the museum. Even though it was a little chilly, the two of them were easily able to spend time together without coats.

Thank You!

Thank you so much, Danielle + Emmanuel, for choosing to work with me as your engagement photographer. I had a great time getting to know you and seeing your love for one another. I wish you the best of luck on your amazing Dominican Republic wedding! (And best of luck with finishing school too Danielle!)

BONUS 1: Take a look at Alison + Steve’s Mill City Museum engagement photos, Wittne + Scott’s Mill City + Gold Medal Park engagement photos, and Katie + Bob’s Mill City Museum engagement session too! If you are interested in having a Mill City Museum engagement session, contact me soon to discuss how we could work together!

BONUS 2: Check out a beautiful Mill City Museum wedding with Guthrie Theater portraits that I captured too!