Wedding Date: January 24th 2026

Andy has a line about Autumn that I haven't been able to stop thinking about since he said it to me on the wedding day: his wife is a little Cinderella in her own little winter kingdom. Honestly, after spending the day photographing this wedding, I don't think there's a more accurate way to describe it. Northern Minnesota in winter, snow everywhere, and a couple who leaned all the way into it. This was a full winter wonderland, and I loved every frozen second of it.

The morning started in the bridal suite, and I have to give credit where it's due, the whole crew showed up in matching pajamas, which set exactly the right tone for the day. When it came time for the dress reveal, though, the mood shifted completely. Full tears, the good kind, the kind that catch you off guard even when you know it's coming.

The first look happened in the small chapel on property, and if you've never seen that space, it's genuinely one of the most romantic little chapels I've photographed. Soft light, intimate, quiet. Autumn and Andy had a minute there that felt like it belonged just to them before the whole day swept them up.

From there we explored the grounds together with the wedding party in tow, the bridesmaids all matching in coordinated jackets that looked perfect against the snow. And then came my favorite kind of chaos: Autumn snuck up on the groomsmen and iced them, Smirnoff Ice ambushes, right there in the middle of photos. I don't think I stopped laughing for a solid five minutes.

The ceremony took place in the main hall in front of the stone hearth, decorated in winter whites and greenery that made the whole room feel like it had been styled by the season itself. As Autumn and Andy walked back down the aisle together, we grabbed one big group photo with everyone gathered around them, and it's already one of my favorite frames from the whole day.

Dinner happened in a reception hall that felt warm and inviting in every sense of the word, a nice contrast to the snow piling up outside the windows. Toasts were sweet, genuine, no dry eyes in the room. Their first dance led right into parent dances, and once those wrapped, the floor filled up fast and the party just kept building from there. High energy, full dance floor, the kind of reception that makes your feet hurt in the best way.

But if I'm being honest, the moment I'll remember most from this entire day came near the end. I pulled Autumn and Andy away from the party for a few minutes, and Autumn laced up her hockey skates right there in her wedding dress. We made our way out to the fire pit, and the two of them just stood there warming up together, skates and all, fire crackling.

Vendors: Grand View Lodge (venue and catering), Dee's Decorating (decor and lighting), R.F. Moeller Jeweler (Bob Moeller) (ring designer/shop), The Events Paige (Paige Meier) (wedding planner)