Wedding Date: June 11th 2022

There’s a beautiful little lake that holds a very special place in the hearts of Vanessa and Anthony. So much so, that they decided to buy a home nearby along with their mother and aunt and host their wedding at a family lake home. Everyone around the lake was buzzing with excitement and was ready to chip in to help in any way they could. With the sun shining and the Minnesota summer in its full glory, their day was finally here.

We decided to do their first look down by the lake shore overlooking the beautiful scenery. One of my favorite moments of the day came when I heard Anthony quietly whisper, “we get to do this today?!” Through misty eyes, they both seemed to realize their day was finally here and joy washed over them. Their excitement was contagious and both had a huge smile on their face from that point on. Vanessa’s mother worked in the photography industry for years (even working with one of our team members for a while!) and everyone in attendance seemed to be linked to photography in one way or another. So between group photos, I was answering gear questions and talking shop. It was awesome and kind of felt like a photography lovers conference on the lake!

Once everything was in its place, the beautiful outdoor ceremony was ready to begin. Family watched from the deck overlooking the lawn as Vanessa walked down the aisle and stunned everyone in her gorgeous unique veil and beaming smile. Anthony couldn’t take his eyes off her. The joy-filled ceremony was complimented by a cool breeze off the lake and lots of giggles and smiles. When they were finally declared husband and wife, we decided to jump on a pontoon and take a victory lap around the lake. Onlookers cheered from the shore and Vanessa stood on the seats to let her veil flare out, turning her into a bridal superhero. Watching them laugh and gaze out over the water taking in the moment was the perfect way to lead into the big party that awaited them on the shore.

The tent was set, the music was playing, and guests were happily mingling and sipping cocktails. They decided to skip the cake cutting and instead Anthony and his groomsmen joined together to “cut the pig.” Vanessa couldn’t stop laughing as the three of them fed each other. Anthony also has a knack for cover songs, so the playlist was ecclect and lively. He made a point to stop in the middle of a conversation and ask, “Who knows this song? Cover artist and original artist?” Everyone happily took turns guessing but he was of course the master. As the sun started to dip below the horizon and the air began to cool, the party really got going. After a few sweet first dances, the dance floor filled with friends and family all singing along to the best cover songs. After checking in, I walked through the lawn trying to figure out the original and cover artist of the song that was playing in the background and smiled to myself knowing it was an awesome day.

Amazing Vendors: K&G Rentals (decor), Mr. Pig Stuff (catering), Sweet Kneads Farmington Bakery (dessert), CaptureMN (photo booth), Wedding Shoppe (dress shop), Indochino (suit), Shaun Louis Events (DJ and day of coordination), Tasha Eriksen (makeup), Alissa Peterson (hair), Hannah Hartzler (table numbers)