While most weddings in 2020 were unlike any those of us in the industry have ever seen before, one thing that remained consistent was that they produced some amazing photos. Though we didn’t have as many weddings as we had planned in 2020, the ones who made the needed changes to proceed safely were amazing. Here are some of my favorite photos from them!
Kirsten and Ben: January – Radisson Blu, Mall of America
Photography: Studio Veil
This was the only wedding we had before the pandemic hit, and it was quite the memorable one. Since we were going to be at Mall of America anyway, Kirsten wanted to find a way to get the whole wedding party on a roller coaster. You can read about how we managed to make it happen on the blog post we did, but as you can see while Kirsten loved it, Ben was a little less enthused.
Lyla and Matt: June – Our Lady of Lourdes Church
Photography: Veronica Barnes
We had the opportunity to help pull off a surprise car parade for Lyla and Matt who ended up just having a tiny ceremony with their closest people. They had no idea there would be a crowd of people across the street waving and holding signs, and decorated cars driving by and honking. Check out our blog post on it for more photos and backstory on how it came to be.
Gayle and Ben: July – Semple Mansion
Photography: Laura Leigh Images
If there was a picture that captures the beauty and grace found in 2020, this one of Gayle is it. When many people were telling her (including me) that it was probably time to think about postponing her wedding, Gayle kept the faith and was able to have the day she (mostly) wanted on the day she wanted. This photo says “I made it!”
Alisa and Adam: August – Private Residence in Wisconsin
Photography: Lauren Baker Photography
We were on Plan C for Alisa and Adam’s wedding plans at their original venue, but we didn’t know if it would reopen on time, so six weeks out from their day they made the decision to move everything to Alisa’s parent’s home in Wisconsin. While they were able to keep most of their vendors and plans, they were now able to do some fun things that would not have happened at their original venue, like a fireworks show and a sunset paddleboat ride around the lake. You can see more of the fun parts of their day on The Inspired Bride.
Melissa and Zig: August – The Gardens of Castle Rock
Photography: Rachel Lahlum Photography
Melissa and Zig were able to have most of the people and elements of their wedding in place as they had planned, but because of travel restrictions, Zig’s mother was not able to travel from overseas. They made the decision to move forward with the wedding and do a livestream from it for those who could not attend. What they didn’t know was that Zig’s mother sent Melissa’s mother a letter from her to read during the ceremony. Not a dry eye in the crowd. You can see more from their wedding on Rachel Lahlum’s blog post.
Kayla and Patrick: September – St. Croix Woodlands
Photography: Samantha Cater Photography
After much back and forth about what to do about their wedding day, Kayla and Patrick opted to have a safe, small outdoor ceremony and social time. They wanted their guests to feel very comfortable about being there, so masks were definitely a must, even for them as much as possible. Even though you can’t see their whole faces, you can feel all the love they shared.
Laura and Tyler: September – The Grand 1858
Photography: Cameron & Tia
Choosing a favorite photo from this wedding was hard. Laura and Tyler’s 200 person wedding ended up being about 40 people, but it was just as beautiful as they had originally planned. Their dog Winnie even made an appearance for some photos. But it was really this one of Laura dancing with her mom Diana that spoke to me. Diana worked so hard to help Laura and Tyler to have an amazing day, so it was great seeing them able to cut loose on the dance floor, masks and all. See more fun pictures of the day on Cameron and Tia’s blog.
Victoria and Alex: October – Embassy Suites Minneapolis
Photographer: Mark Fierst Photography
10/10/2020 was a HUGE date for weddings, so there was no way Victoria and Alex were going to give it up, even after their venue was damaged and had to move to another one, and cut down their guest list. It even meant having to get their ketubah and license signed the day before and have the rabbi perform their ceremony virtually on the day of the wedding. As you can see it worked out just fine, and Alex was still able to get that glass stomped just fine at the end of the ceremony!
Mark joined me in a great conversation about common questions couples have about wedding photography on our blog.
Carrie and Russ: October – Pique Travel Event Space
Photography: Studio Veil
Unlike a lot of other weddings in 2020, Carrie and Russ lived in Wisconsin and came to Minnesota for their wedding, even though restrictions were tighter. They were planning on having a small gathering anyway, and were just so happy to be getting married. I love this photo of the two of them dancing and only aware of each other. I also love how the tealights I put on the fireplace at Pique gave them a twinkly background to dance in front of.
Did you know we manage the rental for Pique Travel Event Space in Excelsior? It is a great space for a smaller wedding, rehearsal dinner or any celebration!
Lilly and Billy: November – Day Block Event Center
Photography: Kjerstin Thea Photography
Our last wedding of 2020, and we squeaked it out about 2 weeks before everything shut down again. They had cut down their guest list to about 40 people, and I have to tell you it was the best wedding I have ever done at Day Block. Having a smaller crowd there was a dream. The flip was a breeze, we didn’t have to knock tables down for dancing, and there was plenty of space for guests to spread out. We were also able to give the couple the cutest sweetheart table to perfectly complete the layout of the room.
Who knows what 2021 will bring, but one thing we do know is that if they are given the opportunity, couples will find a way to have their special day, even if it’s not quite what they had originally planned. We love helping them find ways to do that, so be sure to set up a time for a consultation, and maybe your photo will land on our best of 2021 list!
