Minnesota Wedding Photographer, Joanna Day specializes in artistic documentary wedding & portrait photography. Serving all of Minnesota & worldwide.

Kelsey & Joe’s Hazeltine Golf Club Wedding

It was such an honor to be a part of Kelsey & Joe’s special wedding day at the Hazeltine Golf Club. Kelsey wasn’t feeling too great and Joe was just so sweet and comforting with her. During their reception they spoke to their guests and it was such a touching moment as they shared their love for each other and their families. These two have such a bond and I am so excited for them as they start their future as husband & wife. I wish you both the very best and may you be blessed and loved always! Big hugs.

hazeltine golf club wedding photos ring shot

hazeltine golf club wedding photos

Amazing Vendors:
Venue & Caterer: Hazeltine National Golf Club
Florist: Studio B Floral
Cake: Sweet Treats by Jeff

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Dana Johnson - June 7, 2013 - 2:41 pm

Oh! I love the yellow!! The ballon photos are the best!! This is making me just get so excited to shoot a wedding! Great job Jo!!

Wedding Wednesday: Why You Should do a First Look

The moment you see each other when you are walking down the isle will always be special, even if you do a first look. I feel very passionate that a first look is something that every couple should do, so this post explains my reasons! This is a very personal decision that everyone must come to decide on their own. Hopefully this post will help you decide!

stillwater wedding photographers

So, why do a first look? A first look is just so great because it is intimate. It is special. It is just between you and your fiancé. When we shoot them, no one else is watching and Johnny and I will even shoot with longer lenses which allows us to stand a little further away so that you have privacy.

A first look is your MOMENT together to soak up the day and take it all in!! The day you get married is such a strange whirlwind of emotions. it goes by so fast! You will not remember every little bit of it. it will feel like a daze. it seriously is the weirdest thing ever how fast it flies by. So a first look can be a time to take in all the senses, to really FEEL the moment and to not let it escape you! I like to take these first looks very slow. They are just so special.

stillwater wedding photographers

After the first look I love to take some of the “standard” portraits of you two while you hair and makeup is fresh. These are just some simple bridal and groom portraits. Once we get these we can focus on the fun stuff.

stillwater wedding photographers

I did a first look during my wedding and I cherish those private moments where I was able to see Johnny for the first time. I was so nervous! I just wanted to see my best friend. Even though we did a first look we both still cried during the ceremony when I walked down the isle. A first look can never replace that moment.

I hope this helped you in your decision! If there is something else that you would like to see me write about regarding weddings, let me know!

Tags: wedding wednesday

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Kelsey & Joe

Congratulations, Kelsey & Joe!! Be sure to wish the couple some love in the facebook comments below. xoxo

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Wedding Wednesday: Crafting the Perfect Wedding Day Timeline

Welcome to the beginning of “Wedding Wednesday” a weekly series where I share my wedding planning tips regarding your wedding photos. These are some of the most common questions that I get, so I’d like to take some time to answer them here on the blog! I don’t know if this will be a permanent series… but we will just take it as we go! If you have any questions that you would love to see answered here, please ask away in the comments! I will be happy to answer them!

aqua and turquoise paper wedding flowers

Some of the biggest questions that I get during consultations are: “how many hours do we need?”, “how long does family portraits take?” or “how long does the wedding party portraits take?”

Here are some of my tips:

All portraits–family photos, bride & groom photos, & the bridal party photos–take roughly 2.5 hours
It is best to do the family portraits before the ceremony if at all possible. Why? Because after the ceremony everyone can get quite excited to see distant relatives and start chatting and forget where they need to be after the ceremony!
Plan for a 45-60 minute break prior to the ceremony. You will want the time to take a break, freshen up, pray, and spend time soaking it all in with your family & bridal party. The ceremony is the most important part of the day! You will want to be ready for it.This is also a great time for Johnny and I to capture some detail shots, guests arriving, and to prepare for the ceremony.
Saving some Bride & Groom and/or Bridal Party portraits for after the ceremony will add a lot more energy and excitement to your portraits. Why? Because you are officially MARRIED!! Exciting! This is my favorite part of the day.

Given those tips, here is a sample timeline:

12:00 Johnny & Joanna Arrive
1:00 Dress on, Finish Touches
1:30 First Look/Bride & Groom Portraits
2:00 Family Portraits
2:30 Bridal Party Portraits
3:00 Break
4:00 Ceremony Begins
4:30 Ceremony Ends
4:45 Bride & Groom Portraits
6:00 Grand Entrance to Reception

You will notice that this timeline includes a first look. What is it and why would you do it? A first look is the opportunity for you to see your fiancé before the ceremony in a more intimate setting. There are many reasons for and against it! We personally LOVE them. Next week I will be sharing why first looks are amazing and why you should do them.

Thanks for reading! Do you have any tips and tricks for planning out your wedding timeline? Feel free to share them below in the comments!

Tags: wedding wednesdays

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May 2013 Goals | This is Us…

So! I had intended to post my May goals on May 1st — like I did last month. But, you know, I let life get too busy. I let my schedule take over yet again. It happens! It is a work in progress. Accomplishing my April goals were difficult. I think that I had too many goals. I ended up not doing a lot of them because there were just too many!

What DID work:

-Finished reading the “E-Myth” — which I HIGHLY recommend to all you photographers or small business owners. It has changed how I look at my business.
-Social media free weekends!
-Go bed early/wake up early — I didn’t wake up as early as I wanted (the real goal is 6:30am consistently) But this is a lifelong struggle for me. I have routinely been waking up between 6:30am-8am. Even 8am is early for me, friends! Super excited!!

What DIDN’T work:

-Pretty much everything else.

So for May, I will be focusing on crafting and executing a portion of my ideal day, every single day. And continue to wake up early. Reach my 6:30am goal at least 3 times. I can do this! Because there hasn’t been many photos on the blog lately (they’re coming, I promise!! Wedding & Portrait season is upon us, friends!), here are some photos from a walk that Johnny and I took recently.

This is us. Walking in our neighborhood. Johnny practicing his long board. I gave it a shot. It was fun! I am makeup less. But I am sharing these anyway.