Mr. and Mrs. Oien!

12/12/12 is a day that Tamara and Russell will never forget and either will I! As a wedding photographer, each and every wedding is very different and special in it's own way. This is the second wedding I've had the pleasure of documenting for the Carlyon family and I found it very refreshing for a few reasons. First, Tamara and Russell spent their money on only things that were a priority to them, such as their flowers (who the mother-of-the-bride did a lovely job arranging the bouquets!), food, and photography. Secondly, they kept the entire day very intimate by only inviting their immediate family to the wedding. And lastly, they totally and completely enjoyed themselves. Tamara and Russell's day was simple, thoughtfully put together and a true reflection of what matters most to them.

If you remember a few weeks back, I traveled with Tamara and her friends to San Francisco to document their bachelorette party. I REALLY love this idea and I think it might be an up-and-coming trend for brides. For Tamara, she had the best of both worlds. A bridal party photo session with her favorite women in her life, along with the small and intimate wedding day. Both were planned to a T, but her and Russell also left enough room to totally go-with-the-flow.

On the wedding day, Russell came and picked up his bride at the salon she was getting ready at. A couple of her friends took some time off of work to be with her during the 'getting ready' part of the day and had lots of laughs together! Before the ceremony, we decided to pop over to Tilia for a quick drink, and about 5 minutes before the ceremony was to begin, we decided to mozy on to the location, which was a little gazebo by Lake Harriett, right in the heart of Minneapolis. Their ceremony was short, sweet and full of love! For the reception, the couple rented out the 110 North Loop Loft and all of the food was catered in by Gastrotruck Catering, which, I must say, was to die for! The venue was set with all of the little DIY details that Tamara, Russell and their families had crafted together and it was simply a gorgeous and perfect venue for this intimate winter wedding!

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Congratulations to Tamara and Russell on their marriage! Thank you SO SO SO much for inviting me along this entire journey with you to document this time in your life. I've loved every second of it!

LOVEe