The moment when J was about to step into her beautiful wedding dress!

J & C went to highschool together in St. Louis, MO and knew one another peripherally, but they both ran with different crowds. It wasn’t until after college started that they went on a few dates when back in town. They had a great time and they both knew that there was a special connection, but they actually had to call things off due to J moving to CO to attend the Air Force Academy. She went away, and C was back to his days of chilling out on the lifeguard stand. J ended up getting injured during a training exercise and had the option for surgery and staying in the academy, or making her exit from the Air Force. She chose to exit, and that is when C’s boring lifeguard days came to an end!

J lived in China for awhile so she had many friends scattered around the globe. J & C took a long trip to Turkey and Italy in the summer of 2015 as one of her friends invited them to his wedding in Istanbul. After the wedding, they decided to check out the island of Sardinia. C knew he was going to propose a few weeks before the trip and he knew that this was the place he wanted to ask her. After a long day of hiking, they ended up at a beach called Cala Goloritze. The water was crystal clear and simultaneously electric blue; he knew this was the time. He had the ring in his pocket as they went to swim out to this rock arch. As they made it to the rock, he pulled the ring out and popped the question. She was so surprised and of course said “yes!”

These two are so spontaneous, that they decided to ditch their photography timeline for the day. When we started the day, we knew exactly why they wanted the pictures to be spontaneous. They had so much fun getting ready with their bridal party and were all living in the moment; they wanted nothing staged or planned out! They opened about five bottles of champagne before the ceremony and were non stop jamming out to Drake. They could not stop smiling, laughing, and enjoying their time with friends and family.

Their wedding was at the Millennium Hotel in Minneapolis and it was so gorgeous to have all of those open windows in the background. The ceremony was also special, because J’s college friend, Chase married them. We were able to convince J & C to sneak off after their ceremony to take some bride and groom photos; they turned out stunning! They went straight to their reception where J made all of the decorations! Their reception was a blast because their guests really, and I mean really loved to dance. C did not leave the dance floor for the whole three hours. I was amazed. After this crazy fun wedding, I realized that J & C couldn’t be more perfect for one another. They are both so spontaneous and fun, and are always down for an adventure. They truly bring out the best in one another, which makes them the perfect dynamic duo!

Vendor List:
Ceremony venue – Millennium Hotel Minneapolis – Minneapolis, MN
Reception venue – Millennium Hotel Minneapolis – Minneapolis, MN
Officiant – Chase Ryan Wilhelm
Hair stylist – Juut Salon Spa – Minneapolis, MN
Makeup artist – Juut Salon Spa – Minneapolis, MN
Caterer – Millennium Hotel Minneapolis – Minneapolis, MN
DJ – Instant Request DJ – Bengi – Bloomington, MN
Chair/table rentals – Elevated Style – Minneapolis, MN

Such a great photo of Melissa & John at the Wildlife Refuge Park in Bloomington, MN!

One night, Melissa and John happened to be at the same Hardee’s in Rogers, MN. She caught his attention immediately; he couldn’t keep his eye’s off of her. He knew he had to introduce himself. He walked over to her, and in his deep, nervous voice, he introduced himself to her. They were talking for quite some time and exchanged numbers by the end of the night. After texting back and forth for two months, they decided it was time to go on their first date. They continued talking and dating, and they both realized what they had was something special. Melissa’s daughter, Riverlyn and John have been planning out his proposal to Melissa for quite some time. They wanted it to be very simple and cute and John wanted Riverlyn to be a part of it. He proposed in their living room during one of their family nights. It was sweet and simple, and exactly what Melissa wanted.

Melissa and John’s ceremony was held at the Round Prairie Lutheran Church in Glenville, MN. My favorite part of the day was when we took pictures at the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge Park. We took pictures in this beautiful, open field. It was also a very special day because I could tell how close this family truly is with each other when Riverlyn was taking pictures with them. The bride and groom pictures we took looking over the river with the clouds were some of the best views we had this year! They turned out amazing!

Their reception was held at the Crowne Plaza Aire in bloomington, MN. It was such a fun group of family and friends. They had a ton of fun dancing all night and taking goofy pictures in the photo booth! The part that really stood out to me at the reception was the couple’s first dance. It was such a beautiful moment because Riverlyn was dancing with them. They are such a close knit family and that was the moment I could tell that their love will last forever!

Ceremony venue – Round Prairie Lutheran Church – Glenville, MN
Reception venue – Crowne Plaza Aire – Bloomington, MN
Additional photographer – Jan Bernau – Glenville, MN
Officiant – Pastor Kent
Hair stylist – Selah Salon– Kami Hirschey – Anoka, MN
Makeup artist –  Face to Face with Violett – St Louis Park, MN
Band – Shane Martin Band
Stationer – Rogers Printing – Rogers, MN
Photo Booth – VIP Photo Booth Rental – Lakeville, MN