Minnesota Destination Wedding Photographer – Nisswa, Brainerd, Two Harbors, Hibbing, Duluth, Rochester, Alexandria, and More
Joannie and I love being destination wedding photographers! We’ve had the opportunity to create destination wedding photographs all over Minnesota. Together, we have photographed destination wedding photos in Duluth, Nisswa (multiple times), Two Harbors (on several occasions), Hibbing, Rochester, Brainerd, and Alexandria. We’ve also created destination wedding photos at two Minnesota State Parks. The first was a Gooseberry Falls State Park wedding, and the second was a Split Rock Lighthouse State Park wedding.
A classic wedding portrait of Brycen and Aleksandra with the famous Split Rock Lighthouse in the distance.
Wisconsin Destination Wedding Photographers and More
Let’s not leave out Wisconsin! The list of Wisconsin destination wedding photo locations includes Birchwood, New Richmond, Stevens Point, and several others. We’ve also photographed a North Dakota destination wedding and several Iowa destination wedding photo opportunities over the years.
We have been commissioned to more distant locations like San Antonio, Texas. And a stunning destination wedding at the beautiful Lehmann Mansion in Lake Villa, Illinois.
Kissin’
There’s also one of our all-time favorites; spectacular Hawaiian destination wedding photos at the beautiful Hilton Waikoloa Village, on the big island of Hawaii.
Wedding moonrise in Hawaii
Experienced Destination Wedding Photographers
As a couple, we have a natural ability to help make our brides and grooms feel relaxed on their wedding day despite the fact that there are a lot of emotions going on. Our goal is to create great images for you while making it fun for you, your families, wedding parties & guests.
Another benefit of our many years of experience would be the “unspoken” communication that Joannie & I have together. Quite often, we can just look at a wedding day situation and we each know what the other is thinking and can act on that as your wedding photographers. That’s one of the biggest advantages we offer to our brides and grooms because we’ve been a husband and wife wedding photography team for so many years! There are not too many situations that we haven’t seen before and can’t handle for our wedding couples.
We’ve always tried to be on the cutting edge of wedding photography. From custom building our own wedding album pages back in the 1990s to becoming the world’s only Light Painting Wedding Photographers in 2017. We are different than all the rest of the wedding photographers out there.
The Best Nisswa, Minnesota Destination Wedding Photographers
Joannie and I have been honored by being selected as The Knot’s “Best of Weddings” more than a dozen times (our 2022 award is shown below)! That’s an honor we don’t take lightly at all. It’s very cool that our wedding couples have taken the time to tell others about their experiences working with us!
10 years in a row, and 13 out of the last 15 years!
We are wedding photo experts at historic Grandview Lodge Destination Weddings!
It was at Luke and Ashley’s Grandview Lodge destination wedding in Nisswa, MN, where we created our very first light painted wedding photo in 2016!
Light Painting of Luke and Ashley at the pond by the Glacial Waters Spa.
We’ve also created beautiful winter wedding photography at Grandview Lodge too!
Joannie and I have been honored to be selected by brides and grooms as WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Awards winners six times! This is an award representing the highest-rated wedding professionals as reviewed by actual engaged & wedding couples on WeddingWire.
For the 6th straight year, we’ve been honored with the WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Award for 2021!
Expertise has selected us as one of “The Best Wedding Photographers in Minneapolis” multiple times as well! Our 2022 award is shown below.
The 7th straight year Expertise has selected us as one of the “Best Wedding Photographers in Minneapolis!”
Joannie and I have been selected as members of “Best of Wedding Photography.”
Best Of Wedding Photography (BOWP) is a premier, invitation-only directory of the top wedding photographers in the world.
We’ve been selected as members of “Best of Wedding Photography”.
In 2015, Joannie & I were taken by surprise when we were inducted into The Knot’s “Best of Weddings” Hall of Fame! To be inducted into The Knot “Best of Weddings” Hall of Fame you have to have been selected “Best of Weddings” at least four times. As mentioned above, Joannie & I have now been selected nine times.
To quote The Knot about membership in The Knot Best of Weddings Hall of Fame; “they are the best of the best!”
The Knot “Best of Weddings” Hall of Fame. New 2015 inductees Michael & Joannie Anderson.
We’re More Than Just Your Minneapolis and Destination Wedding Photographers
In addition to being award-winning Minneapolis and destination wedding photographers, we also have a very well-equipped photography home-based studio since 1993. We also have our very own “Anderson’s Portrait Park“ complete with a landscaped waterfall on the nearly half-acre on land.
In addition to destination wedding photos, we also photograph maternity, newborn, kids, senior, family, pets, and engagement portraits. While we do have an actual camera room and our private Portrait Park, we also often work on location too. It’s fun to use a location that has special meaning to you.
But we are in Minnesota and the weather doesn’t always say “outdoor portraits” to a lot of people in January and February around here; so it’s nice to have the “indoor” studio when we need it!
The North Shore Destination Wedding Photographers
One of our favorite destination wedding photography and portrait locations is our annual “North Shore Portrait Weekend.” This has been an annual portrait excursion for us for over 25 years. One weekend every August we book portrait sessions for clients at Split Rock Lighthouse State Park on Lake Superior, about 150 miles north of the Twin Cities on the big lake.
Patrick and Brittany at the Split Rock Lighthouse on Lake Superior.
Some of our sessions “up north” start earlier in the day in Duluth, MN. Then we make our way up the Lake Superior shoreline to Split Rock Lighthouse State Park. The session concludes with the famous lighthouse in the background!
Every year we photograph everything from engagement portraits to families, kids, and high school senior photos up north. We’ve even photographed a special post-wedding bridal session out on the cliffs at Split Rock Lighthouse State Park.
It’s lots of fun and many of our clients look forward to coming “up north” on a regular basis. It’s always fun to go out to dinner with many of them after the last session of the day.
We’ve done destination wedding photography up on Lake Superior too! One was a pretty Split Rock Lighthouse wedding! We’ve also photographed a Gooseberry Falls destination wedding. And a pretty Superior Shores Resort and Conference Center destination wedding and also a spectacular Grand Superior Lodge destination wedding, the latter two were both in beautiful Two Harbors, MN!
What a beautiful place to get married!
Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to read a little bit about us. Please give us a call for your destination wedding photography, local wedding or portrait needs. We know for sure that you’ll be so glad you did and you will have new friends for life!
REAL CLIENT REVIEWS and TESTIMONIALS
Here’s a small sampling of what our brides and grooms had to say about us and their destination wedding photography experiences (and their Minneapolis wedding photography too).
More bride’s reviews can be found here & even more from our married couples right here.
“Michael Anderson and his wife Joannie were the dream team to work with! We found them through knot.com and weddingwire.com when I started my initial search, and surprisingly they were one of the first ones I stumbled upon and said YES to right away! It was meant to be!
I was looking for someone who lived down in the Twin Cities that we could meet with and take engagement photos, but still had the most knowledge and experience of the MN North Shore where we were going to get married. They did not disappoint!! Michael & Joannie were extremely knowledgeable about locations in both the Twin Cities and the North Shore which made me feel 100% confident that our pictures would turn out amazing.
After our first meeting with Michael, he made us feel confident and excited for the next two sessions we would have (engagement & wedding day). We also met Joannie the night Brycen & I met Michael at our first meeting, which made our decision that much easier to have Joannie included in our wedding package and be there to help photograph our big event- she was so kind, warm, and both of them felt like our family members while getting ready- I did not even hesitate about anything!
A pretty wedding party portrait of Brycen and Aleksandra with the famous Split Rock Lighthouse as the backdrop.
Our engagement shoot was a fun, relaxed, and exciting experience! Afterward, Brycen and I both looked forward to our big day the following Autumn. After seeing our wedding photos, we both could not be more blown away!
Michael and Joannie were so much fun to have a part of our wedding! They made us feel so comfortable and were so fun to hang out with all day! Everyone in our wedding party was thrilled to have them take photos of us and show us some great location spots! Once we got our wedding pictures back, both of our mothers responded with “wow these are gorgeous- how will you ever be able to choose?!”- my response was “none, I want them all”!
HUGE thank you to Michael and Joannie for being our photographers on our special day- it honestly meant the world to us! There were so many last minute things going on since it was an out of town wedding, but you were the ones who helped us enjoy every moment! I could not have envisioned our most special day without you both there to celebrate & capture our big day- especially the way they did! YOU TWO ARE THE BEST!!! THANK YOU!!!”
Aleksandra & Brycen – Grand Superior Lodge Destination Wedding Photography – posted on WeddingWire
“Hiring Michael and Joannie was one of, if not the, best decision my wife and I made when planning our big day. They were the first photographers we met with, and we knew after our meeting that we need to look no further. They were clearly true professionals, made us feel extremely comfortable and laid out a vision that was exactly what we were hoping for. When we left that first meeting we felt very excited and lucky that we were able to book them.
For the engagement shoot, my wife and I only had a vague idea of what we were looking for. We gave him a location and a couple of signs we wanted to incorporate, and the rest we entrusted to him. When we saw the results, we were blown away.
For our ceremony, we had both Michael and Joannie on hand. On an otherwise very stressful day, the photo sessions were a breath of fresh air. They created a schedule that allowed us plenty of time to get to our other responsibilities and found locations that were absolutely stunning. When we saw some of the finished product, we were nothing short of amazed.
Aleksandra and Brycen’s fantasy light painting under the northern lights!
We could not be more grateful to Michael and Joannie for the work they did for us. That day was the biggest of our lives, and thanks to them we will be able to relive it every time we look at the incredible photos they took.
If you are looking for true professionals who will make it their mission to give you incredible memories to look back on, they are the ones to call. You will not be disappointed.”
Brycen & Aleksandra – Grand Superior Lodge Destination Wedding Photography – on The Knot
“While planning our wedding, I would constantly seek advice and ask people” what is one thing you wish you would have done differently for your wedding” The answer I got several times was to “I wish I would have hired a better photographer”…. WELL if you’re looking for a better photographer, Michael and Joannie are THE BEST!!!
One of the friends who told me she wished she had hired a better photographer told me that MY WEDDING PHOTOS WERE THE BEST SHE HAD SEEN!
Rainbow kiss!
Now, this isn’t by chance! Michael and Joannie are so good at what they do! They have lots of experience, quality equipment, and endless enthusiasm for what they do. It is so fun to work with Michael and Joannie. They made our wedding day memorable not only because of the photos but because of how they interacted with our friends and family. We couldn’t have asked for better photographers! And the pictures turned out amazing!
We were also delighted to see the video/slideshow Michael put together. It brought many of us to tears. My husband and I plan to use Michael and Joannie again in the future.”
Kaitlin & Steve – Destination Wedding Photography at Superior Shores Resort and Conference Center in Two Harbors, MN – Review on Google
“Words fail to express how happy we are with Michael and Joannie. While many photographers take nice photos, no one will compare with these two truly special people. Michael and Joannie have won our business for life! In fact, many people in our wedding party (and others who have seen the photos) have asked us for his contact information!
The wedding party at Minnesota Harvest Apple Orchard.
Michael and Joannie are able to capture every small moment (often without you even realizing it). Our little ring bearer (1.5 years old) developed such a special connection with Michael that stopped and hugged Michael when he was walking down the aisle. Later in the night after all of the photos were taken, Michael even stuck around long enough to “dance” with him after he had packed up all of his equipment!”
Katelyn & Chris – Saint John’s Belle Plaine, MN Wedding – Review on Perfect Wedding Guide
“Michael and Joannie Anderson are a phenomenal photography duo. We absolutely loved having them as our photographers, their service was exceptional, they were so willing to work around what we wanted in our photos. They were so much fun to work with and they were very good at keeping our crazy and huge wedding party on track throughout the day.
A pretty night shot with Grand View Lodge as the backdrop.
They were so willing to go where ever we needed them such as coming down to the south metro to do our engagement photos and then driving 3 hours up north to capture our day. They were such a fun couple to have taking our photos and they did an amazing job!
The video reel that they have made for us has made many of our friends and family cry while watching it, they truly captured the day. Everyone should use them!!!”
Amanda & Nolan – Grand View Lodge Destination Wedding Photography in Nisswa, MN – Review on WeddingWire
“Our wedding was amazing! We had our reception at Hastings Country Club and had T.C Bear surprise all of our guests!
Andy, Brandice and Minnesota Twins mascot TC Bear!
I feel so blessed to have found Michael and Joannie to create our wedding and engagement pictures. They are like family and we constantly get compliments on our pictures to whomever we show them to!
Can’t wait to someday get maternity pictures and all the milestones our family will go through!”
Andy & Brandice – St. Thomas Aquinas Church Wedding in St. Paul Park, MN and Hastings Country Club Wedding Reception in Hastings, MN – Review on The Knot
Mike & Joannie-
“We don’t know where to begin. Thank you so much for being our wedding photographers. I cannot imagine our wedding without you both being a huge part of it. Grant and I absolutely love the photos and we can’t wait to come view them in person.
Grant & Christine’s wedding party stating the obvious at Rush Creek Golf Course.
Your talents are amazing and we are so lucky to have you in our lives. We will forever cherish our life long friendship.
Also, thank you for the beautiful engagement photo book! The design and pictures capture our personalities and love for each other perfectly. They turned out perfect!
We love you both so much and can’t thank you enough!
Lots of love”
Christine & Grant – Rush Creek Gold Club Wedding in Maple Grove, Minnesota – Review on The Knot
“The first time I met Michael was through a bridal show back in January of 2013, there were so many photographers out there and it was overwhelming.
I had no clue which photographer to go with….but when I approached Anderson’s booth, all the pictures caught my attention! Immediately, I fell in love with the style of the photos and knew right away that this is the guy for our wedding!
After looking at the prices, I decided to look for another option. After couple of months searching for a photographer, I couldn’t find anyone that was as close to Michael’s unique and creative style. We ended up meeting Michael and just loved him and his wife Joannie and decided to go with them.
We couldn’t stress the fact of how much we loved our engagement pictures and are very excited and looking forward to see our wedding photos soon! Although Michael’s price is a bit higher than most of the photographers that we researched, but it’s definitely worth it once you see the final products!
It’s so important to have a good photographer at your wedding since it’s one of the most important days in your life!”
Rick & Sarah – Twin Cities Wedding – review from The Knot
“Beautiful Work”
“I am the daughter of a photographer who did wedding photography for 20 plus years, so when it was time to find my own photographer, let’s just say I am a bit picky. Mike has been wonderful to work with. He has answered every question I had and made my fiancé and I feel like one of the family.
A little fun on the famous lift bridge in Stillwater, MN.
He truly knows what he is doing and this coming from someone who knows the wedding photography business. Our wedding isn’t until August, but he did our engagement session in October. He had a lot of fun ideas for us to try and really captured us being us. The photos turned out beautiful and it was hard to pick just one for our Save the Dates. He got us our engagement photos a lot faster than I was expecting and the ordering process was super easy.
He is very responsive to e-mails and I never felt like I was bothering him. Both Mike and Joannie are delightful and I can’t wait for them to shoot our big day in a couple of months. I just love staring at our engagement pictures.”
Samantha & Kenton – Church of St. Michael Wedding Photography in Stillwater, MN and Oak Marsh Golf Course Wedding Reception Photos in Oakdale, MN – review on The Knot