Marjorie McNeely Conservatory Wedding
It’s time to share some of the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory wedding photos from Chris and Sarah’s pretty August 18th wedding. This was a wonderful wedding! A cute couple at a beautiful location with Sarah’s dad marrying them in front of close family and friends.
A great wedding portrait of Chris and Sarah created on the pretty grounds at Como Park.
Just a couple of weeks earlier, Chris and Sarah joined us on our 23rd annual “North Shore Weekend” to have their engagement photos taken. Those engagement photos turned out pretty cool, especially one particular image where a bald eagle flew right behind them while they were up on a cliff overlooking Lake Superior!
The pretty light painted engagement photo of Chris and Sara’s on Iona’s Beach.
Wedding Ceremony Photos at the Como Conservatory
This certainly wasn’t our first time photographing a Marjorie McNeely Conservatory wedding, but I’m pretty sure it was the first time that we opened the building. You see, in order to have your wedding held at the Como Conservatory, the wedding was to be either before it opens or after it closes.
So Joannie and I literally left the studio in the dark that Saturday morning! We headed to The Saint Paul Hotel for a few photos of Sarah getting ready there. Then a short time later, we headed to Como for their wedding ceremony.
Marjorie McNeely Conservatory Wedding Ceremony
This was a beautiful summer morning here in Minnesota. Comfortable temperatures and some patchy fog here and there. When we arrived at the Como Conservatory, the sun looked like a dark orange ball in the sky as it tried to burn off the fog.
Chris and Sarah’s pretty wedding ceremony in the Sunken Gardens.
Once everyone had arrived, Sarah and her dad, Jeff, walked down the aisle in the beautiful Sunken Gardens at the Como Conservatory. Chris was waiting for them at the far end. Once there, Sarah joined Chris, and her dad, a real reverend, walked around them and became their minister!
Wedding Photographs at the Como Conservatory
Upon the conclusion of their wedding ceremony, Chris, Sarah, and their parents greeted their wedding guests in a receiving line. Afterward, we took family photos back in the Sunken Gardens. Once the families were photographed, the next hour or so was spent creating wedding photos of just the newlyweds!
A pretty wide-angle view of Chris and Sarah in the pretty Sunken Gardens at the Como Conservatory.
We don’t get to do that very often at weddings, an extended period of time with just our bride and groom. Since their luncheon was still a couple of hours away, we had nice, non-rushed, quality time with just them.
A pretty wedding photo of Chris and Sarah by the Frog Pond at Como Park.
Wedding Photos in the Japanese at the Como Conservatory
Since their wedding was at such an early hour, we had to wait for the beautiful Ordway Japanese Gardens to open. Once it did, we took some really pretty images of these two newlyweds by the beautiful pond located there.
A really pretty wedding photo of the newlyweds in the Japanese Gardens.
Despite the fact that the sun had now burned off the fog and the lighting had become a bit challenging, these are some really pretty wedding images! That area at the Como Park Conservatory is a really a hidden gem.
Wedding Reception at the Happy Gnome
After our photo stop in the Ordway Japanese Gardens, it was time to head to our final destination, their wedding reception and luncheon at the Happy Gnome in Saint Paul, MN.
This was a really great time! Everyone enjoying the celebration with Chris and Sarah. We had a really wonderful lunch, complete with wedding cake. Then Chris and Sarah, followed by Sarah and her dad, had their ceremonial first dances right there as well. All-in-all, it was a great way to send these newlyweds off into their future life together!
A fun photo of Chris and Sarah in front of the Happy Gnome.
We’ve put together a fun music video that has many more of their Marjorie McNeely Conservatory wedding photos and a few video clips mixed in there as well.
A big thank you to Chris and Sarah for asking us to capture your engagement portraits on Lake Superior, your one-of-a-kind light painted engagement portrait, and even more importantly, your wedding day memories too! We’re looking forward to creating a pretty wedding album with you when you are ready. We’re also looking forward to a long-lasting friendship with you two as well! – M&J