Are you ready for a sneak peek of this beautiful Bavaria Downs Wedding? We can all agree couples who are (or planned on) getting married this year have gone through the wringer. Most of my clients had to make changes to their wedding day plans. Date, venue, guest lists… you name it! Through the whole process, I tried being there for all of them, hoping at least the photography part would be easy.

I met Justin and Katie right here in Minnesota for their consultation. Instead of meeting at my studio, they asked about meeting them at a bar close to the venue they had just booked, Bavaria Downs. The moment I sat down, I felt like I was chatting with friends. And to be honest, it felt like that since.

They flew me to LA for their engagement session, and we had so much fun! Like, we almost missed sunset because we were having drinks by the pier, and time just flew by… Memories I’ll never forget!

When I say my business is all about “relationship” I’m not kidding. When I arrived to photograph their wedding I felt like I was seeing friends I hadn’t seen for months!

The Wedding Venue

This was my first time shooting at Bavaria Downs, and wow, what a stunning place! If you’ve been following me for a while, you know traveling is one of my favorite things ever. Italy is one of my favorite countries, and for whatever reason, BD gave me such an “Italy” vibe! I would love to come back as a wedding guest someday, and have some wine on the patio!!!

Justin and Katie had to shrink their guest list quite a bit, BUT, they still had a pretty good sized wedding! Including a big wedding party which had me laughing all day long!

Katie’s sister, and maid of honor, had a different color robe as everyone else. Normally I see all the bridesmaids wearing the same color, but I thought it was beautiful, especially being a print instead of a solid.

Always plan for more time than you think you need for “getting ready” photos, because there’s so much going on, and you don’t want to rush precious moments, like your mom helping you into your dress :-). I like to help my clients put a timeline together so they know exactly how much time they will need for all parts of the day!

I also tell my clients to wait to put their earrings on until they are in their wedding dress, so I can get a stunning image like the one below!

One of my favorite moments of the day is the first look, followed by the bridal portraits. There are SOOO many nerves before this, and I feel like moment you see your soulmate, all the nerves go away, and you’re able to enjoy the day so much more.

When it comes to choosing a color palette for your wedding day, if you book me, softer colors will always photograph better because of my light and airy style. Think pastels. I also absolutely love mismatched bridesmaids dresses!

I mean, it doesn’t get cuter than this, does it???

And for the guys, black tuxes/suits are very timeless and classic, and you absolutely can’t go wrong with it. If you’re guy wants something bolder, a white tux also has it’s place! One of my favorite places to rent them for the groomsmen is The Black Tux.

This wedding party was absolutely the best! And J&K’s family were so kind! Katie’s mom speech was probably one of my favorite speeches ever. She talked about the fact that on a wedding day, the dad gets to walk his daughter down the aisle, the dad gets to have the first dance, but as the mom, she’s had her daughter’s entire life of mother/daughter moments, including going wedding dress shopping!

The Ceremony

The ceremony was full of special touches at this Bavaria Downs Wedding, like having Katie’s uncle officiate the wedding! And this beautiful spot at Bavaria Downs was perfect for the ceremony.

And then it was time to celebrate!!! After the ceremony is done, it’s time to relax and officially get the party started!

I’m so honored I got to be a part of Justin and Katie’s wedding day. I know they will cherish these photos for years to come! When I was shooting their bridal portraits, they said I’ll be their photographer for life… and I wouldn’t have it any other way!

Congrats Mr. and Mrs. Viner! Much LOVE!

Vendors who made this day possible:

Photography: Poly Mendes

Ceremony & Reception Venue: Bavaria Downs

Wedding Dress: Allure from The Wedding Shoppe

Bridesmaids Dresses: The Wedding Shoppe (all different designers)

Groom & Groomsmen Suits: Milbern Clothing

Catering: D’Amico

Makeup: Lady Vamp Artistry

Florist: Helen Shoenbauer