As a Wayzata wedding photographer, I have always wanted to shoot at hotel Landing, and this past Saturday I was able to mark that off my list! That’s one of the best places for “getting ready” pictures! It’s light and bright, and there are many cool spots around for photos.

I LOVE that Sarah chose these stunning Manolo Blahniks for her wedding shoes! Just like me, her wedding shoes were her first wedding purchase! When I saw them I immediate thought of Carrie from Sex and the City!!! Remember how she had the blue ones? So chic!

Sarah also gave her bridesmaids many gifts, and what I loved the most, was the personalized notes she wrote for each person she gifted. She used quotes from their friendship, which was so meaningful!

Because of COVID, quite a few people were not able to attend the wedding, including her maid of honor! So they FaceTimed her in to look at Sarah all dressed up in her stunning wedding dress.

Two very special details were the earrings, and veil Sarah wore. The earrings were emerald green, the national stone of Colombia. Her 20 feet long veil was custom made in Colombia, and was a gift from the family that took care of Sarah for 6 months after she was born, before her adopted family could come get her.

If you’ve ever wondered what a first look looks like when it’s 106 degrees out, voila! This was the hottest day of the year!

The First Look

But we did not let the heat get in the way of getting beautiful photos. We stayed in the shade, drank lots of water, and I’m just obsessed with how beautiful, and dare I say, tropical, these look!

The stunning flowers were made by the amazing Munster Rose.

I’m so glad this group was so joyful and super nice, even though everyone was slowly melting in the heat!!!

Wedding Plan B

Ben and Sarah ended up having to switch to a Plan B for their wedding. Along side their family and closest friends, they said “I do” on a private cruise boat in Wayzata. The Al & Alma’s team was very sweet, and we all had to get our temperature checked prior to boarding.

At the end of the day, these two were ready to be husband and wife. And there was no postponing that…

So much happiness and love. I feel so honored I got to be there celebrating with them.

Huge congratulations to Ben and Sarah! Thank you for choosing me to be your wedding photographer!

Vendors who made this day possible:

Photographer: Poly Mendes Photography

Florals: Munster Rose

Getting Ready: Hotel Landing

Ceremony & Reception: Al & Alma’s

Makeup: Bridget Loonan Artistry

Hair: Nicolette Hair Artistry