CATHOLIC CEREMONY & HOLY HOUR FOLLOWED BY A SNOWY, WARMLY LIT EVENING IN DOWNTOWN MPLS
SEYHA & COLLEEN
Congratulations to these two sweethearts!
We began the day with a short period of getting ready photos in an intimate, but *well-lit* prep room at the Renaissance Minneapolis hotel with the cutest wallpaper I’ve ever seen as Colleen and her girls got their hair and makeup finalized.
We all loaded up a bus (including the men, so the groom literally covered his face with a blindfold so that he didn’t see Colleen) to head to St. Charles Borromeo in St. Anthony.
Colleen quickly got into her vintage dress that both her mother and grandmother wore for their weddings, and we headed outside to do some portraits.
While the girls did their photos, the men prayed, and vice versa… but not just in their getting-ready rooms. This wedding day had one of the more unique pre-ceremony times, and I absolutely couldn’t get enough of it.
They had an entire Holy Hour prior to their nuptial mass. Colleen sat behind Seyha as they prayed together for half of it.
Their bridal party made sure to soak up the quiet solemn time as well, being conscious of the true meaning behind that day the entire time. After the men did their portraits, it was ceremony time!
Shortly after Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament ended, it was time for this couple to get married by the one and only Father Mike Schmitz.
Colleen walked into the giant arched church and up the long aisle toward her groom, and mass began with beautiful worship music and pious friends filling the church. Their ceremony was stunning, and I truly can’t say enough about this couple and the church. Not only was this church redone, but I actually got to see it while it was being fixed up. The coloring of it all worked perfectly with their scheme too.
After the ceremony, we went straight into the winter landscape outside to get photos before the early December sunset first at the church and then near the Stone Arch Bridge area. The brisk chilly day was totally masked by the warmth of everyone’s super authentic happiness for Colleen & Seyha, though we did hurry so that no one’s fingers froze off!
The party bus took us back to the reception where the bridal party did a sweet sparkler entrance.
I was able to capture a ton of details all over the huge venue (with some of the tallest ceilings I’ve seen in a long time). Dried oranges were a part of all of the decor that a family friend put together, and the table decor was wintery but completely unique.
A superb dinner later, the reception kicked off with a huge group photo and dancing to music from a live band.
