Minneapolis Wedding Photography with Natural Elegance
Although Minneapolis is a thriving metropolis, city planners have ensured that the urban atmosphere has not entirely encroached on the area’s pleasant green spots. Nature-loving brides and grooms can head out to the Chain of Lakes District, which offers 13 miles of gorgeous lakeside park land on the western side of Minneapolis. Wedding photography in this district can be as diverse as you want, incorporating waterfront scenery, an aviary, formal gardens, and the lush surrounding wilderness.
Drive from south to north on The Grand Rounds National Scenic Byway to get a great look at each of the lakes. First, take your wedding party to Lake Harriet’s northeast side to visit Lyndale Park Gardens. Have your photographer capture some candid moments of you and your beau wandering the Rose Garden or some picturesque shots of you and your honey kissing atop the Peace Garden Bridge. Bird enthusiasts can walk to the adjacent Roberts Bird Sanctuary to pose in hopes of catching some winged friends in the background.
Next, head to the northwest side of Lake Harriet and hop on the Harriet-Como Streetcar at the Linden Hills Station on Queen Ave. So. and W. 42nd St. For $2 per person, or more if you decide to charter the streetcar in advance, the adorable old-fashioned streetcar will whisk you and your attendants between Lake Harriet and Lake Calhoun. Your wedding photographer can snap shots of you and your wedding party posing inside of the streetcar along the way, and when you arrive you can get a fun couple shot in front of the bright yellow exterior. Have your limousine driver meet you at the Lake Calhoun station to continue your Minneapolis wedding photography excursion.
Follow The Grand Rounds byway up past Lake Calhoun, stopping for pictures in front of some of the lake’s pristine patches, and complete your journey at Lake of the Isles. Walk along some of the lakeside paths and head out onto the lake itself for some final shots for your Minneapolis wedding photography album. In the summer, the bride and groom can take a canoe out onto the lake for some beautiful pictures. Your wedding photographer can shoot your shadowed silhouettes against the rippled backdrop, or get the incongruous image of the bride and groom—clad in their fine attire—paddling across the still lake water. These shots will truly embrace the symbolism of team work and smooth sailing in your new marriage. In the winter, chuck the formal shoes and strap on some ice skates for some fun action shots. All of the wedding party can join in for some very informal, but very memorable images. The laughter and rosy cheeks that the camera captures will provide smiles for years to come as you and your spouse look back on your special day.
Minneapolis Wedding Photography En Route
It has become common practice for modern couples to have their wedding ceremony at one location and their reception at another. While the typical mode of transportation between the two locations—the limousine—is certainly a classic standby, trying out a unique conveyance can provide some great photo ops as you ride through the streets of Minneapolis. Wedding photographers can ride along with you and your wedding party to capture candid shots and posed group pictures. One option is to charter a trolley ride for you and your party. Your photographer can shoot you and your wedding party riding along on the wooden benches in the trolley’s interior, or get some fantastic bridal couple pictures in front of the trolley’s vintage-inspired exterior. You can determine some fun photography spots in between your two locations as well, and request short stops at these spots to hop out, snap some pics, and then continue on to your reception venue.
An even more old-fashioned option would be to hire a horse-drawn carriage as transport. If you decide to use a carriage, keep in mind that the two locations must be relatively close together since the moving will be slow and the footmen will not want to overwork their horses. You will not be able to convey as many people in the carriage, so you may want to stick with just the bridal couple and the photographer as you clomp through the streets of Minneapolis. Wedding photographers will have no difficulty capturing romantic images of you and your new spouse in the back of the carriage; holding hands over the blanket, sipping champagne, or kissing under the bride’s veil. Your photographer can catch a few more pictures upon your arrival, and then you are free to head inside and enjoy your reception and celebrate your newly minted marriage!
