Wendy Woods Photography

Mike and Ashley

What a fun time we had last evening, running around on Nicolette Island! Mike Langland and Ashley Klontz are a really fun, photogenic couple who love photography and were totally into an "avant guarde" engagement session (a term coined by photographer Garrett Nudd). We played on a virtually empty Stone Arch Bridge (nobody was out probably because of the overcast skies!) with an uninterrupted view of the city. The shops have all these nooks and crannies and painted doors and neat old benches, and we tried a lot of them as backdrops. Mike is an auditor at Deloitte and Touche and Ashley is in the jewelry marketing department of Target. But I think they belong to the "creative class" as they really love contemporary imagery. Their wedding is set for nearly a year from now, September 8, 2007. Click on any one to open larger. And leave a comment since you're stopping by! Thanks!

Kristy and Chad

Kristy LaForte and Chad Litke were married Friday at the Earle Browne Heritage Center in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. Believe it or not, there were farms in Brooklyn Park a hundred years ago, and this one has been restored and turned into a conference center and Inn, surrounded by highways and high-rises. The rain poured all day. Although that was a setback - Kristy had chosen the Center for her wedding because she hoped to use all the gardens in her photos - she stayed upbeat and cheerful. We did manage to dodge the raindrops for a few photos though! The ceremony was moved indoors, but it all went beautifully and tears of joy flowed from all the moms and bridesmaids when it was time for their vows. Chad and Kristy had written these vows secretly and they told them to each other for the first time. All of this emotion was recorded on video - Kristy's family hired a videographer to record the ceremony for her grandmother, who was hospitalized. Now that is a great granddaughter! But I have one lingering question. Why a duck? Chad's dad Bob cryptically placed a ceramic duck in front of Chad during the toasts. Inquiring minds want to know. If anyone can inform me, I would be most grateful. Click on any image to open in a larger window. Leave a comment! Thanks! ***Note to Mary Jo - thanks for the duck comment, below! Now it makes sense!!

Lucy Schneeman

Yesterday Nick and I had fun photographing Lucy Schneeman, a senior at Visitation High School in Mendota Heights. Lucy is a really vivacious, sweet gal with a great personality. We set up all of the portraits around her home and gardens. In the soft evening light everything just glowed, making Lucy all the more radiant. What's really fun is learning all sorts of things about people while I do the photos. Her part-time job is a "barista" at Caribou Coffee, so she knows how to make all those great drinks they serve, a skill I would love to learn some day, now that I have been to Rome and experienced coffee as an art form! Her parents Chris and Cathy are very proud of her, she is the only girl in a family with 4 older brothers. She plays soccer, loves all kinds of music, camping, and just "goofing off." Here are some images from our session. Click on any one to open larger, and leave us a comment if you stop by! We would love to hear from you.

Lindsay and Tony

Lindsay Kalow and Tony Mielzarek's marraige should last, as the saying goes, because it rained on their wedding day. Fortunately it rained at the start and at the end of a day that went from rainy to sunny to windy to tornado warnings! That means they will stay together forever, I suppose! Even with the crazy weather, everything went beautifully with the exception of a few early wardrobe snags. Their wedding was at Our Savior's Lutheran Church, Stillwater, presided over by Pastor Steve Molin, or to the rest of us "The Sign Guy" for his witty marquis outside the church. Lindsay and Tony are a really special couple to me. Tony served in Iraq and returned this year just in time for the wedding. We are all happy to see him back safely, in good spirits. Some of his fellow soldiers were there, as well as a great bunch of friends and family. The weather cleared in time for Tony and Lindsay to release monarch butterflies as they emerged from the church. Tony said he could feel those little fellas, freshly warmed up from their shipping containers, tapping around inside the closed gift box trying to get out, then when the lid was lifted, they shot out like rockets. Nick and I barely had time to photograph them. Another unique treat was the horse-drawn wagon that the wedding party rode to Oak Glen Golf Course on McKusick Road. All said, it was a wonderful time. Click on any image to see it in a larger, separate window. And please leave a comment here for Lindsay, Tony or us!