Rodrick and Don tied the knot in August at their favorite campsite near Lake Pepin, bringing along only a few close family members and friends. Instead of having a photographer at their wedding, they wanted portraits at their home in Golden Valley, where they have landscaped beautiful plants, trees, and gardens surrounding their home. These two were very open about their life and work, and I really enjoyed getting to know them throughout the shoot.
What I learned about Don is that he's a retired executive who previously owned his own business recruiting CFOs, CEOs, and executives for non-profits. Now, he coaches other executives while also working at Bachman's, hence their amazing outdoor space! It was clear to see Don's love for landscaping during the shoot, and it was fun to learn what they enjoyed most about each particular garden spot. My favorite area was a mini water pool with their pet turtle, Algae. Rodrick currently works for the American Civil Liberty Union as their volunteer manager. He is staying busy during this tumultuous time, working hard with volunteers to create real change in our state and country. I also learned that Rodrick used to model for CK in New York back in the day! As a photographer, I loved this little fact about Rodrick, so if you look closely at some of the photos maybe you can see his modeling face come out a few times.
This two-hour shoot with Rodrick and Don was definitely refreshing. As I learned about their life passions for non-profit work and social justice, and after just spending some time with the two of them, it was so evident they are truly good humans. It's also not every day that couples offer to carry my camera bag for me! Just another example of how sweet these two were, and how honored I was to take these special portraits for them honoring their marriage in their beautiful home.
