Sneak Peak (Post by Thea)

A favorite from Jon and Adria's wedding in Stillwater last weekend. Much more to come!

XO {thea}

Tom and Kristen // July 12, 2013 (Post by Thea)

It happened on a hot Friday in July. Tom and Kristen are married. I am so pleased to have been a part of the day and I am happy to finally share their photos. The ceremony took place at the Guardian Angels Catholic Church in Chaska with a lovely reception following in Shakopee, Minnesota at the Stonebrooke Golf Club.

tory + dan {by leslie}

I was lucky enough to photograph this gorgeous day for Tory and Dan last week. These two had a very small ceremony at Cafe Levain in South Minneapolis, and it was so lovely and intimate and wonderful. Every person there cared about this couple so much. Also, the food was ah-mazing. And if someone looks a touch familiar, it's because Gigi, who officiated this wedding (and who is a brand-new mama!), was one of my brides last year! How cool is THAT?

The couple got ready at The Grand Hotel in downtown Minneapolis (which was gorgeous, and allows dogs in case you're wondering) and they were married at Cafe Levain. Beautiful!

ben and andrea {by leslie}

Remember that huge storm we had a few weeks back? Yeah, Ben and Andrea here were on a pedicab on the way to their reception when that hit! And I could not have been happier in that moment to have been with these two, as they did nothing but laugh and make the best out of the situation. After all, it's just another amazing story that they can tell the grandkids about someday. But besides the storm (and even including it!) it was truly a lovely day, as you can see below. In fact, a few days after the wedding when I was editing these images, I realized that my face hurt from all the smiling. Have you ever seen a couple so happy? I was smiling along with them and not even realizing it!

Special thanks to the lovely Meredith for working as my second shooter for the day!

A Destination Wedding in Italy (post by Desiree)

Ooooh, it was a perfect day in Italy for a wedding!  Helge and Hilde were such a lovely couple and I had so much fun spending the day with  them,  6 of their closest family members and their 2 adorable little boys. Spending a week with your closest family and children is a perfect way to enjoy your wedding and life life to its fullest.  The wedding was planned by Bryllupsbyraaet of Norway, who has beautiful exclusive locations in Italy, Czech Republic, Ireland, and Norway. After breakfast and getting ready at the villas, we drove to Malcesine and strolled the cobble stone streets.  Like a fairy tail, they were married is the Malcesine castle!  The whole group took an incredible 2 hour boat ride on Lake Garda back to Bardolino for dinner, dancing and of course some amazing Italian cheese, olives, and vino!  Ooooh, bring me to Italy any time!!

TUSEN TAKK Helge og Hilde for letting me be apart of your special day!  I truly felt like family.  : )

Tom and Kristen (Post by Thea)

Earlier this Spring, Tom, Kristen and I went out for a sort of encore engagement session. Our first engagement session happened last winter when we did something in studio. But Tom and Kristen have a special place in their hearts for these pups and they wanted to include them in another session. Cedar Lake provided a great backdrop where we could let our hair down and go sans leash. Thank goodness it has warmed up since these photos were taken! Looking forward to seeing you soon Tom and Kristen.  

A lovely day in Italy (post by Desiree)

Nothing can beat delicious gelato and a gorgeous bride in the colorful streets of ITALY! The other week I had an INCREDIBLE time photographing a beautiful Norwegian model in Northern Italy, on Lake Garda. Whoa is right!!!!  It was so much fun roaming around the city of Bardolino and the absolute amazing hotels and exclusive venues with Cathrine of Byrllupsbyraaet.  Cathrine is one of the FIRST wedding planners in Norway.  We're working on showing how weddings can be something extra amazing and that it's possible to have your dream wedding!  Benedicthe is getting married next month and is also an awesome fashion designer and blogger.  A special thanks to Brudesalongen i Stavanger for loaning us the beautiful Lusan Mandungas wedding gown for the shoot...and for letting us fly it all the way to Italy.

Celebrating Summer in the City {by natalie}

It seems like forever ago but early this spring I shot a spread for MN Meetings & Events Magazine styled by the ever so talented Marsha Hunt & Bridget Connell, co-owners of Haute Flower Boutique, & Event Coordinator Emily Donovan at Architectural Antiques in Minneapolis. It's finally been published!! Here is a quick link to the online edition of the magazine...feel free to skip ahead to page 26!

Marsha & Bridget set out to create a table top that radiated the feeling of a sultry simmer night in the city with an eclectic, urban vibe. Inspired by Architectural Antique’s unique venue space in Minneapolis, MN with thousands of fascinating antique pieces arranged in artful disarray, they wanted to create an island of brilliantly colored florals underneath the warm glow of dozens of shimmering chandeliers.

It was love at first sight once they spotted the antique painted metal zebra; they knew they had found an inspiration point upon which to build the entire look around. The Zebra is originally from a carnival ride, most likely from the late 1940’s. Its aluminum body is hand painted in a graphic black & white, complete with leather reign. The focal point of a tablescape is usually the floral centerpiece, but they loved the idea of taking this one-of-a-kind antique piece & building our floral design around it. They created a “saddle” of pavé style orange flowers to provide a jolt of color & then added the additional floral pieces to the tablescape to anchor the color scheme at both ends of the long table. The sheer unexpectedness of it provides a jolt of color & excitement & helps create a carefree, summery, almost carousel-like atmosphere for this event. As a focal point, it created a fun & whimsical feel to the entire tablescape & allows them to see how the non-traditional use of an item can create a unique & dramatic effect.

“We used a selection of orange roses, tulips, & ranunculus with fresh oranges & tangerines. The purpose of the eye-popping orange color was to create a natural focal point for the eye to rest on amongst the delightful visual cacophony of all the eclectic antiques. The counterpoint to the bright orange was the use of teal blue accents punctuated with black & white details. In addition to our fascinating zebra (!), we used a white crocodile patterned table runner & black croc charger plates. The end result was a contemporary tablescape interspersed with carefully edited antique details, creating an interesting juxtaposition of old & new.” – Haute Flower Boutique

“Within the front aisle of our showroom, Haute Flower Boutique selected dramatic pieces, such as the circa 1905 four-foot diameter crystal chandelier, which was displayed in line with other period crystal chandeliers at varying heights over a large, custom built harvest table.  Two carved walnut chairs from a Mason’s lodge where placed at the heads of the table & an assortment of brass candle stands & teal blue insulator caps where used to create small flower vases for each seat. Also on the table (with the fabulous Zebra) is a wooden trefoil that was once part of a gothic door surround, & miscellaneous pieces of glazed terracotta, which were once originally from the exterior of a building. Crystal doorknob sets, & antique door brass door plates with plenty of patina are used as part of the table arrangement as well as the letterpress letters. For the bar, a Carrera marble washstand was used, surrounded by vintage pop crates & large green shutters to create a colorful backdrop. Hanging above the vignette, is an early 20th century Quezal light fixture which features five hand-blown ‘pulled feather’ shades to balance color & organic feel throughout the scene. The delightful antique washstand was intended as an innovative way to serve iced drinks with the antique soda crates staging the extra beverages. The crystal doorknob pairs & the doorknob back plates were an interesting addition to the place setting along with the printer’s block letters. The details were chosen for their aesthetic value as well as for being great conversation starters among dinner guests.” – Architectural Antiques

Not only is Architectural Antiques a great location for meetings but it's an amazing space for you to book your wedding & reception! Hint hint...I would love to photograph a wedding here!

By Haute Flower Boutique:

All floral arrangements, concept, styling & event design

White vases & containers

Orange satin ribbon

Real boxwood topiaries with jeweled accents

Black & white harlequin patterned containers

Mercury glass votives & pillar candles

By Apres Party & Tent Rental:

Black charger plates & clear glass plates

Flatware & goblets

White napkins & white croc table runner

Mahogany chivari chairs & white chair pads

By Architectural Antiques:

All architectural elements & styling

Chandeliers – circa 1905 four-foot diameter crystal chandelier, which was displayed in line with other period crystal chandeliers

Table – 12 foot custom built oak harvest table

Gothic chairs carved walnut chairs from a Mason’s Lodge with aqua mohair cushions

Carrera marble washstand

Vintage soda crates

Green shutters

Stained glass panels - a variety of early gothic stained glass panels with a mix of purples, greens, blues & greens

Child dress form with stenciled details

Round white trefoil architectural fragment from 1880’s gothic door surround

Zebra!

Wire bird cage

Crystal door knobs

Door knob backplates

Printer’s letters (described in more detail below)

Teal green tiles

Aqua blue glass insulators

Local market:

Orange Crush soda & fruit

Vail Wedding Expedition / Day 2 (post by Desiree)

"Keep close to Nature's heart...and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean."   - John Muir I know it may be difficult to look at the snow here as it has juust finally left and spring has officially arrived...but really...this spring snowy mountain wedding is worth the view ; )

Family, friends, good food, wine, music...just a few things Courtney and Keith's wedding expedition was all about. Originally the two are from Bemidji, Minnesota but have a deep love of the mountains. They actually met while Courtney was living in Israel!  Yes, it's so cute that Keith flew all the way to Israel to meet her for the FIRST time. So, all the Minnesotans flew out to Colorado and everyone made it up to Shrine Mountain, about 3 miles from Vail pass in Colorado. (Check out our Day One hike here!) Yes the weather man predicted APRIL blizzards ...but that was not about to deter Courtney and Keith from getting married! The wind died down JUST when Courtney walked out with her dad down the aisle.  Both families have strong Scandinavian roots and are very tied to their heritage. Swedish and Norwegian poems were read and of course Keith's family wore their Norwegian knitted sweaters too!  For a moment, I forgot I actually had left Norway and flew to the US.  Capturing their story was so awesome....and I wouldn't have had it any other way.

Much love to you Courtney and Keith!!!!

Vail, Colorado // Day 1 (post by Desiree)

This wedding was SO special to me and there were sooooo many photos I had to break it up into two posts. : )  My big sister, one of my biggest role-models, the one who loaned me money to buy my very first camera, and walked for hours with me under the sun in Israel taking street photos....was getting married!!!!! We all knew Courtney and Keith's wedding was going to be something out of the ordinary. They're true adventurers and with Keith as a pilot - true vagabonds as well. They are in LOVE with the outdoors, so it wasn't a huge surprise when they said they were getting married atop a mountain in Colorado. We soon found out that we had to ski or snowshoe 3 miles up to get to the top of Vail Pass - Shrine Mountain - Elevation 11,209 to reach our destination ! Yes, it was difficult to breathe, especially coming from sea level but we did it!!!  We even brought cans of oxygen!  Courtney and Keith's immediate family with a few of their closest friends spent 2 nights up in the Shrine Mountain huts...and it rocked.  Stay tuned for - the wedding day!

6/14/13 We Celebrate Equal Rights (by: Marc James)

Today was not just about one person, today Minnesota as a state came together to give every single person the equal opportunity to marry the one they love and I know the the whole Rivets family is proud of our state today!! Congratulations!!

Spring Styled Shoot // Published! (post by Desiree)

I've been working on a few styled shoots over here in Norway.  Just like Minnesota, the Norwegians are itching to get rid of the snow and soak up some spring time sun! I was SOOO HAPPY to have this styled shoot PUBLISHED on the Norwegian Wedding Blog.  How cooool!?  Just had to share a few of my personal favorite here too of course! Thanks to all the fabulous vendors who worked on this!

Cake: Chelsea's Cool Cakes

Styling & Design: Desiree Mostad & Chelsea Hill

Model: Victoria Revina

Photography: Desiree Mostad

Dresses & Accessories: Brudesalongen i Stavanger

Flowers: Sølvberget Blomster

Location: Tou Scene, Stavanger

why engagement sessions matter {by leslie}

While many couples see the engagement session as a photographic perk that might be first on the chopping block due to budget, this part of the photo process is the most important to me, and I think it should be highly important to you as well.

First, it lets me get to know you. The last thing you should ever want is a photographer who you don't know peppering you with questions on your wedding day. You'll have enough people vying for your thoughts that day, I promise, and I don't want to be one of them. I want you to forget I'm there, and I want to blend into the background and just capture what's happening around us. This happens a whole lot easier if we've done it all before -- like in an engagement session.

Second, holding an engagement session helps me to find your best angles. I want you to look your absolute best on the big day, and I think you do, too.

Third, if we've done a session already, you can give me feedback. For instance, I hate X angle or I loved X pose with my guy. You get the picture. No pun intended. This is also a great time to tell me that you love the black and white photos more than color, and I should process a ton of them that way for the wedding, or vice versa.

Fourth, when I tell you to pose like Y, you know exactly what I mean because, oh hey we've done this before! This means that photos on your wedding day go waaaay faster, and you have more time to spend with the people you love and care about. Which is exactly what you should be doing on your wedding day, not going over details with the photographer.

Oh! And lastly? If we do an engagement session, you will be totally used to me telling you to get all lovey and nuzzle and smooch etc. and then pointing a big lens right into your faces. I'm not gonna lie, that can get a little weird. But if we've done it before and laughed at the ridiculousness of it and you've seen that the photos are awesome, then on your big day it's no big deal. Which is how it should be.

Siw & Jan Frode // Norway (post by Desiree)

I had the absolute pleasure and honor of photographing Siw and Jan Frode on their wedding day.  The two were married last month on TV as part of a Norwegian television series!  We got a chance to head to the sea and and downtown of Haugesund, Norway juuuust before there was no light left in the day.  Siw wore 2 incredible Leila Hafzi dresses. Simply stunning! Check out this video of Siw picking out her wedding dress with Leila!

Beautiful people below!

The Ring (Post by Thea)

When my husband proposed to me there wasn't a ring involved. Just a nice dinner, some romantic hand holding, and the big question. He wanted us to shop together for the perfect ring. That suited us and we ended up finding rings for both him and myself together. I wonder, how did you pick your ring? Guys, was it something you toiled over or did you know the look you wanted immediately? Ladies, how would you prefer the proposal go down? With the ring or sans ring?  Oh, and the picture above is actually my own! I still love it.

Kissing (Post by Thea)

Happy Valentine's Day to all the newly engaged couples out there. Today would be a great day to start practicing that camera ready kiss. Step 1: Lean In     Step 2: Meet Lips     Step 3: Eyes Closed     Step 4: Let it Linger

More amazing kisses here.

Tom and Kristen are Engaged (Post by Thea)

With Tom and Kristen, we tried something different... studio engagement portraits. Novel idea huh? Well, when it's cold and gray outside, sometimes it's best to get back to basics. Personally, I love how these turned out and hope you all do too. By the way, aren't these two cute? We were definitely having fun, it was Tom's birthday after all!

eloping to the courthouse {by leslie}

I have a bride that I'm shooting later this year at her "real wedding" with her family and friends present, but for practical purposes, it made sense for these two to tie the knot before the end of 2012. So they decided to sneak off to the courthouse and get things done on the sly. They didn't want to upset their families or make their "real day" any less important, but sometimes you need to be practical when government laws/benefits are involved. And they asked if I wanted to be one of two witnesses. Hell yeah, I did! I've never shot a wedding at city hall before, and I was extremely curious as to how it would go. And while they didn't officially hire me to take any photos, you know I couldn't resist.

A few things to note about this day: 1) The groom's ring did not arrive in time for the ceremony! Not to be discouraged from the big event, they subbed in a candy ring pop. 2) This judge put on one of the best ceremonies I have ever heard. And I've heard a LOT. I really liked his message, and the thought that was put into such a "quickie" wedding was nice. Should you ever need a judge for your big day, I highly suggest Judge Kevin S. Burke in Hennepin County.

Ben and Emily are Married (Post by Thea)

On Friday, perhaps the warmest and sunniest winter day we will have in January, Ben and Emily tied the knot in Maple Plain, Minnesota. We managed to make our way to Baker Park with the bridal party after everyone was ready. Feast your eyes on the gorgeous fur Emily wore while we were there! After a charming ceremony in the local community church the reception got underway in Medina. Thank you Emily and Ben for giving me so many wonderful opportunities to make great photographs. You two are terrific!

follow us {post by natalie}

Can you feel it? All the excitement in the air? With the holidays right behind us and the most romantic one almost upon us it tis'the season for engagements! If you are anything like me, and anything like most of my girlfriends, once that proposal is made it's all about plan, plan, planning for your big day! And what better way to get all of your thoughts organized into once place than in Pinterest! Pinterest is swiftly becoming the go-to resource for brides when planning for their wedding day. It's so easy (and fun!) to create boards to keep track of all the ideas you have for your flowers, wedding invitations and those swoon worthy bridal gowns! I'm fairly certain that if you can think it, you can pin it on Pinterest and that's what we love about it! Rivets & Roses is on Pinterest now too! From snippets of our work to creative DIY projects, the Rivets & Roses Pinterest site is one you will want to follow!