Justina & Cory - August 29th, 2009

I had a great time shooting this wedding. Justina (the bride) found some incredible locations for pictures! I love original wedding picture ideas and she had tons! She poured her heart and soul into making this day perfect and it was! Every detail was done to perfection. It really was a gorgeous wedding. Outdoor weddings are really finding a place in my heart! I love the relaxed settings and the mystery leading up to the minute you walk down the aisle...will the weather hold out? And this time it did!

Let me talk you through this beautiful day:

We took the wedding party pictures at a bed and breakfast mansion in Excelsior...called the Bird House! Justina drove past one day and fell in love with it!

i love sister pictures...

...especially laughing ones!

This next one is a fav. of mine because it totally looks like a "boy band" cover for an album! When I was taking it I was laying on the ground laughing!

Take a second and look at this shot..."Here comes the bride" takes on a whole new meaning!

Okay, here's where the plot thickens...Justina and Cory have two little dogs that are like children to them and they wanted them to be apart of the ceremony but, the logistics of getting them their and taking care of them afterwards made them decide against it. But, their friends and family wouldn't have that so, they surprised them and had the dogs bring the rings down the aisle. Both Justina and Cory lost it and so did half the people in the audience! It was such a precious moment...it made their day complete!

Thank you for choosing me to be a part of you day! Can't wait to share the rest of the images with you!

www.noemiphotography.com

Beth & Ryan - August 28th, 2009

This was and is my "sweet" couple! I adore them and their sweet love that comes through in every image! Thank you for choosing me as your photographer...capturing your day was such a delight! They were part one of a double header weekend and the day flew by...I'm including a shot of me showing them a picture in camera - and if you look real close you can see my little 16 week pregnancy belly! So cute!

I love this shot of mom...standing back and taking in the day! Beautiful!

www.noemiphotography.com

Stephanie & Nathan - Aug 22nd, 2009

I loved this family. There are some brides that I know I want to work with...more then that I want to bless them as a couple. I really do fall in love with them and their story. This was one of those couples. They met at school. They were in a play together and had their first kiss on stage! More then anything else, it was their heart for their families, faith in the Lord and love for each other was beautiful.

Don't you love her hair?

i wanted to do a "period" image - something out of the 19th century. I love it!

I feel like they should break out into song and dance for this next picture..."There ain't nothin' like a dame! Nothin' in the world..."

I love how busy this picture is...tons of different expressions. It totally makes me laugh!

When I said "jump" they really took me seriously!

They took a chance on an outdoor wedding and it was a perfect day for it! Isn't this sight gorgeous? It's a peninsula and water surrounded us!

I feel like this is a still from a movie.

Thank you for having me as your photographer...I love being a part of your day!

www.noemiphotography.com

Attention all brides planning a wedding south of the river...

I've never run a promotional like this before but, I'm excited to see what happens with it! So, I travel all over the Twin Cities to do shoots and weddings...it's part of my job right? but, I was thinking, "Wouldn't it be great if I got shoot instead of being in a car?" YES...of course it would! So, why not give some incentive to brides planning weddings close to my house. So, here's my 2010 deal for brides south of the river (and just so we're clear on who I'm talking about:  Burnsville, Prior Lake, Savage, Shakopee and Jordan)

Anyone planing a wedding (ceremony) or having a reception at a location in any of the above towns I will give an extra hour of shooting at no extra charge! ($400 value) This free gift can be added to any of my packages. Just consider it my way of saying thank you for choosing me and helping me spend less time in the car!

In order to get this discount you must mention this post to me either in your inquiry form, over the phone or at our consultation. So, hopefully you're a blog surfer and will find this entry OR your friends and family will give you the heads up!

Until I hear from you...happy planning!

www.noemiphotography.com

Tessa and Bryan - August 8th, 2009

There are so many times during a wedding that I'm amazed at the privilege I have of capturing this amazing day. It's so beautiful and I get to be a part of it! This was one of those days and of those couples...truly my privilege. Here's some of my fav's from the day:

Tessa was such an easy bride to capture...her classic beauty is gorgeous.

I loved this tree so much! I kept commenting on it's beauty and backing up to get more of it in the shot...i love capturing opposites - the stark bareness of the tree and the beauty of this couple!

Perfect timing helps. The horses starting running just as the wedding party drew near...

Can you see the dear head? Growing up in Canada and not around hunting families...this sight still catches me off guard.

Just a yucky old barn and a gorgeous bride...love it!

Seeing his bride walk towards him.

Giving away your baby girl...I can't even imagine the mess I'll be on that day.

mmmm...mint whoppers anyone?

Thank you again for letting me be apart of your precious day. It truly is my privilege! There are so many more pictures to come!

www.noemiphotography.com

Rachel & Jake - July 31st, 2009

Wow! This was a gorgeous wedding. I loved taking pictures in my neighborhood...we started our shoot here and then finished it at the The Wilds Clubhouse! So nice to have everything be sooo close.

I LOVE THIS NEXT PHOTO...Can you see the little guy in the front texting???? Obviously, I was taking too long with Family Photos! :)

The Siblings.

thanks goes out the wedding party that was willing to walk through fields for great shots!! Sorry about your shoes...but, I'm glad we did it!

Here's a few more!!!

www.noemiphotography.com

Gina and Johnny - June 19th, 2009

I had such a great time at this wedding! Gina...you were a beautiful bride. Thank you for trusting me to capture your day. i love your pictures...I think they suit you...elegant and classy! There were so many wonderful moments! I can't wait to put together an album for you!

i love how she looks angelic...it slows down the moment and makes you wonder!

their first time seeing each other.

We took this next set of pictures under a skylight in the church. They are my favorite. i love the Hollywood lighting...and the elegance of the couples embrace.

There aren't enough twirling pictures in the world.

i love this next one. The light hitting her dress...perfect!

I love shooting weddings...can't wait to start meeting brides for next year!

www.noemiphotography.com

Kaylee & Scott - June 6th, 2009

You are remember the Saturday a couple weeks ago when we experienced torrential rain? Yup. I shot a wedding that Saturday. I had such an incredible day. My assistant picked up 4 huge black umbrellas on the way to the way and we took everyone out in the rain. Not every wedding party would be up for this but...I'm sure glad this one was! Some of these shots can never be repeated...their are gorgeous and unique to the day.

I had never shot at Grace church before but, I liked it. And it was nice to be able to take ten steps

I don't often cry at ceremonies and it's even more unusual for me to cry at receptions. This wedding was so touching I had to tell myself to hold it together...beautiful tributes and precious moments of honoring family members. It truly was my privilege to be apart of the day!

I don't say this enough...I love what I do for a living! I am blessed to have been a part of this beautiful day!

www.noemiphotography.com

Ashley and Brian Smith - June 5th, 2009

I LOVE weddings...they never get old...each one has a special place in my heart. When I arrive at the house to start taking pictures I looked at Ashley and asked, "How are you doing?" She replied, "I feel amazing! Today I'm marrying my soul mate!" She was beaming and I knew at that moment it was going to be easy to capture the love between them.

Here's some detail shots we got before they got to see each other:

What is it about shoes that is so sexy? i don't get it but I love this picture!

The lovely couple seeing each other for the first time!

They got engaged on the lake behind them...love it.

I know these pictures go from sweet to sassy but I love the contrast AND both are fun!

I couldn't decide which picture i like more so I included them both!

Introducing...

The reception was at Bearpath Country Club in Eden Prairie and totally gorgeous. I loved the details of the reception.

I love sister moments.

The band was the best I've ever heard...and i have been to a ton of weddings. It was so good I didn't want to leave the reception! I'll have to get their name and post it.

One more of the lovely couple!

I have tons more to show you but, I'm holding off of putting them on the blog cause I'm going to be posting a wedding slideshow and I want to have a couple surpises in there.

A special thank you to the Roberts and Smith families. I loved being a part of your day.

www.noemiphotography.com

Wedding Facts, Figures & Headlines

I grabbed this article from a website...fun facts for brides!

Wedding Stats

USA Statistics:

• approx. 2.3 million couples wed every year in the US. That breaks down to nearly 6,200 weddings a day
• the average age of a bride in the US is 25-27
• the average age of a groom is 26-28
• the average number of guests invited to a wedding is 178
• one-third of those getting married each year have been married before
• more than 115,000 weddings are performed in Las Vegas every year
• more than 20,000 weddings are performed in Hawaii every year
• the average wedding has 175 guests (invited)
• a recent study indicates 1/2 of all brides will use a wedding consultant or wedding day coordinator
• 80 percent of weddings are performed in churches or synagogues
• the top wedding city in the world is Istanbul, Turkey with 166,000 for the year
• Las Vegas, Nevada is in second place with 114,000 weddings

Money

• $72 billion per year is spent on weddings• the average wedding budget is $20,000
• the average household income of a newly married couple is $55,000/annually
• $1,016 is the average cost of wedding rings for the bride and groom
• approx. $40 BILLION is spent on weddings every year in the U.S. (There are many who think this is closer to $60-70 billion a year)
• a couple will spend an average of $$3,600-3,800 for their honeymoon
• the bride and groom pay for themselves approx 30% of the time and the bride’s parents pay about 17 percent of the time.  The rest of the time, costs are covered by a variety of sources..
• $19 billion per year is spent on wedding gift registries
• $8 billion per year is spent on honeymoons
• over  91 percent of all to-be-weds register for gifts. The couple receives gifts from an average of 200 guests
• most wedding guests spend between $70 and $100 on a gift

Timing

• January Weddings - 4.7%
• February Weddings - 7.0%
• March Weddings - 6.1%
• April Weddings - 7.4%
• May Weddings - 9.8%
• June Weddings - 10.8%
• July Weddings - 9.7%
• August Weddings - 10.2%
• September Weddings - 9.6%
• October Weddings - 9.4%
• November Weddings - 7.4%
• December Weddings - 7.8%

Honeymoons

• 99 percent of newlyweds take a honeymoon
• the average couple will spend three times more on their honeymoon than a regular vacation
• 40 percent of honeymooners will travel within the United States, about 60 percent will travel to a foreign country
• honeymoons usually last 7 to 9 days
• the most popular destinations are Las Vegas, Hawaii, the Caribbean, and Jamaica
• 35 percent of brides and grooms have a valid passport

Sources

• American Demographics
• Bride’s Magazine
• Bride’s Millennium Report: Wedding Love & Money
• SellMoreWeddings.com
• SellTheBride.com
• The Association for Wedding Professionals International
• The Knot
• US Census Bureau

Tags: budget weddings, choosing a wedding band, diamond ring demand, diamond size chart, engagement ring purchase, groom cold feet, slow economy, usa wedding statistics, wear your wedding dress again, wedding financial statistics, wedding headlines, wedding honeymoon statistics, wedding links, wedding statistics, wedding stats

Albums done right!

I've always shyed away from albums because I know my perfectionistic tendencies and my limited knowledge of album designing programs. That's a lethal combination! It means hours of frustration in front of the computer and that's time away from my family... But, after seeing gorgeous albums at WPPI this year I changed my mind. I sought out the best design company and found Albumesque. I hired them to do what I can't. I am so happy with the end result!

Here's the link to the slideshow of the album from a wedding a shot last summer...please watch it and give me your feedback! I'm using it as a sample in my studio. I really believe albums are able to showcase your wedding like nothing else! I can't wait to have the final product in my hands.

http://albumesque.com/albums/noemi%5Fhedrick/maureen%5Fevan/

www.noemiphotography.com

5 Things to Look for in a Wedding Photographer...

I love being a wedding photographer and if I could talk to every bride out there this is what I'd say is the most important when you're looking for the perfect photographer. (k)Nowledgeable - make sure you find someone who has experience and be sure to check references!

Organized - find a photographer that helps you schedule your day and makes the details seamless!

Energetic - you want someone who will keep the day light and moving...with a smile!

Mindful - find someone who loves people (your friends and family) and can capture the hidden moments!

Imaginative - creativity is so important! A photographer who can take any situation and get a great shot!

A little shameless plug? Maybe. But, I love doing weddings and I know I take care of my brides with everything I've listed above and so much more!

www.noemiphotography.com

A Wedding Photographer's look at 2009!

In this business you're always looking ahead! It's normal planning a year or more in advance...the event can feel so far away. I love it when New Year's comes and goes; then it feels real! 2009 is here! This is the year those weddings are happening and they are closer then I think! Before I know it the excited engaged couples who spend countless hours thinking through every detail are walking down the aisle and dancing at their very own reception! I LOVE WEDDINGS! There is something in me that loves the bride and the groom finally getting to come together and become their own family! Looking back at 2008 and looking ahead to 2009 I'm so thankful to be a wedding photographer, I'm really blessed to be able to live and work in Minneapolis. This is my home.

www.noemiphotography.com

Ali and Ben's Wedding Pictures

I have so many wonderful moments from this wedding! Ali and Ben are seriously some of the nicest people in the world! It was a cold November day but that didn't stop us from braving the chilly winds and capturing some great shots outside! One of the coolest parts was where the reception was held: The Grand in Northfield, MN! It was really different and beautiful! The town is gorgeous...I loved it!

Here's some of my fav's from the day:

Caroline & Kevin's Wedding Pictures

We had one of those perfect fall weddings! The leaves were gorgeous and so was the weather. It's the kind of day you picture when you're planning the biggest day of your life and all the while you're praying it doesn't snow instead...anything is possible in Minnesota! It was beautiful! See for yourself:

www.noemiphotography.com

Lisa and Shane's Wedding Pictures

This wedding was elegant. There were so many little details that I loved! Here let me explain through pictures:

I loved shooting at "Our Lady of Grace" in Edina...it is an absolutely gorgeous church with tons of interesting backgrounds for photos.

Lisa you were such a gorgeous bride! I don't think you stopped smiling all day...Not even when it poured!

Here comes the bride. Sometimes it's hard to capture walking down the aisle in a unique way. I love the lines, arches, contrasting black and white and the fact that it's a moment in motion.

The Sofitel Hotel and Dining Room is gorgeous and totally artsy. It's definitely one of my favorite places to photograph receptions!

I love this shot of the cake and reception...I don't know why...I just do!

www.noemiphotography.com

Joe & Katie's Wedding Pictures!

Last year I did a wedding that had seven brothers in the wedding party...great marketing technique if the family likes you! I guess I passed the test because this year I was hired to shoot another Rueb wedding. It truely was my pleasure to see everyone again. I'm hoping to be at another family wedding soon! I'm excited to show you the precious moments we captured...

I couldn't resist including this one! It's a long day and a McDonald's burger can really hit the spot when you're starving...

www.noemiphotography.com

Abbey & Jon's Wedding Pictures!

This wedding was the second half of my double header weekend and I loved it! They are such a joyful couple...literally laughing all the time! I couldn't help but laugh with them. We had a great time with their families too! I'm hoping to be the photographer at another Hansen or Enfield wedding in the near future!

www.noemiphotography.com

Maureen and Evan's Wedding pictures!

I absolutely loved this couple! First we had a great time shooting their engagement session then, we topped it off by having a perfect wedding day! Thank you Maureen and Evan for letting me be a part of your precious day. I think my favorite part was when I stopped taking pictures and listen to the worship and sermon at the ceremony...I was deeply moved. This couple is beautiful inside and out! here's some of the pictures from the day:

This one is for Mom...they are both looking at the camera and not kissing!

This one is for Evan's...I had to blog the camouflage vests!

I love doing weddings!

www.noemiphotography.com

Julie and Joe's Wedding Pictures!

We had the perfect day! Really...the weather, the wedding party, the ceremony, the reception...IT WAS PERFECT! I even got teary at some of the speeches at the reception! I don't think that's ever happened to me. Sometimes I get a little misty at the ceremony but never the reception! This wedding was a delight to capture. AND her dress was gorgeous! See for yourself:

www.noemiphotography.com