Ashley & Luke’s fall wedding was one for the books. It was an absolute honor to witness them promise their love and lives to one another in the sacrament of marriage. It had been six months since their engagement session so we were excited to have these love birds back in front of our cameras again AND what better place to celebrate the two of them becoming one than the place that brought them together in the first place?! Their love story began here at the University of St. Thomas when they each applied to work on campus. Little did they know that this job as a student would introduce them to their soul mate and build the foundation that brought us all to the campus chapel on November 4.

The wedding day finally arrived. I greeted Ashley in the dressing room as her maid of honor was buttoning up her wedding dress. Ashley leaned over to put the finishing touches on her ensemble by lacing up her fabulous pair of glitter Keds by Kate Spade whose sparkle could catch your eye from a mile away.  With her veil in her hair and one final look over her shoulder in the mirror, I asked Ashley how she was feeling. She had plenty of pep in her step as she described being beyond ready for the day to begin.

That energetic step walked her right out the door in anticipation for seeing her groom at the first look. Luke turned and beamed instantly at the sight of his bride. After a quick hug to say hello, he stepped back to take in her beauty, then wrapped her up closely in a sweet embrace. The way his face lit up in that moment set the joyous tone for the day. Luke’s dad recognized that this kind of joy that Ashley and Luke felt during their first look – and throughout their wedding day –  is the anchor to marriage. He shared his wisdom during the reception from his own experience that, “marriage isn’t always dances and cake, it is compromise and sacrifice. When times get tough, remember the love.”

We hope this is the case and that reliving the wedding day through these  images will reignite that spark when times are tough.

Cheers to the newlyweds!

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THE CREATIVE TEAM

Team work makes the dream work. Shout out and thank you to all of these incredible vendors who loved and served this bride and groom to make their vision for the wedding day a reality.

Ceremony: Chapel of St. Thomas Aquinas at the University of St. Thomas
Reception Venue: The Pavillion at Lake Elmo
Wedding Dress: The Wedding Shoppe
Wedding Shoes: Kate Spade Glitter Keds
Florist: Colleen’s Flower Cellar
Hair & Make-Up Artist: Natalie Rae Designs
Bakery: Buttercream
Catering: Machine Shed Restaurant
DJ: Midwest Sound
Men’s Attire:The Wedding Shoppe
Bridesmaids Dresses:The Wedding Shoppe

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