Britta the Photographer » weddings

Chelsey + Justin: The Wedding

Britta — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 16:17:34 +0000

I’m a fan of the kind of love Chelsey and Justin share. Other than being the sweetest couple on the planet, these two are totally best friends and absolutely in love. Their beautiful winter wedding day was the perfect reflection of the love they share – seemingly effortless, wonderfully calm and chock full of all-things happy.

Set at Cragun’s Resort in the northwoods of Minnesota, Chelsey and Justin were married on a brisk day in January. They braved the cold for a few outdoor pictures and cozied up inside for their wedding and reception. It was a lovely day!

Whitney + Michael: The Wedding

Britta — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 15:58:00 +0000

Well, it’s here: the last day of the Mayan calendar. No signs of the apocalypse, however it does look like an astroid has devastated my small home office. Piles and piles of stuff for the new studio surround me – I’m starting to feel like a hoarder! But more on that next week (if we make it there).

Today, I thought if it’s the supposed end of the world, I better show you photographs from Whitney & Michael’s beautiful November wedding. They were married on the chilly Saturday after Thanksgiving in Minot, North Dakota. As always, it was super windy in the Magic City – but a little wind and some cold temps didn’t stop this gorgeous couple from trekking outside for a few portraits.

The day started earlier at the church where Whitney slipped into her gorgeous custom-made wedding gown. I must say it was such a treat to hang out of Whitney, Michael and all their friends and family. What a lively, hilarious group.

Whitney was so excited/nervous/anxious during her first look with Michael, taking her a few minutes to remove his Twins-themed blindfold. It was adorable and ridiculous sweet.

Party time on the party bus!

Their reception was held at the Grand International Inn in Minot. The room was full of laughter, HILARIOUS speeches by the attendants, and loads and loads of love from all.

Awesome couple. Awesome wedding. A good end to my 2012 wedding season.

Staci + Paul: The Engagement Session

Britta — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 15:37:46 +0000

Almost more than my love of country weddings is my love of country engagement portraits. It’s true. And with Staci and Paul, I’ll get both! This lovely couple will be getting hitched on Staci’s family farm north of Fargo next June. Earlier this autumn, I photographed them there for a super fun and diverse engagement session. We covered all their loves: horses, nature, airplanes and the Packers.

Styled Shoot: Cozy Winter Wedding

Britta — Sat, 17 Nov 2012 02:49:35 +0000

The cozy winter wedding shoot was the first of the three styled shoots I did for Get Hitched, and the last I’ll show you from the series. Even though it was a sweltering hot day in August, we all thought cool December thoughts. The styling is cozy and warm with a hint of freshness thanks to the succulent flowers and white linens.

Venue: Rustic Oaks Photographer: Britta the Photographer Edibles: Sarah’s Sweet Boutique Dresses: Trés Chic Bridal Floral: Sadie’s Couture Floral & Event Styling Stationary: Lindsay Arneson Creative Jewelry: Wimmer’s Diamonds Makeup: Blushed Hair: West 13th Salon

Styled Shoot: Steampunk Wedding

Britta — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 15:14:15 +0000

Part of the mission for these styled shoots was to give couples some great, new ideas for their wedding. And, we hope, it will allow our couples to think outside the box when planning their big day. Of all the styled shoots, the Steampunk shoot was the most wild, most alterntaive and definitely they one I would most LOVE to photograph in real life.

For those who are unfamiliar with Steampunk, think of any Tim Burton movie, add a few more clock parts and some classic Victorian styling, mix in great big dollop of punky attitude and voila: Steampunk.

Special thanks to über artist Mara Morken for use of her stylish teeny-tiny top hats, and my good friends at Clockwerks in Fargo for supplying some gears, clock faces and the fabulous pocket watch you see below.

Venue: Plains Art Museum Photographer: Well, me, Britta the Photographer Edibles: The Hotel Donaldson Dress + Tux: The Bridal Shop Floral: Shotwell Floral Jeweler: Wimmer’s Diamonds Stationary: Lindsay Arneson Creative Makeup + Hair: West 13th Salon Models: Ashley, Zach, Ana and Justin

Styled Shoot: Modern Wedding

Britta — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 15:51:11 +0000

Confession: before this year I had never really desired to put together a styled shoot. I’ve always believed my strength as a photographer lies in documenting real life situations, and the idea of dreaming up an entire wedding day seemed incredibly intimating to me. Luckily, I was asked by my friend and collegue Katie Lewis to participate in the Get Hitched Wedding Show. Her vision for the 2012 event was to match regional creative wedding professionals to create eight diverse styled shoots. These shoots would not only give couples great ideas for their wedding, but would show how we vendors work together behind the scenes.

The styled shoots went off beautifully. It was such a pleasure to get to work with so many talented colleagues and now the idea of putting together a style shoot not only seems like tons of fun but creatively stimulating. I helped out with three styled shoots: Cozy Winter Wedding, Steampunk Wedding and a Modern Wedding shoot you see below. I’ll be posting photos from these shoots all week, so stayed tuned tomorrow for the Steampunk shoot. You won’t want to miss that!

The vision for the modern wedding styled shoot was based on the beautiful Plains Art Museum in downtown Fargo. To match this venue’s grand simplicity, sleek yet natural design elements were used: clean lines, pops of green under white, modern and simple.

Kayla and Tanner: The Engagement Sessions

Britta — Fri, 02 Nov 2012 13:56:33 +0000

Highschool sweethearts Kayla and Tanner have a cutest kind of love. After years of dating, these two still give each other sweet looks and gentle hugs. It’s amazingly adorable and I can’t wait to document more next May when these lovebirds get hitched. No doubt, it’s going to be a special day.

We started our session at Concordia College where Kayla and Tanner are both students. It was just before school started in August, so the campus was at the peak of loveliness (not to mention super quiet). Later in September, we trekked to the Twin Valley, MN area to finish up their session on Tanner’s family’s country property. With old cars, rustic buildings and pretty trees, the location was beyond perfect.

Jennifer + Ryan: The Wedding

Britta — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 14:45:52 +0000

On the last Saturday of September, Jennifer and Ryan said “I do” in a quaint old stone church in Casselton, North Dakota. Not only were they married in a perfect location (Ryan LOVES all things history, and this church was quite the North Dakota landmark – a perfect choice), but they happened upon the most beautiful day in September. The warm sun was shining, the leaves were gently falling, and everyone was excited to celebrate love.

The wedding was simple and lovely. The celebration was intimate and lively. All in all, a perfect day for a wonderful couple.

Get Hitched

Britta — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 17:18:59 +0000

Everyone knows that putting together a wedding takes time, patience and a whole lot of planning. And, thanks to Pinterest, our expectations for awesomeness have sky rocketed. Unfortunately, finding the right wedding vendors to fit your discriminating tastes can be difficult.

So, what is the modern couple to do?

Enter Get Hitched, a completely new kind of wedding event targeted towards modern couples who crave good taste, quality and personal interaction from their wedding professionals. Instead of the cattle yard concept of the traditional “bridal show”, Get Hitched is an intimate cocktail party where you can meet and gain inspiration from local wedding professionals. Oh, and did I mention there is cake samples and wine? That’s pretty neat.

This year, I’m so proud to be part of Get Hitched and I can’t wait to chat with area couples about their upcoming weddings. Please join us Friday, November 2 from 6-9 p.m. at the Plains Art Museum, Fargo. Tickets are $15 at the door or just $10 in advance and can be purchased in Fargo at The Bridal Shop, Shotwell Floral, West 13th Salon, and Tres Chic Bridal in Grand Forks.

I’ll leave you with a little video my colleague and friend Katie Lewis created for the upcoming event. Those who know me might recognize the back of my head in a few scenes :)

Whitney + Michael: The Engagement Session

Britta — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 15:51:30 +0000

I have long professed my love for central North Dakota – in particular, my husband’s sister’s farm near Garrison, North Dakota. The rolling hills, the vast grasslands, the complete wide openness; it’s a lovely and inspiring part of the world and one of my favorite places to be. Luckily, Whitney and Michael agree – and since they live in Minot, North Dakota, just 40 short minutes from Garrison, a shoot at the Seidler farm was not out of the question.

Obviously in love, full of energy, super stylish, Whitney and Michael are my type of people. I’m beyond excited for their upcoming November wedding, one, that I’m sure, will go down in the books as epic.

We first met up at the Custer Mine area outside Garrison then headed to the farm to complete the session. They brought their precocious corgi Marge, who sneaked into a few fun photos.

Carrie + Craig: The Wedding

Britta — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 15:18:21 +0000

Oh, goodness: Carrie and Craig. How does one describe the dynamic duo without a big smile? Carrie is wonderfully energetic – a fun, camera lovin’, hilarious woman ready to rock at any moment. Craig, though just slightly more reserved, matches her completely with his sweet, yet mischievous, personality. Together they are a complete riot and I was so happy to document their wedding day this September.

And what a day it was.

Carrie and Craig’s entire celebration was held at the beautiful Fargo Country Club with a post-ceremony stop over downtown and at their favorite hang out, Divas and Rockstars. Oh, and lets not forget the releasing of the memory lanterns after dinner. That might be one of my favorite memories this year! So, so, cool.

Jennifer + Trent: The Backyard Wedding

Britta — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 18:38:30 +0000

Jeni and Trent’s charming backyard wedding may just win the award for shortest ceremony this photographer has ever attended. No kidding. From very start to very finish, the ceremony was just 15 short minutes. But packed into that small amount of time was a whole lot of love. The entire day was a heart warming celebration, full of plenty of sweet, a tiny bit of rowdiness and lots and lots of fun.