On Aug. 16, 2008, Marianne Smallwood married Tyler McKinley in Maple Grove, Minn. Marianne is Filipino, and the ceremony mixed traditional Filipino-Catholic traditions with Tyler’s Lutheran heritage.
Marianne got ready at her parents house in Maple Grove.
Meanwhile, Tyler and his guys were enjoying a Perkins breakfast and getting ready at the hotel.
The ceremony took place at St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church in Maple Grove. This is one of the most photography-friendly churches we’ve shot at because of all the natural light. Because of the interesting placement of the altar (dead center of church) we were able to get some good angles, too, without disrupting the ceremony.
The day was warm and sunny, but as we moved on to Weaver Lake Park a storm started to roll in. It didn’t rain while we were there, but the clouds provided a GREAT backdrop for our wedding party shots.
The whole group enjoyed having fun while there, throwing flowers …
… climbing a rope structure …
… and jumping in dresses (but not heels).
At the reception, the clouds began to clear to create a stunning sunset.
And the dance! We really have to credit the bride & groom for getting out on the dance floor, the reception attendees for joining them (and not leaving!) and the DJ for keeping up with the favorite requests (lots of line dances, from standbys like “The Electric Slide” to oldies like “Macarena” to even “Soldier Boy”!) Laura didn’t want to leave!
Quickly after their wedding, the couple had to separate again, Marianne back to Vietnam and Tyler to Year One of Law School in Boston. They’ll be getting together again over the holidays, and we just want to extend a big “Congratulations, Marianne & Tyler!”
- Laura
