Wedding Photographer in Minneapolis and St Paul, MN: A Partner in Your Love Story

For newly engaged couple who desire more than a random guy with a camera, finding the perfect professional photographer offering extensive coverage service to cover their entire wedding day on the Twin Cities (or in the countryside) can be overwhelming. There are so many competitors, so many parameters to consider. That represents a huge number of questions you don’t have an answer!

As a photographer with over 15 years of experience in the wedding, in Europe and in the USA, I will try to help you answer those questions, see what matter or not.

In this article, we will see what are the specificities of doing wedding photography in Mn compared to other states (if there is any), and most of all, what are the most important questions to ask yourself before hiring a professional?
I will not only discuss some common questions (that you can find inside bride magazine), but I’m about to reveal to you some too often forgotten considerations that matter.
Finally, I will try to clarify typical myths.

1/ How wedding photography in Minnesota differs from other states and EU?

A Saturated market in the Mid West

The first thing to know is that wedding photography is the first reconversion job in the USA. As a result, the North State has the second-highest ration resident/number of photographers. Lots of people open their photography business overnight, without “strong” photography knowledge.
But, given Americans are the world leader in marketing and selling strategy, most individuals can handle creating a descent website. They just need 20 excellent photographs to sell their services to customers who have no experience with weddings and photographers: you, the newly engaged couple!

Also, thanks to (maybe) the Minnesota pleasant effect, every photography studio seems to have some excellent reviews of the bride’s special day (at least the one featured on their website).

A weather that sculpts the wedding season

Popular months

Thanks to cold temperature and given most of venue offer outside location, most couples decide to get married during a warm month.
That’s why 42% of couples choose June, July, August and September to tie the knot.

Take in consideration that those months are usually pretty humid, which means a higher number of mosquitos, and higher chance of storms.

Taking some good photography during winter is more difficult. Hire a professional that matches the following requirements:

• works with batterie that can survive critical temperature (under 30°F some batteries stop working)
• works with waterproof equipment (only the most expensive professional model is waterproof)
• help you choose the clothes that keep you warm and are photogenic
• have good equipment to stay comfortable when facing extreme cold temperature (gloves, boots, etc.)
• know how to compose and how to take advantage of the snow
• know how to light dark venue (studio skills)

Indoor VS. outdoor Venue

Despite lots of venues (such as barns) take advantage of the outdoor landscape, and often celebrate outdoor unions, almost of the venue offer an indoor option.

Given the uncertain character of the climate, not having a covered option, it pretty critical.

Even backyard wedding usually rent tent service in case of rain.

Landscape

Some states (Colorado, Utah) offer a large variety of breathtaking landscape. Minnesota has nothing similar. Nevertheless, the north part of the 10, 000 lakes states, offers some nice forest, and rock formations, that can be a great asset for bride and groom pics.

Some part of the South-East, with hills, can also be considered charming and photogenic.

We should not forget the 10 000 lakes! It’s always great to take advantage of a lake in photography.
Finally, despite the cold temperature, the white winter landscape could also be considered as a specificity offered by the North Star State.

As a result, it’s better to hire a photographer who can recommend to you the locale and secret landscape treasure.

Albums and Photo Lab

Whereas you use your professional service to print an album, or you doing yourself, you must print your wedding album.
I have looked at all the album makers, or photo lab, in Minnesota (because it would be more convenient for me to deal directly with a local company), and curiously, there is not any good one.
They are or overpriced, or the quality if pretty cheap.

As a result, most of the bride and groom who go to their local printer would have an overpriced and poor quality album. What a shame.
As a result, it’s better to hire a professional who offers excellent quality album (at a decent price)

EU vs Midwest style

You will notice an obvious difference of photography style quality and expectation between a big city and the countryside. Of course, that’s not the major or only reason. You can, of course, find the classical style of wedding photography offered by big states; timeless, natural, fashion, documentary. But you can also find some other style.

I have distinguished between 3 styles to avoid.

The traditional posed style (that we avoid)

It’s probably the level zero of photography. Amateur photographer (and I have been one, so I know what it is), doesn’t know how to direct and posed couple. As a result, you are doing some cheesy smile on all the images, looking stupid or worst, awkward.

The Over Photoshopped Style (that we avoid)

If you have a smart phone, you have probably faced the HDR effect. HDR stand for High Dynamic Range. Let us say that, like all kinds of retouching, well used, a viewer should notice nothing weird.
You might have already seen some photographs, where the sky features some amazing dark clouds, and everything looks completely plastic, over saturated and completely fake.
This style is quite popular and love in the countryside. In photography, “more” is not “better.”

Fancy Filter Effect (why we have decided not to use them)

Finally, the less horrible, the one involving (too much) filters. This is the more controversial style. Let’s be honest, if used with parsimony, filters can really enhance an image.

Actually, the major advantage of filters, despite saving lots of time retouching image, is that they can turn a mediocre image into an esthetic image to look at. In other words, the effects are fancy, and can turn any image into something beautiful. That’s why there is so much (beginner) image maker that uses filters.

The problem is that these fancies tend should not last forever, and in 10 years, your wedding image would be completely outdated.

Conclusion:

There is not a big difference getting to get married to the North Star State than other Midwest states. You just have to be careful to hire the right artist and not be fooled by all the other ones. And luckily, we are here to give you tips to help you make the difference. But keep in mind that the best way to judge of the quality of reportage is to have a look at every single image of reportage (not only the featured ones). That should give you a good point of view about the ability to capture moments during such a special event.

It’s a luxurious service. Do you really need it?

Wedding photography is a luxurious service, like all luxurious services, not a bare necessity. Today, more than ever, you don’t need any talent to snap some images. Anymore smart guy with a cell phone can take a picture of your outdoor union or a group picture. So, why paying for a luxurious service?

• to have the guarantee to receive professional quality product that amazes you
• to enjoy looking at your photographs still in 100 years
• to immortalize action taken at the exact perfect instant
• to have authentic expressions of your guest at their best
• to have unexpected candid photographs (the more difficult and more rewarding to catch)
• to have all the little moments captured, allowing you to rediscover all moments you could not enjoy during your D-Day (because you can’t be everywhere at the same time),
• to have excellent result under all kinds of non-photography-friendly situation (low light, stress, rain, fast movement)
• to have creative and artist image
• to have a wedding album lasting a lifetime
• to have a well-designed wedding album to be proud of

My advice: if you are planning to become husband and wife and you want stunning photographs, then hire a very good vendor or nothing.

First thing, price only and extensive coverage doesn’t guarantee you a successful photo session. The best photographer can actually be affordable and catch stunning images reflecting your personality.

Now, keep in mind that bad, medium, intermediate quality photographs, are images you might look once or twice. If a picture is just correct, or dull, it’s something that you won’t look again in the future.
They are a waste of money.

A good investment are images that should amaze you it would thrill you to look at again and again.

That why recommends couples not to trim on photography. Those are the only thing that will remain after the wedding. There are a lot of things you can save money that won’t make a tremendous difference.

For information, the average Minnesota’s wedding cost is around $24000 and $30000 (with an increasing to $44000 the last past years). The average price of a photographer in MN is somewhere between $2400 and $3500.

The finality of the reportage is a wedding album, which is not made (only) for you.

First, having all the digital files in HD on a Hard Drive, makes no sense. You might look at the digital file twice during the first years fallowing your wedding, but in 20 years, you won’t. Photographs have to be printed, so you wan look at them in the future.

Also, the real aim of the wedding photographer is to create a wedding album that tells not only your story, but your family story. The real aim is to have an album that can be an heirloom to your children and your grandchildren.
The goal of photographer work is that 50 years, you seat on your couch with your grand-grandchildren on your lap,  and you tell them the story of your family.

Why Photographers in Minneapolis offer pre-wedding sessions

When you stroll in the Twin Cities, you can witness engagement session taking place everywhere, such as on Raspberry Island (Saint Paul), the Stone Arch Bridge(Minneapolis), the Centennial lakes (Edina, MN),.
The reason such a session are so famous are multiple:

• It allows you to validate your choice
  If you are unhappy, you still have time to hire another professional. Some company (such as French Touch Photography), offers a free cancellation and complete refund in case of dissatisfaction.
• It allows you to know your vendor and trust him.
  So, on your big day, you are confident in front of your vendor. You would follow his weirdest recommendations without hesitation.
• It gives you a first experience as a model.
  So, on your D-Day, you already know what to do, and what to avoid. In consequence, you need less time to have delightful images.
• it allows your vendor to get to know you
  As a result, he adapts his photography to your right angle to what pleases you.
  Also, he would also be more confident with you, what should improve the quality of the image?

Why Should you Meet your photographer before hiring him

If you want wonderful memories, meet your professional photographer before hiring him to cover your wedding in St Paul, MN, or further in Minnesota (like St. Cloud) or in other states (like Wisconsin).The reason is pretty obvious.

• It allows you to know if it might be a fit match for you. 80% of information transmitted during a rendezvous is non-verbal information. Meeting someone remains the principal way to see if your temperament match.
• You want to make sure your family is at ease with your photographer. You don’t want a rude, racist or vulgar person.
• it allows you to discover real album, to touch them, to compare the cover, the paper and the quality of the printing
• that allow you to define a first draft of your wedding day

Does it worth making your vendor travel to your wedding?

Despite there are photography vendors (almost) everywhere in the North Star State, they might not offer the same style and service.

If you are planning to get married in a lost location for the cheapest price.

So if you are getting married in the middle of nowhere because you have a tiny budget and try to save money, then you should probably go with a local photography vendor (or not hire any at all).

Should you dare getting married in the Middle of Nowhere?

If your goal is an outstanding landscape

Some landscape promised special memories (such as North of Duluth), I would be happy to pack my camera bag and offer the couple a long coverage of their day capturing every single moment.

The 10,000 State offers few, but some charming landscape. It starts from Duluth and spread to the frontier with Canada, including the shore of the Superior Lake. The South-East, and South-West of the State, also feature some nice landscape, with hills and bluff.

If you are planning to get married in the middle of nowhere because there is an amazing scenery or outstanding resort, then you might do a destination wedding. You want nothing but the beautiful quality. And in this scenario, making your vendor travel to your destination is logical and even recommended.

There is no such thing that talent

If you are looking for a talented professional photographer in doing amazing portraits in MN, be aware that talent results from a hardworking personality. It’s a constant research of improvement and paying attention to the details.

The romantic conception of the artist being touched by God’s grace is a myth.
I have been teaching photography in a private school. I confessed that among beginners, some students are more skilled than other ones. But the difference becomes less obvious when students are learning.

Also, in wedding photography, you need to produce over 10 or 30 outstanding cliché during an entire day event. That’s a lot of technique to learn for a lot of distinct moments.
Being a wonderful image maker required work.

There is no 100% candid shot of the couple

Most clients I meet in Minneapolis don’t want cheese poses, and would love only candid shot.
Photographers have technical to make images look natural, candid. There are multiple tricks to generate genuine emotion and catch couples’ personalities.
But, given you know that a professional is taking photos of you, the result won’t be 100% candid.

One person cannot capture photography and videography at the same time

I love videography, that add another dimension that is missing to still image, time and sounds. Film is another way to show emotion and connection between families.
They are also a tremendous source of inspiration.

Bridal party and family pictures are all but boring

Standing guests in line is definitively boring. But taking the time to stage cinematic images that tell a story is actually pretty funny! For families and friends, that’s an opportunity to have fun and to show what defines them.
Since I work in Minneapolis, I have developed the staged group photos a lot. I invite you to look at my portfolio to find inspiration.

Second Shooter Is Not Mandatory

When I first arrived in the North State, I was surprised to view that it’s common for a photography studio to offer second shooter. In France, only the very expensive photography business hire experimented as a second shooter to capture expensive event of fortunate clients.

I later understood that, in most weddings, a second shooter is more a marketing thing than an actual need. Here is the reason:

When a second shooter is needed,

First, it should be an accomplished image maker, (with enough experience and taking creative pictures).
Second, it makes sense to hire one, when the bride and the groom want to get ready at the same time.

If you are planning for a surprise proposal in Minneapolis and desire some authentic portraits reflecting your personalities and the moment, then you need to hire a good professional.

By definition, proposals happen only once, which means you won’t be able to redo it. Also, you need someone on whom you can rely, and be sure he/she has the required top quality gear (very long lens), and should discuss the best scenario for successful images. That implies, at least:

• choosing the perfect location
• determine the ideal hour of day, regarding the sun position and the tourist
• suggesting you several locations that would stand as pleasant background
• selecting the ideal spot, making sure you won’t have anyone in front or in the back of your photos
• discussing the way you want to make your proposal
• discuss your orientation regarding the lightening
• suggesting you a couple of outfits that you could wear and that would match your fiance clothes

Check a proposal reportage at the Arboretum

Found here a proposal that took place at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum (in Chaska, MN, in the South-West of Minneapolis), fallowed by a short engagement session. There is nothing better than looking at the image to make your own judgment.
Jared contacted a few months before he asked Tiffany. We discussed together everything, and the result is nothing but beautiful!