Lyndsey & Jordan’s Engagement Photos at Raspberry Island in Saint Paul, Minnesota

Welcome to Lindsey and Jordan’s couple session at Raspberry Island on a cold and windy spring day. This session is special for me, not only because it’s a couple with whom I have a really good connection, but it’s also the first of a long list of photo sessions with Lindsey and Jordan (including their wedding). Now they have a baby, and I was very proud they called me for their maternity and newborn session.

We will see the result you can expect if, like Lindsey, you are motivated and follow all my recommendations.

Our First Contact in St. Paul

Lindsey was looking for a Minneapolis wedding photographer to cover her engagement session and wedding in the Twin Cities area. As often happens, she found me on the internet. She was pretty excited. After exchanging a couple of emails, I first met them at a coffee shop in St. Paul, near the capitol (Nina’s Coffee shop). We talked extensively on my way to work, and she told me about her wedding. She wanted someone able to capture all the insignificant moments of her day. She values candid pictures that give the image a dimension of authenticity. A few weeks after that first meeting, I was delighted to cover their photo session.

Photos at Raspberry Island, Saint Paul

Park Next to a Famous Venue

Ask any wedding photographer, and they’ll tell you Raspberry Island is famous in the cities, offering ceremony and engagement session locations with breathtaking views of the city skyline.

Facing the park, you will find a well-known wedding venue for celebrations, the Boat Club and its Spanish Revival architecture style. If the club is old, the park itself has been recently renovated to host events such as outdoor weddings, concerts, and festivals. By the way, when I arrived, there was an entire bridal party (hosting a wedding at the Boat Club) having their portraits taken inside a futuristic arch: the Schubert Bandshell.

That’s a great place to get married (especially for outdoor events), close to an event venue and having an overlook of the city as a backdrop. That said, for a photo session, I preferred to focus more on the shoreline and the massive bridge.

Photos Close to the Mississippi River

When the newly engaged couple arrived, I was pleased to see that Lindsey (who was already frozen by the fresh temperatures that were under 50 degrees), followed my recommendations regarding the pre-wedding session (clothes and hair and makeup) and picked a nice dress that would catch the wind. We started by capturing pictures on the Mississippi riverfront, using the bench and young tree leaves around. Wind blew in Lindsey’s hair while she was looking with complicity at Jordan. She was stunning, and this magical moment led to some romantic pictures.

Wabasha Bridge

Quickly after, we moved to the impressive bridge to continue the photo shoot. While we were climbing the steel stairs, I played with the monument architecture and the back-light. Despite the wind, Lindsey was brave and interacted a lot with her fiancé. I didn’t have to ask them to pose, which allowed me to catch candid shots.

Then we moved forward to Saint Paul Kellogg Boulevard and the Kellogg Mall parks, another spot I had previously scouted. Finally, we ended this amazing photo session on rooftops in Saint Paul. If you are planning a photo shoot at Raspberry Island, you may also consider Harriet Island.

What You Should Take into Consideration if You Are Planning a Session at Raspberry Island

• It’s a great location for sunset light.
• It’s windy. Remember that the windchill temperatures are lower by a few degrees, so dress accordingly.
• Take advantage of the wind. Choose a dress that catches the wind and a hairstyle that allows your hair to be “messy.”
• Make sure there are no events scheduled on your day.
• There is a medium-sized parking lot underneath the bridge, which might be packed if a wedding is hosted at the adjacent venue.
• It’s a small island, so you might need to go to a different location.

A Good Add-On Location

After boasting this park’s qualities, let’s see its limits. The least we can say is that Raspberry Island doesn’t offer enough diversity to take an entire couple’s photo session. Indeed, except for the pedestrian green line walkways that offer a nice view of the city and direct access to the river, there are not many photogenic amenities. Unlike Harriet Island with old oaks and the riverboat harbored, Raspberry Island is (for the moment), pretty flat (a lawn, surrounded by only short and thin vegetation) and pretty empty (except the hall).

Also, I recommend adding some extra complementary locations to provide a more diverse background. The good news is that there is plenty nearby!

Other Places in the Neighborhood

Spots Located in the Immediate Proximity

• The Irvine Park and its fountain
• Several rooftops
• The Kellogg Park
• The St. Paul Library
• The St. Paul Landmark Center
• The Rice Park
• The St. Paul Hotel with its gorgeous lobby and stairs
• The Mears Park
• The Union Depot
• The Capitol
• The Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary

If you are not pleased with the previous ones, find here 6 other alternatives.

The Lyndale Park Rose Garden

Located on the east side of Harriet Lake (Minneapolis), the Rose Garden (check this photo session) can welcome an outdoor ceremony, but most of all, offers a large diversity of flowers for your pictures. You can enjoy roses, lilac, tulips, plum trees, and pines, just to name a few. Ideally located in proximity to the lake, it offers you both views of the water and the flowers.

Minnehaha Park

Different from the flatland Harriet Island, the Minnehaha Park, and its dog park features the renowned Minnesota Minnehaha Falls (not to be confused with St. Anthony Falls). With a hilly landscape and direct access to the Mississippi River, this park offers a large diversity of options to be used as a backdrop for your pictures.

Stone Arch Bridge

Utterly famous for senior high school portraits, proposals and couple session, the Stone Arch Bridge (Minneapolis, MN), it faces Anthony Falls. It links the college and the University campus, crossing the Mississippi River. With 640 meters in length (2100 feet), the Stone Arch Bridge is a genuine piece of art, and was a masterpiece of engineering feats one century ago. First built by the railroad tycoon, James J. Hill, to transport passengers, this decommissioned bridge was first mocked as “Hill’s Folly.” Today, it remains as an iconic and historical monument for the city, loved by tourists and couples. Located one block away from the campus, it’s also a location loved by students.

This place can be easily crowded, especially in summer and on weekends.

Quiet but Charming Park for Shy Couples to Reveal Their Relationship

Like most photographers in St. Paul, MN, and especially as an LGBT friendly photographer, I recommend that couples choose a quiet park in Minnesota. Having a place where a couple can be at ease, and reveal their emotion is a necessity for a good session. The Hennepin Bluffs is located just in front of the Stone Arch Bridge, and offers a sumptuous background for pictures! As you can see, you don’t need to travel far to find a quiet location.

The Landscape Arboretum

Another renowned location in Chaska, MN (South of the Twin Cities), the Landscape Arboretum welcome surprise proposal welcomes photo sessions, and even wedding ceremonies and celebrations. Managed by the State University (Department of Horticultural Science in the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resources Sciences), this park offers a 1,200-acre horticultural garden and arboretum. That should be enough to please any couple who loves beautiful nature to find the ideal background for their pictures.

North Shore of the 10,000 Lakes State:

Adored by Duluth photographers, the North Shore of the North State (above Duluth), offers sumptuous landscapes for outstanding portraits in every season! If you are ready to drive two or three hours to the north, it would reward you with the pine forest, the points of view on hills and mountains, and the shore of Superior Lake. Let’s think of Gooseberry Falls State Park, just to name one.