Twin Cities Wedding Photographers | Staja Studios Blog, specializing in MN Weddings

Kali & Dustin - Bloomington Hilton Wedding

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 15:52:42 -0600

Ceremony: Christ Presbyterian Church
Reception: Bloomington Hilton

We recently had the pleasure of photographing Kali & Dustin's wonderful wedding! Their day started off at Christ Presbyterian Church and was followed at the Bloomington Hilton.

Kali and Dustin have a fantastic relationship and were surrounded by their wonderful family and friends. With some hilarious speeches and a fun bridal party, there were plenty of laughs to be had throughout the night!

We had a fantastic time and would like to wish Kali and Dustin the absolute best on their new life together.

We encourage you to take a peek at some of the highlights from their wedding below. We have also posted some additional images on our FB page, which we would love if you took a look and "liked" us while you are there. Lastly, if you would be interested in purchasing any images from their wedding, you can register HERE.

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Behind The Veil Featuring A Milestone Paper Co.

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 15:22:17 -0600

We are back with a new episode of behind the veil, and LOVE the work by today's guest. We had the opportunity to sit down with Sarah Glad of A Milestone Paper Co. and got a chance to learn more about her approach towards stationary! Sarah does amazing work and is very fun to work with. In fact we recently had lunch with one of our brides who also worked with Sarah. She had nothing but glowing things to say about Sarah and her work! We encourage you to watch the newest episode of Behind The Veil and give her a call if you are getting married. Without further adieu, here is Sarah and A Milestone Paper Company!

Here are a couple of images of the laser cut invitation Sarah had mentioned:

Here are some additional images of Sarah's beautiful work!

If you would like to contact Jessica, here is her information:

Milestone Papers Website
Email Sarah With Milestone Paper
Milestone Papers Telephone Number: 651.492.6977

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Wedding Album - Book or Heirloom?

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 16:29:27 -0600

Today was one of those days that remind us of why we love our job! We met one of our fantastic brides and her mom for lunch while we were delivering their albums. They both wanted something unique yet classic, and "them". I met with them a few months ago and went over some options, got an idea of what they were looking for, and then sat down for some design time. The best part came today when we got to deliver them! It was so great to hear how our clients loved them. How they not only loved the album, but the comments on how nice the finished images turned out! That is why we finish every piece of art that leaves our studio. It takes a little additional time, but is the difference between a book and an art piece.

As a studio, we LOVE albums. Why you may ask? They are the tangible story of the wedding all wrapped up in a beautiful piece. In a digital age, people sometimes forget about the "story" and how it's told. With the rate of change in technology, who knows if that CD is going to be able to be accessed in 5 years, but you can bet that you can hold that album! One of my favorite things about the album process is when the bride's mom will talk about how that same bride would crawl up in her lap and look at her wedding album. These aren't just books with pretty pictures, they are lasting memories! It's a chance for you to show your children how your life started as a family. A chance to show them how much fun you had and what if felt like to be there.

Looking back, I wish someone would have taken the time to explain this and show us more options. We have a wedding album with about 10 or 15 individual pictures. I love that I can look back and see what Stacey and I were like on that day, but unfortunately it's missing "the story". At this point, I would LOVE to be able to show our daughter and son more about what our day was like. About how my Father In Law's steps got slower and slower the closer he and Stacey got to the end of the processional. The story of how we had our first dance taught to us as a surprise to the guests. In short, our individual story!

Anyway, when you are planning your wedding, we encourage you to think about how you want to remember that day! How you want it captured and then how you want the story told. As the years go by we don't think you will ever regret choosing a professionally designed and finished album to remember the day!

Here are a few images from today's albums!

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Wedding Ideas - Bold Color

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 21:32:09 -0600

We love when our couples make a statement and aren't afraid of a little color! With that said, all things should be done in taste. I love this color combination that Gillian and Ivan used in their wedding last fall, what do you think?

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Behind The Veil Featuring Jorge Perez and Macy's Bridal

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 09:16:11 -0600

We have been sitting on a stack of interviews that we are currently in the process of cutting together and getting ready to view. With the big "engagement season" coming to an end, there are probably a lot of brides looking for THE DRESS! We were invited to attend Macy's Bridal Expo last year and had the wonderful opportunity to meet designer, Jorge Perez. He was kind enough to talk with us about his debut line and features for the direction of this years line. I love that he puts an emphasis on lasting designs and not so much on trends. In addition to a trunk show, the expo featured the work of some additional vendors like Apres, which we included some of their beautiful table settings below!

Jorge truly shared some great information about his thoughts on design as well as some great tips for picking out your dress! If you are in the process of looking for a gown, be sure to go check out what Macy's Bridal has to offer, and Jorge's gowns particularly!

Be sure to check out some of the images and the embedded interview below!

If you would like to contact any of the above mentioned vendors or would like to set up a consultation to see one of Jorge's gowns or one of their other designers, here is her information:

Jorge's Website

Macy's Info
Macy's Bridal Telephone Number: (612) 375-2162
Salon Hours: M-Th 10-8, F-Sat 10-6, Sun 12-6

Apres Website

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Amanda & Sunil - 2nd Shooting For Melissa Jill

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 13:43:07 -0600

Wow, I feel like the worst blogger ever. Events seemed to pile up and I didn't know where to start. Anyway, with a new season, We are bound and determined to do a better job and work at posting some past events that we got behind on. With all that behind me, on to the GOOD STUFF!

About a month ago my friend and fantastic photographer, Melissa Jill, got in touch with me and said she was coming to Minnesota (from Phoenix) to photograph a wedding and wanted to know if I would be available to second shoot for her. I met Melissa on my trip to Tanzania for Thirst Relief, and was thrilled that I would be available. Not only would it be great to see Melissa again; but, I also really respect her and thought it would be great to work with her and see how she operates.

Fast forward to this past weekend, and Stacey and I met with Melissa and her sister for dinner on Friday night and then I meet up with her at The Woods Chapel on Saturday for the wedding. Shortly after arriving, I met Amanda (the beaming bride) and Sunil. It was apparent from their first look on that they were so excited to be marrying one another and had a deep love for one another.

It was a great time meeting them both and having the opportunity to help Melissa on this wedding. The couple was so cute I had a hard time picking some of my favorites, but here they are! Also, be sure to check out Melissa's post from the wedding here!

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Sara & Michael - Minikahda Club Wedding

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 14:35:52 -0600

Ceremony:         Lake of The Isles Lutheran
Reception:         Minikahda Club
Floral Design:    Serendipity Flowers
Transportation: Twin Cities Trolleys
Entertainment:   Jerry O'Hagen's Orchestra

We recently had the pleasure of photographing Sara & Michael's wonderful wedding! Their day started off at Lake of The Isles Lutheran Church and was followed at the beautiful Minikahda Club which seemed to perfectly fit the mood and feel of their wedding.

At the reception, guests were treated to an amazing view of Minneapolis and Lake Calhoun from the deck during the cocktail hour, fantastic food, and the swinging sounds of Jerry O'Hagen's Orchestra!

We had a fantastic time and would like to wish Sara and Michael the absolute best on their new life together.

We encourage you to take a peek at some of the highlights from their wedding below. We have also posted some additional images on our FB page, which we would love if you took a look and "liked" us while you are there. Lastly, if you would be interested in purchasing any images from their wedding, you can register HERE.

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Sara & Michael - Wedding Teaser

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 18:23:33 -0600

This past weekend, Stacey and I, shot Sara & Michael's beautiful wedding! Towards the end of the day, we had a chance to get outside for a few minutes as the sun was setting. This was one of the images we got from that time. I love how the flare from the sun kind of creates a heart around the couple!

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Minneapolis Wedding Photographers Present Behind The Veil Eps. 4

Wed, 25 May 2011 10:42:03 -0600

We are back with a new episode of behind the veil, and are excited to share it with you! We recently sat down with Jessica Bartl of Jessica's Cakes and got a chance to learn a lot about cakes and everything surrounding them in relation to the wedding industry. Jessica is fabulous at what she does and has done some beautiful cakes. We encourage you to watch the newest episode of Behind The Veil and give her a call if you are getting married. Without further adieu, here is Jessica!

If you would like to contact Jessica, here is her information:

Jessica's Cakes Website
Email Jessica's Cakes
Jessica's Cakes Telephone Number: (651) 291-7799

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Casey & Dann's La Jolla Wedding - Sneak Peek

Sun, 24 Apr 2011 00:02:20 -0600

So after a day that felt like something from Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, Stacey and I are back from La Jolla, CA and ready for Easter with our kiddos! We wanted to share a quick picture from Casey and Dann's beautiful wedding! They were married at the gorgeous La Valencia just off the coast. We will be posting more images later, but in the meantime, here is a sneak peek!

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Water and Weddings!

Tue, 29 Mar 2011 10:04:54 -0600

Since being invited to take part in the Grace Ormonde/Thirst Relief Benefit Shoot in Tanzania, Africa during the summer of 2009, Thirst Relief has remained a cause that Stacey and I have been very involved with.

Fast forward to this past year and I was asked by the founder of Thirst Relief, Jim Davis-Hicks, if I would help plan their WPPI Benefit Shoot. The concept was to piggy back off the success of the Tanzania trip while adding an educational component. We brought together some world class instructors (David Becstead, Mike Colon, David and Luke Edmonson, JVS, and Richard Sturdevant). In addition, we had local designer Foat Design, make two gowns. Brandi Brownlee stylize the event, head pieces by Preston & Olivia, and Pixels2Canvas sponsored dinner! Needless to say it came together very well.

This year one of the things we really wanted to do was increase exposure and we accomplished this with the help of Junebug Weddings. Junebug was so gracious to agree to publish some highlights from the event. This was fantastic because it helped bring exposure to the entire wedding community. Plus I am happy to say that they chose a couple of my images to feature in the post.

One of the things that I like about Junebug is that they place a high importance on photography! This makes sense as it was started by three former photographers :). If you are looking for some wedding inspiration, you should check them out.

If you are interested in learning more about Thirst Relief, I encourage you to look into how $5 can help provide a family with a long-term sustainable clean water solution. And, since no post is as cool without pictures, here are some of my favorite images that I took from the day!

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Minneapolis Wedding Photographers Present Behind The Veil Eps. 3

Wed, 09 Mar 2011 21:05:18 -0600

We are so sorry that Behind The Veil has been on a temporary hiatus, but we are back with a brand new episode featuring Kaja Foat of Foat Design. For those Brides that love the thought of wearing a family member's gown, but also want your own flare, this is THE OPTION for you! Although I would love to go on and on about what else they do, I will let Kaja speak for herself!

Foat Design "Behind The Veil" from Staja Studios on Vimeo.

Here are a few images featuring Foat's Designs!

If you would like to contact Kaja, here is her information:

Foat Design's Website
Email Foat Design
Foat Design's Telephone Number: 1 (800) 658-1448

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Taking A Step Back

Mon, 28 Feb 2011 13:55:54 -0600

So I just got back a few days ago from Las Vegas for the annual photographers pilgrimage to WPPI. As some of you may know, I have been involved with a tremendous organization for a while called Thirst Relief. I had the opportunity to go on a benefit trip to Tanzania, Africa with them in 2009, and it was literally a life-changing experience. Fast forward to this past fall, and they asked if I would spearhead the planning of their benefit shoot held during WPPI. I was honored and thrilled to be involved. While I'll talk more about the shoot as a whole in a later post, I learned a valuable lesson in photography and life in general.

We had a day shoot and a night shoot. These next two images came while David Beckstead was discussing some things. He is constantly looking for unique uses of light and shadow and compositions. The first shot is what I would consider "the safe shot". A video light was being shown through the metal grid at a bus stop.

Although I love a lot of elements in it, I was looking for something more dramatic. I wondered if it would be possible to shoot at an angle through the grid and capture both of their faces. What I came up with was something I never expected. Somehow the grid looks behind the couple although it is in front of them. To me this image adds a new level of impact. The way the light spreads into the frame, the grid creating lines, etc. Long story short, the lesson I learned was that sometimes it's best to slow down, trust your instincts, and look for new ways to shoot the same scene! Here was the image, I would love to hear your thoughts!

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Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow

Sat, 26 Feb 2011 22:53:21 -0600

Stacey and I just got back from a long but awesome wedding and I wanted to share a quick sneak peek from the day. I just love how the fresh snow made everything feel so fresh and beautiful!

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The Power of Timeless Wedding Images

Tue, 15 Feb 2011 16:48:21 -0600

So recently I was looking for some inspiration for an upcoming fundraiser that I am helping to pull together and plan on the behalf of Thirst Relief International. We enlisted the help of Kaja Foat with Foat Design to come up with a fun and unique dress for the shoot. Drawing from a "MadMen" feel for inspiration, she came up with a 50's/60's short dress with a long veil.

At any rate, I was searching for inspiration on grooms attire for a dress like this, and thought I would see what I could find on JFK and Jackie's wedding. What I found made me stop and think about wedding photography and the images we produce as Minneapolis wedding photographers. I couldn't help but be impressed with how relevant and stylish these images still are after almost 60 years later! Now, not everyone is the Kennedy's, but the pictures don't say dated, trendy, or anything but timeless (The Image Below Is From Life).

Stacey and I have set out to create a similar experience and finished product for our clients. We look at wedding pictures as something not only for the couple, but as heirlooms for their children also. In order to do this, we try to keep our pictures clean, crisp, and full of emotion. I would be curious to get your thoughts on what you think of the Kennedy's Wedding Pictures and it's timeless quality?

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