Catherine and Ryan’s intimate, joyful ceremony day

Fun story: Catherine and Ryan grew up near each other and dated back in high school! Like many young relationships, they parted ways (ending what they lovingly refer to as “Chapter One” of their relationship), but they maintained their special connection with each other and their families. 

The two of them stayed in touch throughout college and occasionally got together to catch up on life. After college, both Catherine and Ryan ended up living in Washington DC, reconnected, and started dating again! They got engaged a little less than a year ago. While the most recent chapter of Catherine and Ryan’s relationship has centered around living in DC and navigating the pandemic together, their story as a couple is really so much deeper and richer than that. 

Both Catherine and Ryan’s parents actually said that when Catherine and Ryan initially ended things back in high school, they thought to themselves, “Wow, they were perfect for each other -- it was just ten years too early…” and now they’re married! Isn’t it amazing how life works out sometimes?! 

Since Catherine and Ryan got engaged during the pandemic, it played a role in their wedding planning vision from the beginning. They decided early on that they wanted to do a ceremony this year and hold a big party with all of their loved ones in 2022. This year’s ceremony was quite small -- about 20 people, consisting of the couple, some family members, and a few close friends. It was an intimate, full, special day that held all of the meaningful traditions and pieces that were important to Catherine and Ryan!

Catherine and Ryan’s ceremony 

The day started with pictures of Catherine and Ryan getting ready at their respective childhood homes in White Bear Lake. I got pictures of Catherine as she got into her dress and finished getting ready, and Tyler (my second shooter and partner) took pictures of Ryan getting ready with his family and hanging out with a friend in his front yard. It felt so meaningful to Catherine and Ryan to be starting their wedding day in their childhood homes, and the sense of place felt so special for both of them. It was a calm, sweet start to the day! 

Ryan and his family came over to Catherine’s family’s home with his family, and his family headed inside to hang out with Catherine’s family! Meanwhile, I walked Ryan into the backyard to do a first look with Catherine. They both looked radiant, and the sun was shining (a totally perfect September day!). Catherine and Ryan were both kind of lost in each other -- they were just so happy and so in love. You could tell how excited and ready they were to be getting married! 

A fun little story: Catherine has a pine tree in her backyard that her family planted when she was an infant, and she’s taken photos with “her tree” every year of her life. Her whole family was so excited for Catherine and Ryan to get a picture in front of this tall, happy pine tree on their wedding day!

With all of the family members ready to go, everyone hopped into their cars to head off to the Nordic Center at Lake Elmo Park Reserve, their ceremony venue. The Nordic Center is a little park building with a ton of big, open windows. The chairs were set up to have a sort of “in the round” vibe, which gave the space a really communal feeling. Ryan’s mother is an incredibly talented rose grower, and she’d done all of the florals for the wedding -- they were amazing! 

I took a few pictures of the wedding venue and setup, and then Catherine and Ryan’s ceremony began. It was super lovely and really touching! Catherine and Ryan shared stories from their relationship and their intentions for this next chapter in their vows. They had someone from each of their sides of the family do readings, read poems, or share their wishes for the couple. The ceremony ended with everyone cheering. It was the perfect mix of sweetness, laughter, and a few happy tears! 

After the ceremony, Catherine and Ryan came back out to celebrate with everyone! They enjoyed a cocktail hour of snacks and drinks at the Nordic Center-- it all felt so happy. We got some pictures with Catherine, Ryan, and their family and friends in the ceremony space. 

As their family and friends started to head to the reception, Catherine, Ryan, and I headed out into the park to take some sunset pictures. We had the perfect golden light! There were tons of beautiful wildflowers, and there was a lovely path going through a grove of birch trees. The two of them were so sweet and happy, and it was a really relaxing, joyful part of their ceremony day. 

Catherine and Ryan’s reception

For their reception, Catherine and Ryan reserved a private room for dinner at Lora, a beautiful hotel in downtown Stillwater. The edges of the room are made up of brick and stone walls, and there’s beautiful light fixtures overhead. Their families had brought the flowers from the venue to decorate the space. 

Everyone gathered at a big table in the middle of the room and shared drinks and food! They had a lovely, lingering meal full of pauses where people took turns sharing happy wishes. One of Ryan’s parents had collected pictures of Catherine and Ryan as babies and children, as well as a few pictures of them dating (both in high school and more recently!) and put together a slideshow. It felt so relaxing, and everyone was chatting and laughing as one big, happy family. 

Catherine and Ryan also wove a few wedding traditions into the evening! They had a beautiful wedding cake that they cut together while everyone looked on. They also love dancing, so they had a first dance together… and then everyone kept dancing, which was so fun! All their guests were so ready to celebrate Catherine and Ryan’s new marriage together, and it was such a joy to see everyone dance and have fun together for the rest of the night. 

Catherine and Ryan, you two have such a beautiful relationship -- what an honor it was to photograph it! It has been so joyful to see the love that you and your families have for each other. I am so grateful that I got to photograph your ceremony and reception, and I can’t wait to photograph your party next year. Thank you so much for trusting me to document this chapter of your story together!