As wedding photographers, there’s always a handful of weddings that you remember like it was just yesterday. Whether that be for good or bad reasons is up for consideration but no matter what, there are always those few weddings that stand out amongst the rest. Adam and Alex’s North Shore Lutsen elopement will go down in history as one of the most beautiful weddings we have ever shot.

Back to The Beginning: An Engagement Session

Like so many of the love stories we get to tell, it started with an engagement session! Just like we would soon find that their wedding would be one of our favorites, their engagement session was the perfect precursor!

Adam and Alex are two amazing individuals with pure intentions and amazing personalities. But when they are together, they magnify all of those outstanding qualities. While shooting their engagement session, we became addicted to the energy that surrounded these two love birds. We just couldn’t get enough!

From an amazing champagne pop to cotton candy pink skies, we were so blessed for this engagement session. As photographers, our intentions are never to take photos for the hell of it; we’re here to tell stories. And that’s exactly what Adam and Alex’s engagement photos do; they tell the love story of two amazing human beings as they are about to take on the next chapter of their love.

Getting Ready: Memories Made

As we headed up to Lutsen Resort for Adam and Alex’s wedding at the end September 2020, we were elated. I’m surprised we didn’t crash our car because our heads were basically glued to the windows to look out at all the fall colors. The overcast in the sky set the mood just right and we had a feeling that it was going to be a very special day.

We arrived to a quaint, old log cabin where the bridal party was getting ready. Stepping out of the car was like entering a fairytale and the rest of the day held to that gold standard. It felt like we were stepping into a picturesque fall calendar shoot!

When we walked into the cabin, we were greeted by the bride and all of her bridesmaids as they were doing their makeup and sipping mimosas. The anticipation in the air was thick and that giddy feeling spread between all of them. For a wedding gift, we had made a photo album of Adam and Alex’s engagement session. Alex was so surprised by the gift and was so thankful!

As the girls got ready, Aaron and I got to work on taking pictures of Alex’s BEAUTIFUL wedding dress! This dress seriously looked like it came straight out of Cinderella! The dress had a long train and we were struggling to find a place to get a picture of it hanging all the way up. But if you know us, we face our challenges head on! Aaron sacrificed a shoelace from his boot and we strung up the dress using an exposed log in the ceiling of the cabin. This is such a sweet memory from this day and every time we run across those photos of the dress, we laugh thinking about how we had to jimmy-rig that shot!

As the girls sat, sprawled around the living room getting ready, the ambience quickly resembled that of a slumber party. They even took to jumping between the beds in one of the rooms! This was such a special moment and we loved how laid-back and fun these girls made this day. FUN FACT: The bride actually had her brother in her side of the wedding party! This is such a great reminder that your wedding day is your own and you don’t have to stick to tradition!

Once the girls were all dressed and ready, they filed out of the cabin and the guys waltzed in. As the guys got ready in the cabin, the same feeling of a slumber party radiated through the place. Passing around beers and eating pizza, the guys relaxed and got ready to take on the day!

The First Look: Where Are the Tissues?

For the first look, the bride and groom wanted it to be at the Red Covered Bridge on the Lutsen Resort. This spot has been renowned as one the most romantic places in the entire resort and we were so glad we got to shoot there. Unfortunately, the Red Covered Bride has since been destroyed in a storm a few years back. We think this serves as a good reminder that your photos are forever and even though that bridge is no longer there, the moments and memories made there will live on.

This first look was just so intimate and emotive. Adam and Alex really wanted to be intentional with every part of their day and it was so great to see this couple take the initiative to not only make lasting memories on their wedding day but have fun at the same time. For our first looks, we try to intentionally create a safe space for open affection. First looks are a great way to sink in the moment and Adam and Alex did just that.

After the Red Covered Bridge, we strolled around to really absorb the moment. We went over to the nearby river to take some photos with the beautiful landscape in the background. It was like a dream come true! These two were just so stinkin’ cute as Adam embraced Alex in her lovely dress, covered with a decadent fur shawl for warmth!

The Ceremony: Intention, Intention, Intention…

Adam and Alex chose to have their wedding right on the North Shore overlooking Lake Superior. They did this for many reasons but the main one being that this was a place that they repeatedly went to together. They had made so many memories here, including their engagement, and they thought there was no better place to have their wedding than right there.

Overlooking the rocky coast and the fall trees with the colorful leaves, a candlelit walkway lead you down the shore to the ceremony site. Around 50 people joined Adam and Alex as they took the leap into marriage together. Sometimes, we think you can forget who your wedding day is all about and Adam and Alex did an amazing job of making sure their wedding day was what THEY wanted with the people THEY wanted to be there.

The ceremony was so, so beautiful! With that size of wedding, the emotions were running high and I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t balling in the corner. You try taking pictures of the PERFECT wedding in the PERFECT location and try not to cry!

From celebratory whiskey shots to skipping rocks together on the North Shore, this ceremony was nothing short of perfect! Additionally, Adam and Alex made it clear that they wanted everyone who attended their wedding to get a picture with their significant other. This was such a great way to memorialize the people who attended your wedding and celebrate the love that surrounds you!

After the ceremony, the couple had their first dance right on the shoreline. Looking up, they saw an eagle and it made them think of the bride’s Grandpa and how he was there with them for their special day. The reception continued right there on the beach with a evening full of celebration and dancing around a big ol’ bonfire. It was a magical ending to a magical day!

Final Words: What Do You Want From Your Wedding?

As we mentioned before, Adam and Alex held one main priority in planning their wedding: intention! They wanted every single detail from their day to hold meaning. Whether that be incorporating family heirlooms or getting married in the place you’ve made so many memories before, intention is key to planning the perfect wedding day for you!

We have so much love for Adam and Alex and it’s been so amazing to see the strides they have made in marriage together. It’s wedding days like these that remind us why we do what we do and why we do them in the way we do. It’s so amazing that we are able to play a role in celebratory moments in others’ lives like this and we will never take that for granted!

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Want to hear more about Adam and Alex’s fairytale day?! Check out this featured article from the Wedding Chicks! Want to hear about another intimate wedding we had the honor of shooting in the U.S. Virgin Islands?! Check out this blog post that talks all about it!

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Stay rad, beautiful humans! xoxo