If you’ve been following the blog, you’d know that we have been anxiously waiting for the day Adam and Meredith finally tied the knot! We shot their AMAZING memory map engagement session last year in Minneapolis and by the time their wedding day at Pinewood Weddings and Events finally rolled around, we were more than ready to get out there and shoot their wedding day!

When we shot their engagement session, we knew this was a couple who had an eye for design! Showing up to their engagement session in sleek black outfits, we just KNEW that these two were going to have a wedding day that we would never forget! And beyond Aaron breaking his thumb during their session, their engagement session proved to be the exact same! This sleek, modern wedding at the amazing Pinewood Weddings and Events proved to be nothing short of extraordinary!

Leading up to their wedding day, Adam and Meredith reached out to us and asked if we could also film their wedding on top of photographing their wedding! Now, Aaron and I are not video connoisseurs and photo will always be our forte. But we knew that this wedding day was going to be a special one and we just had to jump on the opportunity to further document such a magical day! With that, we dove into hours of research into improving our video game! If you want to see a little teaser that we made for Adam and Meredith’s wedding day, you can watch that video linked at the beginning of this blog post!

But without a further ado, let’s get into the nitty gritty of the wedding!!!

Getting Ready: Infectious Energy at Pinewood Weddings

Now before shooting this wedding at Pinewood Weddings and Events, we had been to the venue on a few occasions! Primarily, they were for styled shoots! So that just built our excitement even more for this wedding day! The thing about Pinewood is that no matter how many times you go there every time you go back, you’ll notice something different! There’s just so much to look at!

Pinewood Weddings and Events is located in Cambridge, MN which happens to be around 20 minutes from our house! Our short drive over the venue did NOT give us enough time to build up those nerves we feel before shooting other weddings. The venue is tucked away behind towering tall pines and these trees make for the most magical backdrop for photos! Seriously though, if the Forbidden Forest from Harry Potter (all the good parts of course!) was real, it’d be right there in the forest of Pinewood!

Walking into the venue, that buzzing, electric energy that swells around on wedding days was ever present! On top of that feeling though, was this feel-good, positive energy that was simply infectious. Placing our camera bag and other personal items in the room designed just for vendors to store their belongings (Huge shoutout to Pinewood Weddings and Events for that one!), we split up as I tackled the bridal suite and Aaron headed towards the groom’s suite!

Walking into the Juniper Suite, there is only one word that comes to mind to describe this room: feminine. And I know that might be a little weird but this whole room and the people in it gave off such a warm, feminine vibe. That “women supporting women” energy just radiated and bounced off the walls. A series of mirrors line the wall with a long desk and chairs in front provide plenty of space for everyone to get ready! In this room, I found Meredith and her bridesmaids getting all glammed up! The champagne was flowing, music was bumping, and the vibes were out and about! That soft white lighting provides the perfect ambience for your photos too!

While I was being swept away by the amazing energy in the Juniper Suite, Aaron was in the Forest Suite, soaking in all of the good vibes from Adam and his groomsmen! We’ve touched on this in some of our blogs in the past but we LOVE when venues have a designated space for both sides of the wedding party! It’s just nice to have dedicated spaces for both sides of the wedding party! Pinewood Weddings and Events truly thought out the design of their venue!

Complete with a shuffleboard table and a sofa to lounge in, Adam and his groomsmen had the tunes rolling and were having a blast just spending some time together before the wedding. Beers were flowing as the guys took turns at the shuffleboard table in a friendly competition.

The First Look and Wedding Party Photos: Tall Pines for Days

As both Adam and Meredith wrapped up with getting ready, it was about time for the first look! And what other place to have a first look than in the magical forest of tall pines that surround the venue!

Heading out on the trail that leads from the venue, the sun was poking through the branches of the tall pines just right! By the time Meredith approached Adam from behind for their first look, it was like all of the little details had aligned. This first look was simply magical! As Adam turned around to take his first look at Meredith, his face told it all; he was completely in love!

With the magic of the first look still floating around, we took Adam and Meredith around Pinewood to get some pictures of the two of them with their venue! When we asked Adam and Meredith what kind of pictures they wanted to prioritize from their wedding day, they told us that they really wanted to accentuate the beauty of the venue! They had deliberately chosen Pinewood Weddings and Events as their wedding venue not only for the amazing aesthetics, but saw the venue as an extension of the love they have for each other. You already know Aaron and I are suckers for intentionality and we ate up every little moment from such a special thing for a wedding couple to share with us.

Now, our fellow photographers may be sitting here thinking to themselves, “Well that’s great! Pinewood has tall pines! Who would’ve thought? But beyond tall pines what else can I shoot?” Trust us, we get it! But when we tell you that these tall pines allow for such a variety of pictures! You can shoot in both directions that the sun is facing. You can shoot with the expansive tall pines stretching behind the couple or you can shoot with the venue just past the perimeter of the trees. A little trick we picked up on: For our sunset photos, we shot Adam and Meredith with the venue in the background where the windows were reflecting the sun just right! This was one of those chef’s kiss shots that us photographers know and love.

Following taking some shots of the couple after the first look, we moved on to taking pictures of the wedding party! Now, we’ve had some wedding parties that were a little difficult to work with before! Trust us when we say that this wedding party was the exact opposite. This party was so supportive of their friends getting married and it’s amazing to see the way wedding couple’s friends from different areas of their life just click!

This group was just so playful and it was a lot of fun to be able to work with such a carefree group of people! They all simply wanted to have fun and that’s the kind of space Aaron and I aim to create in front of our camera! Butts were grabbed and slapped and laughs were had all around. Whenever we think of this venue, we’ll think of this rowdy bunch and all of the fun they had taking group pictures together!

The Ceremony: Emotional, Beautiful, and All of the Above

As the attendees filed into the ceremony area, excitement to see the happy couple was shared all around. Pinewood’s gorgeous outdoor ceremony space faces the expansive set of tall pines with a beautiful set of wooden benches. A wooden, triangular altar, adorned with flowers featuring Adam and Meredith’s wedding colors, towered at the end of the aisle, beckoning for the happy couple to come get married.

The sun shone down on Adam and Meredith as their ceremony proceeded. Heartfelt, meaningful vows were exchanged and before we knew it, Adam took his beautiful bride in for a passionate first kiss! The applause sounded as the couple walked down the aisle for the first time as husband and wife! It was a joyous moment that we had waited so long for. And it was absolutely worth the wait!

Snapping those shots of Adam and Meredith at the altar, I couldn’t help but think to myself, “This is the perfect venue for these two!” Adam’s slicked-back black hair matched the dark and moody atmosphere of Pinewood extremely well while Meredith’s stunning platinum blonde hair complimented the tall pine trees and brighter aspects of the venue! I think many can underestimate the power their venue has over their wedding but Meredith and Adam knew exactly what they were doing with Pinewood Weddings and Events!

We brought our drone with to grab some aerial shots of the venue and reception space. Following the ceremony, we brought out the drone to snap some pictures of all the attendees in the ceremony space. We like doing this because it shows our couple’s just how many people came out to celebrate their love and serve as a great way to commemorate their wedding day!

Sunset Pictures and Reception: Pinewood’s Beauty in All Its Glory

Since this wedding was in the fall and the sun sets super early here in the Midwest when it’s fall time, we did sunset pictures during social hour between the ceremony and reception. We typically like to do sunset pictures after the reception speeches and our couple has gotten some food but sometimes, we have to work around the sun!

With Adam and Meredith in tow, we took to further exploring the woods around Pinewood Weddings and Events. This was when we got the really cool shots with the sun reflecting off the windows of the venue! What we love so much about sunset pictures is that this is when we get to be most creative with the sun and our shots! At this point, we have gotten the bearings of the venue and know just where we want to shoot! There is this super cool stair case that we were able to grab some super awesome shots on!

Additionally, these sunset pictures often have a very different vibe from the body language of the couple. At this point in the day, the couple has had a camera in their face for a few hours and have gotten somewhat acclimated to being the center of attention. This unconsciously translates to their body language and makes them appear a bit more comfortable and natural in front of the camera! More so, they’ve got that newlywed glow going on and there’s nothing that can compare to that energy.

After wrapping up with the sunset pictures, we headed back to the venue for the reception! After anxiously waiting for the happy couple to enter the reception, Adam and Meredith were met with a loud round of applause as they made their grand entrance. Speeches began promptly and food was served shortly after.

One of our favorite parts of Adam and Meredith’s wedding were their absolutely gorgeous centerpieces! They were absolutely breathtaking! Whenever we shoot a wedding, we know how much goes into all of the little details so we make sure to snap pictures of it all!

Instead of a traditional white wedding cake, Adam and Meredith chose to have a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting instead! We love it when our couples aren’t afraid to switch it up! At the end of the day, your wedding day should be focused on YOU and what you want!

Adam and Meredith danced the rest of their wedding night away on the dance floor. We grabbed some amazing shots of them dancing too! We love how you can feel the motion and emotion in these dancing photos! That playful, energetic energy that their wedding party contained came across with the rest of the attendees as the night slipped away with some good music, awesome people, and some super dance moves!

Pinewood Weddings and Events: The Venue That Has It All

Are you someone who’s getting bored of the rustic barn weddings? Then Pinewood Weddings and Events is the wedding venue for you! With its sleek, modern design, this venue is truly unlike any other! Easy on the eyes with its stunning architecture, Pinewood Weddings and Events will leave your guests talking about your wedding for years on end!

So let’s get lost together in the tall pines surrounding Pinewood on your wedding day! We promise you the magic of this venue will sweep you off your feet and your wedding gallery will absolutely blow you away! Contact us here to inquire about your wedding today! Looking to get married at Pinewood Weddings and Events in Cambridge, MN? Check them out here and submit an inquiry today! (Just don’t forget to bring us along to capture it all!) Still a fan of those rustic barn weddings? Don’t worry, we still love those weddings too! Check out Matt and Sam’s amazing wedding day at a barn not too far from Pinewood!

Stay warm and cozy, friends! Oh! And happy holidays! xoxo