Tag Archives: jessicawilsonphotography

Family Fall session, Minneapolis, MN

What can I say about this beautiful family that these AMAZING images don’t already say?! I have been taking Torrie’s family pictures for a couple years now and every time I see them they are always really fun, go with the flow and ready to rock the entire photo session. Seriously this family cannot take a bad picture, ever! This sweet girl has such an infectious smile!

The light this evening was to die for, the golden hour definitely was on our side! The golden hour, in photography language, occurs when the sun is low in the sky, but not quite setting. At this time, the intensity of the direct light is reduced and everything in front of it look illuminated. It really created some amazing light, for some perfect shots! So gorgeous!

I cannot wait until our next session!!!

Mara and Jeremiahs Love Story ~Mount Frontenac Golf Course

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I met this couple quite few months ago for their engagement session, which was so much fun! They had me a tad worried when we drove down some random dirt roads and man-made paths, but the session turned out amazing, what an adventure that was! I had a blast with them and was looking forward to their special day!

Now, I feel like I blinked my eyes and it was already June 18th! The sun was shining and the drive down to Mount Frontanec Golf Course was a dream. Far enough away from the cities to have minimal traffic and no road construction. In June? I know! I think that was the best part of the drive! I arrived at Mount Frontanec Golf Course. I slowed down, thinking I was there when I pulled in, but then I realized it was still a mile straight up a HUGE hill. I later found out, this used to be a ski resort so this massive hill made sense. At the top of the very steep hill was, hands down, the most gorgeous golf course I have ever seen. To be honest, I have not been on many golf courses, as I do not golf. I have done a handful of weddings on them, but this one had a one-of-a-kind view. Being so far up on that ski hill they had a very unique and mesmerizing view of Red Wing, Minnesota. I made sure to capture some of the killer view, plenty to see below in the pictures!

I was greeted by the sweet owners and they were just the most helpful couple. They showed me around to some of the places to take photos and where everything was going to take place. I love when someone can show me around and let me know where the nooks and cranny’s are! When Mara arrived, everything went according to the plan. We hopped in the car and ventured our way back down the steep hill to head into Red Wing, where Jeremiah was waiting to see his beautiful bride. They decided to do a first glance before the ceremony, I love when couples do this so I can catch the grooms face! So glad she chose the river for her first glance, couldn’t have been any better if I picked it myself! After that, we all rushed back to finish up formal pictures, then it was time!

The ceremony was beautiful, the music, the dresses, the flowers, everything. The reception definitely was their style and the food was so good, I mean sooooo good! I LOVED the adorable cake toppers! When it was about time for Gretchen (my second shooter) and I to pack up, we were so lucky to get to take Mara’s ’68 Purple Mustang out to the beautiful bluff overlooking Red Wing. These were definitely some of my favorite shots of the day! Thank you Mara and Jeremiah for giving me the honor to capture your special day. It was perfect in every way. Thank you to Mount Frontenac staff and owners for being so amazing!

 

An Engagement Session ~ Minneapolis, MN

I met tons of fun and out going brides and grooms in February when I was out at the Plymouth Creek Wedding Expo. Vlad and Carmen were one of them! When they met me for the couple minutes walking by my booth, I knew we would be a great fit; I was ecstatic when they said they for sure wanted me to capture their memories! Vlad and Carmen wanted their engagement session in Minneapolis. They love the downtown skyline and the Stone Arch Bridge and so do I, We even walked across the Stone Arch Bridge to explore St.Anthony on main too.

I definitely had a first on this photography adventure. As we were walking down a heavily wooded gravel path, I thought I saw a cat run across the path. Nope! It was a big fat beaver!! Seriously, I could have reached out and touched it if I wanted to! It was just chomping along on leaves, not a care in the world we were there. Towards the end of the evening the sun started to set as we went back over the Stone Arch Bridge in Minneapolis. The sun set and the Minneapolis skyline looked amazing. Naturally, they had to dance, right in the middle of the bridge. These two definitely love each other and I cannot wait to shoot their wedding in a few short months.

An Engagement Session ~ Plymouth and Stillwater, MN

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Meet Blaine and Adrienne! My word, these two are unbelievably cute! Blaine is Captain of the Plymouth, Minnesota Fire Station 2! So, naturally, we had to get some fun shots at his station. These two were so natural behind the camera I just couldn’t get enough of them. Kissing in the fire truck?! Adorable! After a few AMAZING shots and laughs at the fire station we headed over, way over, to Stillwater, Minnesota.

For those of you who have never explored the fabulous and historic, Downtown Stillwater, I highly recommend taking a trip to see this cute town. Check out their website for events and things to do!  It’s a cute little town right on the St.Croix River, they have tons of stuff to do year-round. Its filled with unique shops, a beautiful one of kind lift bridge and a breathtaking view of it all, at the top of a really, really high set of stairs. I love doing photo shoots here, every time I come here, everything is a little different.

There are tons of historic buildings, nooks and doorways to take a few moments to smile by. I love that it can be rustic and urban at the same time! They have an ice cream shop right on Mainstreet, called Leo’s Malt Shop. Ice cream is their “thing”, so of course, we had to stop! There is always a line, but its worth the wait!

We ended our session where it all began, where Blaine proposed to Adrienne! Remember those really, really high stairs I mentioned earlier? Well, at the top is a beautiful over look of everything and that’s where he popped the question!

Simply stunning. We went up there at just the right time, to get some beautiful golden sun shots, right before it went down!

Congrats you two, I cant wait to capture your special day in just a few short months!

Tim & Renee’s Fairytale Wedding at The Cannon River Winery in Cannon Falls, MN

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70 degrees, sun shining bright, light breeze, wine waiting to be poured and a beautiful view. These two love birds couldn’t have gotten married on a better day! But, before I go into the details of their big day, I thought I would share with you a little bit about these two. This is how they met and how Tim proposed!

“We met at my work–He started bringing his dog to the daycare that I worked at, at the time, and continued to bring him, just to see me! Tim proposed when we arrived to move all of our stuff into our new house.”

Renee started her special day at Regis Hair salon, in Apple Valley, with her favorite hair stylist! I love to capture all the fun getting ready shots, so many of them are spontaneous, and not posed! It really captures how much us ladies go through to complete the look of one of the biggest days of our lives! After her hair was all prettied up and she had that beautiful bride glow, we hopped in the car and headed to Cannon River Winery in Cannon Falls, MN. It was about a 35 minute drive from the St.Paul, so great that a place this gorgeous is just a short drive away! The winery has a quaint small town feel, plus, it is adorable and elegant at the same time, I can see why they chose this location. Renee finished getting ready there with her bridesmaids. Once she had her dress on we hopped on a shuttle that brought us to their secret vineyard about 15 minutes away.

Yes, I said secret vineyard, how romantic! We got there and words cannot begin to describe this place, it was just gorgeous! As you pull up the long dirt road, you see where the ceremony is going to take place, with a cute little shelter to keep the sun off guests, as they watch. Then, you look out and realize, all you see for miles are grapevines! With it being only the middle of May, the grapes and leaves were just starting to form. That touch of extra green definitely made the pictures pop! Tim and Renee had their first look in the shelter. Once we were done with pictures, the ceremony started. Everything was just perfect! We headed back to the winery via shuttle, no one was to drive out to the secret vineyard location, I thought that was fun! The rest of the night was priceless, filled with smiles, laughter and making memories. They had the winery decorated perfectly, the food was excellent and the DJ’s were a blast. There could not have been a better day or location for these two to tie the knot!

Thank you two for choosing and trusting me to capture your BEAUTIFUL wedding day! Congratulations again and I wish you both many, many years of happiness!

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Dakota & Evan’s Wedding at Stonebrooke Golf Club in Shakopee, MN

Welcome to 2016 wedding season!

Thank you Dakota and Evan for being my first wedding this year! I cannot believe it’s already been just over a month since these two walked down the aisle! I met Dakota and Evan through their fabulous wedding coordinator, Jackie! I actually took her family photos and she referred me to them! When I finally got to meet them, we had some of the best burgers ever, at the Lions Tap in Eden Prairie, MN. YUM! I knew they were some pretty cool people when they wanted to eat there!  The day of their wedding was so beautiful! The sun was shining, it wasn’t too hot or too cool, it was a tad windy, but that is what hair spray is for! The entire wedding party was really into the shots, which is always a plus on my part! The ceremony was so beautiful, it was so bright and magical! The reception had such amazing natural light, it just makes my job so much more exciting! Then, to end the night with the bon-fire, just perfect!

Thank you guys for choosing me as your photographer, you couldn’t have asked for a better day! Also want to add, a huge THANK YOU, it is because of your sacrifices that I am able to enjoy our freedoms. So I just want to say simply, THANK YOU for all you’ve done and continue to do for me, my family, my friends and our country.

Now, here is Dakota’s and Evans story of how they met and how he proposed!

“We met our freshman year at Iowa State. We were both starting ROTC and met at the freshman orientation. We became friends quite quickly and began dating in May of our second year at Iowa State. In late May of our junior year, we decided to go to dinner to celebrate being done with finals week. Evan said he had to go to a scholarship interview first, so he went and I came to pick him up for our fancy dinner. When I got to the building of his interview, one of our good friends was waiting with flowers to escort me to Evan, who promptly got down on one knee!”

A Baby Session – 6 Month Old ~ Burnsville, MN

 I cannot believe how big Little miss Adrienne is getting! Six whole months already! Her sweet personality is definitely coming out, from sitting up on her own to being very alert to everything going on around her! I love seeing my clients grow! This cutie patutie definitely made me work much harder this time around, but we still got some amazing shots! Such a happy and smiley little girl, but once the camera came out nothing but seriousness! I was able to capture a couple little smiles and those big bright blue eyes. I cannot wait to see her again in a few months at her nine month session! Hopefully she will show off that precious dimple!

Thank you so much for letting me capture these adorable memories for you and your family! Adrienne is so sweet and I cannot wait to see you soon!

Stylized Easter Mini Sessions ~ Chanhassen MN

Can you believe Easter is already this Sunday?! Last weekend I held my Easter Mini Sessions with LIVE bunnies! Which is always so much fun, for not only the kids, but me too! This year was even more wonderful– no one was really scared of the bunnies! Previous years some little ones are so afraid of these cute, cuddly creatures! They make for pretty funny pictures, but the poor kiddos are just traumatized! This year was different! It went so smooth it was even better than I could have hope for! Meet Cocoa and Maggie! I have to give these calm, cooperative bunnies their credit too. These bunnies were so accepting of all the love the little ones gave. These sessions are so bright and full of spring colors! Its time for old man winter to go back to sleep so we can enjoy spring!

Thank you so much to everyone who came out to meet these bunnies! Cannot wait to see you again soon!

Happy Easter and Happy Spring!

Plymouth Creek Wedding Expo ~ Plymouth, MN

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Yesterday I got the privilege to display my work at the Plymouth Creek Spring Wedding Expo! I have to first say thank you to Angie who put the whole event on, she did a wonderful job at coordinating and everything went so smoothly because of her expertise! I met so many new vendors here around the Twin Cities and a couple other fellow photographers I did not know and hope to work with in the future! Over all it was a wonderful show. The best part was meeting all of the beautiful brides, grooms, mothers, grandmothers, aunts and friends! You are what made the Plymouth Creek Wedding Expo fun and exciting! I loved hearing about how “he proposed” or just about your wedding planning! I had some great laughs with some of you and I feel like it we really hit it off. I look forward to possibly shooting some of your weddings in the near future!

Now to what The brides from the Plymouth Creek Wedding Expo are waiting for! I had a drawing for a FREE Engagement Session, no stings attached just a Free 1 hour engagement session with 15 edited digital images!

And the winner is….. Andrea Paulson!!!!!

Congratulations, I will be in touch with you soon!

Thank you all for entering into Jessica Wilson Photography’s drawing!I look forward to hearing more about the planning of your special day!

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An Engagement Session ~ Hastings, MN

Meet Tom and Mackenzie! When I first met them I knew that we were going to work great together, our personalities just clicked right away. Mackenzie is such a sweet caring woman and  Tom obviously has a big heart to want to help people, as he is a firefighter for the Hasting Fire Department! When Mackenzie told me she wanted some pictures in the fire station I may or may not have screamed like a kid finding out they get to go to a candy store! I was ecstatic! I have never done pictures in a fire station, but it has definitely been on my bucket list of places to shoot. I am so excited that they were open to all my ideas and suggestions! After doing this session, I can’t wait for the next fire fighter to come my way! I also can’t wait for these two to start having babies(too soon?!) so I can incorporate his fire fighter equipment into the shoot! Oh the ideas!!!

Mackenzie and Tom did not want just pictures in the fire department, but were unsure where else to go. They are an outdoorsy couple who love to ski and just be in nature so we started brainstorming. First, we thought about a ski resort and it just didn’t seem to work for us. I remembered a location I actually chose for my family pictures this fall and I described it to her and she fell in love! After the fire department we headed a whole hour north to The Hansen Tree Farm. I am in love with this location; it was the perfect place for these two love birds. From the dreamy tall pines to the quaint little shack with a log burning stove just perfect for snuggling under a blanket, this place was meant for them. Tom was even having some fun pulling Mackenzie on the Toboggan!

This engagement session couldn’t have been any more perfect, well… besides the cold… We are in Minnesota and even though the pictures don’t really show it, it was COLD!!!!Thank you for sticking with me in the frigid weather! I had so much fun with you two and thank you for choosing me to capture your wedding in November!

I’ll leave you all with their story. These two have been in the making for quite some time! Here is how these two love birds fell in love!

“Our moms have been friends with each other for over 10 years, and they always tell us we met because of them. Apparently, Tom and I first met at the middle school orientation when we were both going into 6th grade. However, it obviously wasn’t a very memorable meeting, as neither of us remember it. But later in the year we became good friends and hung out with the same friends for a few years. I had a crush on him the summer before of after 8th grade. Tom and my brother Mitchell became friends after a while too, so Tom was always over at my house hanging out with him doing guy things. I always made them food… As the high school years went on, we remained good friends. In my freshman year of college, we made a pact with each other that if we were both 35 (I think that was the age) and single, we’d get married and have kids. Well, we didn’t have too wait that long because about a year after that pact was made, he “asked” me to be his girlfriend. I put it in quotes because he never actually asked, he just flipped my Claddagh ring in the opposite direction – to mean I’m in a relationship – and waited very very patiently (a solid 10 minutes at least) for me to realize what he did. I smiled, we kissed, and now we’re planning a wedding!” – Mackenzie

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Pretty red fire truck, pretty shiny ring!

 

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I seriously heart this Log burning fireplace!

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Are the serioulsy not the cutest couple?

 

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