Amanda and Jesse’s Minneapolis wedding at the Luminare was filled with joy, laughter, and an abundance of what can only be described as “good vibes”. These two brought the party and fun all day long and there was truly never a dull moment. Not only do they have the power to make everyone around them burst into laughter, they also have the kindest, most caring hearts and made everyone around them, myself included, feel loved and appreciated.

Wedding party sits at head table with bride appearing surprised while someone gives a speech during reception.

Wedding reception party guests dance with glowing LED light sticks on a dark dance floor.

Wedding party dressed in black poses energetically behind a decorated banquet table with candles and floral arrangements.

The day started off with the groom and groomsmen getting ready at Headflyer Brewing, which is just down the road from the venue where the rest of the day’s events took place. My second photographer was lucky enough to join them as they had a few beers to celebrate the start of the day. While the guys were down the street, the bride and bridesmaids got all dolled up in the bridal suite of their Minneapolis wedding venue, The Luminare.

Groomsmen in formal suits and vests share drinks and conversation on a balcony during a wedding celebration.

A group of well-dressed guests raise beer glasses in a toast at an outdoor celebration.

A group wearing black robes surrounds someone in white silk robe sitting on a teal velvet couch while sharing laughs together.

A wedding party getting ready in a room with bridesmaids in black robes and a bride in a white dress.

A couple getting ready for a formal event against a white brick wall, with her adjusting his black suit jacket.

Elegant ivory sheer sleeve robe worn while sitting on emerald green tufted velvet sofa.

A bride in a white wedding gown gets help with final dress adjustments during wedding preparations in black and white.

Elegant white wedding dress with delicate lace bodice and sheer tulle skirt hangs on display against neutral backdrop.

My favorite part about The Luminare as a wedding venue is that it’s designed to be a blank canvas for couples to design in any way they can dream of. The clean white walls provide a perfect backdrop for indoor wedding ceremonies and receptions in any season. With several large windows, the venue has ample natural light, making flash unnecessary until after sunset. The outdoor patio, adorned with string lights, is a charming cocktail hour spot—but I also love using it for formal portraits.

After the bride, Amanda, was all dressed and ready, we headed out to the patio for her first look with her groom, Jesse. These two had the sweetest reaction to seeing each other, and I could instantly see on their faces how much they mean to one another. After their first look, Amanda and Jesse’s adorable doodles, Shrek and Ollie, arrived with their wedding pet attendant (Becca’s MN Petcare) for some fun portraits. This was the first time I had worked with a wedding pet attendant and we had a great experience. She was so helpful at getting the dogs attention, helping position them, and reinforcing good behavior with treats. I will definitely be keeping her in mind for future couples that want to include their furry friends.

With our fluffy guests of honor in tow, we headed out to the front of the venue to start portraits, beginning with the wedding party. Shrek and Ollie definitely stole the show in all the photos they participated in so after a few with the babies, we said goodbye to the beloved doodles and continued photos without them to keep some focus on mom and dad. The warehouse building next to the venue has a stunning turquoise blue metal wall with an industrial vibe. We used this as the background of most of our portraits, but we also elected to take some inside near the ceremony space as well due to it being a bit chilly at the end of October.

Once portraits were done, it was time for the most important moment of the day, the ceremony. Amanda and Jesse had a gorgeous ceremony with evening sunlight streaming down upon the wedding party as they said their vows. Lots of lighthearted jokes were made and many of the wedding guests were moved to tears during their personal vows, including me.

After a wonderfully executed dip kiss in the aisle to end the ceremony, I snuck out to the patio with the lovely couple for a fun, private champagne pop and a few more “just married” portraits while the rest of the guests enjoyed appetizers and drinks at cocktail hour.

Luminous Candlelit Reception At The Luminare

The reception officially began just after the sun went down prompting a vibe switch to a combination of ambient light and vintage flash photography. The evidence that Amanda and Jesse wanted their reception to feel romantic and elegant was made even more apparent in their choice to do a moody, candlelit reception. This selection came on top of their already classy all black and white color palette for the big day. I have been absolutely enthralled with candlelit receptions recently because they allow for me to utilize more warm, ambient light in addition to my typical usage of flash during dark receptions. What can I say? I love the look of both, so I alternated throughout the night.

For the most part, the wedding reception progressed as usual with a delicious meal, heartwarming speeches, and special dances. However, as Amanda informed me prior to the wedding, she is a big lover of props. The wedding party carried large cardboard head cutouts of Amanda, Jesse, Ollie, and Shrek around all night in addition to sporting black and white heart shaped sunglasses. The couple also handed out the large foam glow sticks while guests were tearing it up on the dancefloor. These glow sticks have become increasingly popular at weddings and I love them because they really make the dancefloor come to life in photos. Jesse and Amanda were on the dancefloor the whole time I was there and brought the “good vibes” all night long. It was such a joy to witness their love and to be a part of such a special day.