We recently spent two days in downtown St. Paul, photographing Rishi and Lorena’s wedding festivities! The two had a traditional Hindu ceremony on Saturday, followed by a more Western ceremony on Sunday. Both days were full of friends, family, and celebration!

Rishi and Lorena are both doctors, completing their medical residencies in Texas. The two have a close-knit circle of friends and family, many members of their wedding party being in the medical field themselves.  Their loved ones were close by while the two prepared for their wedding day, keeping them company and helping them get dressed.

After a sweet first look, Rishi and Lorena split up until their ceremony, with Rishi taking part in the Baraat procession to their ceremony site while we took advantage of the gorgeous interior of the Landmark Center for bridal portraits of Lorena. The two had a relatively short ceremony in a breathtaking space, with drapery criss-crossing through the levels of the Landmark Center, and the Mandap decorated in bright jewel tones and modern, geometric terrariums.

The wedding party’s brightly colored attire made for some awesome shots along the streets of downtown St. Paul, and perfectly complemented the floral arrangements at the reception. Speaking of their reception, it was out of this world. Rishi and Lorena were entertained by performances by many of their family members and friends, even taking to the dance floor themselves after a quick outfit change. Before the dance floor opened up to everyone, Lorena’s grandmother and uncle took the stage, followed by a final dance by Lorena’s family, who were all wearing Colombian football jerseys!

Keep an eye out for another blog post about Rishi and Lorena’s second day of celebration!

Check out Rishi and Lorena’s feature on MN Bride

Vendor List
Wedding planner – Hana April Chughtai, Mani Mela – Minneapolis, MN
Ceremony venue – Landmark Center – St. Paul, MN
Reception venue – Landmark Center – St. Paul, MN
Videographer – AnA Video – Houston, TX
Officiant – Priest Ronur Murali – Maple Grove, MN
Hair stylist – Hana April Chughtai, Mani Mela – Minneapolis, MN
Makeup artist – Melissa, Mani Mela – Minneapolis, MN
Caterer – India Palace – Roseville, MN
China – Apres Event Decor & Tent Rental – St. Paul, MN
Decorator – Mani Mela – Minneapolis, MN
Florist – Mani Mela – Minneapolis, MN
Dress designer – Asopalav –Ahmedabad, India
Tuxedos – Jade Blue –Ahmedabad, India
Limo/party bus company – Eclipse Transportation – Minneapolis, MN
DJ/Band/musicians – DJ Trevor Samaroo, and Instant Request – Minneapolis, MN
Lighting Design – Instant Request  – Minneapolis, MN
Stationer – A Milestone Paper Co – Burnsville, MN
Chair/table/tent rentals – Mani Mela – Minneapolis, MN
Jeweler – Amijag – Houston, TX

Anna and Cil spent the entire day laughing, and has us laughing with them. They are a super laid-back, super in love couple that make life looks easy. Their wedding was cool and casual, with Anna wearing custom Converse and them opting to serve dessert and appetizers at their reception in lieu of a dinner service.

The two wed at the Nicollet Island Pavilion, which is conveniently across the street from the gorgeous Nicollet Island Inn where the couple got ready. They carved out plenty of time on their wedding day to spend together, giving us ample time to explore all of the awesome photo spots near Nicollet Island! We got to hit up the overpasses and bridges that Nicollet Island has to offer and take advantage of the awesome view of the Minneapolis skyline.

After their short but sweet ceremony, their reception kicked off with their first dance. After their first dance, Anna’s parents took the floor for a first dance of their own. The two have been married for years and are still deeply in love, so Anna and Cil gave them their own space to celebrate, which we love!

Anna and Cil, we haven’t laughed that much at a wedding in a long time. Thank you for sharing your day with us!

Check out Anna and Cil’s feature on Equally Wed

Vendor List
Ceremony venue – Nicollet Island Pavilion – Minneapolis, MN
Reception venue – Nicollet Island Pavilion – Minneapolis, MN
Officiant – Alana Burns
Hair stylist – Haley Ludwig – Minneapolis, MN
Makeup artist – Sarah Christine
Caterer – Mintahoe Catering – Minneapolis, MN
Florist – wayfair.com
Dress shop – Effie’s Bridal Trunk – Burnsville, MN
Tuxedos – Tip Top Tux – Plymouth, MN
Band – Flannel – Minneapolis, MN

For most states, March means spring, but Minnesota has other plans. Luckily the Radisson Blu has a skybridge that allowed us to take all of our photos inside without sacrificing natural lighting!

Christine and Nick have been together for over 10 years, you can tell that they’re one of those couples that just get each other. Even between more serious poses they found time to goof around. It seemed like they spent the whole day waiting to crack a smile and let loose at their reception.

Their reception was all kinds of cool. The red, black, and grey color scheme was perfectly elegant, the ideal combination of classic and minimal. The room was spotted with balloons that read “happy birthday,” as there were four birthdays being celebrated that evening. Their catering included a salad bar, a mac and cheese bar, a slider bar, and a mashed potato bar!  In addition to looking great, the reception was where the party really started. Christine and Nick have an expansive group of close friends who were ready to take to the dance floor and take full advantage of our Antibooth. It seemed like every time Christine was done snapping a photo, someone else was waiting to grab her for another! While Christine was getting her model on, Nick was tearing up the dance floor. Make sure you scroll all the way down for proof!

Thank you for a blast of an evening, Christine and Nick!

Vendor List
Ceremony venue – Radisson Blu – Bloomington, MN
Reception venue – Radisson Blu – Bloomington, MN
Hair stylist – Megan from Solimar Spa – Bloomington, MN
Makeup artist –Megan from Solimar Spa – Bloomington, MN
Caterer – Radisson Blu – Bloomington, MN
Florist –Guillermina Mancilla from Floreria Yare – Minneapolis, MN
Dress shop – Diamond Bride and Tux – Plymouth, MN
Tuxedos – Sharp 360 – Minneapolis, MN
DJ – Michael Grey – Minneapolis, MN
Chair/table/tent rentals – Radisson Blu – Bloomington, MN
Jeweler – Wedding Day Diamond – St. Louis Park, MN