Photographer & Director
My first Elopement & my first time professionally shooting Como Conservatory || both firsts were ones I will never forget! This venue is Ah-Mazing to photograph in and lets be real, eloping is Totally the way to go!
Surrounded by tropical plants, a mini heat wave on the coldest day of 2017, supported by the Bride & Groom’s immediate family gave this happy couple the marriage they always wanted // full gallery here
Check out their crazy cat on Instagram : Slick Loui
Winter weddings hold a special place in my heart. I was married in the winter. When the Groom (longtime friend) approached me to shoot their winter wedding at the same venue that I got married at, I could not say Yes! fast enough! The day was filled with love, laughter and a whole lot of nerd-erific decor, handmade by the Bride. Including her shoe details!! To see true love is what makes a wedding photographer’s job so easy, the love they have for each other filled the candle lit room. Their guests and families had bellies full of tacos and laughed with and at the newlyweds! I personally had a great time, being able to witness your friend commit his life to his perfect gal is life’s greatest gift! I am so happy they found each other!
Venue // Sweeney’s Saloon
Cupcakes // Uptown Girl Cupcakes & Desserts
Unity Stamp // made by the Bride
Bouquets // The Vintage Owl
Cake Topper // Chick Design Boutique
Groom’s Vintage Blazer // Bright Closet
Wedding Dress // ModCloth
My buddy, Yvonne and I collaborated a gallery opening to honor our beloved friend, Alyssa. Alyssa and her unborn daughter, Sutton were taken to early on a cold December morning in 2014. I struggled thru grief and heartache and inside that sadness, Mother & Daughter was created. With encouragement from each other and our loved ones, Yvonne and I did it!
Thank you WHCC & Perfect Posters for your generous sponsorship. Thank you Q.arma Building for your encouragement and the experience. Thank you Wild Acorn for seeing a vision and contributing your woodworking talents. Thank you to everyone that participated in the creation of Mother & Daughter, without you my story would have never been told. And thank you to all that attended, we are so humbled by the kindness and feedback from you all!
Always write in pencil, nothing is forever.
Michaela Rae presents || Mother & Daughter is a photographic series of women from the same genetic tree that celebrates familiar similarities and differences. This series will strive to illustrate each unique mother-daughter dynamic by capturing their interactions, emotions and relationships with each other.
Thursday, October 6, 2016 || 6:00-9:00
Q.arma Building || 1224 Quincy St NE, Minneapolis
In 2008 I meet Tyler and Tisha. We all worked together and became pretty good friends. Tisha and I had a couple Ladies Nights out on the town, a lot of laughs and some great memories. Tyler and I also had a couple good happy hours and a common 311 interest that sparked conversation. But it wasn’t until he became a manager of mine that I gained the utmost respect for him. His laid back groove was contagious and you couldn’t help feeling relaxed by his presence.
Their wedding day was an exact mix of them, laid back with tons of laughs and filled with memories. The Happy Gnome provided the space, everything from the neutral color scheme, beautiful bar, extensive beer list and delicious meal did not disappoint. Tyler’s mom provided the cheesecake for a little something sweet. Oh man, you haven’t had cheesecake until you get a slice of this! Visit her at The Rustic Cafe.
Saying how honored I feel to have been a part of this wedding is an understatement. Tyler & Tisha reminded me why I love a photograph so much. Marriage is such a commitment, it’s nice to have a frozen memory to remind you where the journey all started.
Bring out the best in each other always.
x
View their full gallery here.
Steve and I packed the car, strapped in the kid and loaded the dog and booked it out of town on Sunday. We couldn’t go anywhere for a long weekend away so instead we took a day trip to Franconia Sculpture Garden & Taylors Falls, MN. http://www.franconia.org/
I was really looking forward to this adventure. Any adventure for that matter. I have been oozing with creativity and hunting for inspiration. I wasn’t expecting the feeling I would have after being surrounded by all the wonder of this sculpture park.
Needless to say the adventure didn’t start out as well as I hoped. Olive was crabby during breakfast, through a fit in the middle of the diner which in turn set the stage of my husband’s grumpy attitude the rest of the day. Our hour drive was delighted with the screams of my 19 month old hating the car ride. With great sarcasm I say it was wonderful!
When we finally arrived at Franconia Sculpture Park I was blown away. I did not do any research so I could be a little surprised and I was overwhelmed with amazement. It was wonderful, an open area to run, play and get inspired. I am not going to go into detail about the park, I want everyone to visit it for themselves. You won’t be sorry and it’s defiantly worth the drive, no matter how far.
After our inspiring walk we headed into Taylors Falls. I have heard about this quaint little town and the amazing hiking trails so I was pretty excited to see what it was all about. We were hungary and I knew Steve wouldn’t go for another restaurant so the delight in my eyes when I saw the amazing Drive-In Restaurant on Bench Street. Opened in 1956 the nostalgia hasn’t changed. The young man taking orders was so pleasant but yet direct. There are only so many places to “drive in” so he was directing cars all over the place. They do offer picnic areas that have waitress’ in poodle skirts!
http://www.taylorsfalls.com/food.html
The food! The food was wonderful. Better than I was expecting. We had a cheeseburger basket, fried pickles, Raspberry Malt and a Butterscotch Malt. The cheeseburger was cooked to perfection with what tasted like a homemade bun. The perfect bun, chewy with a good density but sturdy enough to hold the beef juices, ketchup and mustard without any sogginess. I was so hungry I didn’t take that delicious cheeseburger’s photograph but let me tell you, it’s another thing that’s worth the drive! By the time we were done eating Olive’s eyes were quite heavy and we didn’t want to risk a toddler meltdown, 3 miles from the car on a hiking trail, so we decided the hike would wait for fall. I hear there is an apple orchard close by. Fall bucket list item!
We took the scenic drive home along the St. Croix River into Stillwater. It was a beautiful drive on a perfect Minnesota summer day. It was nice to get out of town and not have to come home to 10 loads of laundry! We hope everyone enjoyed their long Labor Day weekend and I hope all the kiddos had a great first day back to school.
In the past two weeks Olive has experience a lot of our great state. These are a few places she has been…
We vacationed to Brainard, MN in August. We went with my husband’s parents and his 5 year old nephew. I had never been to Brainard before, it was really nice to get in the car and watch the city disappear behind us. We stayed in a hotel with a water park and spent one day in Nisswa, MN. I also drove my first go kart!
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The following weekend was Labor Day. We went for a day visit to our friend’s cabin. The last time we were at the cabin I was 18 weeks pregnant so needless to say this Labor Day weekend was a lot more fun! The weather wasn’t that great but we managed to bundle up and go out on the pontoon. Olive loved the boat ride and didn’t mind her life jacket. We played a hilarious new game and drove home in the dark with aching bellies from laughing so hard.
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Lastly we went to the Sculpture Garden at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. My friend Alyssa had never been and I was meaning to take Olive all summer. It was a beautiful day to spend walking around. It was Olive’s first time really in the grass, hence the confused face in front of the Spoon & Cherry.
Michaela Rae 