Hey friends! About to lay some #realtalk on you.
Images have become, like, a sincerely integral part of our lives, social media has made sure of that. But a wedding photographer has always been an integral part of our weddings. Regardless of your guest list, your wedding part size, no matter if you are getting married in Minneapolis or Mahnomen, you are going to need someone to document your wedding. Personally I think that person should be a professional, and it’s easy to see why.
The photos are just so darn good. These are photos, remember, that aren’t just getting slapped into your news feed. They aren’t getting snapped and enjoyed for seconds – these are photos for a lifetime. How many times have you seen in a movie, on a commercial, in real life, elderly persons (think over 70) tenderly viewing their days past in the form of a photo. Wedding day photos, baby photos, school pictures. We as human beings yearn for the ability to more vividly remember our life and photos make that happen. Well, actually, Minneapolis wedding photographers (the one taking the photo) make it happen. So, enough with the sappy, let me introduce you to a happily married couple, whose job is to capture the beginning of your happily married life!
We mostly shoot in a lifestyle point of view, but we also blend in photojournalism and a bit of traditional styles throughout the wedding day. We include real candid moments from a wedding day, a mix of traditionally posed and casual portraits, but overall we shoot joy!
Oh joy. And the we Melanie Mohenen is referring to, is her husband. Ari and Melanie are indeed married, they’ve got one son, and between the three of them are constantly snapping away. How did they get started?
While we were searching for photographers for our own wedding 8 years ago, we were really drawn to photojournalism. When we began shooting weddings ourselves we naturally sought out real moments to capture from behind the camera but also saw a need for a little something more. Over the years we’ve found a happy balance between lifestyle, photojournalism, and traditional photography that we use to capture the story and overall feel of a wedding day.
Every wedding season we get closer and closer to being full time. I spend most of my time on Mahonen Photography and taking care of our 5 year old boy. Ari has a day job, but also puts in a lot of time with Mahonen Photography. Shooting together is totally awesome! We really work as a team rather than a 1st and 2nd shooter. We both take on the day from our own perspectives which blend together to form our style.
I mean, how sweet is that, being able to work with the one you love, while you photograph people in love… on their wedding day. Two shooters does, most often, mean two slightly different styles (because people are unique, unless that person is a robot and not a human being…or a clone of the first person… I digress). So, I asked Melanie to explain the difference between their perspectives.
For weddings and engagement sessions we always shoot together. We use the engagement session to get to know our clients and have them get to know our working style.
Ari is fantastic at finding the little moments in-between the big moments which rounds out the photographic story of a wedding day. I give a little bit more direction, but create a relaxed environment, so that I can set the bride and groom up to react to each other and then we can capture their natural expressions.
Like in a first look, the first dance, bride and groom solo photos, etc. etc. Basically every moment that might occur on a wedding day. I like two shooters, it means that you will get more to choose from.
These two perspectives allow us to create a well rounded gallery that tells the story of the day.
My favorite part of being a Minnesota wedding photographer is getting to see how different people express themselves. I think an unplugged ceremony is a must. Besides the part where you are paying professionals to take pictures, you also don’t want a phone going off right in the middle of your tear-jerking-emotion-evoking vows. Tell your friends and family to at least turn the volume (and vibrate) to mute.
It’s great to be able to capture the guests being in the moment, the way they react to the happy couple and the decor, especially when the bride rounds the corner with her dad in tow. Ari loves it when the groom pays attention to the details of his attire. We had a wedding this fall that used fly fishing lures as boutonnieres to reflect the groom’s love of fishing! Whatever details you pick, or vendors you hire, make sure that you enjoy your day AND each other! Choose things that reflect who you are and leave out the things that don’t mean anything to you.
I totally agree. Things that we can leave behind: traditional wedding vows (if you are nontraditional people), floral bridal party bouquets (maybe you have allergies), wedding cake (perhaps you want something gluten free). You get the point. Along with the Mahonen photographers I think you should really focus on what you want for your wedding, instead of what you think your wedding should be.
If you’d like more information about Mahonen Photography at your future event you can find Melanie and Ari on their Website, on Facebook, on Instagram, on Pinterest.
Next week on Getting Married in Minnesota, Meet The Wedding Collective.
As always clicking on the image takes you to the website of the photographer who took the photo, ie. photo credit, ie. Mahonen Photography! If you know of someone looking for a wedding photographer, or engagement pictures for their big day… tell them about Mahonen Photography![clickToTweet tweet=” I just met a great wedding photographer on Head Over Heels, hint their married!” quote=”Introduce your friends to Mahonen Photography” theme=”style6″]
Prosperity, Love & Happiness,
