I like to think that weddings are what they have always been. Dreams. When we are young we imagine what that special day is going to be like. We give it a skeleton shape in our brains and fill in the fleshy parts with our imagination. Its this concept of imagining that I hold dear to what has fueled and inspired me through my years of doing this. Wedding photography isn’t about what grandma did, its not about what your parents did and its not what your best friend is doing. Wedding photography is a chance for me to take that skeleton of an idea someone had as a kid and bring it to life, give it a soul. I still believe that every wedding should tell a story, but my favorite stories were always the ones with the most pictures.

Miss our last wedding fair? Check out the great video from 651 media, showcasing our wedding workshops, awesome members, and laid back vibe. All at In(dy)spire: the independent wedding fair!

Participating members:
Adagio DJay Entertainment
American Swedish Institute
Avant Decor
Becca Dilley Photography
Brandon Werth Photography
Brett Dorrian Artistry Studios
Cocoa & Fig
Chowgirls Killer Catering
Emma Freeman Photography
Irish Piper Tom
Jeff Loves Jessica Photography
Jennifer Whalen Photography
Joynoelle
Juliane James Place
Pinstripes
redshoes26 design
Renee’s Royal Valet
Rocket Science Weddings & Events
Roee Dori Photography
Sassafras Floral
Savvi
Studio Laguna
Traveling Photo Booth

Flowers by Sassafras floral

Miniature dessert table by Cocoa & Fig. 

Cheese fondue by Chowgirls. 

Gretchen from Rocket Science Weddings & Events leads a discussion on choosing the best wedding venue. 

Joynoelle had 2 volunteers to be draped and fitted as part of her couture design wedding workshop. 

Photo Credits: Sarah McGee Photography

Participating members:
Adagio DJay Entertainment
American Swedish Institute
Avant Decor
Becca Dilley Photography
Brandon Werth Photography
Brett Dorrian Artistry Studios
Cocoa & Fig
Chowgirls Killer Catering
Emma Freeman Photography
Irish Piper Tom
Jeff Loves Jessica Photography
Jennifer Whalen Photography
Joynoelle
Juliane James Place
Pinstripes
redshoes26 design
Renee’s Royal Valet
Rocket Science Weddings & Events
Roee Dori Photography
Sassafras Floral
Savvi
Traveling Photo Booth

Wedding Workshop Schedule:

11:15 am: “Wedding Flowers Your Way” A hands-on introduction to wedding flowers with Sassafras Floral

12:00 pm: “Photography Panel” Three local wedding photographers and a makeup artist join this panel to answer questions about finding and choosing a photographer, looking great in your photos, and making your photography experience flawless with Sewell Photography, Studio Laguna, Jeff Loves Jessica Photography, Brett Dorriant Artistry Studios. Moderated by Becca Dilley Photography

12:45 pm: “Wedding Venue 101″ The how to of finding a great wedding venue with Rocket Science Weddings & Events

1:30 pm: “Weddings Start To Finish” Our expert wedding pros join forces to give you tips and answers to all your wedding questions, from wedding planning to transportation with Adagio DJay Entertainment, Cocoa & Fig, Renee’s Royal Valet, Alyson Newquist Designs

2:15 pm: “The Couture Wedding Dress Experience” The process of having a custom dress crafted with Joynoelle

Cocoa & Fig is a passionate dessert company, and they will be joining us on Feb 11 for  in(dy)spire: The Independent Wedding Fair, offering ideas & advice from pros with passion. Tickets are now available.

Cocoa & Fig, along with the Independent Wedding Association, are pleased to announce this miniature dessert table contest.

Photo credit: Sewell Photography

One lucky winner will receive a custom designed dessert table (will serve 100 guests) featuring your choice of various miniature desserts from the diverse menu of Cocoa & Fig including cake lollipops, French macarons, mini cupcakes, layered desserts shooters, and more. A custom table spread will be designed to fit the theme, look and vibe of your wedding and includes Cocoa & Fig’s distinct styling, cake stand and platter rental, custom signage, day-of delivery and set-up, and next day retrieval. The winner will also receive a free tasting consultation and planning meeting with the owner of Cocoa & Fig.

*Events outside the Twin Cities metro will incur additional delivery fees.
*Must be used in 2012 – some date restrictions apply.
*No cash value.

To enter to win, simply post a comment on this post by the end of February 5 – we would especially love to hear your favorite wedding food recommendations! One winner will be chosen at random on Feb 6. Only one entry per person – duplicates will be deleted at our discretion. Email address must be valid to win.

Get your tickets now for  in(dy)spire: The Independent Wedding Fair
ideas & advice from pros with passion
Saturday, Feb 11 from 11am – 3pm

***Update***

Congrats to Sara, whose comment was randomly chosen to be the winner!

The Couture Dress Experience

Call for two model participants to be draped during
in(dy)spire: The Independent Wedding Fair’s Workshops

To enter, you must:

• Be available on Saturday, Feb 11 from 12-3pm
•Be draped and fitted by couture designer Joy Teiken of joynoelle during the workshop (model participants should expect to and be comfortable wearing a slip to enable proper draping and fit)
•Allow photos from the workshop to be used for promoting joynoelle and ind(dy)spire

If you are interested  in being draped and fitted as part of the joynoelle in(dy)spire workshop
please email Joy at joy@joynoelle.com by Feb. 1st.

Please include a photo of yourself and a
photo of a wedding dress you love and would hope to have your dress inspired by.

Two model participants will be chosen by Joy based on the ability to drape and fit during the workshop, as well as fabric availability. Model participants are encouraged to follow up with having their joynoelle dress created but participation as a model does not include the creation of a custom dress.

Information on how to schedule your own appointment for a custom joynoelle dress can be found at joynoelle.com

Joynoelle is the signature line of Minneapolis-based designer, Joy Teiken. The Joynoelle Ready-to-Wear and Bridal Collections are handmade and hand-finished in her South Minneapolis atelier. Every garment is individually cut, sewn and accented to ensure the highest of quality and attention to detail that Joy expects. This award-winning designer has been featured in many national and international publications including WWD, Real Simple Magazine, and Daily Candy NYC and has been shown on the runway in New York City, Chicago, and LA .

My clients choose Joynoelle not only for the outcome but for the process. Having a dress made is a fun. Watching it go from a piece of fabric to the draping and sketching to the fittings and the final gown is a special experience. I have many brides come back to me after their wedding and tell me having their dress made was the second best part of getting married (the first being marrying the love of their life). I love working with brides. Each one is special and wants their personality to show through in their dress. Having a dress designed and made for them is the perfect way to accomplish this. My brides are part of the design process and since I make the dress on their body through draping techniques and fittings, the dress fits their body and personality perfectly. I often suggest bringing in personal objects (their mother’s wedding dress, their grandmother’s beaded necklace, or their auntie’s lace) to incorporate into their dress to make it even more special. I have one seamstress and we work very closely together with the client. As the designer, I am in charge of the dress and client from start to finish. I do all the draping, cutting of the fabric, and the fittings. I may bring in extra craftspeople for things like beading and fabric dying but everything is done in my atelier. My seamstress and I work on sewing the dress together and she is part of certain fittings and finishing work.

We are set apart from our competition by our menu flexibility, our unique approach to customized events, the bocce/bowling aspect and individualized planning assistance.

Our clients choose us because we genuinely care about their event and their expectations. We look to exceed expecations, by listening first.

We only have one large event per evening, allowing us to be focused and available. We are a restaurant ‘first’ – professional service and food quality and execution is number one. We hire, train and develop our staff in event execution. They are in the trenches, and we respect and value their opinion. We spend a lot of time detailing the event with the staff, so they are clear of our expectations and the clients nuances.

Overwhelmed by wedding planning or huge bridal events? Then check out our fairs – we have a community of passionate wedding professionals all in one spot. More than that – we love to chat with you, answer your questions, and show you what we have to offer.

That is why are the only event that offers wedding workshops to help you plan your wedding smarter, better, and more beautifully by sharing hands-on tools, tips, and secrets.

WORKSHOPS INCLUDE:

The Couture Wedding Dress Experience • Wedding Venue 101 • Wedding Flowers Your Way
Ask your Photographer Panel • Wedding Nuts & Bolts

Join Us

Saturday, Feb 11, 2012
Hotel Ivy – Downtown Minneapolis
11am – 3pm

Buy your tickets