A Grand Forks Wedding with Crystal & David at Hope Church and The Grand Forks Ramada:
Last Spring, I had to ship off one of my camera bodies to Canon to get repaired. The day it came back, I had to go out to FEDEX to pick it up. As I was driving there, I received a call. It was David calling to inquire about possibly hiring me to photograph his upcoming wedding. Being a military B.R.A.T. I have been all over the country and right away over the phone, I could tell David wasn't from ND. I told him that I could tell he was from the South and I asked where. "New Orleans", He replied. Right away, I connected with him because I was born a mere 70 miles away in Biloxi Ms and my family's favorite place to getaway is...New Orleans! So I was super eager to meet with David and his fiance Crystal to learn more about them and hear about their big day!
After our meeting I was pretty excited that they wanted me to photograph their wedding! Once summer rolled around, we had a blast doing their engagement session (read about that HERE) and I couldn't wait to photograph their winter wedding.
November 10th finally rolled around and it looked to be pretty cold out. As usual, the wind played a huge part in that. The day started off with me meeting Crystal and the girls at Salon Seva for the preparation of her big day. Then off to Hope Church where I hung out with David and the fellas for a short while. One of my favorite parts of the day was the guys were pretty set on having their photos taken outside. I told them that it was freezing out and they reminded me that they were "grown men" (their exact words)...so we went outside for some photos. The first few were fine...then some yelling about hurrying up....then finally screams and yelps. I was laughing pretty hard but we DID manage to get some great shots! It was fun listening to all the great folks from New Orleans trying to make sense of our weather and why we choose to live up here!
The rest of the day was more of the same: laughter, excitement, anticipation...and so much positive energy! As the ceremony began, Crystal and David were all smiles. As they exchanged vows, rings, and literally "tied the knot"...they were pronounced husband and wife and shared their first kiss as a newlywed couple. And after my very first "broom jumping" we all headed downtown while all the guests headed to the reception.
We wanted a few outdoor photographs and with the windchill it was 0 degrees outside...so we worked super fast and then made our way into the Urban Stampede to warm up and ended up getting my favorite photo of the day! After that, it was off to the Ramada where Dance Man Dan had the party waiting for us! The rest of the night was a giant celebration of food, speeches, cake, drinks, music, dancing, and laughter. I could definitely tell there were folks from New Orleans in attendance!
It was an amazing experience to be a part of and I wish the newlyweds all the best for a bright future together! It was my last wedding of 2017 and there's no other way to cap off such a great year than a celebration like Crystal & David's! Thanks to all the other awesome vendors who made this day so special for Crystal and David!
VENUES: Hope Evangelical Church, 1601 17th Ave S, Grand Forks, ND 58201 701-772-1884
Ramada Inn, 1205 N 43rd St, Grand Forks, ND 58201 701-775-3951
Dress: Your Day By Nicole, 102 Broadway N, #103, Fargo, ND 58102 (701) 478-1970
Florist: Wy's Floral/East Grand Floral, 1521 Central Ave NW, East Grand Forks, MN 56721 218-773-3400 eastgrandfloral.net
Bridesmaids Dresses: Kristen's Bridal & Tuxedo: 2650 32nd Ave S, Grand Forks, ND 58201 (701) 775-0567 www.kristensbridal.com
Tuxedos: Tip Top Tux: 2100 S. Columbia Rd #103, Grand Forks, ND 58201 (701) 775-9303
DJ: Dance Man Dan 701-741-3343 dancemandan@hotmail.com
Hair/Makeup: Salon Seva, salonseva@midconetwork.com (701) 795-0156
