Cortney + Ryan | Minot Wedding Photographer

 

They met in Junior High right here in Minot, North Dakota, but went on to live in separate states after high school. So separate, in fact, they were at opposite ends of the country – he in Virginia, she in Washington State. But neither time, circumstances, nor distance, could keep them apart.

That’s how fate works.

 Cortney and Ryan came home to North Dakota to get married on this beautiful Saturday in June, but in reality, their marriage itself is just as much a coming home for this sweet, funny, and amazing couple.

A little love to some of the businesses that

made this vintage-inspired wedding happen:

Hair  ~ Headquarters Salon

Flowers ~ Country Meadows

Ceremony ~ Carnegie Center

Reception ~ International Inn

Cake ~ Lalee Cakes

DJ ~ Magic City Music Factory

 Cortney, seriously...rawr. You are gorgeous beyond words.

 Love love LOVE Cortney's brooch bouquet.

 Not only did Cortney & Ryan become husband and wife, together with Ryan's beautiful daughters

Kaylee & Cadence, they became a family. 

 

 It is a tie between this photo and the next for favorite of the day.

 Back to where it all began...

This is what love looks like.

 

How to enjoy your day and get great photos! | Minot Wedding Photographer

Some more great advice from The Things We Would Blog:

I have a little bit of wedding philosophy for you. Consider this some very basic tips for being in the right frame of mind for getting amazing photos on your wedding day. Having a good photographer is key, beyond that, there are some things you can do to insure you look your best, happiest, most in love in your photos.

Be relaxed. Sometimes this means having a mimosa with your bridesmaids before you start photos. Just one though. :)

Be on time. Make sure you include enough time for photos. I usually suggest even scheduling extra time so you can have a cushion in case hair and makeup runs late. More time is always better. You can always take a break after.

Be playful. It makes for great photos.

Be flexible. Sometimes the weather or light just isn't cooperating. Maybe there's a huge crowd of people right where you want to shoot. Trust your photographer if they suggest doing something other than what you had in mind. It could be the difference between a mediocre shoot where you wanted or an amazing photo-op somewhere slightly different.

Be in the moment. Don’t worry about what happened before photos or what comes next in the schedule of the day. You're only going to do this once. Enjoy it. If you're stressed or rushed, you'll be able to see it in the photos.

Be away. Go somewhere fun and away from other people so you don't have to feel nervous because people are watching, you can have a private moment together and you don't have people running up to you to ask random questions about details. Let other people figure out the last minute details and enjoy this time together.

Be done before the ceremony. This is definitely a personal choice, but here's why I suggest it.

Be fearless.
Sometimes brides step into the dress and suddenly feel like they can hardly move for fear of getting the dress dirty. Well, just know, if you're wearing something white that touches the floor, the underside is bound to get a little dirty but no one will notice, I promise. Don't miss out on amazing photos because you're afraid of a little dirt. You're only going to wear the dress once anyway.