It’s not too often that you’ll find me in a cityscape; as a central Minnesota wedding photographer, I’m frequently capturing an outdoor wedding near a lake somewhere. But having the opportunity to photograph LeaRae and Colin’s St. Cloud urban industrial chic wedding was such a fun change of pace. The Regency in downtown St. Cloud complimented every little detail beautifully. And we couldn’t have asked for a dreamier evening to stroll the streets for some twilight bridal portraits. To say that I loved everything about this late summer wedding would be an understatement.
I was blown away with the getting ready spaces at The Regency . The warm lighting created a luxurious ambience against the crisp white brick and hardwood floors. LeaRae’s wedding day details were the definition of “elegance”; her vintage golden trinket dish complimented the girly heels and chic florals beautifully. Ugh, I could stare at these details forever.
After sharing a sweet first look with her gal’s, LeaRae shared an intimate first look with her dad. And yes, I was fighting back tears as LeaRae’s dad kissed her cheek. The love between a father and daughter is always such a special moment for me to capture. Something that LeaRae decided to do was also a first look with the groomsmen which was so special. Their faces really said it all! And of course, the tenderness between LeaRae and Colin for their own first look was just as emotional as I had anticipated. The love they have for one another is something to admire.
Once all the tears were cried out for the time being, we took some incredible bridal portraits around The Regency. Like I mentioned, I’m usually photographing more rural, outdoor weddings. So being presented with the industrial touches of the venue made for some sick portraits. I felt like I was in a shoot for a Vogue Weddings cover.
Before we knew it, it was time for LeaRae and Colin’s wedding ceremony. They had one of their college friend’s officiate their ceremony, which made it even more special to witness. But my favorite part of their ceremony was that they had requested their guests to be in the “first kiss” shot, rather than just the two of them. New favorite picture = unlocked. I get chills just think about LeaRae and Colin cherishing that photo for a lifetime…
We snuck out after the ceremony for some bridal portraits in front of the venue, before heading in for LeaRae and Colin to enjoy a private dinner. They intentionally set aside time for them to enjoy a meal before celebrating with their people. Honestly, it was just such a touching moment for them to enjoy; I even dipped out so they could just soak up every second of their time together.
After speeches and some dancing, I was able to steal LeaRae and Colin one last time for some twilight bridal portraits. I couldn’t get over just how beautiful the evening light was! By a stroke of luck, the streets in front of The Regency Venue were blocked off for an art fair, so we were able to capture some cool shots in the middle of the road. The cotton candy skies above the cityscape made for the most romantic way to wrap up LeaRae and Colin’s St. Cloud urban industrial chic wedding day.
Looking for more dreamy wedding days to swoon over until the next blog is released? Click here! And of course, you can keep up with my recent adventures and BTS on Insta (@alyssaashley_photography).
Photography – Alyssa Ashley Photography
Videography – Bellagala Videography
Venue – The Regency
DJ – Infinity Sounds
Catering – Short Stop Custom Catering
Cake – Jolie Olie’s
Hair and Makeup – Christina DeCuffa
Suits – Milbern Clothing Co.
Dress – The Wedding Shoppe
Flowers – Sola Wood Flowers