melissa oholendt | minnesota wedding & lifestyle photographer » engagements

featured! eat drink pretty & utterly engaged

melissa oholendt — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 15:03:24 +0000

I’ll admit it; sometimes life isn’t as blissful and picturesque as I might want to think. Sometimes Life just flat-out throws a fist-of-doom at you right square in the stomach just to get your attention and prove a point. (Yup. I just used an analogy of Life being the equivalent of a street fighter. Pretty sure that’s who I’ve been trading sucker punches with the last few weeks.)

In the darkness of some cloudy days came one amazing ray of sunshine. Jenna of Eat Drink Pretty made my week and featured Kimber & Chas’s fabulous Utah engagement session. If you don’t follow the Eat Drink Pretty blog, you are missing out. (I mean that.) Between her panache for making the most gorgeous sweet treats, she also posts about one of my very favorite topics: entertaining.

I also found out that a couple of the photos I took of the JNP Studios Workshop Tablescape were published in Issue 9 of the online magazine Utterly Engaged. The tablescape was all about the manly-man so I’m sure they were – ahem – thrilled with the uber-girly squeal that escaped my lips when I first saw my name.

Even though it hasn’t been the kindest of last 30 days, I know how blessed I am to have my photography recognized by a blog and an online publication that I love. Blows to the stomach included, I realize I am living one hell of a charmed life.

I have so many fun blog posts coming up soon including the details of two spectacularly gorgeous Minnesota weddings. Look for those to hit your Google Reader this month, but first…I must go put Life in a headlock. He deserves it.

i’m yours,
melissa

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a year

melissa oholendt — Mon, 24 May 2010 17:00:04 +0000

At the beginning of May I had my own little anniversary date; May 3 marked the date of my first official photo session. I won’t lie, I look back on those first photos in my portfolio and I cringe a little (a lot) but I also celebrate because I have come far since those beginning days. I have failed far more than I have succeeded thus far but out of that I have grown in knowledge, in skill and in confidence. And while I still have so far to go, it’s a little piece of joy to look back and be able to say that I am a totally different photographer today than I was back then.

My hope for next year is that I can look back and cherish where I am right now; WHO I am right now because I think the recognition of how far one has come is important but remembering who you were is just as important. A year ago, I was holding myself back in protection from the fear of the unknown but today I am purposefully running full stride in the direction of fear and uncertainty. I know my failures will be numerous but that’s ok because playing it safe is no longer in my vocabulary.

I am so grateful to the clients and friends I have gained since the beginning of this journey. I have been entrusted with documenting one of the most important events in a couple’s life and I am being honest when I say I am totally honored by their trust.

Saturday was the first wedding of my second wedding season ever and let me tell you, it set the bar pretty high; can’t wait to share. Until then, Happy Anniversary to me and a heartfelt thank you to my clients, friends and support system for pushing me and believing in me. I would not be here without you.

i’m yours,
melissa

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kimber & chas | engagements

melissa oholendt — Wed, 19 May 2010 16:01:33 +0000

A couple weekends ago I got to fly down to my home state of Utah and photograph one of my best friends and her fiance and if I’m being honest, it brought with it an emotion that I didn’t really anticipate.

I think one of my favorite things about photography is not only do I get to witness the gentle, silly and loving moments in a relationship but I also get to document those same moments for a couple to see for themselves. More than almost anything I want my friends to lead lives filled to the brim with love and getting to witness Kimber & Chas so fully inundated is enough to make my heart burst but then I am priviledged to show them how they laugh together, how they look at each other with such love and even how they cuddle together. I can tell you from experience it’s an amazing thing see your relationship laid out in that way and to be able to show someone I am close to what they look like in love is downright powerful.

To my friends, thank you for hosting/feeding/loving me. I can’t wait for your wedding in October! xoxo

i’m yours,
melissa

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carrie & trevor | engagements

melissa oholendt — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 03:55:16 +0000

I remember the night we met; it was shortly after our move to Minnesota and, in typical Minneapolis fashion, it was freezing outside. It was the first time I was going to meet Matt’s law school friends and, in typical Melissa fashion, I has spent way more time on my hair than the situation warranted. As my husband greeted his friends, a gorgeous strawberry-blonde with the warmest smile I had ever seen stuck her hand out to shake mine and said something along the lines of, “I’m Carrie and I’m so sorry we’re late. My hair was not cooperating.” Enter Trevor who leans in and hugs me as a hello, nice to meet you and from that moment on I was totally smitten with them.

Three years, one law school diploma and many (many) Wii Bowling Tournaments later, Carrie called me to let me know they were engaged and I could not have been happier for our two friends who love each other with so much passion it makes most people look like amateurs.

Love you both a lot.

i’m yours,
melissa

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featured!

melissa oholendt — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 17:21:47 +0000

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” -Eleanor Roosevelt

When I first started my photography journey, a very wise and wonderful friend gave me this advice: Dream BIG. There’s no point in dreaming if you don’t dream big. So I did. Some may look at my 5-and-10 year plans and laugh (There’s likely an entry for “Portraits of Justin Timberlake” in my ten year plan. No big deal.) but I am crazy passionate about making these things happen for myself. Yes, a lot of the things on my list are out of reach right now but what fun is there in aiming low?

In the past couple weeks I have been so humbled and honored to have some of my work featured on the blogs of women & publications that I respect and adore. With a huge thanks to these very fabulous women, I have been able to cross off one 2010 goal far (far!) earlier than I originally had hoped.

Minnesota Bride Blog:

First Blush Bride Event Planning:

Live the Fancy Life:

Justin Timberlake, here I come.

i’m yours,
melissa

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st. valentine

melissa oholendt — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 23:19:34 +0000

I know there are various opinions on the non-holiday that Valentine’s Day is but I venture to say that any day we set aside to celebrate the love that is in our lives is more than reason to celebrate.

To my own sweet, sweet Valentine. Life isn’t worth anything without you. Thank you for showing me God’s Love every.single.day.

Love deeply.

i’m yours,
melissa

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megan & kenny | engagements

melissa oholendt — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 22:16:06 +0000

As Kenny whispered, “I love you” just above Megan’s shoulder, her face turned ever-so-slighty in his direction and she smiled softly and whispered “I love you too”. It occured to me in that moment, if I had blinked I would have missed it; the scene happened so fast and in such a natural way that it was clear it really wasn’t meant for my benefit. They weren’t acting because I had a camera in my hands; they were doing what they always do and that was simply to love one another.

Those are the moments I live for; the moments that, everytime, stop me in my tracks and make my heart explode.

Megan & Kenny reminded me of my passion. Together they brought back the heart pounding that literally floods my ears and brings tears to my eyes and I will never be able to thank them enough for that.

Location: Walker Art Center & Minneapolis Sculpture Garden

i’m yours,
melissa

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kristina & rob | engagements

melissa oholendt — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 02:01:38 +0000

I made a promise with myself this year that I would only book weddings & couples that I had an honest and true connection with; not because the connection was lacking with my 2009 couples but because, by the grace of God, I had formed a deep and heartfelt friendship with the bride and groom for every single wedding. For me, that connection has become an integral part of my success and quite frankly, adoration over the images I produce.

Well, I love Kristina & Rob; dotting-my-i’s-with-hearts-and-using-bubbly-exclamation-points kind of love. I first met them for a late morning breakfast and over french toast and coffee and we laughed together for almost THREE HOURS. We clicked like peanut butter and jelly. They told me how they first met, how Rob proposed and what they dreamed their wedding to be. (It’s going to be amazing, in case you are wondering…) I fell in love with the way Rob looks at Kristina, the way she rests her head on her hand, Rob’s hair color (redheads unite!) and the fact that at the end of the day they just want to be with each other. They pretty much rock.

Does anyone know how hard it is for 2 Fuji Instax pictures to develop in 30 degree temps? WE DO! (Totally worth it.) i’m yours,
melissa

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jessica & jon | engagements – part two

melissa oholendt — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 16:44:45 +0000

It’s for certain, my favorite thing about Jessica and Jon is that they laugh together – a lot. Not small, polite laughter but real genuine you-are-the-funniest-person-in-the-world laughter. And it was cold. Really cold. Like 18 degrees Minnesota cold. But THIS is why I have the best clients in the world – they don’t even look cold. They laughed and cuddled and kissed as if they were in the tropics. (If I were cheesy, I would say their love keeps them warm but, you know, I’m not cheesy. So. Prettysuretheirlovekeepsthemwarm.)

If Jessica & Jon look familiar, we did a fall engagement session in October. See how awesome they are? Fall engagements, winter engagements…bring on the spring.

i’m yours,
melissa

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keri & ryan | engagements

melissa oholendt — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 04:09:35 +0000

It sounded cliche, even to him, but the first time he saw her smile it sent cupid’s arrow straight through his heart and at that moment Ryan knew that he would one day hold Keri in his arms and call her wife. They saw each other almost daily at their shared workplace but it wasn’t until they were paired as mentor leaders in a classroom miles away from the office that the sparks started to fly.

Keri & Ryan gave me such a vivid picture of love; they are a pair that would walk to the end of the earth if that’s what it took to be together.

I think the giant lollipop might be my favorite prop yet.

Remember how these two are/were mentors when they fell in love? Well, their kiddos drew these pictures of them. I think they nailed Keri’s rosy cheeks and Ryan’s blue eyes.

Love these two shots; love them. It’s a circle of love.

i’m yours,
melissa