i am ridiculously excited you are here! my name is melissa oholendt and i'm a wedding & lifestyle photographer based in minneapolis/st. paul, minnesota.
if you are curious as to who i am, the short version is this: my great loves in life are my heart-breakingly lovely husband, my cuddly dog Gunnar, rainy days, j.crew cardigans, nicknames, the smell of freshly washed clothes and above all things God. if you want to know a little more about me, click on the email address below and send me an email with questions, email hugs or professions of your undying love (i don't judge). i would love to hear from you.
In case you missed it, the new Melissa Oholendt Photography has debuted and it might be the greatest thing I’ve ever done in my life. (Only to be trumped by hugging Justin Timberlake.)
For my RSS subscribers (love you!), please bookmark the new feed here. Can’t wait to see you there!
I have some huge news that I am so thrilled to share with you all. (No, not my new branding; though that is coming…soon!)
On Monday, my long dreamt-of J.Crew Jane Austen shoot was featured on the Minnesota Bride Magazine Blog! What an honor and a priviledge for this fabulous shoot to be featured on the most fabulous of all the Minnesota wedding websites; I seriously could not be more thrilled to be associated with such an upstanding publication.
One big bear-hug to my friends at Minnesota Bride. You guys rock.
I’m so excited to share more from this shoot.
There is no one in the world like Kelly; she literally breathes life into anything she touches. And Andrew. With his confidence, wit and undeniable humor? There, very definitely, is not a more perfect match in existence. But for me? It was his smile. That authentic, heart-stopping smile that Andrew reserves just for Kelly. It is a smile that speaks (law school book size) volumes into the love they share and the journey they’ve traveled together. As she walked down the aisle, he could not take his eyes off of her and that bring-you-to-your-knees smile became the expression that embraced & defined their vows and their future. And what a future it will be.
Kelly & Andrew. The amount of love at your wedding literally blew my mind. It was so beautiful and so stunningly tangible and so, so respresentative of you as a couple that I’m pretty sure every guest left a little bit more in love with you. I know I did. Oh. And when you high fived after the cake cutting? Cemented your place in my heart. xoxo for reals. (And p-to-the-s, both of your families? Rock.)
Ceremony & Reception Location: Private Residence - Ivyland, PA
Flowers: Yardley Flower Company
Cake: Cramer’s Bakery
Catering: Giuseppe’s Catering
DJ: DJ Donny Love
Rentals: Bucks-Mont Party Rentals
The excitement on her face was hard to miss. The morning had been a flurry of make-up brushes and champagne but in the quiet times, when she found herself sitting alone, she couldn’t stop smiling. This day had been a long time coming in many ways but she had never felt more ready. When asked if she was nervous she shook her gorgeous blonde curls no; when you’ve been preparing and wishing for something for so long, the day it arrives feels better than anything you could have hoped for. It feels just a little bit like perfection.
Chris & Cole. I won’t ever be able to convey to you how powerful your love is and how much it has impacted me. Over the last 6 months I have fallen in love with you both and I’m so excited to see where life leads you. Hopefully somewhere with lots of guacamole from Target and lots of Matt & Melissa time. Just saying.
Ceremony & Reception Location: Barcelo Los Cabos Palace Deluxe
Bride’s Dress: Wedding Shoppe Inc
Bridesmaids Dresses: David’s Bridal
Hair & Make-up: Neysa Berman
Custom Bridesmaid Jewelry: K Kay Designs
Groom’s & Groomsmen’s Suits: The Men’s Warehouse
Cake: Cabo Dessert Diva
Videographer: Mind Set West Productions
Nope, no, not happening. They were not dating. No siree, they were only friends and that was it. Girl-space-friend. Boy-space-friend. And lest you get any thoughts in your head, this wasn’t going to be one of those friendships turning into love situations. They were just-space-friends and would always be just-space-friends.
But, let’s be honest. They were always like trains on a collision course; they could go as slow as they wanted but the path they were traveling on was only going to lead them to each other. Everyone knew. Chas’ mom knew the minute she heard Chas talk about Kimber; Kimber’s bestie could see it happening even 3 states away. Some things in life feel undeniably destined and this was one of those things.
Kimber & Chas. What fun it has been to see how your relationship has changed from friendship to love over these past years! You enrich the lives of the people you come into contact with and I am lucky to count myself as one of those people.
I owe one gigantic thanks to John Sharpe for flying out to Utah and shooting Chas & Kimber’s wedding with me. You truly are the best.
Ceremony Location: First United Methodist Church of Ogden
Reception Location: Davis Conference Center
Bride’s Dress: The Bridal Corner
Groom’s & Groomsmen’s Suits: The Gallery by Lynette
Flowers: Marla Rawlings Design
Live Band: Liz Woolley Trio
Cake: Layer by Layer Gourmet Cakes
Photobooth: A Day to Remember
Videographer: StudioK
If I ever have to explain the physical and emotional meaning of organized chaos to another person, I will show them this photograph. This photo holds 5 months of planning and executing and finally some big, big plans coming to fruition. If I am being honest, I am both totally thrilled and terrified of what this day will hold for Melissa Oholendt Photography.
Today is the day that changes everything. Today, at noon, myself and 6 other fabulous local vendors will be styling & photographing a concept shoot that has taken just slightly less planning than my wedding 5 years ago. I have enlisted some fabulous and amazing local vendors and we’ll be bringing a substantial amount of talent your way and I can’t WAIT to show you the results. (And with it the entire breadth of my rebrand! Soon, my friends, soon.)
Until that October day, here’s a little sneak peak into the Creative Brief behind this concept shoot. It’s going to be BIG. (And insanely gorgeous.) If you want even more of a sneak peak, make sure you follow me on Twitter; I’ll be twitpic-ing the day’s events between shots.
Anyone with five senses could see how excited she was. Her sweet laughter floated to the ceiling as her hands & feet never stopped moving; busying herself with hair pins and mascara. He was less than a room away, but even so she knew that in her heart they were always one soul. He could be a million miles away but she knew that they would forever be one; just as they both had always dreamed they would be.
Kristina & Rob. The day of your wedding I woke up so thrilled to photograph your wedding. I knew when we first met that I wanted to be a part of your day because you were special and your love was so honest and true. I didn’t think it possible but that notion ran even more true on your beautiful day, surrounded by your fabulous friends as they toasted your new marriage. What an amazing couple you both make. xoxo
Ceremony & Reception Location: Oak Glen Country Club in Stillwater, MN
Flowers: Sweet Peas Floral
Cake: Buttercream Wedding Cakes
Chair Rental: Midwest Party Rental
It wasn’t just the way he looked at her; it wasn’t just the way he held the door for her and it wasn’t just the way he playfully took her face in his hands and kissed the tip of her nose. The day her she looked around and realized she couldn’t remember life before him was the day she realized that their love was big. It was bigger than all of the wonderful things about Kenny; it was bigger than all of the amazing things she felt when she was with him. When she realized that their love was her whole world, she just knew.
Megan & Kenny are the real thing; they are two people so rooted in love that it completely fills whatever space they are in. It’s a rare thing to find two people who are all things sweetness, humility and laughter but then combine those qualities and you have a love so powerful it truly takes your breath away. I know I sound totally infatuated with them as a couple and maybe I am because they remind me of how beautiful love is every moment I am with them. How at moments it will completely rob you of thought and coherency and at other times it will fuel actions and deep, deep commitment without fear or hesitation. This couple is all of that to me and after spending a day with their best and closest, they are those things to them as well.
To Megan & Kenny. I am so blessed and so honored to have been a part of your day. I love you both. A lot.
Ceremony & Reception Location: Marjorie McNeely Conservatory at Como Park
Bride’s Dress: The Loft Bridal
Bridesmaids Dresses: David’s Bridal
Custom Suits: Measure Custom Clothing
Flowers: Bachmans Floral
Catering: Lancer Catering
Cake: Buttercream Wedding Cakes
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.
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.
Bad Behavior has blocked 46 access attempts in the last 7 days.
Optimized by SEO Ultimate