Alyson + Jesse

As the former editor-in-chief of three regional bridal magazines, I've seen many of weddings over the years. But never have I been so proud as to run the following story about Alyson and Jesse Newquist — Minnesota Bride's first ever same-sex couple.

I didn't want to make a big deal out of it, because it shouldn't be an exception to the norm, but, well, the United States hasn't exactly gotten to that point yet, and it is a big deal. You might even be wondering what took so long! It all boils down to equality — we only feature the best local weddings in the magazine, regardless of sexual orientation, but hadn't yet seen a same-sex wedding that met our standards. Until now.

Jesse and Alyson's wedding was absolutely gorgeous and full of creative, meaningful details. They even opened their own venue in the process! Check out Matt Burgess' wonderfully written feature on these inspiring newlyweds, with photos by Photogen Inc:

Minneapolis Fashion Designer Amanda Christine

Below is a short profile I wrote on Minneapolis fashion designer Amanda Christine for the January issue of METRO magazine. She's the prime example of an indie designer whose determination, business smarts and artistic talent have enabled her to make clothes full time. It isn't easy, of course, and she hasn't become an overnight millionaire, but her work is sold in boutiques around the country (and even a few in Japan and Toronto), and it's only growing.

Figuring out how to mass-produce designs, hire remote sales reps, balance the books, source affordable fabrics, maintain a showroom AND turn out fresh collections each season is challenging, to say the least. Most designers start and stop at making collections, but Amanda has the right amount of business savvy to become a "real" fashion designer. And she's based in Minneapolis! Pretty cool.

Grunge Bride

This is one of the last fashion editorials I did before leaving Minnesota Bride earlier this month, and it's now one of my favorite stories. Everything just came together, from the styling to the model to the lighting to the overall feel.

My art director, Janet, and I started with the photographer, Lena Lakoma. We knew that we wanted to work with her and knew that it needed to be in-studio. From there, we met with Lena and went back and forth on a concept before deciding on a relaxed grunge theme, inspired by a postcard-sized image Janet had torn from a magazine.

Once we had our concept down we knew we needed a strong model who could carry the story, since it'd be about her attitude just as much as it'd be about the clothes. I suggested Ashlee Walker from Vision, having worked with her before, and we all agreed she'd be perfect. And yep, she was. I'm so glad I got to work with her one last time before she headed to New York this winter.

Next, we needed to find a stylist who could handle the dichotomy of grunge and bridal — two concepts that don't exactly go hand-in-hand. Jahna Peloquin was a natural choice as someone who understands the recent grunge resurrgance and had already proven reliable in handling valuable gowns and accessories. She found really great pieces and had plenty of ideas ready to go.

For hair/makeup, we hired Fatima Olive, who was fantastic. I didn't have to give her hardly any direction at all — I just showed her Janet's sample photo, told her the vibe and she came up with the perfect rocker hair and punchy yet clean makeup.

It was such a great shoot. They rarely go so smoothly! I'm really proud of the way everything turned out and couldn't be happier with letting this be one of the last bridal shoots I organize.

Link Love

I've been in Seattle for a full week now! I don't have Internet installed in my new apartment yet, hence the sporatic blog posting. It's gonna be another couple days before I get it, so I'll leave you with a few links to other fabulous blogs to tide you over.

W Magazine compiled clips of actors talking about films that made them cry. I love this interview series they've been doing. Colin Firth is hilarious. Michelle Williams needs to be my friend. Charlize Theron is gorgeous in a way that is unfair to the rest of humanity. Brad Pitt cannot seem to turn off his hotness. And they all cry at the movies.

One of my favorite outfit bloggers, Bee, from Atlantic Pacific in San Fransisco, put together a photo montage of her looks from 2011. It's a great way to quickly scroll through everything and get a feel for her amazing wardrobe, styling skills and physique.

Fashion bloggers Jamie of From Me To You and Kelly of The Glamourai teamed up for a photo shoot at the breathtaking home of designer Kelly Wearstler. I can't imagine living somewhere this incredible. You've gotta see it to believe it.

I loved this cute video montage of model/blogger Christina Caradona whipping together outfits in front of her closet. It's not a bad lesson in styling and layering. Of course, when you've got a model's body like Christina, everything looks good. But whatever — it's fun to watch.

Last but not least, here's a bit of inspiration for your tabletop, from Oracle Fox. I love the idea of putting feathers in a vase as opposed to flowers, because they never die and they look just as pretty! Now if only I could figure out where to get feathers in Seattle ...

Sun-kissed editorial and Seattle update

I spotted the work of Australian photographer Ali Mitton on Oracle Fox the other day and fell in love. How perfect are these images? She captures that fleeting, free-spirited summer feel so wonderfully — the long, tangled hair, hazy sun and rag-doll postures. The weather is actually like this in Australian right now. Hard to believe. Start planning that vacation.

In other news, I'm in Seattle now! My storage container arrives tomorrow, and I couldn't be more excited to unpack and build my new home. Exploring Capitol Hill, my neighborhood, has been really fun. I have so many boutiques to check out and restaurants to try and yoga studios to hit up and thrift stores to visit — it's overwhelming! My first day of work is on Monday, so I'm diving in headfirst. Wish me luck!