Venue Twenty5 Wedding – Mandan, ND – Mattie and Brody

From the moment I got the inquiry for Mattie & Brody’s Venue Twenty5 wedding near Mandan, I knew this wedding was going to be special! I’ve known Mattie since high school, and I knew she would have excellent taste (and mad planning skills) when it came to styling her North Dakota wedding. Plus - she and Brody are FUN people - who wouldn’t want to shoot a wedding full of great people (even if there were more than a few Iowa State fans)? From beginning to end, their day was simply perfect, and so unique to who they are as a couple.

The ladies got ready at an Airbnb in downtown Bismarck. Mattie’s dress was a stunning Emmy Mae gown from a&be bridal in Minneapolis. Nobody had seen the dress besides her mom, sister, and grandmas when she picked it out. Her first look with the bridesmaids was such a fun reveal!

Mattie chose the cutest matching pajamas and slippers for all the ladies to get ready in!

After Mattie’s mom helped her into her dress, she surprised her with a special ring.

Mattie’s hair and makeup looked flawless all day thanks to her makeup artist, Grin & Bare It and hair stylists, Hayley Nehl and Brandi Sauers.

The bride’s first look with all of her bridesmaids was such a special, emotional moment.

Brody was looking sharp in his suit from Halberstadt’s, and his floral tie from Mytieshop was the perfect coordinating, fun pop of color.

There's just something about dads and daughters! Mattie's first look with her dad was sentimental, and you can bet he cracked a few jokes too. I think it was something about not being able to wear his boots to the wedding?

The bride & groom's first look is always one of my favorite parts of the day!

Seriously, these two could be models!

If you wear a veil, there’s a very good chance I’ll shoot some under-the-veil shots!

The North Dakota fall colors were really showing off for this wedding!

Mattie and Brody picked such a fun bunch of friends and family to be in their wedding party!

The terracotta bridesmaid dresses from Azazie were the perfect color for this fall wedding.

I’m not sure how involved Brody was in the wedding planning, but I’m pretty sure he picked out the groomsmen’s Iowa State socks.

Mattie also did a first look with her grandmas - such a special moment!

The bouquets and floral arrangements were from Rustic Petals. Mattie sent them a photo of her invites from The Knot as inspiration, and they matched the flowers perfectly! Brody wore a pin in memory of his late grandpa on the inside of his suit jacket near his heart, and Mattie had a special pin on her bouquet in memory of her late grandpa. It was such a special way to honor two very special people who were with them in spirit.

Art & Andy Vintage did all the decorating and vintage furniture rentals (yes- that’s where that yellow couch came from!)

We had the perfect midwest fall day out at Venue Twenty5 for a wedding.

Art & Andy did all the decorating for the reception as well - they gave the whole place such a fun, vintage vibe!

The desserts were from Mabel’s Bakery in Napoleon, ND, and were easily the best cupcakes I ate in my 2022 wedding season (perks of being a wedding photographer: you get to sample a LOT of desserts!) I even ordered them for my daughter's birthday party a month after this wedding, and they were a hit there too!

I love stealing my couples away for a few golden hour photos at the end of the night. The stressful parts of the day are over, you’re officially married, and you can just relax and enjoy a little time away from the craziness! These are some of my favorite photos from the day, and I know the videographers from The Reel Love captured some gorgeous footage as well!

This was their reaction when I told them “show me how excited you are to be married!"

10/10 would recommend kicking off your heels and wearing fuzzy slippers for your dance.

We ended Mattie & Brody’s Venue Twenty5 wedding with a few sparkler photos! Don’t ask us how long it took to get them lit, but it was the perfect ending to the perfect day.