a family affair.

sharing images that grab your heart and leave you painted with happiness is our passion. we’re so glad that Britta the Photographer feels the same way because we’re honored to bring you one of those beautiful weddings she captured today. Ashley and Zach’s Fargo wedding was truly magnificent. a handmade and perfectly rustic affair, it was warm, cozy and seriously romantic. their love drenched their entire day and having Ashley’s daughter, Addie, play such an important role standing beside her beautiful mother was definitely the cherry on top of this sweet, sweet day. be sure not to miss Ashley’s hilarity as she reminisces all of the details below..

Love from bride, Ashley:

The Zeisberg wedding is a classic example of what happens when a bride with equal parts self-diagnosed, unmedicated ADD and OCD, with an upbringing of cheap thrifty Lutheran persuasion with delusions of grandeur lofty ideas tries to have a marriage. All they wanted was a wedding that was chic, cool, romantic (but not sappy) unique, cheap and homemade.  Easy-peezy, right? Don’t answer that.

Zach and Ashley got engaged in December 2008. Between then, and the first week of July 2011, they made exactly four decisions: the wedding dress, the bride’s daughter’s dress, the wine, and Ashley’s wedding shoes. This last decision was made three times.  

The venue: Rustic Oaks, south of Moorhead, MN is a tastefully restored home and barn. The owners and staff are great about offering ideas, or letting couples run away with their ideas. Its charm comes in its openness, making it easy to have a wedding that is spacious or cozy, decorations that are minimal or decadent. Plus, there were kittens on the grounds during the tour.

The photography: This was by far the easiest part. It was always only going to be Britta Trygstad. Britta is a consummate professional. She has an innate talent and understanding of what make a photograph beautiful. She is able to capture a perfect moment, as if instinctual. On top of that, she is a tireless editor. It is truly in post production where her images become the memories you will cherish. The only thing that could maybe outshine her work, is her fetching personality. She has a body of work that could easily justify a cocky attitude and huge ego. But she is witty, patient, gracious and completely charming.

The dress: Have you heard that expression champagne taste and beer income? A little fitting for falling in love with a designer gown that costs more than a reliable used car. Ashley’s eyes took in the grandeur that is Monique L’huillier’s Scarlet wedding gown, but her stomach (and Midwestern common sense) couldn’t fathom a $6,000 price tag. The solution took some time to dream up, but was perfect: Cindy Roholt, a brilliant costume designer for NDSU and Trollwood Performing Arts. This woman is probably magical. How she can look at a picture of a dress and mentally dissect it, and lovingly bring it to life is simply amazing. 

For the mesdames, it was a little harder. There are so very many fun dresses for women. Eventually (several several months later!), laziness prevailed and the bride decided that pretty girls in pretty dresses is a theme onto itself, and the ladies bought dresses in muted naturals. They like them, they can easily be worn again, and they ranged in price from $12 to maybe $70. That is the triple crown of bridesmaiding success. 

Ceremony: Zach and Ashley do not love formal weddings. They seem stiff and more about production value than the joy of the occasion. And Zach is dreamboat handsome regardless, so why bother with a tux? They took advantage of a buy one get one sale on suits and now the messieurs have a handsome weapon in their wardrobe arsenals. It’s not being cheap if it’s practical. 

For the ceremony, they wanted to keep it light, without compromising the meaning. As luck would have it, the couple knows an interesting, eloquent man, who happens to have the power vested in him to officiate wedding ceremonies. This is a great way to have a deeply personal and meaningful ceremony. Expanding on that theme, Ashley’s little brother Jordan and her daughter, Addy, are both musically inclined and provided the music for the ceremony. (Insert happy tears for a kid serenading her mama!)

And finally, festivities: Zach-of-all-trades made two piñatas for the fête because, well, piñatas are awesome. They also asked friends and family to bring outdoor games like croquet and Norwegian golf. They really thought of the whole day as more of a fun day in the park where it was easy for guests to mingle and relax and drink copious amounts of wine (you know who you are!) Ashley’s brother and sister-in-law built a super awesome photobooth and Ashley made or amassed props for it. This was a huge hit and comes highly recommended.