Sometimes the best plan is no plan at all. No matter how solid of a Plan A or Plan B, sometimes you just need Plan C (how it goes). They let everything go, and just let each piece of their day be unknown, unexpected, and more than welcomed.

This was the thought behind Faith and Daniel’s Duluth elopement, and it did more that just go; it flowed from one beautiful moment to the next, creating a beautiful beginning of their venture into living life as husband and wife.

This lack of a plan was not always the plan. The original thought for this couple included a destination wedding to beautiful Costa Rica (the tropical paradise that Daniel gets to call home), but damage caused by a hurricane quickly halted that awesome adventure. After some time and contemplation, they moved their “I dos” north to a different kind of paradise, the kind that only the historic city on the hill can offer to those lucky in love and looking for a one-of-a-kind wedding experience.

And Faith and Daniel took full advantage of that historic heaven and experience. They chose the Cotton Mansion as the setting for the beginning of their next chapter–a place that is classic and elegant, just like the couple. Wearing her flowers in the form of a crown created by a good friend, Faith instead carried a small, lace-covered bible, the one her mother carried on her very own wedding day. Married by a close friend in the company of a handful of family member, it was an intimate, loving ceremony that had perfectly woven in moments of laughter and times of nothing tenderness. Instead of a traditional cake, Faith and Daniel cut a beautiful fresh fruit tart from Cafe Latte in St. Paul, which matched their sweet and vibrant personalities–personalities that definitely shone in their lakeside portraits, through every smile, giggle, and gentle kiss along the way.

See the shimmer for yourselves…