Minnesota State Fair | Personal

It is no secret that I love the Minnesota State Fair; it holds a love in my heart. A lot of the things in my life that I love are thanks to my Grandma Gertie.  Her love for events like the state fair was so infectious that it is still strong in my family today. Last year I told you the top 3 fair food musts, this year I wanted to tell you some new things I experienced .  

This was the first year that my first nephew came to the state fair. Now I know what your think, " Molly isn't he only 3 weeks old?!" Why, yes, he is and he was passed out for majority of it from all the excitement; he handled like a champ.
The weather this year is hitting Minnesota Records as the coolest state fair with temperatures only reaching mid 70's. It is a weird experience where I am not dieing of heat by the end of the afternoon, but I have to say it was a nice experience. I highly doubt it will ever happen again, but still a new one for me.
The days I went this year were slower days causing there to be not as many people, which made the next thing a lot easier. My mom recently has been having big issues with her knee, so this year she walked for the first two hours and then rented a wheel chair. The only reason she didn't get the scooter is because of the price. ( half day wheelchair $20 | Scooter Half day $40/full day $60) I had a lot of fun rolling my mom around; people generally tried to stay out of our way so they didn't get cut down by the extended feet. There were only two casualties, which I think made for a very successful venture.

Marcus and I have one more day planned for the our state fair 2017. That is one of my favorite parts about the Minnesota State Fair, I can go multiple times and do something different every time. This year they have a new Cricket Ferris Wheel; that is my last thing I am going to try this year! I might have to force Marcus it since he is afraid of heights. I will keep you updated.  

When To Change Your Last Name | For the MW Bride

A bride who was SOOO excited to take on her new last name had to shell out additional money to re-book her ticket because it was purchased under her maiden name.  (You can read the full story here ) CRAZY RIGHT!? This national story had me thinking, when should you change your last name?  My story was a little bit different. From Molly Waits to Molly Sanchez, I almost had a little bit of anxiety thinking about a new Molly Sanchez. I know it probably sounds a little silly, but I loved my maiden name. So it took me almost a year and a half to get my last name changed; I don't think it is necessary to wait THAT long, but here are some things to consider before you start the process to change your last name.

Do your research first! I found a couple of websites that I could send almost all my information to and they would fill out everything I needed and I was in the clear. After almost paying to hand over this obligation to someone else, I came to realize that I would still have to submit everything in person at the DMV. At that point I figured I could still do everything, so I just sucked it up and did it. For all my Minnesota Brides you can look here : https://www.dmv.org/mn-minnesota/changing-your-name.php for the DMV instructions on changing your name.

Plan on changing your name when you have time to take off work. If your DMV is the one downtown st. Paul, it literally takes hours of waiting to get through. It wasn't until the day we got back from shooting a wedding in NY that we took the rest of the day and spent at the DMV. The DMV work hours make it impossible to go at a more convenient hour. Grab a good book, (I would say coffee too,but they don't allow food or drinks) take the day off and go get that name changed!  

If you are honeymooning it out of country within a week after the wedding, wait to change you name until after the honeymoon. (Real Life story at the top as example for this) The fees that go into changing your name on your passport and then trying to get the new one in time for the trip is just not worth the additional stress. 

There is no other rush to change you last name right away other than pure excitement, which is 100% understandable! With your wedding adventure behind you, wait for everything to settle down  that is the best time to get your name changed.

Minneapolis Event Center Wedding Photography | Amanda & Nick

I was teamed up and shooting Amanda and Nick's wedding with Morning Light Photography at the Minneapolis Event Center! All of Amanda's marble and copper details had all the vendors drooling. Everything was so modern and elegant that it just gave the perfect feel throughout the venue space!  As we started shooting the day Amanda was getting the finishing touches to her hair while sitting in her hubby's  uniform. She was excited and ready to have her first look with Nick!! Who can blame her?! But the first look with her dad was first. When he turned around he was just taken aback by his beautiful daughter. Both Hannah and I were tearing up at such a precious moment! 

We braced for the windy day and set up Nick for his turn to see Amanda in all her glory! They decided to have their first look right out in the garden where in a couple of hour they would become husband and wife!  Thankfully the rain held off and all we were fighting with was a little wind and chilly weather, but when you looked at Amanda and Nick goofing off at the end of the aisle you couldn't tell. The were giggling while they said their vows which made it so much fun to watch.  

They finished out the night dancing it away while serving cookie dough shooters and  tastest raspberry cupcakes I have ever had.