Sarah Syhakhoun Photography » Blog

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  • Love and Marriage Photographer

    I'm Sarah and I am a Minnesotan love and marriage photographer located in the Twin Cities. Here you will find posts with recent photo sessions as well as information about me and my business. My mission is to not only make you look great in your photos, but to make you feel great as well. I am fully committed to making marriages strong and am devoted to showcasing your love and passion for years to come. I am here to strip away any insecurities you may have and ensure everyone has a great time! Getting rid of those jitters will allow me to capture you as you are when nobody is watching.

    Feel free to look around for more information. I hope to hear from you soon!

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06.14.13

Teddy is One Year: Family – St. Louis Park, MN Photography

I cannot put into words how much I love watching a baby grow up into a toddler!  Blessed doesn’t even begin to describe how lucky I am to spend time with little ones as they grow from just a few pounds to running, laughing, talking toddlers.  It’s truly amazing!  This week, I finally was able to take Teddy’s one year photos.  With all the rain this spring, we had to reschedule a few times, but I am very happy with the outcome.  Teddy is now a high-spirited, mobile little guy with an independent spirit.  He was so fun to work with and so adorable to look at!  I love incorporating items that kids like to play with so that they are never forgotten, and Teddy really loves his big yellow ball.  He had a blast chasing after it.

 

I cannot get enough of those lashes!  SO jealous but so in love!

Teddy really loves reading, so I had to jump on the chance to take some photos of him reading with his mom.  Precious!

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Val - June 14, 2013 - 3:16 pm

So precious! I love them all! Cannot believe how fast he is growing!!

05.28.13

Holly and Diego: Married Rochester, MN Photography

I am so excited to share Holly and Diego’s wedding!  I was so worried that they were going to get rained out because it was pouring up in the cities when I set out for the day, but thankfully, it was a beautiful, clear day!  Holly went all out with the vintage DIY details – it was truly spectacular!  They both looked amazing and couldn’t have been more laidback or sweet.  I am so happy for you two!

I love being able to start weddings off with the bride and groom getting ready.  I love photographing the details – and Holly’s details were beautiful!  Her garter was beyond adorable.

She started off in blush heels and then changed into cowboy boots after the ceremony.

I’m fairly certain you could find a photo of her bouquet if you Google searched “perfection.”  They complimented all the other details exactly.

Holly, you are stunning!

I’m not the only one who thought so!

The celadon green dresses were so perfect with the gold pearls!  I love that it is all very vintage-inspired but definitely not usual or what you would see in every other vintage wedding.

Holly and Diego incorporated the cutest details, such as the grape soda pin from the movie Up which has one of the best love stories of any cartoon I’ve ever seen.  I can totally see these two living out their own adventures and telling their own love story many years from now!

All of the men in the bridal party had super hero cuff links.  Love it!

I love first looks!  They make for a very relaxing and intimate day.

Holly made these thank you signs out of scrapbook paper.  So cute!

This is why I love second shooters!  Thank you Anna for capturing such sweet moments throughout the day!

I must say, I love seeing my photos lining the aisle.  They had one of my favorite engagement sessions I’ve ever photographed.

Diego is a musician and serenaded Holly during the ceremony. Aren’t they the cutest couple?!

They incorporated a lasso ceremony that involved their parents praying over them.  The shape of it represents infinity.

Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Cerda!

After the ceremony, the celebration began.  We snapped some beautiful photos between the ceremony and reception.

This one definitely deserves a spot on a mantel!  So gorgeous!

The importance of family was evident throughout the entire day.  One thing that was a “must-have” for Holly was a three-generation ring shot.  I am such a marriage-lover, that this kind of thing makes me teary-eyed.

The details at the reception were impeccable.  Holly, I don’t know how you did it!

I learned that Holly’s family are huge Simpsons fans – hence the Homer and Marge on their cake.  Cute!

Thankfully, I got to the dessert table before it was devoured just seconds later.  It was beautiful and tasty!

 

Thank you, Holly and Diego, for allowing me to share your day with you.  I know you will celebrate many years of happiness.  I have the best couples!

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Val - May 28, 2013 - 6:06 am

Sarah, these are absolutely beautiful!! They bring tears to my eyes, so romantic, you captured them beautifully! I feel like I was there and enjoying the day with them!! You are a phenomenal photographer!!

Nicole - May 28, 2013 - 2:58 pm

I adore the three generation ring picture. What a fantastic idea and a beautiful capture.

04.18.13

God + Life + Photography Retreat: A Life-Changer

I honestly have no idea how to start this post.  I’m usually much better at describing things in writing than I am in spoken words, but even days after returning from the God + Life + Photography Retreat, I’m having the hardest time describing just what is in my heart.

When I was gearing up for the retreat, I was excited about what I would learn about business, but I never expected that my heart would be fundamentally different just days later.

On the way to the retreat, storms were rolling in and I spent an hour and a half bawling behind the steering wheel because I couldn’t see the road, I couldn’t see the exits (so I couldn’t even stop driving), and I spent most of the way with a huge semi not even a car length behind my car.  I was terrified that I was going to die, but thankfully I got there in one piece many hours later than I had hoped to arrive.

Thursday through Sunday was filled with worship songs, lots of prayer, reflection, Bible-reading, and so much sharing.  The women I was so lucky to meet were so open and loving.  I just kept thinking that if the whole world operated the way that barn did, we would be very close to Heaven on Earth.

I opened up to them in ways I haven’t opened up to anyone, not even myself.  I look at my whole life differently now, which is much more than I had ever expected, thinking that my business would be the thing to change, not me.  I just want to thank Erin Johnson and Shelley Paulson for creating this retreat, for sharing their hearts, and for making me laugh harder than I have in a long time.

On the first full day, we took photos of one another.  I took photos of the gorgeous Jessica.  I must admit that it is very nerve-wracking taking photos of another photographer.

Here are just a couple of the photos I took.

I cannot get over how stunning she is.

 

Jessica also took photos of me.  It’s about time I have some professional photos of myself.  FYI – I edited these but she took them.

I definitely felt like Mary Tyler Moore or a Disney character when we were outside in the snow.

Here’s one from behind the scenes taken by Erin Johnson.

On the second day, we got to see Shelley and Erin in action with two different sets of models.  I took a more observant approach and just soaked in everything they were teaching, so I don’t have photos to share.

Overall, I would definitely recommend this retreat to any other Christian women photographers out there.  I started out homesick and by the last day, I was so sad to leave!  It has been pretty hard to recover after being in such a beautiful barn bubble for four days and then going back to everyday life, but I’m so happy I went!  I cannot wait to see what God has in store for the thirteen other amazing women!

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VAl - April 18, 2013 - 6:11 am

Sounds like you gained a real spiritual awakening, such a wonderful experience! I love the picture of you with the fingers in the jeans loopholes! The picture of you all together is priceless! Retreats are such a good thing to get in touch with your inner self, I’m glad you got to experience it! I am very glad you are safe!! This should do more for your business than you know, knowing yourself and strong principles to guide you make the most difference in your life!

Anna Severson - April 18, 2013 - 5:10 pm

I am so glad the retreat went so well. I wish I could have went with you. It probably would have made the drive more bearable! Anyway, I wanted to say that my favorite picture of you is the one where you are standing with your thumbs in your belt loops! You look gorgeous!

(sidebar: if you need help with DIY stuff in your new house, call me!)

04.15.13

Monthly Chalk: Springtime Rain is Hopefully Coming

I cannot believe it is already time for another monthly chalk post! I loved the yellow in last month’s chalkboard art, and as any Minnesotan, I’m excited to see a color other than white and brown.  Don’t get me wrong, I love white, especially in decorating because it lets colors pop, but when it is the only color, it leaves me feeling pretty dismal.  It’s been about 4-5 months of dismal emotions due to the snow, so I thought I would brighten up the chalkboard this month with a little springtime quote that is good to apply both literally and figuratively to one’s life.

I love this quote for many reasons.  First of all, I don’t want to start complaining about rain because I’d much rather have rain than snow!  Rain makes colorful plants come to life and it also bring rainbows, which are probably one of God’s most beautiful non-living creations.  I also love it because it reminds me to not focus on all the negativity in my life but to focus and dwell on the positivity.  I have blessings all around me, but sometimes I allow myself to get overwhelmed by the things that aren’t going right that I completely ignore the rainbows.  That’s definitely not the way I want to live my life.

When this month is stressful as we prepare to close on our first house and my full-time job gets hectic, I’m going to focus on the beauty of all of those things instead of dwelling on all the work I have to do in preparation.

I hope this little quote can inspire your April!  What’s a quote or song you hold on to in the spring?

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Val - April 15, 2013 - 5:34 am

I too would much rather have the rain than snow. We need the rain for good crops and for beautiful flora! I always like April showers bring may flowers because I love flowers! Can’t wait to smell the lilacs in May!

04.09.13

Marital Gluesday: Expanding Our Family

No, we are not welcoming a new baby.  Well, not a human baby, anyway.

Now that we are in the midst of purchasing a house, we can start planning all the new and wonderful changes that will be happening in our life together.  One thing San and I have dreamed about long before we were even married was getting our first dog.

All photos from Just Dog Breeds

We are huge animal-lovers and just have not had the chance to get a dog yet.  Our last apartment did not allow them and our current apartment charges quite a hefty deposit as well as monthly non-refundable fee to get a dog, so the timing just did not seem right.  Now, we not only have no fee to pay when we own a dog in a house, but we also have a lot more space for one and a yard for him or her to run around in.

We almost feel like we are living in a dream with all of these exciting things coming our way.  We are a bit torn about what path to take when it comes to buying/adopting a dog, so I thought I would share with your our ideas and get your feedback, since I know many of you are dog owners.

Breeder vs. Adoption

We are leaning toward adopting a dog rather than buying from a breeder for a number of reasons.  First, we have never owned a pet all on our own before, so we aren’t sure if a puppy would be the best option for us.  We think getting a full-grown dog might be a better option because they are typically already potty-trained, mature, and more obedient than a puppy.  Second, we really love the idea of giving a dog that needs a home a wonderful place to live for the rest of its life.  Plenty of dogs are euthanized because nobody adopts them, and I don’t want to add to that statistic by buying from a breeder when we could adopt.  And third, when adopting a full-grown dog, we can spend time with the dog and get to know the personality of that specific dog, not just the breed generalizations that we would have to go off of if buying a puppy, since they change as they get older.    We also really like the price of adopting versus buying from a breeder because we now will have a house to pay for and honestly could not justify paying tons of hundred dollar bills out for a pet.

The only real downsides to adopting are that the breeds are limited to what is available and we may not have proof of the dog’s background and breed.

Type of Dog

We are pretty much all over the board when it comes to what kind of dog we want.  That’s a good thing with adopting because we aren’t extremely picky.  Our few must-haves, however, are that the dog is good with kids (for future kiddos we will be having and for friends who visit who have children), does not shed too much (a little to a medium amount is okay, but we want to avoid hair everywhere constantly), does not need excessive exercise, and that the dog is a small to medium size.  My parents have a Scottish Terrier who I love, and I see him as being the perfect size.  He is probably about 30-4o pounds and is all muscle packed into a little body.  He’s small enough to hold and be a lap dog, but he is big enough that we can play with him and not worry about hurting him.  We don’t want anything too “dainty.”  Our two favorite breeds are the West Highland Terrier (the Cesar dog food commercial dog) and the English Bulldog.  The bulldog is way out of our price range, but the Westie could be an option, but who knows!

We are just so thrilled to welcome a new member to our family.  If you have any suggestions or would like to share your experience, we would love any advice!

 

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Val - April 10, 2013 - 7:01 am

How exciting! Definitely will change your life! I have had many different types of breeds of dogs. The full blood breeder dogs can have problems depending upon the breeder’s integrity. I think you should look at both options go to the shelters and talk to people and see the animals. I don’t think the breed determines how good the dog is, many people adopt from shelters and have terrific animals they love. Of course buying a puppy is very special also but they take work to train and have a little frustration associated with that. What ever you choose just do what is right for you and inform yourself! Good Luck!!