North Shore Minnesota Elopement at Black Beach

Trent and Nikki’s North Shore Elopement at Black Beach in Minnesota is one of the prettiest weddings I had the privilege of photographing. They chose to elope at the iconic black sand Beach in Silver Bay, and it was certainly showing off for us. Their family stood by their side as they exchanged vows on the shore of Lake Superior. Well, that is, before the rain storm moved in, in which case they all ran beside them!!!

We waited the rain out in their travel van until we decided to embrace it and head back out to the beach. To our surprise we exited the tree covered path to find a rainbow over Lake Superior, and the most beautiful moody blue sky. Top that off with some really fun family members and an adorable couple like Trent and Nikki, and magic happens.

What was your favorite part of your North Shore Elopement?

Nikki: Reading our vows to each other. It really was the most beautiful part of the day for me. Sharing that moment in such an awesome location with our families there was everything I could have asked for!

Trent: Watching everyone hang out together when other people were taking photos. It was fun to see our families begin to intertwine.

Why did you choose Black Beach on the North Shore of Minnesota for your small destination wedding location?

We went on a trip to the North Shore and got engaged on our way back when we stopped at Jay Cooke State Park. We talked about what we wanted for our wedding on the drive home and pretty quickly decided on an intimate ceremony, and that going back to the north shore would be a beautiful place to have it.

I have followed Xsperience Photography on social media for a while and always loved Trisha’s photography style and the intimate elopement style weddings she specializes in. When we contacted her she suggested Black Beach or Gooseberry Falls. We loved both options, but ended up choosing Black Beach! The rain was an unexpected gift because it gave us the beach to ourselves.

What was your goal for the Wedding day?

We both wanted to keep it simple so we could focus on each other and our families.

Any tips or advice for couples planning to elope?

Remember that the day is ultimately about you and your partner! Don’t get too wrapped up in the small things. There will probably be something that goes wrong but there will always be more things that go right!

We ended up doing an evening ceremony, and loved having the day to relax and get ready. Everyone ate breakfast together before some headed off for some pool and hot tub time. We did some hiking and yoga before all the girls got ready together.

Post-Elopement Reception details…

We had a reception at Riverside Terrace in Sauk Rapids, Minnesota on June 15th. It was nice not having everything crammed into one day so we had the energy to enjoy it!

What do you love most about each other.

Trent: What I love most about Nikki is her warm presence, and her ability to light up a room .

Nikki: What I love most about Trent is how genuine he is. If you are lucky enough to be a part of his life he will go to the ends of the earth for you! 

Minesota Elopement Vendors

Planning, Photo and Video | XSPERIENCE PHOTOGRAPHY, Little Falls MN but travels worldwide capturing beautiful love stories like this.

Face prep prior (facials/dermaplaning): Tina Rachelle Aesthetics 

Hair stylist prior, help with extensions: Heather at Loft Salon 

Hair and makeup the day of: Captivating Beauty, we had Naomi and she was awesome!! 

Resort: COVE POINT LODGE, Beaver Bay, Minnesota

Dress is from the resale site Stillwhite

Suit | Knight’s Chamber in Maple Grove MN

Bouquet and Hair piece are from Etsy

When Nikki and Trent decided last minute that they wanted video as well, I called on my crew (aka family) to help out! My daughter Halle flew the drone. My Mom took some videos when I had to prioritize photography in the fleeting moments like the first look and ceremony. And my daughter Layna captured polaroids so we could gift them a keepsake album for letting me combine work with family time! I decided long ago that if my dream of becoming a destination wedding photographer became a reality, I would include my daughters as much as possible.

Traveling a few times a month would get awfully lonely without them. They help me at small Minnesota weddings, but even travel afar with me occasionally…Layna and my Mom flew all the way to Alaska, and Halle has gone as far as Switzerland, Ireland, England and more!

Trisha and her daughters and mom were amazing to work with!! We absolutely love the photos and video we have seen so far, and have gotten so many compliments on them!

Nikki