Excelsior Wedding Photographer
Excelsior Commons & bandshell, The Excelsior Docks, Water Street historic district. Collections from $3,100 with travel included.
Quick Answer
Who is the best Excelsior wedding photographer?
Honey Deww Photography — led by Emma Ziegler — photographs weddings throughout Excelsior, Minnesota, with 200+ celebrations shot since 2018. Frequent locations include Excelsior Commons & bandshell, The Excelsior Docks, Water Street historic district. Collections begin at $3,100 and include an engagement session, 2–3 week previews, and travel.
Do you photograph weddings in Excelsior?
Yes. Excelsior sits roughly 25 minutes from downtown Minneapolis, inside the Minneapolis–St. Paul metro. I photograph weddings in Excelsior and know the venues, the light, and the timing quirks that come with this corner of the Twin Cities.
Excelsior has the best walkable downtown on Lake Minnetonka — Water Street storefronts, a public commons on the water, and the historic docks all within three blocks of each other.
Couples choosing an Excelsior wedding photographer usually weigh up nearby suburbs too — Deephaven, Shorewood, Chanhassen, Tonka Bay, Greenwood, all covered by my metro-wide flat rate with no travel fees. If your session is in Excelsior but your portraits are downtown Minneapolis or on Summit Avenue in St. Paul, that's a routine day rather than an add-on.
Where do you take portraits in Excelsior?
Portraits in Excelsior lean on Excelsior Commons, the Excelsior Docks, Water Street, the Steamboat Minnehaha. Whether you're after something classic or more editorial, I map the day's schedule around the light so you get the best fifteen minutes at each stop, with no rush between Excelsior and downtown Minneapolis or St. Paul.
Which cities near Excelsior do you cover?
I photograph weddings, engagements, and portraits across the Minneapolis–St. Paul west metro. These are the Excelsior-adjacent Minneapolis–St. Paul suburbs I cover most often — every city links to a dedicated local guide.
- Deephaven
- Shorewood
- Chanhassen
- Tonka Bay
- Greenwood
- Minneapolis
- St. Paul
Also serving the wider Twin Cities metro — view all Minneapolis–St. Paul locations.
People also ask
Quick answers about wedding photographers in Excelsior
How much does an Excelsior wedding photographer cost?+
Excelsior wedding photography collections start at $3,100 for 4 hours of coverage with one photographer and include an engagement session, online gallery, print release, and full high-resolution downloads. Most couples book the 8-hour Pearl collection at $4,200, which adds a second photographer.
Do you travel to Excelsior?+
Yes — I photograph sessions in Excelsior. Travel within 40 miles of downtown Minneapolis is included; share your venue address when you inquire so any additional travel costs can be confirmed in your quote.
What is your wedding photography style in Excelsior?+
Editorial documentary — I direct just enough for polish (posture, hands, chin) then step back and let the moment happen. Warm, true-to-life color; no orange-and-teal filters or heavy retouching.
How far in advance should I book an Excelsior wedding photographer?+
For weddings in Excelsior, I recommend booking 8–12 months in advance, especially for May–October dates. Contact me with your date to check availability, including last-minute openings.
How long until I get my Excelsior wedding photos?+
The published wedding timeline is a curated sneak peek within 1–2 weeks and the full edited gallery within 6–8 weeks. Your private online gallery includes high-resolution downloads; confirm the delivery schedule in your booking agreement.
5.0 ★ on Google
45 reviews
Booking since 2018
200+ Twin Cities clients
Minneapolis-based
Travel up to 40 mi free
Replies in 24 hrs
Mon–Fri
Excelsior Wedding & Portrait Photography
A look at recent weddings, engagements and portraits from across Minnesota and the wider Twin Cities.
What the day includes
What does wedding photography coverage include in Excelsior, MN?
Every Excelsior collection covers three parts of the day: bridal portraits before the ceremony, candid documentary coverage throughout, and the ceremony and reception into the evening. Collections start at $3,100 for four hours.
- Bridal portraits: 20–30 minutes before the ceremony, by window light, in the getting-ready suite or on the venue grounds.
- Candid, documentary coverage: most of the day, directed only for posture and light.
- Ceremony and reception: processional to recessional from two positions, then speeches, first dances and the open floor.
How each part is photographed is explained in my wedding photography style, and it is the same in Excelsior, MN as anywhere in the Twin Cities area.
Still choosing a venue? My guide to Wayzata and Excelsior wedding venues walks through the options in and around Excelsior.
Local details
What licences, permits and park rules apply in Excelsior?
Excelsior is in Hennepin County, and the city issues a separate wedding permit for ceremonies on city property along Lake Minnetonka, including the pavilion on The Commons.
- How many guests can an Excelsior wedding permit cover?
- The wedding permit covers weddings that use city property and Lake Minnetonka, including the pavilion, with capacity for 150 at a seated ceremony or 100 at a seated dinner. Source: City of Excelsior event permits
- How far ahead do you need the permit?
- Event permits must be submitted at least 30 days before the date, or 60 for larger events. Any event with amplified sound or alcohol needs a permit regardless of guest count. Source: City of Excelsior event permits
Checked against each authority’s own page in September 2026. Fees change — confirm before you budget.
What is it like to photograph a wedding in Excelsior?
Excelsior is the most photogenic small downtown on Lake Minnetonka. Water Street's preserved storefronts run three blocks straight down to Excelsior Commons and the public docks, which means a couple can get brick-and-awning street portraits, a lakeside commons ceremony, and dock-and-water sunset photos without ever moving the car. The Commons is a city park with a permit process, and I help couples handle that early.
My standard Excelsior route is to start on Water Street in the shade an hour before the ceremony, use the Commons lawn or bandshell for the ceremony, and then walk the couple to the docks for the last thirty minutes of light over Excelsior Bay. The bay faces west-northwest, so summer sunsets there are exceptional. On busy July weekends I scout the dock traffic in the morning and pick the quieter of the two piers.
Which Excelsior venues and locations do you photograph?
- Excelsior Commons & bandshell
- The Excelsior Docks
- Water Street historic district
- Bayside venues on Excelsior Bay
- Old Log Theatre (nearby Greenwood)
- Trinity Episcopal Church
- Lake Minnetonka LRT Regional Trail
- Chanhassen venues (10 minutes)
Excelsior Wedding Photography FAQ
Where do you shoot Excelsior weddings?
Excelsior Commons and the bandshell for ceremonies, the Excelsior Docks for sunset portraits over the bay, Water Street's historic storefronts, and Trinity Episcopal for church ceremonies.
Do you charge travel fees to Excelsior?
No. Excelsior is about 25 minutes from downtown Minneapolis and inside my included Lake Minnetonka coverage area.
How much is an Excelsior wedding photographer?
$3,100 for 4 hours, $4,200 for 8 hours with a second photographer, and $5,300+ for full-day documentary coverage.
Do we need a permit for Excelsior Commons?
Yes. The city issues a wedding permit for ceremonies on city property along Lake Minnetonka, including the pavilion, for up to 150 at a seated ceremony or 100 at a seated dinner. Permits are due at least 30 days ahead, and any event with amplified sound or alcohol needs one. I'll walk you through the timing.
Best Excelsior engagement spots?
The docks at sunset, the Water Street storefronts in the late-afternoon shade, and the Lake Minnetonka LRT Regional Trail where it runs behind the commons.
Book Your Excelsior Wedding
Currently booking 2026, 2027, and 2028 dates; peak-season Saturdays fill nearly a year in advance.
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