I’m Tonya! A Minnesota-based wedding photographer -
serving Minnesota and West Michigan (& beyond!)

Most days you can find me listening to an audio book or playing board games with my husband, Brett. Our children, Noah and Elsie, keep us on our toes! I love anything related to coffee and travel; put those two together and I’m in heaven.

I have always been super sentimental and love looking at old family photos. I want to give you those same sentimental feelings when you look back on your wedding photos. I love capturing the important moments and emotions on your wedding day- mom dancing with her friends, dad smoking a cigar with his brothers, grandma talking to her grandkids. FOMO is real, let me make sure these moments are not missed out on!

 enough about me

I want to know your story

What do you do in your free time? What are your favorite foods? If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go? Wedding photography is such an amazing, crazy rollercoaster, and I'm so honored to be chosen as a witness to your story - seeing these important moments frozen in time is what this journey is all about. I want to capture all of the moments of your day - those small details you will cherish for a lifetime. I want to capture your grandparents embracing with their children and grandchildren. I want to capture your cousins you haven't seen in years. I want to capture your day as it happens.

In case you wanted to know a little more….

  • Hjort sounds like Yort! The name Hjort comes from Scandinavia, and means “deer” in Swedish ; I am incredibly proud of my heritage, so I wanted my unique name to be a part of my business. That’s where the antlers come into play! While my mom and I were having in dinner in Stockholm we saw our last name on the menu – so naturally we had to try it. When in Rome (or Sweden..) I guess!

  • In the last few years, I found I really like listening to audiobooks, as well as reading when I have the time. I used to struggle with feeling guilty for reading when I should be working, but audiobooks have made it so I can do both - win, win! Between 2022 and 2023, I have listened to or read over 350 books - it definitely helps listening to audiobooks at 2x the speed, which my husband thinks I’m crazy for. I can definitely give you recommendations if you ask!

  • I have traveled to 4 continents and 20 countries – It’s my goal to go to all 7 continents! (So if you’re looking for an adventurous love session, I’m your girl!) I got a tattoo while in Byron Bay, Australia that says "fernweh" a German word meaning 'farsickness' or 'longing for far away places'. I crave travel and adventure.

  • Hiring Tonya to capture our wedding one was on of the best decisions we made for wedding vendors.

    She was responsive and easy to work with from the get go. We met her in person for the first time on the day of our wedding and she immediately made us feel comfortable. She seamlessly fit into our day and we were blown away by her timeliness in getting us previews and our full album of photos!! I could not recommend Tonya enough!! We were SO obsessed with our photos and thankful we hired her to capture our day!!

    - Grace, September 2024 Bride

  • Tonya. Is. Family. Plain and simple.

    From the moment we started doing our wedding project with Tonya via our engagement pictures she IMMEDIATELY made us feel completely at ease (my husband and I were like we don’t even know what to do with our hands!!). She communicated everything super well and her picture style I would describe as more “timeless,” which was exactly what we wanted! She stayed late for us at our wedding. She got ALL the pics we had on our desired list. Overall, I would just describe her as a person as someone who feels like family and just makes everything simple and easy! I would highly recommend her for any photography project you have!!

    - Grace, December 2023 Bride

  • The absolute best photographer!

    Tonya did my wedding and she was so lovely. Her pictures were fantastic, she was so discreet that she was able to capture the most personal/gorgeous photos, and she is just a wonderful human to work with. Couldn’t have had a better overall experience!

    - Carolyn, June 2023 Bride

  • Tonya is the best!

    She was prompt with her responses and always asked questions to make sure she got everything I wanted. She did my wedding and the photos turned out fantastic and everyone loved working with her throughout the day! Highly recommend!

    -Courtney, June 2023 Bride

Ready to chat? Fill out the form below!

I strive to provide the utmost care and attention to each and every couple, which is why I limit the amount of weddings I take in a year.

We would be a great fit for one another if:

  • you want your wedding to be a reflection of who you are as a couple

  • you want photos that capture the feeling of your day

  • you love being adventurous, whether that’s traveling, trying new restaurants or new activities

  • you love a good dose of sarcasm and dry humor

    My 2025 is filling up quickly, so don’t wait to reach out!