Lutsen Resort Fall Wedding \\ Amanda and Nolan
Saint Francis Wedding and Grand View Lodge Party \\ Becca and Jeremiah
Florals - Cub Foods
Dress - Maggie Sottero Everly
DJ - Electrifying Dynamics Entertainment
Cake and Desserts - Sweet Life Bakery 218
Make-up - The Beauty Army
Ladies Hair - The Fox Den
Madden's on Gull Summer Wedding \\ Lindsay and Ian
Venue - Madden’s on Gull
Floral - Bloom Designs
Suits - Men’s Wearhouse
Entertainment - First Choice Entertainment
Cake - Valentini’s
Dress - Posh Bridal
Grand View Lodge Friday Fete \\ Sehar and Mark
Venue - Grand View Lodge
Dress - Flutter Boutique
Hair and Make-up - Captivating Beauty
Bridal Make-up - Zara Imtiaz Makeup Studio
DJ - Premiere Party Entertainment
Florist - Bloom Designs
Cragun's on Gull Lake Summer Wedding \\ Becca and Jordan
Venue - Cragun’s on Gull
Floral - Petals & Beans
Hair - J’Amelia’s and Halo Salon
Dress - Special Event Boutique and Bridal
Ceremony and Reception Music - Trillium Strings
DJ - Instant Request
Desserts - Sweet Treats by Jeff
Carlos Creek Winery Engagement Session | Travis and Jackie
The Landing in Avon Wedding | Christine & Devin
Grand View Lodge Summer Wedding // Stephanie & Ben
North Shore Engagement Session // Amanda & Nolan
Posh Winter Fete at The Quartedeck Boathouse \\ Hasmin & Ge
What was your favorite moment from your wedding day? Why?
Celebrating with all of our friends and family because a lot of them came from all over the country.
What was the biggest surprise on your wedding day? Tell me about it.
The biggest surprise was how many people from afar that could attend as far as California, Georgia, and Lebanon.
Other than me *wink*, who was your favorite wedding vendor to work with?
Jacob Brothers Catering :), Celebrations Floral & Captivating Beauty
Did you see each other before your ceremony? If you could do it over would you change your decision? Why or why not?
Yes but we still captured our reactions seeing each other for the first time. I would do it again because it was the best time to take pictures with family and friends before the ceremony.
Vendor Partners
Floral: Celebrations Floral
Hair and Make-up: Captivating Beauty
Catering: Jacob Brothers Catering
Irish, Elegant Winter Wedding at the Saint Paul College Club \\ Katie & Taylor
What was your favorite moment from your wedding day? Why?
My favorite moment, although it's cliched, was turning to walk down the aisle and seeing Taylor for the first time. He looked so happy and I started to choke up a little bit!
What wedding planning related advice would you offer to couples planning their wedding?
Do not hesitate to ask for help and rely on your family! I was fortunate to have a very involved and helpful mother who helped me throughout the whole planning process. Without her I would have been totally screwed.
What was the biggest surprise on your wedding day? Tell me about it.
Thankfully we did not have very many! But I think the biggest surprise was how much time Taylor and I were able to have together just the two of us. We really needed that, and everyone had a good time even when we were missing for a few minutes.
What were your most excited about for your wedding day?
We were excited to just see everybody. I met a lot of friends people from Taylor's side of the family who I had heard a lot about, and we were excited to see every single guest who was there.
Tell me about your honeymoon?
We went to Chile! We spent four days hiking in Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia, on the very southern tip of the continent. It took us 3 full days of travel to get that far south but it was totally worth it! Gorgeous views and great hiking. Then we spent 3 days in a resort outside the park to relax.
Did you see each other before your ceremony? If you could do it over would you change your decision? Why or why not?
We saw each other at our apartment that morning, but after that we did not see each other before the ceremony! We would not change a thing. We loved waiting because it made the ceremony extra special.
What was your experience working with me on your wedding day?
AMAZING!! Thank you for being so direct and clear in your direction of the formal pictures. We had a lot of family photos to take, and you were a very good organizer. Everyone said you were very professional and friendly! And thank you for asking if we are doing ok throughout the night and making sure we get food and are having a good time.
Vendor Partners
Florist: Artemisia
Desserts: Buttercream
Hair and Make-up: Betsey McKenzie at Luminous Beauty
Suits: Men's Wearhouse
Ceremony Music: Ovation String Quartet
Reception Entertainment: Adagio DJ
Dress: BHLDN
Stationary: Alexa Nelson Prints on Etsy
Snowy, Winter Engagement Session in Duluth, MN \\ Hannah & Jesse
A Touching, Joyful Winter Wedding at Grand View Lodge \\ Noel & Aaron
What was your favorite moment from your wedding day? Why?
Aaron- watching Noel walk down the aisle.
Noel- the whole day was my favorite, I can't pick one. It was simply an amazing day.
What wedding planning related advice would you offer to couples planning their wedding?
It takes a village. People are more than willing to help you so don't be afraid to delegate.
Also, on the day of your wedding- give your phone to your maid of honor or best man, then you will be fully present in the best day of your life!
What were your most excited about for your wedding day?
Aaron- To see Noel in her dress (he waited a year and a half, haha)
Noel- In addition to just getting married, I was excited to be surrounded by all our loved ones and celebrate the happy occasion!
What was your favorite detail from your wedding day? Why?
Holding hands throughout the whole ceremony. It made us focus only on each other, rather than all the eyes staring at us. As introverts, this was something we really appreciated.
Did you see each other before your ceremony? If you could do it over would you change your decision? Why or why not?
Yes-we really enjoyed doing a first look because it calmed both our nerves and was a special, private moment together before the rest of the wedding began.
What would you have done differently during the planning process?
Spend less time on the small things. Although they seem big at the time, when it comes to the day of the wedding they are just minute details and therefore don't deserve a ton of your time.
What was the best unexpected thing that happened on your wedding day?
Aaron- jamming out to Backstreet Boys with the groomsmen to ease my nerves.
Noel- Finding out my grandparents who have passed honeymooned on Gull Lake in 1946 (possibly at GVL)
What was your experience working with me on your wedding day?
We loved having Tim as our photographer! He was simply phenomenal. He was extremely detailed, efficient, and fun to interact with. He knew the best lighting, locations, and kept us on schedule
Vendor Partners
Venue - Grand View Lodge, Becky
Florist - Celebrations Floral, Melissa
Desserts - Sweet Life Bakery, Dani
Decorator - Gwen Torfin
Ladies Hair and Make-up - Captivating Beauty
Suit - The Wedding Shoppe
Reception Entertainment - Ignite Entertainment, JD
Thoughtful, Connected Manhattan Beach Lodge Wedding \\ Britt & Logan
What was your favorite moment from your wedding day? Why?
There was a 20 minute period or so, between the formal photos and the start of the ceremony, when the entire wedding party gathered in our honeymoon suite to just relax for a bit. Having all of those close friends in one room just laughing and talking was priceless. It was a rejuvenating moment before the
What was your favorite detail from your wedding day? Why?
We made a “Relationship Soundtrack” on CD for everyone with amazing music that is important to us as a couple and featured heavily in the wedding. Little did we realize that very few people have CD players anymore! Either way, it is an awesome CD!
What wedding planning related advice would you offer to couples planning their wedding?
Decide on an overall plan and vision for the wedding, and use that plan to ground you if you start to feel overwhelmed. Once or twice during the planning process I let the vision snowball and was overwhelmed by feeling obligated to do more, add more, spend more. Logan helped by reminding me of our original vision and that it is ok to say, “enough is enough.”
What was the biggest surprise on your wedding day? Tell me about it.
A year ago, after Logan proposed, I secretly bought him a nice watch and kept it hidden until the wedding day. I had my Man of Honor deliver it in the morning before our first look as a surprise. Logan had no idea it was coming!
Other than me *wink*, who was your favorite wedding vendor to work with?
Crystal Glaser at Manhattan Beach Lodge was absolutely wonderful! So incredibly helpful and patient.
What was your experience working with me on your wedding day?
Working with Tim is an absolute dream. Not only because he is a phenomenal photographer whose work is featured in bridal magazines, but also because his ability to wrangle a rowdy group of people while maintaining a schedule as well as a sense of humor is seriously impressive. He is not shy about directing his subjects and moving things along, but also let us be our silly selves and improvise. My (bride’s) side was like herding tipsy, inappropriate cats, but Tim’s photos are absolutely indicative of how much fun we were having. Throughout the wedding planning process, he offered advice and made excellent suggestions. Photography was one of our highest priorities when planning this wedding and the results are stunning! Tim is a true artist who knows how to capture love and joy on film.
Styling, Shiny North Shore Winter Engagement \\ Lindsay & Ian
Tell me about your proposal!
Ian proposed at Chase on the Lake in Walker, MN! It was a total surprise as I thought we were just meeting my parents there for a weekend of fishing, but shortly after we arrived Friday evening I walked into our room at the resort to a dozen of roses and rose petals all over the bed before I spun around and he was down on one ! Both of our families were there! We had a great weekend celebrating!
What are you most excited about for your wedding?
To marry the man of my dreams, and celebrate with all of our family and friends!
Do you have any advice for other couple's to prepare for their engagement session?
Go relaxed and be yourself! We had so much fun! It didn’t even feel like a photo session!
Why did you pick your wedding location(s)?
We love the Brainerd Lakes area, and wanted to get married somewhere that we could “retreat” to for a few days! When we toured Maddens, we knew right away that was “it”!
What is the most useful resource you've used for planning your wedding so far?
The Minnesota Brides Facebook page has been a huge help with choosing vendors, reviews, and lots of new and fun ideas!
