Karen and Matthew’s wedding featured some of our favorite St. Paul spots. After a ceremony at the St. Thomas Aquinas Chapel, their guests headed to the Promenade Ballroom at the St. Paul Hotel for dinner and dancing! In between, we were able to explore downtown St. Paul, wandering past the James J. Hill Center and Rice Park to some awesome, urban areas that perfectly contrasted their classic wedding attire.

Right on the cusp of fall, their wedding day was the perfect temperature for Karen’s gorgeous lace off-the-shoulder gown. We honestly could not have asked for a more beautiful day, or a more kind, easy-going couple. These two were so happy to be in the company of each other and their families that it made their wedding day a breeze.

Family played a major role in their reception. Aside from the regular speeches and dances, the two brought out a unicorn cake to celebrate their flower girl’s birthday! It made for such a sweet moment, literally and figuratively. Their family dog even made an appearance at their reception in the form of a fondant-covered cake! Their cake designer, Something Sweet by Maddie Lu, really knocked it out of the park with the resemblance. 

Karen and Matthew, thank you for having us capture your wedding day. Not only that, but thank you for being the compassionate duo that you are. It means so much to have clients that are out making a difference in the world. Wishing you two a lifetime of love!

Ceremony Venue – Chapel of Saint Thomas Aquinas – St. Paul, MN
Reception Venue – The Saint Paul Hotel – St. Paul, MN
Hair and Makeup – Primped
Wedding Site Coordinator – Mary Jo Maloney, The Saint Paul Hotel – St. Paul, MN
Officiant – Father Robert Hawkins
Caterer – The Saint Paul Hotel – St. Paul, MN
Cake Designer – Something Sweet by Maddie Lu – Coon Rapids, MN
Florist – Johnson & Sons Florist – St. Paul, MN
Dress Shop– Posh Bridal – Wayzata, MN
Tuxedos – Men’s Warehouse
DJ – Instant Request – Bloomington, MN
Matt’s Jeweler – Arthur’s Jewelers – Roseville, MN
Karen’s Jeweler – Shane Co.

Kelly and Robert’s wedding day was full of charm, bursting with laughter, and so reflective of them as people. They threw a great party at a cute location, with all of their closest friends by their sides. The Cottage Farmhouse is an incredible spot, and it was decorated in a way that screamed “Robert and Kelly,” down to the photos decorating the wine bottles on their reception tables.

Their day had its fair amount of hustle and bustle, especially when everyone hit the dance floor, but when Robert first saw Kelly it felt like time stopped. His parents led him, blindfolded, to his bride-to-be, in front of all of their friends and family. Robert was so overcome with joy even shed a few tears when he saw Kelly, a special moment that they got to share with their loved ones.

Their ceremony was short, sweet, and just downright hilarious. The two exchanged vows, but not in the traditional sense. They handed each other surprise vows, ones they hadn’t read until they were doing so in front of their entire ceremony! Since they were unexpected, and some goofy, they brought a lot of laughs. On top of that, Kelly’s sister dropped her ring when it came time to pass it to her. She had done the same thing during the rehearsal and received flak for it, but luckily she belongs to a family that sees the comedy in everything. It seemed like the entire ceremony was one eruption of laughter, right up until Robert dipped Kelly for their first kiss as a married couple.

Kelly and Robert’s wedding day was an absolute blast. These two, and all of those attending their wedding, are so full of life. Thank you for including us in your day!

Ceremony venue –  The Cottage Farmhouse – Glencoe, MN
Reception venue –  The Cottage Farmhouse – Glencoe, MN
Officiant –  Mary Vidas
Caterer –  Apples 2 Apples – Farmington, MN
Pies – Baker’s Square
Florist –  Terri Preese
Dress shop/designer –  Diamond Bride – Plymouth, MN
DJ/Band/musicians –  Bill Herman – 
Chair/table/tent rentals –  The Cottage Farmhouse – Glencoe, MN

A relatively new venue, the building that houses Kellerman’s Event Center has a history as a YMCA, White Bear Lake’s first movie theater, and even a dance studio. Jacquelyn and Brian’s wedding gave us the chance to explore the center and its adjoining bar, The Alchemist, and we were not disappointed! This venue has tons of funky charm and great lighting, with a beautifully landscaped alleyway just behind it.

Speaking of light, Jacquelyn’s smile was enough to light up their entire day. In both her first look with her father and her soon-to-be spouse, they couldn’t help but grin when seeing her. The joy that her and Brian share was contagious, and their whole day shone. Their wedding day took place on what seems to have been one of the last sunny, summery days that Minnesota has to offer this year, and we took full advantage of the warmth and greenery.

We could write about their wedding all day, but what Jacquelyn had to say about her relationship, from friendship to wedding day, takes the cake. Or should we say, the mini bundtlet.

“Brian and I have known each other for many years, since I was a sophomore and he was junior in High School. We have been the best of friends, which fell into a love I never knew existed. I’m sure everybody says this, but even the feeling I am experiencing right now as I type this is an overwhelming sense of being IN LOVE. Brian and I are fairly private about our love as I think it is something sacred and private, but spending our wedding day with all of our loved ones was such a fun experience to show them a moment of our love.  SO many people made a point to tell both Brian and I that our wedding was the best wedding they’ve ever been to and of course, I agreed! But it also made us take a step back to really determine WHY so many people were telling us this and I am positive it is because we stayed true to what we truly wanted in that day and stuck to what was most important to us… A hidden gem of a venue that needed no decoration, a good meal with drinks a plenty, the ceremony and evening to be personal, and to show a glimpse into our lives and to include the most important and influential people in our life/relationship.  It was the PEOPLE and atmosphere that made the night so wonderful! …and I like to think Brian and I are pretty fun!”

Jacquelyn and Brian, you two have such a beautiful circle of friends and family and we are so grateful to have spent an entire day with you all. We think you’re pretty fun too! Thanks for introducing us to one of our favorite new venues!

Event Manager — Kristin at Kellerman’s Event Center — White Bear Lake, MN
Ceremony and Reception Venue — Kellerman’s Event Center — White Bear Lake, MN
Make-up Artist — Kristina Stapleton, Hello Beauty Lush — Cottage Grove, MN
Caterer — Donatelli’s — White Bear Lake, MN
Cakes — Nothing Bundt Cake — Eagan, MN
Dress Shop — A&Be Bridal Shop — Minneapolis, MN
Dress Designer — WToo by Watters
DJ — Justin, Instant Request — Minneapolis, MN

Sruti and Ethan’s Hindu ceremony took place at the Hyatt Regency Bloomington on a beautiful day, with big blue skies and perfect weather. Observing auspicious time, the two had a three-hour morning ceremony that was full of laughter and love. It was important for these two to incorporate Jewish traditions into their Hindu ceremony, including the breaking of the glass at the end of their ceremony.

Despite it being a long day, Sruti and Ethan had nothing but smiles on their faces the entire time. These two are goofy and heartfelt, and their entire wedding reflected that. Their wedding party mirrored that energy as well, goofing off during their photos together. It’s no surprise that Sruti’s favorite part of the day was during their ceremony when her and Ethan competed in a game to see who could fish a ring out of a vase of water first, best of three. She won, of course!

There was an incredible amount of detail and care put into each and every part of their day. They had a gorgeously styled reception, with such a glamorous feel in all of its purples and golds. Their day ended with all of their family and wedding party joining them on the dance floor during their first dance, which was the perfect way for this fun-loving couple to open up the dance floor.

Sruti and Ethan, thank you so much for sharing your day with us! We had a blast.

Wedding planner — Neelu Boddipalli
Ceremony venue — Hyatt Regency Bloomington — Bloomington, MN
Reception venue — Hyatt Regency Bloomington — Bloomington, MN
Videographer — Anil Kundeti from AV Digital Service LLC — Minneapolis, MN
Officiant — Murali Bhattar  — Maple Grove, MN
Hair stylist — Mariah Jere from WarPaint International — Minneapolis, MN
Makeup artist — Mariah Jere from WarPaint International — Minneapolis, MN
Caterer — India Palace — Roseville, MN
Cake designer — Queen of Cakes — Edina, MN
Decorator — Richfield Flowers — Eagan, MN
Florist — Richfield Flowers — Eagan, MN
Dress shop/designer — Tanishq — Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, India
Tuxedos — Mens Warehouse
Stationer — indianweddingcard.com
Chair/table/tent rentals — Linen Effects — Minneapolis, MN
Jeweler — Shree Jewelers —Banjara Hills, Hyderabad, India