Matt and Leslie were married today!

It was a hot day in St. Paul, but Leslie was relaxed and calm before her walk down the aisle.  She was simply a vision in her Monique Lhuillier gown and cathedral length veil.  Her bridesmaids wore floaty periwinkle gowns and held gorgeous, lush bouquets from Richfield Flowers and Events.  Leslie’s father was all smiles as he walked her down the aisle of the Cathedral of Saint Paul. 

After the ceremony, all of Matt and Leslie’s guests gathered on the Cathedral steps for a big send off, and then we went back inside for pictures.  The Cathedral staff and Deacon Jim were very accommodating with our quick timeline and made everything very relaxed.  After getting formal portraits in the Cathedral, we went out onto the steps for a bit of a breeze and to do a couple more group portraits. 

It was not hard to make this group look good.  The guys wore their Hugo Boss tuxes with crisp bow ties and suspenders to perfection.  Most of the wedding party was from Texas or St. Louis, so it was fun to show off the gorgeous architecture that Minnesota has to offer…and the reception was a perfect choice to show off the state even more.  The Minnesota History Center was decked out in shades of purples and silver, and it was AIR CONDITIONED!  I think everyone gave a sigh of joy walking into the space. 

Matt and Leslie used the space well, having the guests arrive at the first floor, greeted by a customized silver runner, huge centerpiece, and pictures of relatives on their wedding days.  On the third floor, a classical string group played while guests enjoyed butler passed hors d’oeuvres and drinks.  At this point, the couple broke from tradition in a way that I loved.  They had their own sweetheart table, tucked away from guests where they ate during their cocktail hour.  That gave them some time together uninterrupted and left them free to greet and chat with their guests during the dinner hour.  Especially since they didn’t see each other before the wedding, this time alone was definitely treasured.  Matt and Leslie cut their wedding cake and the St. Louis Cardinals groom’s cake both designed by Queen of Cakes, and Bon Appetit served dinner on the second floor, with gorgeous views of downtown St Paul and the Cathedral at sunset. 

As the sun went down, the third floor lit up with purple uplighting and stage lights.  Casablanca Orchestra set their stage in front of the perfectly framed St Paul Capitol building behind them.  This view got more and more impressive as the night went on.  Not only did the Capitol light up, but the sky did as well as lightning flashed all night.  Though I think the dance floor still held more energy than the night sky.  This dance was CRAZY!  First off, major props need to be given to Casablance Orchestra.  They were so impressive!  They kept the dance floor hopping and read their crowd perfectly, staying away from too many oldies and focusing on music from the 2000s.  They blended and mashed songs from the 60’s to today seamlessly and sounded fantastic.  From Gaga to Outkast to Garth Brooks to Cee Lo to Grease they kept the energy high.  We saw a couple impromptu limbo contests (what ELSE are suspenders good for?) and a fraternity ritual that involved tribal dancing around bottles of beer.  I was laughing the entire dance just watching the antics of the fraternity brothers and the energy of the ladies.  A couple of the guests, the bride included, even helped the band perform!  And Leslie had one more trick up her sleeve, stepping out late into the dance in short flirty dress that showed off her Badgley Mischka heels and made Matt do a double take. 

Matt and Leslie, thank you so much for including us on your wedding day.  We hope that the whirlwind of friends, family, kisses, dancing, and laughing stay with you for a lifetime.  Here are our favorite images, enjoy!