Rocket Science Weddings and Events Archives – Page 2 of 2

Kris and Chrissy

November 6, 2012 By katrina 7 Comments

Kris and Chrissy had an AMAZING destination wedding this past weekend full of events and activities and a beautiful sunset ceremony!

Destination weddings can be very tricky to organize, so to keep things as stress free as possible Rocket Science Weddings and Events was brought in to handle the design and logistics. A stellar team was assembled for the wedding at the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas…Gretchen Berry Design Co. created the invitation suite, Wildflowers Bahamas put together lovely arrangements, JoyNoelle designed a gorgeous gown, and Brett Dorrian made sure everyone looked amazing throughout the day.

Kris and Chrissy had a lovely suite where Chrissy got ready in, the breeze was refreshing and the water was a stunning shade of blue.

After a very sweet first sight (Kris couldn’t take his eyes off of Chrissy), we took a walk through the resort for portraits. We tried to keep the walk leisurely while still hitting up the super cool locations John and I scouted out the day before. We were so thankful Kris and Chrissy gave us time to really utilize some cool spots for pictures!

The dramatic staircase to nowhere! I did SUCH a happy dance when we saw it!

We met up with the wedding party for some pictures followed by family portraits in a nice cool breezeway. Everyone was in such great spirits and enjoying the fantastic weather, especially since they all come from northern states!

Another dramatic picture =)

As the sun started to set, a steel drum band played, the palm trees swayed in the breeze, and Chrissy walked down the aisle.

Champagne toasts, many hugs and happy tears, and a walk along the water followed the sweet ceremony.

Then it was time to PARTY! And boy was this couple ready to let loose! Being gracious hosts is very important to Kris and Chrissy and that was evident the entire weekend, but especially at the reception. Kris had created two signature cocktails for the guests to enjoy, and the food spread was amazing! The reception space was outdoors and surrounded by architectural details, palm trees and fun uplighting. There was a VIP lounge that made the space look like a nightclub and the moon even contributed to the ambiance!

The couple emphasized that tonight was all about having a good time and everyone took them up on that offer. Though it was a fairly intimate group of family and friends, that dance floor was crazy! DJ Jose is seriously one of the best DJs we have ever heard and had such a good flow of 90s rap going that we could see people dancing in the hotel balconies and Kris was stopped a couple times by hotel guests who said they enjoyed listening to the music. Chrissy even pulled out some mean dance moves, but I’ll save those pictures for her ; )

The moment the DJ table was left unguarded, a microphone suddenly appeared and impromptu karaoke broke out.

And as if THAT wasn’t enough of a party, the group headed to one of the resort’s nightclubs for an afterparty! On the way there, one of the lounge singers sang At Last and everyone got in one last slow dance. Then it was time for Aura nightclub and a little more dancing.

Kris and Chrissy, it was SUCH an honor to be chosen as your photographers! We truly enjoyed every minute of this trip and hope you enjoy your sneak peek! PS there will be at least two more entries to come, I couldn’t fit it all into one blog post! We hope you are enjoying your honeymoon!

Bridal Brunch

June 10, 2012 By katrina 3 Comments

Today I photographed The Bridal Brunch, hosted by Chowgirls Killer Catering.

Mimosas, a Bloody Mary bar, and mini breakfast goodies (the french toast was amazing!) were enjoyed by guests as they spoke with wedding vendors and enjoyed lovely music by Cafe Melange.

The event was beautifully designed by The Vintage Type. It was light and airy, perfect for such a hot day. Please make sure to “like” Chowgirls on facebook so you’re among the first to know about their future events!

Ryan and Josie

December 29, 2011 By katrina 4 Comments

Ryan and Josie were married today!

Since Ryan was given a shotgun as a wedding gift, this was officially a shotgun wedding ; ) Going from engagement to ceremony in just about two weeks can be a lot for a couple to handle, but Ryan and Josie did everything with a relaxed mindset and the wedding was one of the most emotional and happy I’ve ever been a part of. Getting ready at the Aloft hotel, the couple was joking, relaxed and excited for the big day. They kept everything low key and family focused, and relished in every minute.

Gretchen, owner of Rocket Science Wedding and Events, not only put this wedding together in record speed, but designed the lovely floral arrangements AND officiated! This wedding definitely showed off the creative talents of Josie’s friends and family. Josie (a fabulous artist in her own right) designed the family crest using their saying “onward and upward”, her sister designed and made the darling navy blue boat neck wedding dress, and family decorated the Theodore Wirth Chalet with silvery Christmas cheer.

The people speaking at the ceremony managed to equate marriage to an ermine, training horses, burning ships, and small animal taxidermy…mentioned quotes from The Princess Bride and Lord of the Rings among many others…and got in some nice vocabulary in as well. I think Josie’s cheeks must have ached after all the laughing! At the end of the ceremony, the guests sang a beautiful version of The Lord’s Prayer.

Things flowed pretty quickly to diving into the fabulous spread created by Chowgirls Killer Catering. Their winter comfort foods and pound cake buffet were perfect to enjoy next to a roaring fire.

I hope that I’m able to accurately describe the festiveness, love, joy and quirkiness of this group of people. Ryan and Josie, it was a pleasure meeting you! Here are my favorite images, enjoy!

Groom’s Night with the Independent Wedding Association

October 13, 2011 By katrina 2 Comments

The Independent Wedding Association is known to embrace creativity and do things outside the box. Take, for example, our new inspiration magazine titled Hearten. Jello molds and Minnesota shaped pie on a stick are just a few of the unexpected beauties in this magazine!

Another example happened tonight at Pinstripes in Edina. The IWA presented Groom’s Night, a wedding fair with a manly twist. It is about time grooms get their time in the spotlight and we wanted to celebrate all the things about a wedding that are manly! Cigars, whiskey, bowling, pizza, The Traveling Photo Booth, Superman, manscaping, etc. It was all here. Brides, of course, were welcome as well, and we saw many couples equally chatting up vendors and attending the mini educational sessions.

Though all the vendors exhibited lovely work, the booth that really stood out was Cocoa and Fig. They designed an indoor s’more station that was TO DIE FOR! House made graham crackers and decadent chocolate squares were set out for guests to assemble after toasting their gourmet marshmallow to perfection. It was a fantastic idea and I would love to see this food station at weddings this upcoming year (especially any weddings where we are the photographers so we can eat the treats!).

Overall, the show was a big hit, and a huge round of applause goes to Becca Dilley who founded the association, enthusiastically keeps it up and tirelessly keeps planning new and cool events like this! Please visit the IWA website to see a list of vendors. We are member run and funded and are very proud of what we are bringing to the Twin Cities wedding community!

Here are some images of the fair! Images are showing the booths of Munster Rose, Posh | Rebel, Festivities!, Sassafras, Redshoes26 Design, a list of the mini sessions, Cocoa and Fig, and the entire group. Enjoy!

Rocket Science Weddings and Events

September 9, 2011 By katrina Leave a Comment

Every once and a while, I like to interview other wedding professionals. It is fun to see their perspective on weddings and share their insights with readers of this blog. This time around I asked Gretchen, owner of Rocket Science Weddings and Events to share her expertise.

Gretchen Culver is a fabulous person and a think outside the box type of creative. She is a go getter, a mom, fantasy football smack talker, walking taco eater, and a great date to networking parties. I love her passion for her brides, and her creative ideas. She knows how to work a budget and be the calm force on the wedding day that makes everything go smoothly. She is also a member of the Independent Wedding Association which makes her an all new level of awesome =)

Here is our interview, enjoy!

What is your experience as a wedding planner?
I have been planning weddings since 2002 in some fashion or another. I launched my own company is 2009, Rocket Science Weddings and Events.

What is the biggest logistical issue on a wedding day that most couples overlook?
Who is going to pick everything up at the end of the night. There are a million different pieces that need to come together, especially if there are any DIY projects involved. Thought is given to how everything is going to be set up, but not how they are coming down.

Another logistical issue involves cars. If the bridal party drives to the church, but then gets in a limo after the ceremony to go to the reception, all of the cars are going to be at the church and the wedding party will have to figure out how to get there at the end of the night or the next morning.

What is the benefit of hiring a wedding planner first before your other vendors?
There are many!!! First, the amount of stress taken off the bride and groom. Some of the biggest decisions about the wedding day come first (venue, budget, guest list, etc.) and many couples try and tackle them on their own. This can be very stressful. I see a lot of couples coming to me after they have found the venue because they are too stressed out and done with planning. Getting engaged changes family dynamics too, which can be stressful.

Second, expertise. You are only getting married once, I help people get married every weekend. My expertise is going to translate into time and money savings for you. Who wants to spend hours and hours researching vendors?! And how do you know you are getting the best price? We are going to help you find the perfect vendors for your budget and style.

Third, design. Some brides have lots of ideas about how they want their wedding to be, without having any way to translate those ideas into reality. Additionally, a good designer can create more out of your vision than you thought possible. Not all wedding planners are designers, but can direct you to a designer if need be.

Do you do destination weddings as well as local?
If you count Wisconsin, I do destinations! I would love to do more destination weddings, but currently I do most of my events in the greater Twin Cities.

How many hours does a typical day-of planner work?
I am sure it varies from planner to planner, but my day-of package entails 30-40 hours of work. The day of can be 10-15, plus all of the preplanning.

If you have to trim a budget, how do you go about doing that? What goes into the decision making?
I think about what the bride and groom value, and trim everything else. For example, if they really really want letterpress invitations and the budget is already maxed out, we may have to cut from decor or somewhere else to accommodate. However, a well planned budget from the get go should account for all those expenses.

What is your favorite hidden gem wedding business in the Twin Cities?
I love Gold’n Treasures, it is literally a hidden gem. They are a jewelry shop like no other. As you enter the shop in the basement of a brownstone, you are greeted with dum dum suckers and diamonds. It is great!

For vintage rentals, which I love, the up and coming Lime Canary Vintage Rentals is a great resource.

What is your favorite first dance song?
“Stay with You” by John Legend. It was my first dance song, that is probably why.

What colors do you see being big for 2012 and 2013? Any other trends we should be aware of?
Colors – metals, bright colors and mixing and matching. A pale blue with a neon turquoise or something like that. A big trend I am seeing is creating lounge areas in the reception space. Oh, and my favorite trend, pre-ceremony cocktails! I really like to plan non-traditional weddings so the rules go out the window, I like to think of my brides as trendsetters.

What wedding tradition do you wish would go away? What tradition do you love?
The tradition I wish would go away is definitely the dollar dance. It just isn’t right. One tradition I love is using a signature flower for the bride and groom. This flower is only n the bride’s bouquet and the groom’s boutonniere and nowhere else in the arrangements or decor.

So there you have it! I can’t tell you how through all the weddings we have photographed, we have realized how invaluable a wedding designer and planner can be. Gretchen immediately puts you at ease and really does have the talent to wow your guests. Go look up Rocket Science and follow her blog for fun ideas!