The Wedding Shoppe Archives – Page 8 of 9

Andrew and Kenzie

January 21, 2012 By katrina 1 Comment

Andrew and Kenzie were married today!

The temperature stayed in the single digits today, but it was all warm cozy love in the Nicollet Island Pavilion. A talented family friend designed the wedding with an elegant black and white theme that included a bird motif and lots of sparkles. Ice luminaries lined the sidewalk up to the entrance and various focal points in the interior were decorated with twinkle lights. A large swag hung above the harvest table, hanging with crystals and other sparkly details while mercury glass flickered with candlelight. A Milestone Paper Company designed lovely programs with a swirl of black, and the filigree was used at the candy buffet and on the cake as well.

Kenzie looked lovely in her ruffled gown from The Wedding Shoppe, and her ‘maids wore sassy black cocktail dresses from the shoppe as well. Their flowers, from Christine’s Floral Touch, were a romantic design of soft hued blooms that complimented the romance of the venue and decor. Kenzie gave each of her bridesmaids and her three personal attendants monogrammed cashmere scarves for their gift and they definitely came in handy today! (Also, the guys got some rockin’ kicks…I love wedding party gifts that are practical!) Even though Kenzie was all dolled up, she and Andrew still ventured outside for some pictures, which was so worth it.

As the evening arrived, so did the guests. While waiting for everyone to be seated, Andrew and Kenzie joked around, and were all smiles…they were so excited to be married! I really love their relationship because it is such a solid friendship…complete with all the teasing and laughing that you’d have with a best friend. This is why I love my job, I get to see such great couples in love!

The sweetest moment of the night was when the wedding party was walking down the aisle and it was just Kenzie and her dad in the side room. Kenzie leaned out to watch the processional, and her dad just took a minute to look at her. He had such tenderness in his eyes and you could tell he was savoring that moment…drinking it all in. Kenzie noticed her dad looking at her and said, “you’re a good daddy.”…and off they went down the aisle. So sweet.

The ceremony, officiated by Rev. Derek Kiewatt, was short and sweet. With the beautiful classical guitar and candlelight, the ceremony had a very romantic feel. The ceremony was simply a partitioned off a section of the Pavilion, and it was a really neat use of the space. And the kiss was awesome…Andrew had definitely practiced =)

After a few chilly pictures outside, the couple joined their guests for a delicious meal. Mintahoe did a fantastic job, the service was impeccable and everyone loved their dinner and dessert. There were some tear-filled speeches and then Kenzie wanted to DANCE. And dance they did. Instant Request kept the dance floor packed, and I believe some Zumba moves were even unveiled by some of the aunts and uncles. And speaking of moves, Grandpa was twirling granddaughters around left and right, it was such a blast to watch. This night, the candy buffet said it all…Love is sweet.

Andrew and Kenzie, it was truly an honor being a part of your day. Here are our favorite images, enjoy!

Bryan and Meghan

January 14, 2012 By katrina 5 Comments

Bryan and Meghan were married today!

This winter has been one of Minnesota’s most mild on record. As of two days ago, there was no snow on the ground and it was 50 degrees…we were out in short sleeves! All Meghan wanted was snow on her wedding day, and low and behold, beautiful white flakes started falling from the sky just as her ceremony began.

Bryan and Meghan had a true Nordeast wedding, which was fitting since they both grew up in the nearby neighborhoods. Their ceremony was at The Heights Theater, a beautiful art deco space that provided a unique venue. Meghan walked down the aisle to organ music and Grant, from Tie the Knot Wedding Ceremonies, officiated a sweet and meaningful ceremony. Not only did guests get to munch on popcorn, they got to sit and watch a short production of the couple’s lives.

As the snow really started falling, we headed to the St Anthony Main area for pictures. Star Limousine made sure we got there safely and in one piece as we traveled to a couple different locations. Just as we were taking our final pictures at the Stone Arch Bridge, the snow really started coming down in huge flakes and Meghan was able to get the pictures she was dreaming of. A short stop at Nyes to warm up, and then we were off to Jax Cafe for the reception.

I’ll just say off the bat that this family knows how to party. They also have good taste in DJs, and we were excited to get to work with one of our favorites, D’Angelo Sound and Light. Good food, good drink, good dancers, The Traveling Photo Booth…it was quite a party! We have a ton of hillarious and fun dance pictures, but decided to show a meaningful image of Meghan dancing with her mother and daughter. This was one of many tender moments that we loved being a part of.

Bryan and Meghan, it was such a pleasure to work with you and thank you for braving the cold to get these pictures! Here are my favorites, enjoy!

Keith and Katrina

November 12, 2011 By katrina 1 Comment

Keith and Katrina were married today!

November gave us a gorgeous day for a wedding. When John and I arrived at St. Joseph’s, Katrina was already ready to see Keith. It was obvious that these two wanted to be by each other’s side all day. After a sweet first sight, we went outside and took advantage of the semi warm weather for pictures. Katrina had a beautifully classic bridal look and was just stunning in her cathedral veil and gown from The Wedding Shoppe. She chose all white bouquets for herself and her bridesmaids and Sadie’s Couture Floral Design did a fabulous job with simple, textural arrangements.

The ceremony was a balance of sweet and fun. The Priest was amazing. He was an amazing speaker and made the homily lively and entertaining. He read from family members’ notes about how they admire the type of people Keith and Katrina are, and got the congregation to loudly shout their AMENS! It was very evident from this service how important, loving, and cherished family is to this group of people. After the recessional, Father got one last laugh by asking the group if the couple should sign the marriage certificate (of course everyone cheered) and then joyfully announced they were officially married. We all left with big grins on our faces.

Twin Cities Trolleys didn’t know what they had in store when they picked our group up from the church. Not only did the wedding party get on, but many friends as well and it was a PARTAY. Let me tell you. I was laughing so hard the entire ride, it was a blast. And I geeked out a little too much when the trolley got to go OVER the Stone Arch Bridge. It was so cool! We did a few pictures with the gorgeous Minneapolis skyline and then headed to the Metropolitan Ballroom for the reception.

When we got to the ballroom, Katrina’s vision of a black and white candlelit reception became reality. Low lying bunches of white hydrangea were on the tables, silver lined chargers reflected the candlelight, and a black and white damask pattern was on all the stationery pieces, designed by A Milestone Paper Company. Everything was so clean and lovely. The Metropolitan Ballroom is one of my favorite venues in the Twin Cities. It has a sunken dancefloor and an gorgeous art deco interior. It truly is one of the best venues for entertaining purposes, with multiple levels that keep everyone near the party but allows for groups of people to chat without being in the way of the dance. D’Amico served a delicious meal, followed by cake from Bylerly’s that was fresh and tasty. After some tender speaches (and some funny ones, too) it was time for the dance.

Instant Request stayed true to the retro vibe of the ballroom by playing some swing and the dancefloor was quickly packed. Guests enjoyed sitting above the dancefloor to watch the antics and made repeat trips to The Traveling Photo Booth to try on all the different props and get some crazy pictures. What a fun night.

Keith and Katrina, thank you so much for choosing us to document your wedding day! Here are our favorites, enjoy!

Jon and Emily

July 9, 2011 By katrina Leave a Comment

Jon and Emily were married today!

On this blustery morning, Nicollet Commons Park was transformed into a beautiful ceremony site. With white fabric blowing in the wind, eucalyptus topiary and sprays of yellow roses lining the aisle, and a string quartet playing, Emily made her grand entrance. There were many touching moments during the ceremony which was officiated by the same pastor that married Emily’s parents years ago and the couples’ vows were so sweet. After an exuberant first kiss, Jon and Emily led their guests into the Burnsville Performing Arts Center for the reception.

Emily designed an English Garden theme for the reception space. She had escort cards in little pots sitting on a moss runner, and her flowers were ruffled and lush and fresh. All of the lovely flowers were created by a family friend and the bright yellows, ruffled whites and fragrant eucalyptus perfectly matched the rest of the details, including fabric medallion boutonnieres for the guys. Each cupcake (from Byerlys) was topped with a yellow rose. Her handmade programs featured butterflies and each guest was handed a fan to keep themselves cool. Since the space was so modern, Emily gave her centerpieces a more fun look with lemons and limes and a sleek design for the table numbers, linens, and menu. Jon is a graphic designer so he worked on the pieces as well and made a darling “I Spy” game for all of the kids in attendance. One of the lovely things about a morning wedding is that you get to spend way more of your day with family and friends. Everyone enjoyed a fantastic lunch by Mediterranean Cruise Cafe (seriously the best Greek food I’ve ever had!) and chatting with family and friends.

After lunch, we walked around the area for pictures. Emily was just stunning in her gown from The Wedding Shoppe, and the guys matched the moss green color scheme well with their gray tuxes from Savvi. I loved Jon’s personal touch of using his own white shoes, and that the girls had pockets in their dresses…a must have in my book!

Since by then it was pretty hot and humid we found shady spots for pictures and were so happy when a gust of wind cooled us down. When portraits were done, the very warm bridesmaids stood in the fountains, and Jon and Emily joined in as well. And by then we had only accomplished half of our day!

The second reception took place at Emily’s childhood home. All of the centerpieces and linens were dual purposed and this time there was a much more casual atmosphere. Emily changed into a second dress, from White House Black Market, and the guys put on shorts. The swimming pool was available for anyone ready to take a dip and Divine Swine brought in a roasted pig. The entire evening was full of laughter, good food, great beer, splashes (and some belly flops), fun music and sunshine. It was exactly what Jon and Emily wanted.

Jon and Emily, thank you so much for having us be a part of your day and warmly welcoming us into your family. Here are our favorite images, enjoy! (and yes, John won this blog, most of the images are his!) ; )

The Lowdown on Veils

June 28, 2011 By katrina 1 Comment

Just like you want to choose jewelry carefully to accent your wedding dress, you also want to do the same with a veil. Not only are there certain veils that fit with certain gowns, but you can choose a veil that adds formality to your overall look or makes things more vibrant and fun. When I got married, I had a cathedral length veil that was custom made by The Wedding Shoppe and full of a variety of butterflies. It showed off my personality, added some whimsy, and I still have friends talk about how it looked when I walked down the aisle!

A cathedral length veil might not be for everyone. They are normally saved for formal church weddings, and work best with a more simple gown, though they can be used with any long style. To amp up a cathedral veil, you can add layers of tulle that create an etherial sillouette around the bride. Another bonus of long veils is that they blow in the wind and make an instant diffuser to shoot through for extra romance and glamour.

Choosing a veil should start with the type of wedding gown you are wearing. A bias cut or simple narrow sillouette can be accentuated with an ankle length (called waltz length) single veil. This length gives more of a vintage vibe and was mostly worn in the 50’s. If you have a more elaborate dress with beading and layers, a flyaway veil can add some personality and fun without taking away from the decoration on the back of the dress.

Fingertip length veils seem the most popular and give the tradition of a veil without the formality of length. The more layers on the veil, the more “fashionista” it becomes. Want to be even more of a fashionista? Get a bubble hem veil that is shoulder length, they are so fun! And if you want to get more romantic and dramatic, you can wear a fountain veil, which is pinned high on the head and consists of many layers, so it falls down the sides of the face and over the front of the shoulders. It surrounds you in a gauzy cloud and can look really fantastic when paired with a very simple gown of buttery satin.

A tradition that I enjoy but don’t see very often is the blusher. This is where a front layer of the veil is placed over the bride’s face. Usually, the father lifts the veil off of his daughter’s face when she is presented to her soon-to-be husband at the front of the church. This is a very formal and also very tender moment for parents and the bride looks so lovely walking down the aisle with softness of the veil all around her head.

Birdcage veils are my favorite. This is a veil that ends at the chin or higher and is usually a blusher in front of the face, though some birdcages go around the back of the head as well. They can be made of french or russian netting (where you can see the diamond mesh pattern), bridal illusion, or tulle. The bigger the french netting’s diamond pattern is, the more edgy and trendy the look. You can keep the veil farther from your face, or have it be a bandeu where it is tighter to the face, or even a masque…where there is just a strip of the fabric across your eyes. Bunching the french netting around your hairline or having it go across your face at an angle can be a way to give a sauciness to your look without going too over the top. The beauty of a birdcage veil is that you can give a mod and vintage vibe at the same time. They are classy AND edgy, it just depends on how you design it.

You can use a veil to either complete a look, or take your look to the next level. You can tone down a dress for a more formal ceremony or funk up a dress that is more simple. You can remove your veil after the ceremony or re-wrap it around your hair for a different look. Including fascinators, tiaras, pins, combs or flowers with the veil can allow you to keep a cohesive look once you take off your veil for the reception.

A couple things to remember about veils?

Shop around. There are amazing online boutiques and etsy stores that specialize in hairpieces. This is one place where you can add a lot of style without breaking the bank, so shop around until you find the perfect fit. Just make sure that if you buy your veil seperately from your dress that you make sure they are both the same shade of white.

You don’t have to be matchy matchy with veils! Just because your dress has a lace applique detail, doesn’t mean the veil has to. If you want matchy matchy, that is great, but you don’t have to buy the recommended veil that the sales lady hands you at the dress boutique.

If your dress has a lot of beading on the back, it will probably catch on your veil over and over and drive you crazy…so keep your dress in mind when shopping for a veil.

You will be hugged by a LOT of people on your wedding day…and I guarantee you someone will pull too hard on your veil if it hangs down your back. So make plans to remove it before too much hugging starts.

Birdcage veils and fake lashes need to play well together. If you plan on wearing fake lashes, make sure your veil will stand out far enough away from your eyes.

Bring your veil to your trial hair appointment so your stylist can figure out where it will fit with your hair style. You can attach the veil above the crown of your head, in the middle of an updo with curls, or below the style. Specialty clips and pins might be needed depending on your hair type.

Of course any veil can be accented and personalized with satin trim, beading, lace or in my case, butterflies =) Make it personal and use this as yet another way to show your personality and style. I’ve included a couple pictures to show different styles of veils…enjoy!