An adorable flower girl, pretty in pink ‘maids, luscious flowers from Flora Bella, Cotton Candy. This wedding has it all, and then some. It has a beautiful couple, so sweetly in love, at the center. It has a DIY candy buffet. And it has charm in every adorably doily-covered corner. Paul Vincent has perfectly captured every one of those sweet corners and graciously put them all in one place for us – the full image gallery!
Michael and I met through a church youth group outing to an amusement park in high school. By the end of the trip, our friends teased us as we were “walking very close”. Throughout high school, we continued to develop our friendship and spent many late nights talking on the phone to one another. However, we never dated and I remember going on to separate colleges and reflecting back that he was “the boy I should have dated”. Over holiday and summer breaks, we would still get together to catch up and enjoy our favorite pepperoni and black olive pizza. We eventually got together less and less until on my 22nd birthday I received an email from him wishing me a happy birthday and asking if he could take me out for a birthday dinner. Immediately on that first date we both felt the same connection we had always had and this time was able to appreciate it as something more. We continued dating until, on our one year anniversary, he proposed to me in a horse-drawn carriage.
I have always been a hopeless romantic and therefore wanted the feel of our wedding to reflect as such. As I have always been a girly-girl, light pastel pink was a necessary color. To add a vintage feel, I also incorporated antique gold and white as my accent colors. Finding the perfect venue to hold our reception was an easy decision once I had toured the Lafayette Club in Minnetonka Beach. The Grand Ballroom was perfect with it’s veranda overlooking the lake, the elegant feel created by the soft lighting and colors, and the magnificent chandelier that creates a sparkling and timeless ambience. The hardwood floors and overall feel transport you to a time of gentlemen in top hats and ladies in white gloves. It was perfect.
To add to the beauty, I consulted Lisa Roy of Flora Bella to provide all of the floral arrangements. After our first meeting, I knew she had captured the exact feel I was hoping for. Using spheres of baby’s breath in tall crystal risers we created a whimsical feel that was instantly noticed upon arrival. The arrangements of soft pink and white flowers in collected milk glass pedestals on top of ruffled glass cake stands as well as milk glass vases and glass candle votives completed the look. To further soften the feel, we put doilies on each table for each of the centerpieces to be placed upon.
To add some personal touches, we included a candy buffet that featured my love of cotton candy. The soft fluffy treat was not only perfect for my wedding, but is also one of my absolute favorite treats. We also had each of our guests sign the guest book by writing on a doily and then adding it to the pages of an antique book about love. Guests were seated by finding their escort cards that we created using two doilies folded in half that held their name card. The guest book table featured antique frames in various shades of gold that I had found on Etsy as well as more cake stands.
We had created our dream wedding and were finally able to begin our happily ever after. I am so blessed by the support of my family and friends as we prepared for this day and as we have continued our marriage. Though everything was exactly as I had dreamed, the part that I could never have dreamed of was the amazing man that God had planned for me to share it all with.
Photography: Paul Vincent / Flowers: Flora Bella / Ceremony Location: Southtown Baptist Church / Reception and Catering: Lafayette Club / Cake: Queen of Cakes / Dress: Symphony from The Wedding Shoppe / Bridesmaid dresses: Bari Jay / Rings: Custom from Schmidt’s Jewelry / Shoes: Enzo Angiolini / Shoe clips: Bpoetic on Etsy / Tuxedos: The Wedding Shoppe / Candy Buffet: DIY / Additional Jewelry: Che Bella / DJ: Instant Request