Who would have thought that warehouses would make for such crazy beautiful weddings? But really, it makes complete sense. The old, brick walls set against the sparkle of pretty chandeliers, sky high ceilings and wide open spaces for dancing the night away. Aria at The Jeune Lune has this combo down to a pretty science, made even more so with details by Park Place Planning & Events, mossy, organic florals by Martha’s Gardens and the most perfect of photographs by Jeff Loves Jessica. See the night unfold in the overflowing gallery of images right here.
From the Bride… Jake and I met at the University of Minnesota, where he was getting his MFA in creative writing and I was getting my BA in English. I took a class that Jake was teaching and immediately had a crush on him. (Don’t worry — we didn’t start seeing each other socially until the class was over!) Although neither one of us is native to Minneapolis (Jake’s from Iowa and I’m from Georgia), we wanted to have the wedding in the city that brought us together and is now our home.
A few months before the wedding, our initial venue fell through, but we were really fortunate to be working with Stephanie Johnson of Park Place Planning, who found The Jeune Lune in Minneapolis’ warehouse district. Jake and I loved the “abandoned warehouse” quality of the space, with its towering ceiling, exposed brick and jagged concrete walls. I knew that we wouldn’t have to do much decorating since the building already had so much character. My sister Meredith, a very talented graphic designer, helped us create an invitation suite matching The Jeune Lune’s rustic, elegant style. Meredith also designed the programs, menus and shipping tags that we used as escort cards.When Jake and I started planning, I didn’t have a clear vision of what I wanted — I only knew that I wanted to somehow make the huge space seem intimate for our 140 guests. I loved the look of candles, terrariums, succulents and other greenery instead of traditional centerpieces made exclusively of flowers. When I first met with Martha Lunde at Martha’s Gardens, she helped me pull all of my ideas together. Martha had endless amounts of candelabras, glass jars, vintage tea cups, and everything else a girl who loves single-bud vases could want. Our only special requests were that Martha use local and in-season plants and flowers wherever possible, and that she include gardenias in the bridal bouquet since my grandmother, mother and three sisters all carried gardenias down the aisle. It was exciting, not knowing the exact details of the centerpieces until the day of the wedding, but I knew I could trust Martha. We added small toy animals that we spray-painted white to the centerpieces for a whimsical touch that would surprise our guests.
Jake and I really wanted to entertain our guests beyond the typical dinner and dancing, so we included surprises wherever we could. Instead of a single wedding cake, we ordered four unique cakes and cobblers from Café Latte, which we set up on a buffet table on vintage cake stands that we rented from Lime Canary Vintage Rentals. Serving the dessert this way allowed our guests to try each different type of cake, which made dessert its own event rather than just another course. Another bit of entertainment that we provided for our guests was the reunion of Jake’s old high school band, Speed of Sauce, who played together for the first time in eleven years. This helped break up the ceremony, gave the younger guests a burst of energy and Jake’s old friends a trip down memory lane. Jake and I are avid bike riders, so at the end of the night we made our getaway in a pedicab from Twin Town Pedicabs. They provided a “Just Married” sign and a dapper man in a white suit to drive us. It was fun and refreshing to be out in the summer night air, wearing our formal wear and riding around downtown Minneapolis after such a wonderful evening. We’re incredibly grateful to our photographers, Jeff and Jessica from Jeff Loves Jessica Photography, for their creativity in capturing every moment and providing us with gorgeous detailed memories of our wedding that we’ll cherish for the rest of our lives.
Wedding Photography: Jeff Loves Jessica / Wedding Venue: Aria at The Jeune Lune in Minneapolis, Minnesota / Wedding Planning: Park Place Planning & Events / Floral Design: Martha’s Gardens / Catering: Fabulous Catering / Wedding Cakes: Cafe Latte / Wedding Stationery: el y ella Paper Designs / DJ: Instant Request / Vintage Rentals: Lime Canary Vintage Rentals / Rentals: Apres Party and Tent Rental / Photo Booth: Traveling Photo Booth / Guest Transportation: Premier Transportation / Getaway Transportation: Twin Town Pedicabs / Hair + Makeup: The Hive / Wedding Dress: Theia