Monica & Chris Get Married!

An amazing fall day. An amazing wedding day! An amazing couple. Monica and Chris are now husband and wife! We started the day at Our Father's Lutheran Church (way up) in Rockford, MN. The bride was all smiles, and nerves, when we arrived. Shortly after the groom arrived and Monica kept hearing his voice across which made her light up! The happy couple waited to see one another for the ceremony but that didn't stop Chris from making sure his bride knew he was thinking about her. Monica shared his sweet texts with us and he sent a note across the hall via a bridesmaid letting his bride know how much he loved her. Adorable...

The love and nervousness was contagious! My heart was racing as their ceremony started! That never happens. You could see the sheer delight and happiness in Chris' face as he saw his bride walk through those church doors. And you could definitely hear the sniffles from all around the sanctuary as Monica gracefully walked down the aisle in her Casablanca gown from Heartstrings Bridal. Monica and Chris were surrounded with a lot of love from family and friends as well as their sharp looking wedding party! The 'maids dolled up in fuchsia floor length gowns from David's Bridal and the men ever-so classy in black suits from Men's Warehouse. The ladies also carried gorgeous bouquets from Festivites. 

A lovely ceremony was sealed with a kiss as Monica grabbed Chris' face to make it official! Immediately after the ceremony guests headed over to Medina Entertainment Center to start the evening off! Midwest Sounds was crooning the crowd with pre-dinner music in the Michael Buble genre. The happy couple and wedding party arrived to a very cheerful room of guests! Medina's staff also catered the event including a lovely buffet for the nearly 200 guests. A three tiered cake from The Dobo's Cafe and Bakeshop was surrounded by candlelight and fresh flowers. And what a cake topper! 

The emotions were high all day flowing into tearful and personal toasts (and short and sweet) from the best man and maid of honor. Every now and then I'd catch both Chris and Monica tear up as they'd look at each other or even just feel the overwhelming happiness that was surrounding them. Dances followed toasts, and again emotions and happiness! And not just between the bride and groom. This was also quite possibly one of the sweetest father-daughter AND mother-son dances that I have seen. 

We chased the sunset after the spotlight dances and boy was it worth it! Even the mosquito bites. :) And when it came time, these guests danced! Even the kids of the wedding were busting a move AND singing the lyrics to Michael Jackson's P.Y.T... What! Coolest kids ever in my book. The DJ dusted off a few oldies including the Electric Slide and Macarena which really got this crowd warmed up. We ended our evening with a bouquet toss and FUN garter toss thanks to Bobby from Midwest Sounds. The "challenge" was for the groom to dance his way to his bride for her approval before being allowed to remove her garter. Chris worked his way through the single men and Monica loved it; two thumbs up for approval! I wish I could've witnessed what the late night festivities turned into. ;)

Monica and Chris, thank you for being awesome and adorable! Enjoy your recap of your amazing wedding day! 

Matt & Olga Get Married!

Lots of new experiences today! Olga and Matt were married and it was fantastic! Everything was so lovely from the Russian traditions to the personal and touching toasts. We started the day off with a bartering of the bride which was honestly so darling! Matt had to approach the bridesmaids and family members to barter for his bride. Starting with a little contest, after losing he then had to give something, he chose Reese's. Eventually Matt made it through and Olga and Matt got to see each other for the first time. After a few tears, Matt eagerly stated "let's go get married." And who could blame him?! Olga looked absolutely stunning in her lace dress and veil which she got in Belaruse. I mean, how cool is that?!

The ceremony took place at the gorgeous St. Mary's Orthodox Cathedral in Minneapolis. Such amazing detail and architecture! The ceremony was another new experience for me; the bride and groom stopped mid-aisle to go through the exchanging and blessing of rings. The priest then chanted for nearly the entire services, it was lovely. The service also included a hand tying ceremony and then each wedding party member held crowns over the bride and groom's heads. So many beautiful and old traditions were shared today. 

Jumping subjects a bit... But this was one good-looking wedding party! Pretty sure one of the bridesmaids is an actual model, so you get the idea. :) The ladies wore different style red dresses and the men were classically handsome in black suits, white shirts and black ties. The 'maids and bride carried gorgeous arrangements done by Matt's aunt with flowers from the Minneapolis Farmer's Market. We all hopped on the party bus after the ceremony to get a taste of the city for our backdrop. We finished up just as the rain started to pour!

It was a full house at Ambiente Gallerie! Guests were pleasantly enjoying drinks and hors d'oeuvres when the wedding party arrived. Deco Catering provided delectable hors d'oeuvres and the dinner presentation was beautiful! And who can say anything bad about a vodka bar! Really, who can? At the end of that vodka bar, the three tiered Taste of Love wedding cake was displayed with subtle, yet dramatic, lighting. A perfect way to utilize the unique elements of this venue. Lots of laughter, and lots of shots of vodka, made a fun ambience all evening. 

So, we all know that giving toasts can be quite nerve-wracking or even sometimes quite awful but I must say that all of the speeches tonight were touching, funny, personal and sweet. Most of Olga's family doesn't speak English so some of the evening was translated. It was awesome being surrounded by Russian all day; what a neat language. And I love me a good accent! ;)  One of the toasts from a bridesmaid included a tip to the bride and groom, in summary, that even in a fight not to worry who is right or wrong but to look into each other's eyes and remember the love you have for one another. How sweet is that! She did add that no matter what she'd be on Olga's side however. The best man razzed Matt a bit but overall was quite a touching and emotional toast about what a great friend he really is. Olga's sister finished up the toasts letting Matt know that with all of the woman in the world to fall in love with, he found the best one. Dances took place shortly after and there was a point in the evening where you could tell the vodka had kicked in a bit... F-U-N! 

I could go on and on about today! So many beautiful moments and new experiences. 

Matt and Olga, enjoy your quick recap of your gorgeous wedding day! Gorko! Gorko! Gorko!