Kayla and Kyle were married over Memorial Day weekend with picture perfect weather right on the banks of the Mississippi River at Nicollet Island Pavilion. Kayla and Kyle planned the whole wedding remotely while living in Texas, but that did not let that stop Kayla from putting her impeccable style on this wedding (seriously, I wish she was my stylist!). With bright summer colors, her wonderful florist (and neighbor) transformed the space into the perfect spot to celebrate Kayla and Kyle and to kick of summer!

Vendors:

Wedding Coordinator –  Lasting Impressions Weddings

Ceremony and Reception Site – Nicollet Island Pavilion

Transportation – Renees Royal Valet

Photography – Lauren B Photography

Videography – Make Your Memory

Floral – Flowers by Claire

DJ Adagio Day Entertainment

Rental Items – Apres

Hair and Makeup – Nicole Fae Makeup Artists

Stationery – Paper Rock Scissors

Photobooth – Traveling Photo Booth

As wedding season is kicking off here in Minnesota, I can’t help but share more of our beautiful weddings from last summer. Including this bright, beautiful and fun August wedding at Aria!

Lauren and Evan planned their wedding remotely while living in Chicago. And thanks to Lauren’s wonderful organizational skills and her mom Julie’s assistance here in Minnesota we were able to have a lot of fun with the planning.

They choose Aria to host their ceremony and reception because they had a lot of out of town guests and wanted to make it as easy as possible for their guests to get around town and enjoy the celebration.

Evan proposed to Lauren with one of her favorite treats, Ice Cream.. So when they told me this I not only thought we needed to have Ice cream for the dessert at the wedding.. but we should also incorporate it into cocktail hour (because everyone loves Ice Cream).

Vendors

Ceremony and Reception – Aria

Wedding Coordinator –  Lasting Impressions Weddings

Caterer – Damico Catering

Photography – Janelle Elise Photography

Videography – LADD Films

Band – Bluewater Kings

Ceremony Musicians – Lake String Quartet

Transportation – Renees Royal Valet

Floral: Sadie’s Couture Flowers and Events

Rental Items – Apres

Stationery – Paper Rock Scissors

Makeup – Andrea Holton

Hair – Sara Grimaldi

Ice Cream – Wayzata Ben & Jerry’s

JX Event Center

I have so much love for this family its hard to even think of where to begin!! I have known the Roberts Family for three years now and it all began when I had the honor of planning Emily and Jay’s wedding in 2016. It was a beautiful event and my favorite part of planning was getting to know both Emily and Jay’s family and seeing the tight knit bond that they all had!

Fast forward to the summer of 2017… I woke up one morning to a text from Dave Roberts. He had sent the text late at night letting me know that Libbie and Matt had gotten engaged. You know that the planning process is going to be fun when on the night of the engagement you get a text!!

Luckily for me, I was open for the date they were hoping to get married and Libbie had already been in super planning mode locking down the Basilica and JX Event Center for their wedding date. With all of the plans starting to come together we focused on the decor, which is always my favorite part of the planning process. The Roberts family are experts at planning decor and always know exactly what they want. We combined elements of a classic wedding with fun and unique details such as gingham patterns, greenery and elegant white floral.

The bridesmaids wore custom made dresses by Camilynbeth (And they are even named the “Libbie”). Libbie incorporated many sentimental elements into her wedding day including a monogram on her veil, photo charms on her bouquet, and custom made cuff links.

We used Libbie and Matt’s monogram to really “brand” the wedding decor. The monogram was included on the day of stationery, favors and We even hung a 3ft monogram above the dance floor!

Just when I did not think the wedding could get any better, Matt’s bar was onsite to cook late night Juicy Lucys for all of the wedding guests… Talk about the perfect end to a great wedding!

Vendors:

Wedding Coordinator –  Lasting Impressions Weddings

Ceremony Site – Basilica of St. Mary

Cake – Farina

Transportation- Renees Royal Valet

Reception Site – JX Event Venue

Catering Lake Elmo Inn

Rental Items – Linen Effects

Rental Items – Apres

Floral: Sadie’s Couture Flowers and Events

Cocktail Musicians – Michael Shynes

Stationery – Paper Rock Scissors

Transportation – Stillwater Trolley

Makeup- Makeup by Mici

Hair – Lexie

Band – Belladiva

Late Night Caterer – Matt’s Bar

Photography – Melissa Oholendt

Videography – Northern Lights

 

 

How to Set a Wedding Budget

It can be difficult and stressful to figure out your wedding budget, but fear not! However, your wedding will probably be the greatest party you have ever hosted and even the most expensive. But the truth is that it is possible for you to set a budget for your wedding to make it less expensive and convenient.

To set your wedding budget, you will need to sum up your savings, keep a comprehensive spreadsheet in order not to overshoot your budget in the course of planning, get ready for unanticipated expenses, and make significant reductions if you eventually go over your total budget.

Are you planning your wedding and want to set a budget for it?  Here’s is how to set a wedding budget you can comply with:

Consider the Type of Wedding You Desire

Before you start planning your wedding, think about the type of wedding you want to have. This will make you determine the amount you want to spend and how to budget for the wedding.

There are different kinds of wedding you can have, but always remember that you don’t have to go bankrupt or break the bank to get married. After thinking this over, you may decide to have a much smaller and more intimate wedding – or you’re the type of couple who would just rather elope.

Consider the general feel you desire for your wedding and the look, emotions, people, style and all those things that will grace the occasion and make the day unique to you and your partner.

Look at Your Finances

If no one is contributing to your wedding, then look at your finances critically and determine how much you can comfortably invest without going into wedding debt. You must be realistic and upfront about this because money is a sensitive subject. You need to come up with a realistic budget, but where should you start?

For you to prepare a realistic budget, you need to first identify the amount you can afford to spend on your wedding and the caliber of people you are inviting to the wedding and how much you will set aside for entertaining them. this will include food, drinks, and other side attractions.

Track Your Spending

Once you have determined your wedding expenses, you will need to have an account where you will deposit the money. Having a separate wedding account will give you the chance to track your spending and not mix these special funds with your regular money.

Think Small

Consider having a destination wedding at a private adults-only resort. You can extend a lot of invites but not everyone will be able to make it. Plus, you won’t have to worry about traveling to a honeymoon destination after the wedding.

Have a Wedding Planner

Avoid being in charge on your wedding day, whether there is a wedding planner in place or not. Have a wedding planner who can be a friend of yours or a hired individual. Your wedding planner will ensure an easy planning process easier and save you a huge sum of money.

Have Short List of Priorities

You and your spouse should choose the top three priorities each for your wedding day. These could be about anything from an open bar to rocking music, a four-tier cake, the photographer introduced to you by a friend, or some other details you each feel strongly about.

This short list of priorities will give you an idea of how to plan your wedding with the little money you have for the wedding. It is recommended that the two of you should prepare the list independently and then come together to look at the two lists and then adjust where necessary.

Be Selective About the List of Guests

Determining the number of guests you will want in attendance at your wedding ceremony and reception is an essential aspect of setting a wedding budget. It is the number of guests that dictate the space and resources you will need including the amount of food caterers will prepare for the reception, as well as other major budgetary considerations. Therefore, you must be selective with the guest list not only due to pricing. But a lower cost bracket for your guests means you can afford more luxurious weddings.

Shop Smarter

When you are buying items you will need for your wedding, make sure you shop smarter and resist the urge to splurge. Note that all those expensive items also have their less-expensive options. Despite the fact that you want everything to be wonderful and great, don’t go for the expensive items that will put you and your partner into debt after your wedding.

Make sure you do a finding of the average prices of wedding items from different shops in your locality before you choose where to buy. The idea behind this act is to compare prices to know where wedding items are cheaper to buy.

Although this is a daunting task, taking your time and energy to set a wedding budget before you move ahead will not only leave you free of wedding debt but also make you happy for the rest of your married life.

St. Paul Wedding

Wedding Coordinator –  Lasting Impressions Weddings

Floral: Sadie’s Couture Flowers and Events

Rental Items – Linen Effects

Catering Lake Elmo Inn

DJ-  Instant Request

Officiant – Perfect Day Ceremonies

Ceremony and Reception Site – LandMark Center

Photography  – Cait Barr

Hair and Makeup – Primped

Invitations – A Milestone Paper

How to Set a Wedding Budget

It can be difficult and stressful to figure out your wedding budget, but fear not! However, your wedding will probably be the greatest party you have ever hosted and even the most expensive. But the truth is that it is possible for you to set a budget for your wedding to make it less expensive and convenient.

To set your wedding budget, you will need to sum up your savings, keep a comprehensive spreadsheet in order not to overshoot your budget in the course of planning, get ready for unanticipated expenses, and make significant reductions if you eventually go over your total budget.

Are you planning your wedding and want to set a budget for it?  Here’s is how to set a wedding budget you can comply with:

Consider the Type of Wedding You Desire

Before you start planning your wedding, think about the type of wedding you want to have. This will make you determine the amount you want to spend and how to budget for the wedding.

There are different kinds of wedding you can have, but always remember that you don’t have to go bankrupt or break the bank to get married. After thinking this over, you may decide to have a much smaller and more intimate wedding – or you’re the type of couple who would just rather elope.

Consider the general feel you desire for your wedding and the look, emotions, people, style and all those things that will grace the occasion and make the day unique to you and your partner.

Look at Your Finances

If no one is contributing to your wedding, then look at your finances critically and determine how much you can comfortably invest without going into wedding debt. You must be realistic and upfront about this because money is a sensitive subject.

You need to come up with a realistic budget, but where should you start?

For you to prepare a realistic budget, you need to first identify the amount you can afford to spend on your wedding and the caliber of people you are inviting to the wedding and how much you will set aside for entertaining them. this will include food, drinks, and other side attractions.

Track Your Spending

Once you have determined your wedding expenses, you will need to have an account where you will deposit the money. Having a separate wedding account will give you the chance to track your spending and not mix these special funds with your regular money.

Think Small

Consider having a destination wedding at a private adults-only resort. You can extend a lot of invites but not everyone will be able to make it. Plus, you won’t have to worry about traveling to a honeymoon destination after the wedding.

Have a Wedding Planner

Avoid being in charge on your wedding day, whether there is a wedding planner in place or not. Have a wedding planner who can be a friend of yours or a hired individual. Your wedding planner will ensure an easy planning process easier and save you a huge sum of money.

Have Short List of Priorities

You and your spouse should choose the top three priorities each for your wedding day. These could be about anything from an open bar to rocking music, a four-tier cake, the photographer introduced to you by a friend, or some other details you each feel strongly about.

This short list of priorities will give you an idea of how to plan your wedding with the little money you have for the wedding. It is recommended that the two of you should prepare the list independently and then come together to look at the two lists and then adjust where necessary.

Be Selective About the List of Guests

Determining the number of guests you will want in attendance at your wedding ceremony and reception is an essential aspect of setting a wedding budget. It is the number of guests that dictate the space and resources you will need including the amount of food caterers will prepare for the reception, as well as other major budgetary considerations.

Therefore, you must be selective with the guest list not only due to pricing. But a lower cost bracket for your guests means you can afford more luxurious weddings.

Shop Smarter
When you are buying items you will need for your wedding, make sure you shop smarter and resist the urge to splurge. Note that all those expensive items also have their less-expensive options. Despite the fact that you want everything to be wonderful and great, don’t go for the expensive items that will put you and your partner into debt after your wedding.

Make sure you do a finding of the average prices of wedding items from different shops in your locality before you choose where to buy. The idea behind this act is to compare prices to know where wedding items are cheaper to buy.

Although this is a daunting task, taking your time and energy to set a wedding budget before you move ahead will not only leave you free of wedding debt but also make you happy for the rest of your married life.