Best Day Ever- Our Minnesota Fall Wedding at The Cottage Farmhouse
I have been thinking about weddings a lot lately. Between planning styled shoots, working with clients getting married this fall and finally launching my website, sharing galleries from the events I’ve worked in the past, weddings are definitely on the brain.
This week is no different. It’s my 3 year wedding anniversary with my husband and when it comes to thinking about and remembering wedding days, this was definitely the best one.
It is such a cliché to say that your wedding day was the best day ever, but it is so seriously true. My own wedding day served as an inspiration for me to help other couples experience their own “best day ever”.
As a wedding planner, I hope my clients can say that their day was three things: beautiful, personal and most of all, joyful. So here’s some wedding inspiration from a rainy day three years ago in Glencoe, Minnesota. I hope you find it inspires you as much as it has inspired me!
Our wedding day was beautiful…
I fell in love with The Cottage Farmhouse in Glencoe, MN before I even toured it. This venue was brand new in 2017 and we were there for their first fall season. From the gorgeous full length mirror in the bridal cottage to the trees in “silo alley” to the cozy, rustic elegant barn, the Cottage Farmhouse was the perfect backdrop for beautiful photos and an even more beautiful day.
I’ve always loved rich, muted colors and our burgundy bridesmaids dressed were so stunning with the fall backdrop. I also cannot say enough good things about my AMAZING bouquet. Lisa of Forget Me Not Floral Events was so easy to work with and she totally brought my vision to life!
We chose October 14th for a reason. This is the time of year when leaves are at their peak color in Minnesota! After weeks of watching the changing leaves more intensely than I ever had before, the colors did NOT disappoint. However, choosing a fall wedding day can also be risky when it comes to weather. What started out as a clear day quickly grew cloudy. By the time our cocktail hour began, there was a giant downpour and it. was. COLD! But honestly, looking back, the rain was one of my favorite parts of my wedding day. The overcast sky gave us great lighting for photos and one of my favorite memories was running in the rain with my personal attendants for a bathroom break. Any type of weather can be beautiful with the right attitude and although I can’t prove that rain on your wedding day brings you luck, we are still very happily married!
Of course everyone wants to have a beautiful wedding, with photos that look great on your wall or Instagram story. But I’d argue that it’s even more important to have a wedding that is personal. After all, your wedding day is a celebration of you and your partner as a couple and your unique personality.
Our wedding day was personal…
Henry and I liked to say we experienced love at “second” sight. On our second date, we spent the evening singing karaoke together (mostly Disney duets), and we both knew we had found the one.
As Disney lovers, we wanted a little nod to one of our favorite movies without having a themed wedding. Our guestbook table featured a mailbox, photo album and coin jar inspired by Disney Pixar’s Up and our cake topper followed suite.
As musicians, Henry and I knew we wanted to sing at our wedding. We chose the song Tonight by JJ Heller and spent the few weeks leading up to our day arranging it as a duet and practicing together in our home. Although it may not have been the most stellar vocal performance for either of us (it’s awfully hard to find time to do vocal warm ups as a bride & groom on your wedding day), I loved singing with Henry at our ceremony. We were able to forget the crowd watching us and just get lost in the music and each other.
A wedding is a celebration of not only two people coming together, but also two families. Henry lost his mother to ovarian cancer just months before we met. It was so important to us to find a way to honor her and include her at our wedding. She was truly an amazing woman, and during her own battle with cancer started a charity called She Will Fight to help support other women with cancer. In lieu of favors, we made a donation in our guests names to this charity. Henry and his sister also honored their mother and danced to one of her favorite songs instead of a Mother/Son dance. There was not a dry eye in the building, but it was a really touching way to include someone so important in our most important day.
Above all things, our wedding day was joyful…
Perhaps my favorite moment of my day came at the beginning of our dance. Unbeknownst to us, my mother had been planning a HUGE surprise. Henry’s sister and my brother started lip synching to Perm by Bruno Mars and soon other family members and guests joined them for a choreographed dance. Yes. It was a flash mob! A family friend choreographed a dance to the song, recorded it and sent it out to all our guests across the country. This kicked off probably one of the best dance parties I have ever been to!
I was SO blessed to have the help and support of many family members and friends on my wedding day, as well as a Day of Coordinator. Because I knew they were taking care of all the details, I was able to let go, relax and truly enjoy my day. And this is what has inspired me to start Enjoyful Events. I want to be able to give this same gift of joy to other couples out there.
Thank you to all those who helped to make our wedding day beautiful, personal, joyful and the best day ever. And a special thank you to my incredible husband, Henry. 3 years is still just the beginning and every day with you is filled with joy as I anticipate the years to come!
Photography Captured Glory Photography Video Gilmore Photo & Video Venue The Cottage Farmhouse Florist Forget Me Not Floral Events Wedding Dress Raffine Bridal Groom’s Attire Macy’s Catering This Little Piggy Catering
