Meaningful Moments- An Elegant, Moody, Destination Wedding in Duluth, MN

This month, I’m taking a look back at the first wedding I planned back in 2018. The unique and quirky personalities of these brides and their common interests shone through in the little details of their day. And although it had it’s fair share of lighthearted and silly moments, this wedding was truly moody, beautiful & elegant. Perhaps I’m biased on how perfectly joyful this day was, since (full-disclosure) it did happen to be the wedding of my sister-in-laws, but I invite you to take a look back with me as I remember the magical, meaningful moments that made Hannah & Cheyenne’s wedding day so special.

Duluth- A Mini-Destination

If you want the feel of a destination wedding without the long travel and expensive plane tickets, look no further than Duluth, MN. These Twin-Cities natives chose Duluth for several reasons, including it’s natural beauty, the feel of a destination wedding, and the affordability of planning a wedding outside the cities. But also because it happened to be a meaningful place for them. Having taken several trips there during their dating and engaged days, these brides were easily sold on the idea of getting married in Duluth.

If you choose to get married in Duluth, be sure to schedule in some time to go off-site for some photos! The photos that were taken by the lift bridge and on the shore of Lake Superior helped to capture the beauty of the destination and the brides. Plus, the foggy, gray weather totally lent itself to the moody, “spooky elegance” of this late October wedding!

First Looks

My absolute favorite moments from this wedding came from the first looks. These moments ranged from light-hearted and silly, to deeply emotional and truly captured the range of emotions you go through on your wedding day!

On their first Christmas as a couple, these brides had both unknowingly bought each other Totoro (a shared favorite movie character) onesie pajamas. On their wedding day, Hannah decided to surprise her bride in those very pajamas for their first look! I loved this moment in that it brought their own shared interests, inside jokes and silliness to the day. You may love the pageantry of traditional wedding moments, but it’s okay to just have fun with your day and celebrate in a way that feels like you! Of course, after this little practical joke, Hannah did get to reveal her gorgeous, custom-designed beaded gown and it was just as well received!

While the first look between the brides left me giggling and beaming, I was a full-on emotional wreck peeping in on the first look between bride, Cheyenne, and her mother. Both mother and daughter were overcome with tears of joy in seeing each other for the first time, and it was such a beautiful reminder that joy can be both upbeat and deeply emotional. I highly recommend doing a first look with your parent, whether it be your mom, dad or both! Moms and dads have been dreaming about seeing you on your wedding day for even longer than you have and it is such a fun way to make them feel special too.

A Meaningful Ceremony

The wedding ceremony was another example of this day being filled with little light-hearted and deeply emotional moments! One thing I loved about this couple’s wedding party was that it didn’t follow the gender norms! Instead, this couple focused on filling their side with the people who meant the most to them. Both brides had “men of honor” who were secretly also “flower men”. One of the best moments of the day was when these guys pulled out flower petals from their pockets to cover the aisle with! (Which SADLY happened so quickly it wasn’t captured on photo) The ceremony was officiated by a dear friend of bride, Hannah, and included many touching moments and ways of including the mother of the bride, who had passed away from cancer 3 years prior.

From the smallest details (like a nod to the couple’s favorite movie, The Nightmare Before Christmas, in the décor) to the stunning destination, this wedding truly captured the beautiful, quirky, moody, elegance of these two stunning brides. It was such an honor to kick-off my wedding planning career on this day and it’s been a true joy reliving all of these special memories!