This whimsical, magical, do-it-yourself outdoor dinner party is exactly everything I wanted it to be and more. Colorful lanterns and string lights float up above this family gathering, and the go-with-the-flow spirit of the Bride and Groom, the lovely faces behind Luke Goodman Cinematography. I am simply loving the images churned out by Tanja Lippert with sun-infused backdrops and sweet-as-pie moments. And speaking of pie, the homemade desserts look down right sinful! If these images don’t stop your hankering, there are more juicy morsels over in the gallery.
From the Bride… Luke and I are incredibly blessed to have some of our closest friends and family be a part of our wedding celebration. From the beginning we both wanted our wedding to be intimate, yet fun… like a big family dinner party outdoors. A little rustic, a little whimsical… and with lots of DIY elements. We chose the Plummer House in Rochester, Minnesota (near Luke’s home where he grew up), a rustic Tudor style Mansion which has the most beautiful grounds and charming interior. It has such a fairy tale feeling. I should first say that to have an outdoor wedding in a Minnesota summer is a complete gamble! Most of the summer can be hot, muggy and overcast with frequent summer storms. Having never lived in Minnesota I was pretty optimistic that we would have sunshine (haha), though I was ready to move indoors in case it rained. TaDa! We woke up to bright blue skies and the most GORGEOUS day imaginable!
Another thing Luke and I both wanted was to make as many things as we could ourselves, with the help of others. It truly was a group effort! I did all the flowers with the help of my Mom, sisters, and friends (the vintage blue jars are Luke’s Mom, Linda’s personal collection). I also painted and designed our invitations, signs, and programs, which included a Marauders Map of the grounds (we love Harry Potter!) The animal table markers are a nod to our love of fantasy and children’s books, made with the help of our cousin Donna. Luke brewed his own beers, and our Dads made the wine. Luke’s Aunt Jeanie baked all the pies and desserts, as well as made our flower girl Aurora’s dress! Our friends did our lighting and decorating not to mention hours of setting up.
And we could not have been happier and excited to have our friend Tanja Lippert photograph the day (as well as helped me do my hair!) and Andrew Hsu of Studio MSV captured our day on film. These two are incredible talented and creative people, and to have them there enjoy the day with us was an honor, and so much fun! One element that we knew we had to have on our wedding day was music! Luke and I are both music (we play the piano) and we were blessed to have Luke’s friend Megan play piano, and his sister Audrey and her boyfriend Carlo sing during our ceremony. For our reception we wanted lively gypsy jazz music, and found the Twin Cities Hot Club who were simply amazing! Everyone danced! They even did an acoustic arrangement of “The Way You Are” by Ingrid Michaelson, for our first dance.
Sheila Walsh, a family friend did an amazing job of coordinating the entire day for us. Looking back there is no way we could not have had a coordinator, and we are grateful to her! The list goes on, and we are so grateful for all the talent and help we received. It turned out beautifully and better than we imagined. But the best part of the day was being surrounded by the people who love us most and support us. No matter how our wedding turned out, it wouldn’t have mattered because we were so overflowing to the brim surrounded by love! Thank you to all our family and friends for being there, and celebrating with us!!
Wedding Photography: Tanja Lippert Photography / Film Scans: Indie Film Lab/ Wedding Venue: Plummer House of the Arts in Rochester, Minnesota / Floral Design: The Bride + Bride’s Mom, (Dahlias grown by Groom’s Mom) / Day of Coordinator: Sheila Walsh (Family Friend) / Officiant: Mark Litzow (Family Friend) / Wedding Cinematography: Studio MSV / Catering: Nupa Mediterranean / Wedding Cake: Daube’s Bakery / Pies + Desserts: The Groom’s Aunt / Homemade Beer & Wine: The Groom, and Bride & Groom’s Fathers / Wedding Invitations + Programs: Pamela Goodman Illustration (The Bride) / Envelopes: Paper Source / Gypsy Jazz Band: Twin Cities Hot Club / Pianist: Groom’s friend Megan Eagen / Vocalists: Groom’s Sister Audrey Goodman, Carlo Olmos / Lighting: Bride + Groom’s Friends / Ring Bearer Nest: The Bride / Table Number Animals & Escort Cards: The Bride, Groom’s Cousin, Bride’s Sister / Place Card Scrolls: The Bride and Bride’s Mom / Chalkboard Signs: Handmade by the Bride and Groom’s Sister / Bride + Groom Chair Signs: Bride’s Friend / Table Number Animals, Escort Cards + Dessert Table Banner: The Epicurean Crafter / Wedding Dress: Alfred Angelo / Bride’s Shoes: Audrey Brooke / Bride’s Hairpiece + Bridal Sash: Handmade by the Bride / Hair: Tanja Lippert / Groom’s Suit: Kenneth Cole / Groom’s Shoes: Rockport / Flower Girl’s Dress: Groom’s Aunt
