HOME!
Is where we finally are after spending 16 of the past 33 hours in the car driving to northern Minnesota and back. It was totally worth it though, to reunite with old friends from our days in Minneapolis for a beautiful, lake-side wedding! :D
Ben and I left at the crack of dawn Saturday morning and witnessed the most beautiful sunrise at 6:30am,
passed our standard tunaCORN Fantasy Football Adopt a Highway sign around 8:00,
breezed through the Twin Cities at 10:15,
and hit the open, rural roads of northern Minnesota about an hour later!
I’ve never driven further north in Minnesota than Minneapolis/St. Paul, so I was not prepared for how stunningly beautiful and picturesque the countryside was.
Whimsical hay bales, grazing horses and red barns dotted the landscape,
and big, puffy clouds made an impressive backdrop.
We reached the hotel around 1:45pm, which left me just enough time to shower and get ready before catching our 3pm shuttle to the ceremony. One problem: check in wasn’t until 3:30!!! Nooooo!
After a slight panic attack, the woman working the front desk let me shower in the unisex pool bathroom and get ready in a dirty hotel room.
Serenity now. Serenity now. Serenity now.
As you can probably imagine, I got ready in record time and made the shuttle with a few minutes to spare, before we were ushered off to the ceremony held at a private home on 10 Mile Lake!
This place was absolutely incredible.
We drove down a long, windy driveway to get to the front door, walked around the back, then BAM.
There’s the killer view.
(There’s my killer view! ;) )
The air was warm and there was a slight breeze coming off the lake – it was perfect!
Now Ben and I met Kristy & Jess, the couple getting married, when we moved up to Minneapolis after college.
They are two of the nicest people we know and a BLAST to hang out with. (Still thinking about the pool bathroom, apparently…)
The ceremony got underway promptly at 4, and the bridal party walked down the aisle.
Don’t you ADORE these bouquets? They’re just baby’s breath – I thought that was so clever and elegant!
Plus I loved the turquoise color of the dresses. They looked great on everyone. :)
The ceremony was beautiful, meaningful, and before we knew it, the knot had been tied!
Whee! :D
After the ceremony, the couple and their bridal party immediately walked down the dock off the house and into an awaiting boat for a cruise around the lake.
I loved this!!!!!
While the wedding party was having their pictures taken, the guests convened at the reception site – Chase on the Lake Resort.
The back of the resort had a little beach area with docks and slips that we explored a bit.
Soon enough the girls were back and it was time to get the party started!
This is a fun bunch, people. ;)
We sipped on cocktails and nibbled on apps before heading into the ballroom for toasts and dinner. (Jeremiah Sweet Tea Vodka what what?!)
I loved the decor in here. The couple’s family had strung all the lanterns,
and the camp where Kristy and Jess met provided the centerpieces at each table!
Birch tree sections had been hollowed out for pretty tea lights, and mason jars (!) were filled with happy white and yellow flowers. :)
(yesssss.)
Dinner included a nice, light salad,
and perhaps – no definitely – the best walleye I’ve ever had. It was BUTTERIFIC.
After dinner, things really got kickin’…
at the bowling alley next to the ballroom – HA!
The girls threw a couple strikes,
While I made out with a spare.
Robbed, I tell you!
Your standard wedding shenanigans rounded out the entirely too-much-fun evening,
and fun was had by all. :) Oh, and there was pie in lieu of cake. Genius. I had Strawberry Rhubarb and it was amazing.
May you have a long and happy marriage, Kristy & Jess! Thank you for including us on your special day!
Ben and I are heading out for a nice long walk to stretch our legs before calling it a night. We are tuckered out but happy to have spent the weekend with some really good friends. :)
Have a great night!
~~~~~
What’s the most unique thing you’ve seen/done at a wedding?
The past two weddings I’ve been two have been absolutely epic. Bowling at this weekend’s and an 80’s cover band at the one I attended this spring?! Awesome!
I can’t believe you were in Walker. That’s 45 miles from where I live. Glad you enjoyed the beauty of the northwoods.
Wow gorgeous is the right word for this wedding, I love their style. Especially the babysbreath!
i LOVE your site. i visit daily now. good pics. good talk. now even a broader perspective. love. love. love!!
What a fabulous-looking couple! That dress=amazing. I also changed into Converse sneaks for my wedding dance. Looks like a fantastically fun and gorgeous weekend!
I love your shoes !!!
What a beautiful couple – they look so happy! Congrats to them!
The pics are georgeous as usual!
;-)
What a beautiful wedding!! I adore the bride’s dress and the venue!
Gorgeous wedding! Love that there was a bowling alley and the personal touch of the centerpieces was so precious :)
What a gorgeous wedding! And I love the shoes you wore!!
Northern MN IS gorgeous…My husband’s best friend got married in Duluth at Glensheen Mansion (his bride worked there in college & was fascinated by the history of it–a couple of murders occurred there back in the ’70s)–That was a really cool wedding. Especially getting to walk across the grounds & then be right on Lake Superior! And during the reception, he sang a song he’d written for his new bride. Looks like you had a really good time. And at the wedding I attended last month, in order for the couple to kiss, you had to stand up and sing a song with “love” in the title!
Ahhh Minnesota…someday my love for my home state will pull me back. In the meantime, I will continue to fall head over heels in love with Iowa.
At one wedding, people had to tell stories about the couple, to make them kiss. At my cousin’s wedding, they had a little putting green and you had to sink a putt to make them kiss. LOL! Other than that, most weddings are pretty ordinary!
This summer, I had a lot of weddings. 2 co-workers’ daughters got married, plus my best real-life friend’s daughter also got married. I’d known my girlfriend’s daughter, since the day she was born!
Sounds like a fun wedding, but wow, that was a lot of driving! Then you still made a blog post? Weren’t you tired? North of the cities, Minnesota looks beautiful! I love driving through rural Wisconsin, too!
…Ben did all the driving… tehehehe He loves it though!
That looks so fun. I am very jealous that you were in MN though, you wench ;) You looked amazing btw!
Omg I just laughed for like 5 minutes over this. I have not heard the term “wench” in ages. Thanks for the giggle. ;)
Beautiful and fun…is there anything better?!? I loved the adirondack chairs by the lake. Heaven.
When I married my husband I had a 5 yr old from a previous marriage. At our wedding we had a three ring ceremony. He put a ring on her little finger and he repeated after the preacher. ” Do you promise to love and take care of Madison and promise to be the best step father you can” he said I do.. and there was not a dry eye in the
house.. and then he said to Madison.. ” do you promise to love Scott and be the best step daughter you can” and that little sweet voice said I do.. it was awesome.
Congrats to the newlyweds!
That looks like a FUN wedding! I also like the baby’s breath bouquets and the cruise around the lake–AND the bowling alley! haha Very cool, everything looks lovely. :) Glad it was fun!
Gorgeous wedding! I love LOVE!
I LOVE your blog ! I was wondering where you got those beige sandals ? They are awesome !! I need to get a pair :)
Thanks again for such a FAB blog.
Jackie
PAYLESS, believe it or not! :)
Wow, your pics of the countryside are bea-uuu-tiful! The wedding looks fun :D Bowling?! Totes cool!