by: We're thrilled to feature another Minnesota wedding today. And a winter wedding in Minnesota at that! RJ and Kate had their evening ceremony at "Central Park" a scenic indoor park near St. Paul, MN. Surrounded by lights and lush greenery, the park also features a bridge and even a waterfall--a beautiful venue for a romantic and intimate event such as RJ and Katie's. Good vibes ... Great atmosphere ... Beautifully captured ... Enjoy as lovely Kate shares some insight and savvy wedding planning advice.
Wedding Style: Simple. Relaxed. Inexpensive.
Colors: The ladies: four shades of purple. The guys: either gray or black suits with different colored purple ties.
Ceremony: Woodbury Central Park an indoor park that links to the R.H. Stafford Branch Library
Photographer: Shelley Paulson Photography
Wedding Invitation: MagnetStreet Weddings
About the ceremony {& later reception}
We knew we didn't want to do the whole shabang with the ceremony, we just wanted our immediate families and a few close friends who were instrumental in our relationship to get together and hang out on a special night. The ceremony was at the library in December. In June, we had a glorified picnic for a reception where all friends and family attended ... also very relaxed.
Advice you’re glad you took:
It's your day- do it how you want. We kept it small and intimate, and at times, there was pressure to just invite everyone and have a huge ceremony, but we stuck to our guns and kept it pretty much just immediate family, and it made it a very special day, and less expensive.
Highlights of the day:
Having a wedding in December in MN, you always worry a little about blizzards. Thankfully, no blizzards.
Advice you wished you took:
Elope. Ha! Just kidding Mom.
Advice you’d like to give
At the end of the day, it doesn't matter what your cake looked like, what kind of flowers you had, or even your dress. What matters is starting the rest of your life with the person you love most in the world and celebrating with family and friends. Don't fret the small stuff! It'll drive you crazy.
Best part of the whole wedding day:
The best part of the day was being able to have my dad there. He had a heart attack three weeks prior to the wedding, and as unpredictable as heart attacks go, you couldn't get much farther from unexpected than with my dad. He is a bicyclist, commuting over 30 miles a day and was in tip top shape, eating well and never smoking or drinking. He was having a surgery on his neck when, for whatever reason, went into cardiac arrest and was shocked 12 times. He had less than 5% chance of surviving the kind of blockage that his heart had, but not only did he live, he was out of the hospital three weeks later to walk me down the isle! He is amazing.
Love shoot: the day after
Since RJ and Kate didn't want to see each other before their December evening ceremony, they opted for a shoot the next day. And what a beautiful, sunshine y Minnesota day they got!
Pro Shout Out
Shelley Paulson Photography: Shelley captured the feeling of that night in a way I never thought was even possible. As beautiful as the venue was, there was close to no lighting. Shelley, thankfully is a low-light specialist and was creative in finding ways to communicate the intimacy and authenticity of the night. Unforgettable!
Everyone was so great, working together to have one smooth night. No glitches or hiccups- just perfect.
MagnetStreet Weddings
Easy to use- took care of not only the ceremony invitations, but reception invites as well- easy peasy.
Beautiful! Thanks for sharing your wedding with us! We love that you stood your ground and had your wedding, your way! Congratulations Kate and RJ!
We love the stationery design Kate & RJ chose: "Entwined Circles" Square Wedding Invitation.
How perfect for representing the lush foliage inside Central Park and Kate and RJ purple-hued wedding colors!
