Jess and Adam came to Keyed Up Events for our Planning Lite Package as a referral from another planner. We love that we have such a good rapport with our planning community in the Twin Cities! The bride and groom are from the area originally, Jess from Eagan and Adam from Apple Valley, and now live together in Minneapolis. They met while working together and were together for 9 years prior to their wedding day!
The long awaited proposal occurred during the Covid pandemic. The couple was supposed to travel to Napa Valley, but had to cancel due to various mandates. This led to a quick rearranging of plans on Adam’s part, so he decided to propose to Jess at home. She was truly surprised and described the moment as nothing short of perfect. She still doesn’t know how he managed to buy a ring during lockdowns without her finding out (nice job, Adam)!
When looking for a venue, the couple wanted a big, bright, white space. After looking at various options, they decided that the ballroom at The Blaisdell delivered everything they were searching for! It was important to the couple that the wedding be clean, classic, bright, and happy. Their top priority was having the best time with all of their favorite people, and it was a success!
After looking through our services, they decided to go with our Planning Lite Package with Venue Searching. This allowed them to feel confident about the biggest decision of their wedding planning and get help building a great vendor team. The couple was also concerned about the budget, so there were several ideas that came and went due to logistics and cost. Helping our clients look at all angles of an idea before executing it can ensure it will be worth their time and money. We always eventually come up with solutions that make the couple (and their bank accounts) happy. The Lite Package also allowed the couple to utilize our decor at no additional cost. It was great working with their florist, Wilderland Floral, to make the vision come to life.
When the day of their Blaisdell wedding finally arrived, everyone was buzzing with excitement. We were able to plan the day around being able to get ready at the venue, which was incredibly convenient for the flow of events. The ladies got ready with Brides & Maids, who ensured that each of them were feeling their absolute best.
Jess stepped aside with her mom to slip into her Che Bella gown, and Adam put on his suit from Indochino. After both of them were ready, it was time for the first looks. Jess did a first look with her father, her bridesmaids, and of course, her groom. All of their reactions were perfectly captured by Rachel Lahlum Photography to show the love and support each person has for the couple.
Once the bride and groom shared their special moment and got photos of the two of them, it was time for the wedding party to join. The group went outside of the venue and got pictures with all of the stunning scenery as a backdrop.
The KUE team then rounded up the wedding party and tucked them away before any guests could get a glimpse of the couple. The ceremony site at this classic Blaisdell wedding was absolutely stunning, with a hanging installation with lights from Phos and florals from Wilderland Floral to top everything off. The ceremony itself was touching and left everyone feeling the love radiating throughout the room. Guests were then directed outside and to the parlor so that the indoor space could be flipped for the reception. Liquid Motion ensured that drinks were flowing for everyone as they arrived.
The head table was placed so that the hanging statement piece would be centered on the couple. This made for stunning photos! The room was fully prepped with enough time for us to grab the bride and groom and pull them aside for a room reveal. It is always so fun to watch their reactions when they see their vision in real life for the first time! You can see how happy they were to see the space transformed into their Blaisdell wedding reception! Once the couple had finished viewing the room, guests were seated at the elegantly decorated tables, it was time for Fork & Flair to serve dinner (which was so delicious).
One thing that Jess and Adam had stressed to us throughout the planning process was that they wanted to do a first dance, but didn’t want to do it in front of everyone. After brainstorming a few options, we came up with one of our favorite ideas of the whole day. Dana suggested that we use dessert as a distraction while Jess, Adam, their siblings, and their parents snuck out to the front of the mansion. This worked out extremely well because Fork & Flair partnered up with Cookie Cart to provide guests with ice cream sandwiches. Having this for dessert was much more distracting than setting out cupcakes!
Once the families had gathered at the front of the mansion, Dana used her speaker to play some music and they got their special moment. It was so successful that they were able to do their first dance and parent dances during this time. This way when Studio Veil got the dancing started, the couple and their families could just get right into the party. The dance party went on for the remainder of the night, only stopping to enjoy a late night snack of soft pretzels and hot cheese provided by Fork & Flair. We loved working with Jess and Adam to make their Blaisdell wedding dreams come to life and are so happy they chose KUE!
One more shoutout to the amazing team of vendors that made this day happen!
Bar: Liquid Motion
Bridal Dress: Che Bella
Caterer: Fork & Flair
Dessert: Fork & Flair / Cookie Cart
DJ: Studio Veil
Florist: Wilderland Floral
Hanging piece and lights: Phos
Hair / Makeup: Brides & Maids
Late Night Snack: Fork & Flair
Photographer: Rachel Lahlum Photography
Rentals: Keyed Up Events
Suits: Indochino
Venue: The Blaisdell
Planner: Keyed Up Events
Creatively written by: Hope Konkol
