Early in their relationship, Lindsey and Eric used to go on many walks near Nicollet Island Pavilion. When it was time to pop the question, Eric felt it was only right to propose in that location! Lindsey described the moment as romantic and unexpected. She even shared a photo of the table he had set up (with the help of Lindsey’s mom). Needless to say, it was Lindsey’s perfect proposal!
When they began looking into wedding planning services, they were not sure if they wanted to hire anyone and just wanted to explore options. After inquiring with another planner who was booked, they were referred to us at Keyed Up Events. We had a meeting with them and they decided that due to their large guest count and wedding party, it would be a worthwhile investment to book our Management Package.
The day started with the ladies getting ready at Hewing Hotel. Primped was on site to do everyone’s hair and makeup, along with Lindsey’s hair stylist, Emily Aho, who came just for the bride! Once hair and makeup was done, the wedding party made their way to their venue, Leopold’s Mississippi Gardens (LMG).
Upon arrival, everyone got dressed. The guys were looking dapper in their suits from Men’s Wearhouse and the bridesmaids were looking beautiful in their Birdy Grey dresses! Lindsey slipped into her gown from Ivory Bridal that looked like it was made for her!
She began by doing a first look with her bridesmaids. The flower wall that was rented from MN Flower Walls was the perfect backdrop for this! Our favorite picture from this moment is when Lindsey has her hands in her pockets. You can almost hear her exclaiming a girl’s favorite words when wearing a dress… “and it has pockets!”
Next on the list was a first look with her dad. Alyssa Pearl Photography did a great job capturing the love of this moment!
Lindsey then made her way outside for her first look with Eric. They also read their private vows during this time. We love it when couples do their vows in private so they can really lean into their emotions and be fully comfortable!
Alyssa Pearl Photography then took the couple around for portraits before Doggy Social brought the couple’s pup, Olive, for a few photos! Of course their wedding party also joined for a bunch of fun group pictures. The bouquets and boutonnieres from Bachman’s perfectly matched the couple’s theme and complimented their attire!
When it came to finding a venue, the couple wanted somewhere with a spectacular outdoor ceremony site as they are huge outdoorsy people. LMG’s ceremony location right on the Mississippi was a perfect fit! It was also a great backdrop for their wedding video from Legacy Pictures MN.
The KUE team helped ensure people found the ceremony and began lining up the wedding party. This is one prominent area where having a Planner was very helpful! With their large wedding party it required a lot of coordination between the DJ, KUE, and the wedding party. We cued the group and the music, getting them down the aisle no problem! Lindsey and Eric had a short and sweet ceremony before sharing their first kiss as husband and wife!
Guests enjoyed socializing during cocktail hour in the beautiful MN weather we had that day! The couple made their rounds to chit-chat with guests before the KUE team invited everyone to find their seats in the reception space. The wedding party then made their grand entrance with the group leading the way and the couple being announced right after.
The couple had a delicious buffet for dinner from Mintahoe, but knew how antsy guests get while waiting for their turn. The couple opted to have the salads and bread pre-placed at the tables so that everyone would have something to eat while waiting for the buffet. We love it when couples do this!
Near the end of dinner, the couple snuck away for a few sunset photos with Alyssa Pearl Photography. Leopold’s Mississippi Gardens has the most beautiful locations for pictures!
One thing that we learned about Lindsey is that she loves ice cream more than anything (sorry Eric)! Obviously it was a no-brainer that we needed to get ice cream for dessert and The Cherry on Top Ice Cream Truck was the perfect fit. That being said, we knew we would need a plan. We told the couple that we would not be able to let anyone go to the truck until after toasts, otherwise, everyone would be outside in line. The couple needed to finish their thank you speech at the end of the toasts and then lead their guests to the truck. This also meant they would have to plan for a bit of downtime while guests were in line for ice cream before we started dancing. When the wedding day came, everything we talked about went according to plan. Moments like this are also when having a Planner comes in handy!
The couple then did their first dance, followed by both traditional parent dances. Guests gathered to watch while finishing up any of their leftover ice cream treats. Instant Request then opened up the dance floor with “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” by Whitney Houston (per the couple’s request). The dance party went all night long with guests packed on the dance floor!
It was the perfect end to an amazing day celebrating Lindsey and Eric. We were honored to help them coordinate and manage their day alongside these amazing vendors!
Venue: Leopold’s Mississippi Gardens
Getting Ready Venue: Hewing Hotel
Caterer: Mintahoe
Dessert: The Cherry on Top Ice Cream Truck
DJ: Instant Request
Florist: Bachman’s
Makeup: Primped
Photographer: Alyssa Pearl Photography
Videographer: Legacy Pictures MN
Rentals: MN Flower Walls
Bridal Gown: Ivory Bridal
Bridesmaid Dresses: Birdy Grey
Suits: Men’s Wearhouse
Pet Attendant: Doggy Social
Planner: Keyed Up Events
Creatively written by: Hope Konkol
