Robin and Nate’s love story started as most modern day romances do – on a dating app! Many of their first dates took place in various libraries as they were both students at the time. When it came time for Nate to propose, he knew exactly how to make it special. He got down on one knee on an overlook by the Philadelphia Museum of Arts with a violinist “busking” off to the side. At the end, some people started shooting fireworks off (Nate hired the violinist, but the fireworks were just a fun coincidence!). The couple then drank a bottle of wine by the river as the sun set. It sounds like a perfect evening to us!
In case you haven’t noticed, Robin and Nate live in Pennsylvania. Then why did they book a Minneapolis wedding planner you might ask? Well, the couple had originally planned a wedding in Philadelphia, but deferred due to COVID. In the end, Philly didn’t feel quite right because none of their family lived there. They moved the wedding to Minneapolis, which was such a treat as their families were able to be more involved (and they booked with us)! When looking at our services, Robin knew that the All-Inclusive package would be the right fit for them as she is a busy doctor living out of state.
We started the wedding planning journey by looking into venues. They toured The Whim when it was still well under construction, but saw great potential with the space (and they totally delivered)! Since the venue is such a blank slate, Robin was able to have a lot of fun with the decor of the space. During our floral and design inspiration discussions, most of the photos that the bride showed us were Ashley Fox Design’s work. We were so happy that Ashley was available on their wedding date to make Robin’s whimsical dreams come true!
The day before the wedding, the couple hosted a rehearsal dinner on Canopy’s lower level. They had a social time and dinner with their VIPs, then opened it up to others to join them after dinner. It was a great kickoff to the whimsical wedding weekend ahead!
We had an amazing (and large) team of vendors for Robin and Nate’s wedding. The day started off with the ladies waking up bright and early to get ready with Ziel Bridal at Canopy. Robin wanted to do a first look with her crew, so she stepped into the other room to slip into her Che Bella gown that fit her like a glove thanks to Marsha’s Stitches. She was also wearing her grandmother’s studs as a special touch to her wedding day attire. As she stepped out to reveal her bridal look, everyone’s reactions were filled with so much excitement and love. We loved this moment!
Perry James Photo then led Robin outside of the hotel to do her first look with Nate. Upon turning around, Nate got one look at his bride and went in for a big hug. They needed this moment after a morning filled with wedding nerves!
The entire wedding party then loaded onto the shuttle from Minnesota Coaches to head over to Stone Arch with Perry and Made Right Productions to capture photos and video. Everyone had beautifully whimsical personal flowers that were delivered earlier that morning by Ashley Fox Designs.
While they were busy getting group and couple portraits, The Whim was buzzing with a busy vendor team! The KUE team, Ashley Fox’s team, and Pho’s team were all working on setting up the ceremony and reception spaces. They rented beautiful textured linens from Apres and Linen Effects to elevate the tables and give guests something more interesting to interact with. The plates and flatware for the head table were from The Fond Collective and pulled together the whimsical vision that we worked to create with Ashley Fox. The escort cards, menus, sign stands, and other paper goods were created by Hunt Wright Design Co. She worked closely with the couple and our team to ensure that everything would be cohesive and elegant. Needless to say, she absolutely nailed it (even with last minute updates)! We used the furniture that was rented from Style Society to set up a fun lounge area to be used during cocktail hour and the reception.
When the wedding party arrived at the venue after photos, everyone was already oohing and ahhing over the whimsical ceremony space. We then took the couple behind the curtain to reveal the reception space. Seeing the couple’s reactions to the whimsical space that was dreamt up for so long is always one of our favorite parts! What the bride and groom didn’t know was that there was a surprise gift for them in the reception area – Korianne Paints, a live painter! The couple and all of their guests had so much fun watching the progression of the painting throughout the night. Korianne did a great job capturing the couple and the reception setup!
One thing that you will learn about our bride Robin through these photos is that she is a happy crier. We have never had a bride with so many happy tears! This becomes especially prominent during the ceremony and most of the night after. I mean can you blame her? Our many months of planning came to a close and produced a perfect whimsical wedding day for this sweet couple!
Something that was especially sentimental about Robin and Nate’s ceremony was that the groom’s brother was officiating. He did an amazing job and made the experience special and memorable for everyone! We also can’t forget to mention the stunning arch that Ashley Fox and her team created. We love the whimsical elegance of it!
During cocktail hour, the couple requested that the music be played by a folk band as they spend a lot of time listening to folk music together. Punt on Third pulled this off and the couple even got to do a little pre-dinner dancing with them!
Another unique touch that the couple wanted to offer was to have a babysitter for their guests. Our team arranged to have a babysitter on site and we had Trustworthy Music bring a projector and screen to create a kid’s space in the venue’s lower level. Not only did the parents love this, but the kids did too!
As dinnertime approached, we opened the curtain so guests could grab their escort cards and find their seats. Everyone enjoyed a delicious meal from Chowgirls in the stunning reception space. The chandeliers and light wall provided by Phos were a great touch, especially for photos and to romanticize the whimsical space in the evening!
Perry James Photography also made sure to sneak the couple outside for a few sunset photos that turned out absolutely stunning!
Once dinner wrapped up, guests gathered around the dance floor as the couple did their first dance and parent dances. Then Trustworthy Music opened up the dance floor to everyone and kept the party going all night long! The couple and their guests enjoyed drinks served by The Whim, plenty of dancing, and The Traveling Photo Booth for the remainder of the night.
Robin and Nate’s day was truly one to remember and we are so glad we got to be involved! If you’re wishing you could have been there too, be sure to check out their wedding video from Made Right Productions.
We couldn’t wrap up a story about this beautiful couple without sharing the sweet words that Robin and her mom, Laura, had to say on The Knot.
Robin, bride:
“My husband and I are so, so pleased we chose Dana for full wedding planning from start to finish. Out of all of our vendors, we felt that Dana’s wedding planning services were by far the most worthwhile investment. We worked with her over the course of 1.5 years and countless phone calls, email chains and text messages and we found her to be endlessly resourceful, organized, honest and fun. Our wedding was seamless and simply perfect – Dana and her team coordinated an army of vendors and wedding guests across multiple locations in the background, which allowed us to really enjoy our wedding and melt in the experience. But even before the wedding day, Dana was invaluable. She has irreplicable knowledge and contacts in the industry which saved us time, energy and money. She directed us to vendors who were experienced and trusted, then subsequently coordinated all the meetings, contracts, and scheduling. She handled an avalanche of tasks effortlessly, all while working around our tricky schedules (and the fact that we lived across the country from our wedding location). We could not be happier with our wedding experience and it could not have happened without Dana and Keyed Up Events!”
Laura, MOB:
“Other than the bride and groom themselves, Dana and Calisto were the reason our daughter’s wedding was perfect. From the time we hired Keyed Up Events, Dana offered expert guidance, kept the couple on a timeline and helped with recommendations for the venue, service providers and vendors. Her advice and recommendations were spot-on. Our guests said the venue, flowers and decor was gorgeous and the food was delicious. Until the wedding day, I did not fully appreciate how much I needed Dana. She and Calisto managed every aspect of the day–from hair and makeup to set up of the wedding and reception to tear-down — so that I could focus on our guests and families. I was able to enjoy the wedding! I would recommend Dana and Calisto to anyone planning a wedding.”
And of course, we couldn’t have done it without this amazing team of vendors!
Venue: The Whim
Rehearsal Dinner Venue: Canopy
Photographer: Perry James Photo
Videographer: Made Right Productions
Hair/Makeup: Ziel Bridal
Catering: Chowgirls
Floral: Ashley Fox Designs
Photo Booth: The Traveling Photo Booth
Cocktail Music: Punt on Third
DJ: Trustworthy Music
Transportation: Minnesota Coaches
Lighting: Phos
Live Painter: Korianne Paints
Paper Goods: Hunt Wright Design Co.
Plates/Flatware: The Fond Collective
Bar Service: The Whim
Linens: Apres / Linen Effects
Lounge Set: Style Society
Bridal Gown: Che Bella
Bridal Alterations: Marsha’s Stitches
Planner: Keyed Up Events
Creatively written by: Hope Konkol
