I know this doesn’t sound like the place where you would want to go on the eve of your wedding, but it’s really a great place, it has such a unique atmosphere, and no one is ‘cheeky’, I don’t think anyone in the Midwest could pull that attitude off. Mike and I thought that this would be a great restaurant for our country-folk family members to visit, something really fun and different. Since it was just a small group, I was easily able to make reservations for ten and we got to be in the room by the fireplace, which was lovely. I think what also makes this place a great choice, especially when family members from both sides of the family are meeting for the first time, is that everything can be a conversation starter. The way the food is presented is amazing, and the food is delicious. Mike and I love going here when we get the chance, and I was really happy that my parents could see it.

I loved this location because I had been to a work party there before, and knew that it would be perfect for a wedding. The thing I liked best about meeting with Melissa and talking about our plans for the wedding was how knowledgeable the Hilton’s wedding Specialist was on everything to do with wedding. She let us know of all the details she needed, and then supplied us with a tour and a general idea of the many ways the night could be. They had really beautiful small rooms for small parties, but because of the number of guests we had, we needed one of the Valley Ballrooms. They were able to take care of the linens and dishes and centerpieces, and provided us with a wonderful menu to choose from. I think it’s great that the ballroom also has a place for dancing, so the night was able to continue after the meal. Some of the other places we looked at didn’t have a dance floor, and really, that makes a big difference.

Before we were officially engaged, Mike and I were visiting Stillwater, just hanging out there for the day, when we wandered into Stokes and started looking at the jewelry. That’s where we found out that we would be able to design our own rings, which was something that we had never considered before. I tried on a couple of models, and in the end I wound up loving a really unique style. We went back a few months later, and had the same style custom made to fit the shape of my hand. It was a really simple design, and we also had our wedding bands made there. It was a wonderful experience because we were able to talk with the artist of the ring, and I feel now that this ring means so much more than just a standard stamped out model. It’s beautiful, and I would love to have a second ring made for me there in the future.

The reason why I knew about minted was because they had an open contest last year for artists, and I just loved all the designs that I saw. They have such huge network of artists from all over the country, and I find most of the styles to be really stunning and beautiful. I went with ordering cards and having all the work done because Mike and I were too busy to worry about this part of the wedding, we wanted the cards to look and read professionally to make sure that our guests wanted to go, and also because this was the invitation to our party. It’s the first thing people see when they realize we’re getting married, and I want it to be beautiful. So yes, they were expensive, beautiful, and professionally done. The staff made the process very simple for us, and I look forward to seeing what other invitation styles they come up with in the future.

My aunts and sister decided that they would be in charge of decorating the table with pictures of Mike and I, along with a second table with the guest book and where the guests could find their seating cards. They got in their mind to have a beach themed table, I guess because Mike and I would be going to Fiji on our honeymoon. They poured down a base of brown sugar, which looked like sand, and they made these cute little wooden sun chairs out of small wooden sticks. Each chair had an umbrella with the guest’s name on it and the number of the table they were sitting at. It was really cute seeing all these small chairs, and most of the guests took the umbrellas and popped them in their drinks afterwards, which was pretty cool to see. They made sandcastles out of the sugar, too, it was nicely done and it was obvious that they put a lot of time into making those chairs and setting it up.

They were really professional, and we were really happy with the music selection and when they played each song. We were able to give them a list of songs Mike and I for certain wanted to hear that night, and they had a huge repertoire of music to choose from after that. I think having a live DJ is so much better than just having a tape or playing the music right from your IPOD. I think a good DJ is able to read the vibe of the room, and I loved seeing everyone dancing, even if it was to an ABBA song.

The catering service through the hotel was providing a cake, but we also wanted to have a small dessert table filled with cookies and chocolate delights! It has been from experience that not everyone will eat the cake when it is served, or maybe they might want something sweet later on in the evening. With the help of some co-workers, I found out about Chocolat Celeste, a small store down on University Avenue that makes the best truffles in the city! They are pricy, but then these chocolates are meant to be eaten one at a time and savored. And as much of a chocolate fan I am, you actually feel your chocolate craving being satisfied after one or two truffles. After convincing Mike that this was what I wanted, we set up an appointment to talk about what we wanted and the prices. In the end we were able to get a wonderful display of chocolates, that looked and tasted beautiful. I think it added something to the night!

I was only going to have one bridesmaid, my sister, and her daughter was going to be the flower girl. We wanted the wedding party to be rather small. After spending a weekend looking at dresses in big bridal shops, my mother offered to make their dresses. We went to Treadle Yard Goods, which is perhaps the greatest fabric store in the Twin Cities Area. They have a small but amazing selection of fabrics and patterns that are incredibly trendy and unique. My mother has been buying bolts of fabrics there for years! The staff knows us fairly well, too, and they were so excited that we were making our own bridesmaids dresses. She was able to get fabrics, needles, thread, zippers, and my mother made the most beautiful and flattering dresses for my sister and niece.

Bachelorette Party: On the weekend that Mike went to the races, I got together with my sister and my closest friends and we had an interesting adventure of our own! We have been hearing how popular the wine tours now are, and since many of us enjoy a good bottle of wine now and then, but know absolutely nothing about wine, that it would be a fun thing to go on one of these tours. There is the option of going on one of the pre-organized day tours, or we could have made our own. We didn’t know what to expect, so we chose the Wine to Caves tour. I’m still amazed by how beautiful the wineries were, and how much fun it was to learn about wines. Our tour guides were wonderful, and the hosts of the wineries were great, and overall it was a great way to spend a weekend outside of the city!

Of course I wasn’t there, but Mike gave the whole weekend with his high school friends two thumbs up. It came as kind of a shock knowing this was what he wanted to do, but I guess I always knew that Mike liked NASCAR. Being able to spend a Saturday night watching local drivers race and bike stunts must have been really great. I don’t think it was expensive to get in, only ten or fifteen dollars, and I think the food is exactly what you would expect at a race track. They could have rented a skybox, but they wanted to be out in the stands. Mike says it was his loudest weekend in a long time!