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From countryside to country club, these four couples celebrated their love in style.

By AnnA Befort

Maria and Matt Hemsley ♥ November 6, 2010 ♥ Minikahda Club

PHotograPHy by Kelly brown weddings

I t’s a good thing Matt Hemsley is persis-tent. When he first met Maria through a

mutual friend, his courtship advances fell flat. “I remem-ber being very interested in getting to know her better, and she wanted nothing to do with me for a couple years,” he says. But Matt didn’t give up. When he asked Maria out yet again in 2007, she said yes.

After their first date at Vincent A Restaurant in

downtown Minneapolis, the pair started what Matt calls an “extended courtship” due to his busy job as a consultant. “It was like a long-distance relationship,” he says. “I was on the road all the time. We’d go on a date, and then I’d get caught up in a project. Weeks would go by and we would barely talk.”

After a year of this, it was Maria’s turn to be persistent: She told Matt it was time to really try to make the rela-

tionship work. That mutual persistence paid off with an engagement in January 2010. Matt had planned to propose during a trip to Whistler, British Columbia. When he picked up the ring from his jeweler, however, he decided he couldn’t wait that long. He surprised Maria before dinner one night as she was blow-drying her hair—a moment she calls less than picture-perfect. “I would dream of being in the perfect, beautiful outfit with

perfect hair and makeup in the perfect location and flawless skin and everything,” says Maria, a senior merchandis-ing manager. “Instead, I’m in a towel, I have a banana clip on, I’m sweating profusely, and half my hair is up in a banana clip and half of it is down.” But Matt says, laughing, “It was perfect.”

The proposal didn’t fit Maria’s perfect vision, but their wedding certainly did. The couple wove their theme

opposite: Newlyweds Maria and Matt pose after the ceremony with members of their bridal party (clockwise from bottom left): Gretchen Yanda, Tyler Marion, Dan Miller, Matt’s brother Peter, and Ashley Armstrong.

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Country Club Chic

60 fall / winter 2011 ˚ mpls.st.paul Weddings ˚ mspmagweddings.com

Real Weddings

& Eat, Drink, bE MarriED

of casual elegance through the ceremony at St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral on Loring Park—where Maria stunned in a strapless Romona Keveza dress off the New York runway—and the 300-person reception at Minikahda Club overlooking Lake Calhoun.

“I knew that I wanted a pretty traditional wedding,” Maria says. “I loved the coun-try club feel, but I also wanted to bring in some personal touches.” One example: his-and-hers drinks at the recep-tion. Maria chose the “Cider Ritz,” a cocktail of apple juice and champagne that she discovered during the couple’s visit to the Ritz Paris hotel, and Matt chose the Pimm’s Cup, a favorite from his grad school years at Oxford. At the

reception, bartenders served the drinks with personalized stir sticks, some bearing the couple’s monogram, others with the message “Sip and repeat.”

Maria spent months craft-ing those little details to pre-vent the black-tie affair from feeling stuffy. “We wanted it to be elegant, but we also wanted to incorporate things that would make people feel comfortable,” she says. The thoughtful touches included a bonfire and make-your-own s’mores, hand-rolled cigars, a “hangover station” with monogrammed water bottles and mini packets of Advil and

Alka-Seltzer, and McDonald’s cheeseburgers at the end of the night. (“They went in about three minutes,” Matt says. “I didn’t even get one.”)

The bride and groom also wanted to celebrate their shared Minnesota heritage (she grew up in Edina, he in Wayzata). “We had a lot of out-of-town guests, so we wanted to own the Minnesota [aspect],” Matt says. Minnesota-themed welcome baskets greeted guests in their hotel rooms, but the biggest

hit was the favors: 200 jars of Maria’s mom’s famous pickles. The bride and groom still get occasional calls and e-mails from guests asking where they can find more of those pickles.

Of course, even this picture-perfect wedding was not without its mishaps: Two days before the wedding, Maria dis-covered her dress was too big and needed emergency altera-tions. And one bridesmaid’s dress split up the side during pictures. Maria tried to keep

things in perspective, despite the minor drama. “Remember what the day’s about,” she says. “It’s not just about one day or one weekend, it’s about celebrating that the two of you are going to spend this amazing life together.” A life, Matt would add, that was well worth the wait.

The Details:maria & matt

62 fall / winter 2011 ˚ mpls.st.paul Weddings ˚ mspmagweddings.com mspmagweddings.com ˚ mpls.st.paul Weddings ˚ fall / winter 2011 63

1. Hunter boots, a sassy gift for Maria’s bridesmaids. • 2. White floral wreaths by Nature’s Harvest. • 3. The mother of the bride made 200 jars of pickles as wedding favors. • 4. The bride’s Kate Spade gray wool pumps with bows. • 5. Bridesmaids wore long purple gowns by Priscilla of Boston. • 6. Custom stir sticks by Lemon and Laven-der, in a MacKenzie-Childs cup. • 7. Bride’s bouquet by Nature’s Harvest. • 8. S’mores station next to a bonfire, outside the ball-room. • 9. Asscher cut diamond engage-ment ring with pavé diamonds.

Ceremony: St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral on Loring Park • reCeption: Minikahda Club • Dress: Grace Kelly by Romona Keveza • BriDesmAiDs’ Dresses: Priscilla of Boston • Groom’s Attire: Brooks Brothers • Groomsmen’s Attire: Per-sonal tuxes • CAterinG: Minikahda Club • CAke: Penny Steele • flowers: Nature’s Harvest • invitAtions: Watermark Statio-nery • CAlliGrAphy: Rosann Konieczny • welCome Boxes AnD pAper (CiGAr wrAppers, menus, etC.): Ashley La Rue, Lemon and Lavender • Ceremony musiC: St. Mark’s organist Raymond Johnston • reCeption musiC: Brian Kinney Band • photo Booth: The Original Traveling Photo Booth • linens/DeCorAtions: Ultimate Events • fAvors: Pickles made by Maria’s mom and a donation to the Animal Humane Society • plAnninG AssistAnCe: Nicole Walesch, b.inspired events • hon-eymoon: Kauai in November 2010, Italy in July 2011 • hAir/mAkeup: Andrea Holton for the bride, Smart and Chic Bride for the wedding party

briDE's tip: “remember what

the day’s about . . . celebrating that

the two of you are going to spend this

amazing life together.”

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CloCkwise from top left: Simple and elegant programs with personalized monogram, by Lemon and Lavender. • The classic Minikahda Club, Minneapolis’s grande dame. • White orchid centerpieces by Nature’s Harvest. • To ward off the November chill, Maria donned her aunt’s fur stole (“something borrowed”) between the ceremony and reception.

Mallory and ryan Kunz ♥ October 16, 2010 ♥ Withrow Ballroom and Event Center

PHotograPHy by sHelley Paulson PHotograPHy

this pAGe: Ryan and Mallory pose near an old farm in Lake Elmo they had admired for years.

1. Lace motif cake by Fresh Fields Bakery. • 2. Antique glass lanterns with local cornstalks. • 3. Boots and lace, two of the bride’s favorite things. • 4. The sign outside Withrow Ballroom, with fall display by Paul Bergmann (owner of the ballroom). • 5. Shotgun shells (attached to the back of the newlyweds’ truck), passed on by Mallory’s matron of honor. • 6. The couple’s son, Jack, a huge fan of John Deere trac-tors and crops. • 7. “Popcorn on the cob“ favors. • 8. Mallory’s sister Natalie holding a small junior bridesmaid bouquet. • 9. Helzberg Diamonds rings with a pumpkin hand-glazed by the bride.

Ceremony: Church of St. Peter, North St. Paul • reCeption: Withrow Ballroom and Event Center, Withrow • Dress: San Pat-rick, from The Wedding Shoppe • BriDes-mAiDs’ Dresses: The Wedding Shoppe • Groom’s/Groomsmen’s Attire: Heimie’s Haberdashery • rinGs: Helzberg Diamonds • CAterinG: K&J Catering • CAke/Dessert: Fresh Fields Bakery, apple pie squares by Pine Tree Apple Orchard • flowers: Shelli Debilzan, Forever in Bloom • invitAtions: Free Range Design Co. (Mallory’s company) • Ceremony musiC: Church of St. Peter musicians • reCeption musiC: The Dixie Hicks Band • fAvors: Popcorn on the cob from Amish Country Popcorn • honeymoon: Door County, Wis. • hAir: Christa, Just For Me Spa • mAkeup: Brooke Fleetwood

women went trap shooting (of course), while the men shot sporting clays and held a bonfire and barbecue at Ryan’s brother’s house.

For wedding guests, the couple shared their comfy vibe early on, through invita-tions that Mallory, a freelance graphic designer, created.

Their central image, a pair of cowboy boots, comple-mented the printed phrase “Bring your boots.” And bring them guests did, showing up with cowboy hats and boots to the rural fall wedding. After the ceremony at the Church of St. Peter in North St. Paul—where most of the groom’s family has married—the happy couple swapped their dress shoes for boots in the parking lot.

In keeping with the wed-ding’s “romantic country” theme, the table settings at Withrow Ballroom and Event Center included bouquets of wheat, flickering candles in mason jars, vintage-style lanterns, and glazed pump-kins. Guests enjoyed a buffet of comfort foods such as beef stroganoff, followed by apple pie squares from a nearby orchard. In a fitting touch, Mallory’s childhood farm even made an appearance: Ryan, a carpenter, handmade the card box (for gifts) using chicken wire and fencing from the beloved family farm.

I f you had to choose one word to describe Mallory and Ryan, it would be laid-back.

The couple, who grew up near Stillwater, are happier spending a day shooting trap than shopping at the mall. In fact, when Ryan proposed to Mallory in 2009, it was after a day spent shooting trap

together and splitting wood at a friend’s farm. Mallory was exhausted, but Ryan talked her into stopping at their favorite bar, Sal’s, where he proposed.

When the couple, who met in 2007 through mutual friends and have a 2-year-old son together, started planning their wedding, they wanted to

keep it personal. “We wanted a casual country-themed wedding,” says Mallory, who grew up on a 90-acre horse farm. “We tried to make it as laid-back as possible.” That applied to the wedding as well as to the planning process. “Even my bachelor party and her bachelorette party were laid-back,” Ryan says. The

The Details:mallory& ryan


briDE's vision:

“We tried to make it as laid-back

as possible.”

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A Little Bit Country

W hen Dustee introduced herself to Justin on their first

date, a setup at a Dallas bar in August 2008, he misheard her and thought her name was Destiny. Dustee was offended, but Justin was right—he had just met his destiny.

That became clear as the two started dating (in spite of the initial gaffe), and in September 2009 Justin sur-prised Dustee with a proposal at a fancy Dallas hotel. This pair is incredibly busy: He practices commercial litiga-tion, she’s VP of communica-tions for Target—and they plan to move to Minneapolis this fall. So as they started

planning their nuptials, they were sure of one thing: They wanted a destination wedding.

Dustee had worked on Capitol Hill as director of press for Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas, and then as the President Bush–appointed director of com-munications for the Secretary of U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD), so she and Justin sought an easy des-tination for guests from both D.C. and Texas. “I had worked a lot with the ambassador to the Bahamas, so I was familiar with the Bahamian people,” Dustee says. “They very much want people to experience and love their island, so we wanted to share that with

people we love.”The bride and groom

shared their big day with 120 people during a stun-ning outdoor wedding at the One&Only Ocean Club on Paradise Island. The couple wove in Bahamian history with a “Bal du Paradis” (Paradise Ball) theme, using peacock feathers and mas-querade masks from New Orleans to reprise the feel of a masquerade ball held on the island in the 1960s. “We didn’t want to do anything ordinary, but do everything a little over the top,” Dustee says.

There was little danger of an ordinary wedding for this couple. Former U.S. Secretary of the Interior Gale

Norton (Dustee’s aunt) read an Apache wedding prayer, HUD chief Alphonso Jackson gave a toast, and one of Dustee’s bridesmaids, Emmy Rossum, is a film and TV star (in Showtime’s Shameless). Still, the couple sprinkled in a few surprises just to be safe—including a Bahamian junkanoo band to get the party started. “Out of the background, after we finished our first dance, you just hear a whistle and a bunch of clap-ping and some drums, and then all of a sudden they start conga lining in,” Justin says. “It was probably the highlight of the party for our guests.” And, just as Dustee desired, far from ordinary.

1. Four-tier red velvet cake accented in gold and pearls. • 2. A blissful moment after the cer-emony. • 3. The bride’s “something blue”: Christian Louboutin peep-toes. • 4. Dustee’s wedding ring, designed by Justin. • 5. Reception tablescapes included more than 5,000 votive candles and pillars topped with fuchsia hydrangeas and pea-cock feathers. • 6. Groomsmen wore navy and fuchsia ties by Brooks Brothers and peacock feather boutonnieres from Etsy. • 7. Guests posed behind picture frames at the escort table. • 8. Bridesmaids donned navy chiffon dresses by Lela Rose, fuchsia high heels, and gold bangle bracelets.

Ceremony AnD reCeption: One&Only Ocean Club in Paradise Island, Bahamas • Dress: Monique Lhuillier • BriDesmAiDs’ Dresses: Lela Rose • Groom’s AnD Groomsmen’s Attire: Banana Republic suits and Brooks Brothers ties • rinGs: Custom rings from Dallas jeweler Glenn Gottlich • CAterinG: One&Only Ocean Club • CAke: Anne Lever, Simply Sweet • flowers: Natalie Appleyard, Wildflowers Creative Design Solutions • invitAtions: Alyssa Reeves, Paradise Design Co. • lin-ens/DeCorAtions: Wildflowers Creative Design Solutions • fAvors: Welcome baskets with printed materials designed by Alyssa Reeves/feather masks from New Or-leans • plAnninG AssistAnCe: Weddings in the City and Weddings in the Bahamas

dustee tucker Jenkins and Justin Jenkins ♥ June 26, 2010 ♥ Paradise Island, Bahamas

PHotograPHy by Kristin Vining

The Details:dustee & justin


this pAGe: Dustee and Justin tied the knot at the dramatic 12th-century Augustinian cloister at Paradise Island’s One&Only Ocean Club.

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Caribbean Queen (and King)

Marissa and robb bader ♥ December 4, 2010 ♥ Graves 601 Hotel

PHotograPHy by JacKi V. PHotograPHy

1. Winter wonderland cen-terpieces by Richfield Flowers and Events. • 2. Snapping photos before the ceremony. • 3. The ”Tale of Three Cities“ cake by Gateaux Inc., which later starred on cable TV. • 4. The stunning ketubah, a Jewish marriage contract, by local artist Judy Freeman. • 5. Marissa attached a photo of her late father, Henry, to her bouquet to keep him with her as she walked down the aisle. • 6. Lake String Quartet. • 7. Passed hors d’oeuvres. • 8. The bride’s bold red shoes matched her red roses.

Ceremony AnD reCeption: Graves 601 Hotel Wyndham Grand • Dress: Two by Rosa Clara Salome, from L’atelier Couture • BriDesmAiDs’ Dresses: Black dresses of their choice • Groom’s AnD Groomsmen’s Attire: Personal tuxes/black suits • rinGs: Continental Diamond • CAterinG: Graves 601 • CAke: Gateaux Inc. • flowers/DeCorAtions: Richfield Flowers and Events • invitAtions: Amy Zaroff Events + Design • viDeoGrAphy: Princess Bride Cinematic Videography • Ceremony musiC: Lake String Quartet • reCeption musiC: Power of 10 • DJ: Zack Perlman • honeymoon: Australia and Fiji • mAkeup: Malika Sadi-Goodman

The couple initially had dif-ferent ideas about their big day. “She wanted it very small and intimate, and I wanted a big party,” Robb says. They com-promised with 230 guests and a winter wonderland theme, fea-turing draped crystals, candles, and white twinkle lights. “I felt like no matter how big it was, we could give it a feel of being

cozy and intimate,” she says. After a rehearsal dinner at

Target Field, guests gathered Saturday at the Graves 601 Hotel Wyndham Grand for the ceremony and reception. The celebration incorporated aspects of the couple’s Jewish heritage, including the signing of the ketubah marriage con-tract and breaking of the glass.

Other details celebrated a more personal aspect: the par-allel paths they’d lived on the coasts—Robb in Los Angeles as a real estate developer and Marissa in New York as a free-lance writer—before meeting in the middle. Their cake was a perfect illustration, featur-ing tiers for L.A. and New York, with Minneapolis in the center. It also added a touch of Hollywood glamour to their nuptials when cable channel WE tv selected the Gateaux Inc. creation to appear on Amazing Wedding Cakes. A TV crew joined the wedding-day scene—one that Robb is certain never to forget.

M arissa and Robb connected deeply from their very first

meeting—if only Robb could remember it. He started off on a good note, confidently walking up to Marissa at a bar and saying, “You’re really beautiful.” They soon were

connecting over the fact that they’d both just moved back to the Twin Cities from the coasts, and Marissa left the bar feeling elated.

But the next Saturday, when they ended up at the same bar again, Robb didn’t remember Marissa—he’d had a bit too much to drink the weekend

before. Thankfully, the couple’s first date at Café & Bar Lurcat on Loring Park left a longer-lasting impression. “It was pure connection,” Marissa says. “We had so much in com-mon.” Just nine months later, Robb proposed to Marissa during a surprise overnight at The Saint Paul Hotel.


The Details:marissa& robb

this pAGe: Richfield Flowers and Events built Marissa and Robb’s stunning huppah—the traditional Jewish wedding canopy.

briDE's vision:

“no matter how big it was, we

could give it a feel of being cozy and

intimate.”

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A Tale of Three Cities

pg 60-69 real we f11lo

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