Caitlin + Ryan | Backyard
The Planning
We had so much fun working with Wendy, the brides mom, to create this special wedding day for Caitlin and Ryan. The wedding took place at the bride's parents home on Lake Minnetonka. Prior to the wedding day, we worked with Wendy and the couple to book vendors, plan out all the decor details, create the timeline and document all the moving parts that would be happening on the wedding day. We toured the property and came up with a master plan/layout for the tents and then helped book all the rental items needed-as far as the tent, tables, chairs, lighting and more. We partnered with Apres Party Rental, Rudy’s Rustic Rentals and We’ve Got it Covered to pull all the pieces together that were needed to create the desired look. The yard proposed certain challenges as they loved the idea of being lakeside for the entire day, but the space and slope down to the lake wouldn't allow for this. So, we brainstormed and decided the best option would be to do the ceremony under a clear top tent, lake side, and then move to the front yard for cocktail hour/dinner and then move back to the lakeside tent for lounging and the dance. Our team was on-site the Thursday and Friday before the wedding to help with set-up and we also led the ceremony rehearsal on Friday as well.
The Morning
On the wedding day, we had three of our coordinators onsite (Kellie, Kierra and Mandy), to ensure everything went as planned. Weather played a bit of a role in the day with the threat of storms. But our team was prepared and ready to handle what came our way. We were constantly opening and closing the sidewalls based on what the weather was doing. We placed the decor, greeted vendors, and made sure everything was set up perfectly per our plan by the time guests arrived. The wedding party (5 attendants on each side), finished prepping as we directed guests to the backyard for the beautiful lake side ceremony. Guests were shuttled by a trolley provided by Renee's Royal Valet and also had the option to have their car valeted by Unparalleled Parking.
The Ceremony
The ceremony arch was decorated by Sadie with Alcove Floral, who also placed white rose petals down the aisle. The couple was married by the bride's uncle Eric, who had guests laughing and crying with his well written ceremony. The couple said their I Do's and happily headed down the aisle as Mr. and Mrs. We directed guests to the front yard tent where they enjoyed the sting quartet provided by Adagio, yard games, butler passed appetizers, a charcuterie display (provided by Apples 2 Apples) and cocktails (provided by Liquid Motion). Guests also had the option to take a pontoon ride provided by Boats Bay to Bay.
The Reception
When it was time for dinner, we directed guests to find their seats, then dismissed tables to the buffet, which was provided by Apples 2 Apples Catering (one of our favorite catering companies to work with). As guests were enjoying dinner, our team worked hard to flip the ceremony/lakeside tent into a lounge/dance area. We used our decor/rental furniture to create a soft seating vignette for guests to casually mingle (which was occupied the entire night). When creating this space, we thoughtfully designed the tent to have the chandeliers hanging in a position where they would work for both the ceremony and the lounge space. The large chandelier in the middle of the tent, hung gracefully over the soft seating area. We also used one of our rustic bars, and placed this in front of the ceremony arch to create a focal point. We also incorporated many of our rental decor items such as our wine barrel cocktail tables, white washed ceremony doors, dessert stands, antique buffet hutch for desserts etc to add to the aesthetic of the day.
After dinner, speeches and an outfit change, Caitlin and Ryan enjoyed their first dance as a married couple, along with the father daughter/mother son dances. Then guests transitioned to the backyard lounge area for dessert, mingling and dancing. They had the choice between traditional wedding cake, provided by Butter Cream, an ice cream sundae bar, rootbeer floats and cookies/bars. While guests were enjoying being together, our team worked to clean up the decor in the dinner tent. We were graced with an amazing sunset over the lake so Jeannine Marie Photography as well as A.B Rich Films captured some fun dock photos/video of the couple with the sun setting into the lake. The rest of the night was spent with guests dancing the night away with Adagio as the amazing DJ. As the evening came to a close, our team then took care of cleaning up all the decor and closing the tents down for the night.
Caitlin + Ryan, the Rustic Elegance team had so much fun being part of your big day! We absolutely loved the energy and love this day was filled with!
A special shoutout to Jeannine Marie Photography for sharing these wonderful photos of the day with us! (P.S. keep scrolling for even more pictures of Caitlin and Ryan’s wedding!)
Want to relive the day with us? Check out A.B. Rich’s wedding video HERE.
Vendors
Venue: Parent’s Backyard
Catering: Apples 2 Apples
Bartending: Liquid Motion
Rentals: Apres / Rudy’s
Decor: We’ve Got it Covered / Rustic Elegance
DJ: Adagio
Florist: Alcove
Photography: Jeannine Marie Photography
Videography: A.B. Rich
Dessert: Butter Cream
Pontoon: Boats Bay to Bay
Shuttle: Renee’s
Valet: Unparalleled Parking
Bathrooms: Nelson Sanitation Portable Bathrooms
Coordinator: Rustic Elegance
Blog Production: Hope Konkol
