THE PLANNING

Lead coordinator Kellie knew when she started planning with Mimi and Anders that this would be a wedding to remember! There were many details to consider since the couple chose the Minnetonka Yacht Club as their venue. All of the couple’s decor, vendors, and 185 guests had to be transported via pontoon to the venue since it was on an island. Luckily, we had done a wedding on Lighthouse Island before, so we knew how to manage all the logistics. It also helped that the couple was super sweet and easy to plan with. They were very organized with communication and details throughout the entire planning process!

The night before the wedding, the RE team joined the wedding party to lead their rehearsal. Apres was also on site to set up the tent and any rentals that could be placed in advance. This included the tables, dance floor, stage, lights.. etc. The couple decided on a sailcloth tent (which is always a top pick in our books). This style of tent lets more light in than the vinyl tents and it fit perfectly with the Yacht Club’s vibe.

THE MORNING

When the morning of the big day arrived, everyone was busy and full of excitement! The couple got ready off site at separate rented guest houses. Locks by El and Warpaint were both with the ladies to perfect their hair and makeup respectively. Meanwhile, the island was filled with the couple’s vendors who were all hard at work to complete their tasks on time. Prior to the wedding day we confirmed what time the vendors would be arriving at the dock. This allowed us to ensure that the pontoon was there and ready to pick them up so everything stayed on schedule.

The RE team pitched in to help Blanchard Catering with set up since they had many components to handle! We assisted with the place settings on the tables which consisted of lots of glassware, silverware, chargers, etc. It was a lovely display once everything was finalized! During this time we decided to keep the tent sidewalls on in order to block the wind, but we were able to take them down later in the day for everyone to enjoy the full island experience. We love that the couple chose clear walls for the tent. This way beautiful lake views were guaranteed no matter what! The couple’s ushers arrived in the morning to help the RE team set up the ceremony chairs which was greatly appreciated!

We also made sure to have signs placed at the different entry points for guest arrival. One sign was placed at Deephaven Elementary School, which is where guests were picked up and shuttled to the beach via the Stillwater Trolley. Upon arrival at the beach, guests were picked up by the pontoons and delivered to the island.

As all of this prep was happening, the wedding party finished getting ready and boated over to the island via Al and Almas. The bride promptly did a sweet first look with her dad. Mimi then met her groom to do their heartwarming first look. We love Anders reaction to the bride in her Annika Bridal gown!

After Anne Noel Photography captured photos of the bride and groom along with their wedding party, they all hopped on Al and Alma’s boat for a little lunch cruise around the lake before the ceremony. Talk about the perfect pre-ceremony activity!

THE CEREMONY

The couple’s wedding party consisted of 5 members on each side, along with 3 ushers and 2 junior ushers. The ushers helped greet guests at different dock points and the parking lot to make sure guests knew where to go and what pontoon to get on to reach the island. This was super helpful and helped avoid any added stress or confusion for the guests.

As everyone arrived they were greeted by the beautiful sound of a string quartet played by the Bluewater Kings Band. Once everyone was seated the wedding party began to glide down the aisle. The junior members were in charge of ushering the grandparents down the aisle. After the entire wedding party made it down the aisle, the bride made her grand entrance right off of the boat being escorted by her parents. It was such a fun (and fitting) entrance for the wedding location!

The couple rented our wooden arch which was covered in amazing flowers from Studio B Floral. The florist also lined the aisle with flower petals and filled jars with flowers which hung from our shepherd hooks. The whole scene was so stunning!

The ceremony itself left the feeling of love in the air. After 3 special readings, the exchange of sweet words, and a meaningful kiss, they were officially the Victors! The couple made their way down the aisle and waited to say hello to each of their guests in the receiving line. Once everyone made their way through, the couple slipped away to sign their marriage license and make it officially official. ;)

THE RECEPTION

As guests made their way to cocktail hour, they were greeted with drinks, passed apps, live music, and a photo booth from VIP Photo Booth. While everyone was enjoying their social time, Kellie and Cassi were making sure to complete the final touches in the reception space. The couple used our table numbers, seating chart frame, and gifts and cards sign. These items were paired with simple greens and candles used as table decor. The napkins also added to the classy vibe of the table. These were folded by the couple in advance and placed by the RE team. Mimi and Anders also wanted to add a special touch to the head table, so they decided on a hanging sign behind them with their last name and used our Mr and Mrs wood signs on the back of their chairs. Everything looked absolutely stunning all together!

Once it was time for dinner, guests took their seats and watched the wedding party’s entertaining grand entrance into the tent. The FOB then took over to say a quick welcome before Blanchard Catering began serving the family style dinner. To add to the experience, the couple opted for a wine pour with dinner and a champagne pour for speeches from With a Twist. There were many touching speeches for the guests to listen to while they sipped on their bubbly! By the time that the FOB, MOG, 2 MOH, BM, and bride/groom finished their speeches, the whole room was filled with laughter and love!

The dessert table was filled with so many goodies, nobody could resist taking a treat after their meal! There was a couple’s cake and cupcakes from St Croix Bakery and a traditional cake made by the MOG. We displayed the sweets on a few of our dessert stands and brought the cake to the couple’s seats for them to cut. The view of the lake behind the head table made for the perfect backdrop!

After everyone was finished eating, the couple took the dance floor to do their first dance to “You Are The Best Thing” played by the live band. This was followed by the couple’s parent dances, Mimi and her dad had a fun dance that got everyone in the mood to get on the dance floor! As soon as the mother son dance was done, the floor was packed with guests grooving away to the Bluewater Kings. This band is always a hit at weddings, which is why they’re one of our favorite live options!

As the night progressed, the RE team got the bonfire started, worked on clean up and even met the UberEats driver at the doc who delivered the late night snack of White Castle to the party!

Before wrapping the night came to an end, we organized a sparkler send off which is always a bit crazy, but so fun! When considering the options for a grand exit, Mimi and Anders knew that it would have to be a boat. Instead of taking the pontoon, they surprised guests by hopping onto a friend’s speedboat which led them to a Rolls Royce getaway car that took them to their hotel. Talk about a GRAND exit! All of these moments left Hard Copy Film Co with many spectacular clips of the couple’s day. You can relive the whole thing with us by watching the video HERE! The RE team then cleaned up all the decor and loaded everything back onto the pontoon for the family to take home.