Sam + Hawthorne | Backyard
THE PLANNING
Sam and Hawthrone were such a sweet couple to plan with! Lead planner Kellie had many meetings with the couple and the groom’s mom throughout the wedding planning process. They mixed it up with in person meetings at our office, zoom meetings, and Kellie visiting the property where the wedding reception would take place. The groom’s family hosts a barn dance at this location every year, so they are used to planning parties, but this event was going to be much bigger. They realized that hiring a wedding planner, like Rustic Elegance, would help ensure everything went smoothly so they could enjoy the day and not be overwhelmed by the details. Plus, we specialize in backyard and barn weddings, so they knew we had them covered!
The guest count ended up landing at about 250 people, so we had to face the challenge of figuring out how to best fit all the guests and the tent on the property. Luckily, our personal experience and great relationship with Apres made the process go smoothly. We decided to have the dance and bar in the barn, and the dinner under the tent. A few cocktail tents were placed between the two in order to create a better flow of the space and provide more locations for guests to hang out. We then created a layout to show where everything would be placed.
The Thursday before the wedding the RE team was on site to help direct Apres’ tent setup crew and to prep as much as possible. Then all we had left to do was wait for the beautiful wedding day to arrive!
THE MORNING
The wedding party met at the barn bright and early on this hot Minnesota day to begin getting ready. Natasha, the groom’s mom, did an amazing job of converting 2 of the barn spaces into getting ready areas for the bride and groom! Alyssa Hastings and Sonji Steenberg worked their magic on the ladies hair and makeup while also getting the energy up for the big day ahead!
Fun Fact: At this point you may be wondering why our beautiful bride, Sam, seems familiar. You may recognize her from the morning show on K102! How fun is that?!
The whole morning you could feel the excitement in the air! The couple opted to not do a first look, so they took individual photos with Photography by Abby Lynn before the ceremony. The bride looked absolutely stunning in her Annika Bridal dress! Based on her bridesmaid’s reactions, you can tell they thought so too!
Once everything was in place for the reception, lead planner Kellie headed to the Church of Saint Timothy to begin prepping for the ceremony. Her assistant for the day, Carlie, stayed back at the house to greet the remaining vendors and help direct them.
Upon arriving at the church, the bride did a first look with her dad which was super sweet!
THE CEREMONY
The ceremony space in the church was elegant and timeless. The couple decided to use minimal decor, so there were only programs and 2 arrangements at the front. Once guests arrived and took their seats, we got everyone lined up and began directing them so they would know exactly when to walk. The groom escorted the bride’s mom down the aisle and then returned to walk with his own mom. His dad would be walking down with the bridesmaids and groomsmen as he was Hawthorne’s best man (which we loved)! Once the wedding party, 2 flower girls, and ring bearer made it down the aisle, it was time for Sam’s grand entrance! We love the pure happiness on the couple’s faces as they see each other for the first time!
After a beautiful ceremony with sweet words and a unity candle, it was time for this lovely couple to share their long awaited kiss and officially become husband and wife!!
The couple took a moment to celebrate, then the wedding party, the couple, and their families took photos with Abby in front of the church. Once those wrapped up, the couple drove to the reception in a decorated vintage truck that belonged to the groom’s family. It was so cute!
THE RECEPTION
As guests made their way to the reception space, they were greeted by the stunning layout that we had been working on over the last few months! The head table was made using our farm tables and added the perfect rustic touch to the tent setup. The arch and neon sign that was provided by the couple made the perfect backdrop!
The guest tables were decorated with navy linens that were provided by Apres. The couple provided copper frame table numbers, candles, and greenery to put down the center which blended well with the vases of flowers that the florist provided.
Guests socialized and snacked on a delicious meat and cheese tray that a family friend had made. They were able to grab a beer from the beer trailer, wine from the wine station, or a mixed drink from the bar. It made the cocktail hour experience a lot of fun! Guests were also encouraged to use the polaroid camera to take a photo for the guest book. They had fun getting pictures and writing a message to the newlyweds!
When dinner was ready, the RE team directed guests to the seating chart to find their correct tables and take a seat. The wedding party and parents did a grand entrance into dinner, which got the crowd excited for the night ahead! As the couple entered, they stopped in the middle of the tent to do their first dance. The groom surprised the bride with a song that he had written! You can see in the photos that Sam was concerned that it wasn’t the correct song, but then she realized it was a surprise song from Hawthorne. This was such a sweet moment for everyone to witness!
The bride then did a fun dance with her dad, followed by the groom doing one with his mom. Once all the special dances wrapped up, the couple took their seats and said a welcome, followed by a prayer, and it was time to eat!
The meal was served buffet style from B&P Catering. They grilled everything on-site, so it smelled delicious throughout the reception space! Guests also helped themselves to dessert from Emily Grace Cakes, which consisted of delicious cake and cupcakes.
Once everyone finished eating, it was time for the dancing to begin. Drop Tailgate did an amazing job keeping everyone on the dance floor with their live music! The RE team lit the bonfire and helped set out the late night snack of pizza before focusing on clean up. We tied up the garbage, cleaned up the table decor, and secured important items before heading out. We heard from the couple that their barn dance ended up going until the wee hours of the morning - we’re so glad they were able to enjoy their day to the fullest! We’re surprised they weren’t still partying when Apres came to take the tent down on the Tuesday after the wedding! ;)
Sam + Hawthorne, we hope that marriage has been just as fun as your wedding day was! We had such a great time planning with you and bringing your vision to life. Here’s to many more barn parties!
Big thank you to Photography by Abby Lynn for sharing these photos with us!
VENDORS
Ceremony Venue: Church of Saint Timothy
Reception: Backyard, Buffalo MN
Caterer: B&P Catering
Rentals: Apres
Band: Drop Tailgate
Photographer: Photography by Abby Lynn
Videographer: Hunter Jarnot (with photographer)
Dessert: Emily Grace Cakes
Hair: Alyssa Hastings
Makeup: Sonji Steenberg
Bridal Dress: Annika Bridal
Bathrooms: Wruck Sewer & Portable Rental
Coordinator: Rustic Elegance
Creatively written by: Hope Konkol