Shout outs! I owe so many people a huge THANK YOU!

I couldn't have asked for a more perfect weekend. Everything went just as I hoped it would. I expected to feel extremely disappointed after the wedding was over, but I'm so happy with how everything went, and I'm so happy to be an Imes, that there simply isn't any time for disappointment! I'm too busy smiling!

Truly, the only hiccup occurred at about 1:00 on Friday. As a train of vehicles departed the Thoe farm for the stone barn, we realized Bosco was missing. There were only a few of us at the farm, and we searched desperately for Boz. In the chaos, Drew set down the rings and the marriage license.

We finally had to leave, because we were already late. As we drove to the barn, we realized that not only was our dog missing, but the rings and the marriage license as well.

Luckily, my friend's mom found Bosco in a vehicle. (Bosco doesn't love the farm. He is usually pretty desperate to leave so we think he jumped in my friend Bry's vehicle, hoping she'd turn on the AC and drive him home!)

The most amazing part of a wedding is having all your favorite people together all at once. We had friends and family join us from Virginia, Maine, Connecticut, Alaska, New York, California, Arkansas, Missouri, Texas, New Hampshire, Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois. What a blessing to have everyone together!

Photo by Britt Klug

McCayla made us a bunch of beautiful signs out of old wood we found on the farm! As you may recall, this is the bike that originally drew me to Drew!

Photo by Britt Klug

Walking out to "You Make My Dreams Come True!" by Hall and Oates was a highlight for me! 



Cocktail hour

An assortment of paper lanterns, we loved the lanterns with LED lights we purchased off Saveoncrafts.com

Photo by Britt Klug

Flower girl skirt by Lil Miss Goodie TuTu, flower girl tank top by Justice

Assortment of "vintage china" gathered from thrift stores, estate sales, and antique shops.

Veil and hair piece by Fascinating Creations

Necklace and earrings by Divine Jewel

Bouquet by Your Enchanted Florist

Dress by David's Bridal

Shoes by Aldo

Hair and make-up by Noelle Hennessey

Milk jugs found at the Thoe Farm

Hand stamped with stamps purchased at craft stores and off Etsy

Shout-outs!

I truly have nothing but good things to say about all the vendors I worked with. Noelle Hennessey did our hair, and she did such a wonderful job. If you are looking for a stylist in the metro area, look up Noelle! She can be found at  Molly Black Salon, 546 Marshall Ave. St.Paul. on Tuesdays and Thursdays and at Foiled Again Salon in Minneapolis Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. The address is 2807 Johnson St. Northeast Mpls. You can email me or go to www.foiledagainsalon.com. to book online.

She does do wedding parties on Saturdays, and she is amazing with vintage looks! I just love her, she is always such a good sport. She drove down from St. Paul at 4 am to do my hair at the Thoe farm at 6:20 am!

As you know, I tried to stick to a budget and so we ordered our flowers in bulk through Sam's Club. We ordered hydrangeas and baby's breath in bulk. The bouquets turned out beautifully (thanks to Amber for putting them together); however, the white hydrangeas looked the best. The green and blue hydrangeas did not look as fresh as the white.

I did want to buy my bouquet. I decided to go to the florist Drew uses when he buys me flowers, ahem, I mean the one and only time he bought me flowers... (hehe). She has won several awards and I knew she'd do a great job. I was shocked to find out that the bride's bouquet often ranges in price between $125-$700. Naturally, I went with the $125 option; however, when my bouquet arrived I felt like a million bucks!

Lynne Tischler, the florist, is the most charming, personable and lovely woman. Right away she asked me about my budget, and even though I wasn't spending  a lot of money, she treated me like a first-class client. She understood my budget and was so willing to work with me. She called to make sure everything was perfect and even offered to come down to Rochester if anything went awry with my bouquet! I loved my crescent shaped bouquet, and it was just what I envisioned. She also provided the petals for the aisle, and she understood just what I wanted!

The band, Golly Llamas, knocked everyone's socks off! Ahem, I may or may not know the band... wink wink... so if you need a cover band for any reason, you know who to contact! They went above and beyond to play for my wedding and they kept everyone dancing until midnight!

Finally, I want to recommend my caterer. We worked with Omar's Cafe out of West Concord, MN. They are a family owned and operated business, and they use as many locally grown, organic, products from the farmer's market as possible. The Sunday brunch at the cafe is to die for. It's worth the drive from Rochester, Owatonna, Albert Lea, even the cities. I'm serious, take your wife or your mom or your family down to West Concord for their Sunday brunch, you won't be disappointed!

Omar's family went through a serious family emergency this week, and despite everything, they whipped up the most amazing meal. There was so much food- all of it delicious! They also provided a beautiful fruit and veggie bar during cocktail hour.

I'm still on a wedding high and I wanted to make sure to give a shout out to all my amazing vendors! If you are getting hitched, I encourage you to look into some of these amazing small businesses!

xoxo

Love, Bridezilla!!!