Woodsy Wonderland Wedding

Today’s bride describes her wedding day vision as “Marie Antoinette meets Mad Hatter tea party.” It doesn’t get much better than that, folks. Jeff Loves Jessica, Bash Collective, and Saffron & Grey all teamed up to create a truly romantic Minnesota wedding we’re crazy about.

From the bride, Melissa: I wanted my wedding to be soft, romantic and whimsical but most of all, fun. We wanted to throw the best party our family and friends had ever attended. Our theme was Glamorous in Wonderland and we used the color scheme of pale pink and shades of grey. We wanted our wedding to be a cross between a Marie Antoinette hosted picnic and the whimsy of the Mad Hatter Tea party.

We had 18 months to plan, so there were lots of DIY projects. I designed my own invitations and had them printed by a letterpress in Utah. I purchased fabric and had my talented mother sew the table runners and pillows. My mother also crocheted bunnies for all the kids under 2 who were attending. We collected 800+ pieces of mismatched china, teapots, vintage clocks, milk glass vases, and old Alice in Wonderland books from thrift shops. My groom sprayed painted dozens of ceramic bunnies (also found at thrift shops) and a dozen plastic flamingos. We painted and assembled the chipboard clocks that we used for our seating plan. Printed and punched out name tags for placecards. I’m not going to lie, it was a lot, and in the end I was ready to be done!

Any advice for couples planning their weddings now? Hire amazing vendors. My wedding day was stress free and went wonderfully because I had such amazing vendors. Don’t do anything just because “it’s a tradition”; if it doesn’t speak to you, skip it! And I would say, keep your guests in mind. I was constantly thinking – how would it feel to be a guest at this wedding and I made my decisions according. I know it’s suppose to be the bride’s big day, but I invited 120 other people and I wanted them to have a their best day too.

See Also

Colorful Coastal Wedding Editorial at The OceanCliff Hotel

Wedding Music:
Processional: Piano cover of “Titanium,” David Guetta
Recessional: Piano cover of “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” Guns N Roses
First Dance: “The Most Beautiful Girl (in the Room),” Flight of the Conchords

Wedding Location: Finlayson, MN / Photographer: Jeff Loves Jessica / Wedding Coordination: Bash Collective / Florist: Saffron & Grey / Venue: Juliane James Place / Wedding Dress: Ann Taylor / Belt: BHLDN / Hair and Makeup: Melissa at Creative Beaute Agency / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Rush’s Bridal, Luxe Bridal, Saks Off 5th / Groom’s Suit: Macy’s / Wedding Caterer: New Scenic Cafe / Desserts: Cocoa & Fig / DJ: Generation Now Entertainment / Rentals: Vintage Type and Prop it Up Now / Officiant: Judge Susan N Burke / Wedding Invitations: Designed by Bride, Letterpress by The Mandate Press