Albert Lea Bridal Winter 2019

ALBERT LEA BRIDE Friday, January 11, 2019

Table of Contents 3 Unique wedding reception ideas

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Choosing the

perfect wedding shoes

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Randy and Jill Larson’s winter wedding

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A must-have to-do list for your big day

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Congratulations ON YOUR Engagement!

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3RECEPTION UNIQUE WEDDING

IDEAS

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If you’re getting married, but the thought of a traditional wedding reception leaves you cold, try one of these three fun alternatives:

Find a caterer that specializes in barbeque and get dirty with some ribs or pulled pork. Serve local craft beers and set up some old-fashioned lawn games.

1. BRUNCH RECEPTION For early birds, a morning ceremony and brunch reception is the way to go. Ask your preferred breakfast spot to cater and then serve all of the breakfast classics with espresso drinks to wake your guests up.

Just because it’s early in the day doesn’t mean you have to have a dry wedding — mimosas anyone?

3. COCKTAIL PARTY Do you find banquets a bore but still want to dance the night away? Host a cocktail party! Your venue can pass around lots of appetizers, and you can create a signature cocktail for the night. With this type of reception you can use a smaller space to accommodate your guests.

A wedding reception that breaks with tradition can be more memorable, festive and affordable than the standard dinner and dancing that follows most nuptials.

Your options are limited only by your imagination.

2. BACKYARD BARBEQUE If you prefer to spend your Saturday nights drinking beer and hanging out with friends, why not have a backyard wedding?

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CHOOSING THE

PERFECT

WEDDING

SHOES

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W

hen it comes to accessories that complement your wedding dress, your shoes are arguably the most important. You want your footwear to both reflect your personal style and be comfortable enough to wear as you dance the night away. Here’s a guide to picking the perfect wedding shoes.

• Don’t experiment with high heels. If you’re not used to wearing heels, don’t attempt to wear them at your wedding. There are many flat and wedge styles that make beautiful — and comfortable — bridal shoes.

• Choose your dress first. You’ll want to match the style of shoes to your dress.

• Bring them to your dress fitting. If your dress is long, it’ll need to be adjusted to the height of your shoes.

• Make sure they fit. The best time to shop for shoes is in the late afternoon. If they’re comfortable after a day of work, they’ll fit perfectly on your wedding day.

• Make a statement. Shoes are a great way to add a pop of color to your wedding attire.

• Break them in. Wear your shoes around the house to avoid any nasty surprises on the day of your wedding. If they’re tight or uncomfortable, bring them to a shoemaker to stretch them out a bit.

Lastly, don’t forget to book a pedicure before your wedding. Nothing looks better in stunning shoes than prettily pampered feet.

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Randy

& Jill

LARSON

Bride: Jill (Freeman) Larson

2nd grade teacher at NRHEG school

Groom: Randy Larson Farmer

Wedding date: January 20, 2018

Wedding photos by Emily Bohonek Photography www.emilybohonekphotography.com

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When and where was your wedding? ​ Jan. 20, 2018. The ceremony was at East Freeborn Lutheran Church in Albert Lea. Our reception was at Randy’s parent’s farm in Hayward in a decorated machine shed.

W​h​y did you choose those locations?

We chose to get married at East Freeborn Church because it was where Randy attended throughout his childhood. It was also special to us because it was where his parents got married, and the church has beautiful stainedglass windows in memory of his sister, April.

We chose to have our reception at the Larson family farm because we could make it our own. Randy’s sisters had also both been married at the farm, so it was special to have all of the siblings married at the home where they grew up.

D​id you have a theme for the wedding?

Our theme was a winter wonderland. We wanted lots of lights, candles, white flowers and snow.

T​ell us about the dress.

I got my dress from Effie’s Bridal Trunk in Burnsville. It was trumpet-style dress made by Madison James. I loved the look of white lace on top of a blush undertone. It made the lace really pop. I also love the detailed beading on the top part of the dress, as well as throughout the dress to really make it sparkle.

I wanted my dress to sparkle in all the lights and candles in our ceremony and reception.

One of my favorite features was the long train lined with buttons to the end.

T​ ​ell us about the flowers.

My flowers were a mix of white hydrangeas, white roses, white orchids and plum berries.

Holly Beenken at Garden Diva Design Studios, who I am also blessed to call my sister-in-law, created my beautiful bouquet.

We decided to go with artificial flowers because of the winter weather so they would

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still look beautiful throughout the whole day. We were able to find flowers that had artificial snow on them that sparkled like a freshly fallen snow. I loved the look of a very full bouquet of the white snow-covered flowers with some hanging down in the front, with just a pop of plum berries.

Other decorations.​ The decorations at the reception all came from Holly’s designs. We had a beautiful lighted weeping willow tree that our wedding gifts sat underneath instead of a gift table. We put our head table in the center of the room under a metal hanging rack that contained lots of string lights, white-lighted flowers and hanging glass goblets with candles.

Throughout our venue, we had each table decorated with flameless candles, glass vases, plum ornaments and artificial snow.

T​ ​ell us about the cake​.​ We decided to forgo the traditional wedding cake and have cheesecake bar. We did a traditional cheesecake

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slice with topping choices of cherry, blueberry, caramel, chocolate, whipped cream and nuts.

What was your favorite detail?

It’s really difficult to narrow down my favorite detail. I absolutely loved the whole idea of a romantic winter wonderland. The first time I walked into the shed after the decorations had been put up and the overhead lights turned off so it was just the candles and lights from the decorations, it literally took my breath away. Holly, my mother-in-law

Sandy, father-in-law, Jon, brother-in-law, Darren, Randy and many other helping hands took my ideas and brought to life more than what I could possibly dream of for our wedding. ​ ​hat were you most nervous about?

W I’d have to say my biggest nerves came down to waking up two days before my wedding with the stomach flu! I had worked until Wednesday of my wedding week and was so excited to be able to finally help with last-minute touches on Thursday. Instead, I woke

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up feeling terrible. I remember just crying because I thought how can I be sick today, this is the most important few days of my life! I have the most wonderful family who assured me they would take care of everything, and I just needed to rest. I probably slept 20 out of the 24 hours that day. I felt much better Friday for the nail appointments and rehearsal dinner, but I definitely took it easy so I would be OK for Saturday. Who would have thought the bride would get the stomach flu before the wedding?

What was your most memorable moment?

The whole day was more than what I could have ever imagined. I thought I would be nervous and emotional, but I was the complete opposite. I was so incredibly happy and wanted to take in every moment. I am typically a person who gets anxiety about big things, but I was calm because I knew

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everything had been ready and I was ready to marry my best friend. Our photographer had to tell me to relax my smile during pictures because I was smiling so big all day. We were blessed with 40-degree weather in January. We wouldn’t have been able to put together the wedding of our dreams without our parents, Holly and her beautiful designs and our countless family members and friends’ help.

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PLANNING

BIG DAY

FOR YOUR

12 OR MORE MONTHS AHEAD Announce your engagement Hire a wedding coordinator Set budget Set date Choose attendants Visit and reserve ceremony and reception venues Compile guest list and send save-the-date cards Order wedding gown and accessories Select and book: Caterer Officiant Florist Photographer Cinematographer DJ/Entertainment Arrange any cosmetic procedure or start beauty/health regime 6 OR MORE MONTHS AHEAD Order attendants’ gowns/shoes/accessories Order invitations Register for gifts Purchase wedding rings Take engagement photos Select and book: Makeup and hair stylist Cake Rental equipment Photo booths Honeymoon Wedding night accommodations

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4 OR MORE MONTHS AHEAD Discuss details with vendors Select and book/purchase: Wedding day transportation Favors and gifts Groom’s attire Complete any decorations for the reception Plan rehearsal dinner 2 OR MORE MONTHS AHEAD Mail invitations (6-8 weeks prior) Finalize seating plan and placecards Confirm guest count and relay to vendors Confirm honeymoon plans Obtain marriage license 1 MONTH BEFORE Have final fitting for dress and shoes Pick up dress

THE WEEK BEFORE Pack for your honeymoon Confirm transportation arrangements Prepare tip and payment envelopes for vendors Have manicure and pedicure Rehearse ceremony, attend rehearsal dinner DAY OF Get married and have fun!

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