driftless Weddings
BY ROZ WEIS
STAFF WRITER
Words, friends and family
Tyler Wright, Jaclyn Jirak treasure close connections during wedding
BY SETH BOYES
DECORAH LEADER NEWS EDITOR
t started with conversation.
ITyler Wright and Jaclyn Jirak met in passing years ago, while one of Wright’s friends was getting married. But it wasn’t until he made a point of sitting down for a meal at Rubaiyat in Decorah, that he and his future wife truly connected.
Jirak, the daughter of Jerry and Gayle Jirak, works at the local restaurant and recalled Wright, son of Greg and Shirley Wright, would often bring his laptop computer with him as he completed work for his business Wright Way Computers.
The two gradually developed a relationship before marrying in September of 2024.
“I don’t usually get too chatty, but we kind of struck up a conversation at one point, and I found out this is somebody I love to talk to,” Jirak said, adding she often looked forward to seeing Wright at the restaurant.
“We always had— and still do have — really great conversations about everything and anything.”
Jirak described herself and her husband as straightforward, and both agreed they generally knew what they were looking for in a relationship going in — the couple recalled the concept of marriage coming up in conversation early in their relationship.
“We didn’t beat around the bush,” Wright said. And once the couple decided they were meant for each other, they began looking at rings — deciding to shop locally at Holstrom’s Jewelers in Cresco. The ring for Wright arrived first, and Jirak took what she called a sneaky approach, surprising Wright with a proposal.
The two were on a walk near Siewers Spring in Decorah — one of Jirak’s favorite sites, she said. Jirak planned to tie the ring box to the collar of her German shepherd for Wright to find. She was eventually able to get ahead of her soon-to-be fiancé, and place the box on the collar before sending the dog to Wright. Wright said, even though he considers himself
We were honored to host Tyler & Jackie's wedding reception!
Jirak Wright wedding
Clockwise from top left- Tyler Wright and Jaclyn Jirak are pictured in downtown Decorah with their wedding transportation, Tyler's 1967 maroon Chevy Camaro. Jaclyn carried a bouquet of flowers from Oak and Olive Flowers and from her mother’s garden. She wore a antique art nouveau locket (a birthday gift from her groom) and a gold bracelet from her godmother. The couple was married Sept. 14, 2025 at Notre Dame Catholic Church in Cresco.
something of a traditionalist when it comes to proposals, he found humor in the situation, and he was later able to blindside his fiancé with a second proposal after her ring arrived.
He knew Jirak, who graduated from Luther College in 2010 with an English degree, had an affinity for the written word. Wright wrote a letter to Jirak and placed the ring box in the Advent wreath which sat on the kitchen table. It was a surprise Jirak initially overlooked until Wright pointed it out.
“I got to the bottom of the letter, and he’s like ‘I picked up your ring today,’ and I just stopped and stared at him for a second,” she said.
Still, Jirak said she appreci-
ated the melded symbolism of her ring being placed within the wreath, which is often associated with the concept of waiting.
The couple set a mid-September date for their wedding, later finding out the month is popular for weddings — they called almost a dozen photographers before finding one who was available. But they had an easier time booking their venues. They booked Good Times in Cresco as a rehearsal venue, and scheduled their ceremony at Notre Dame Catholic Church in Cresco with a reception at T-Bock’s Upstairs in Decorah.
The couple opted for an art deco color palette — consisting of teal, gold, wine and cobalt — and they also decided to
highlight their family ties and friendships in several ways that day.
They were married on the same day Jirak’s grandparents celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary, and Father Jacob Rouse offered a special blessing to the elderly couple during the wedding ceremony.
“They were 96 at the time, and they had been pretty much home-bound since COVID, but they both managed to show up at the ceremony, which I was never expecting, so it was very cool,” Jirak said. She and Wright also hired a
pair of caricature artists Jirak had befriended while working summers in the Wisconsin Dells area to draw guests at the wedding reception.
“I had people talking about that for weeks after,” Jirak said. “It was really fun.” Even the music at the reception was selected with the guests in mind.
“I wanted a conversational atmosphere for the whole reception,” Wright said. “So we hired
Jaclyn Jirak and Tyler Wright were married in Notre Dame Catholic Church in Cresco on the same day Jirak’s grandparents celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary. Father Jacob Rouse offered a special blessing to the elderly couple during the wedding ceremony.
circles small.
“Since we all worked together, the Impact team hung out together outside of work, and ultimately Sean and I got closer as friends,” Annika said. “We quickly learned our similar interests and values. We also discovered all of our mutual friends and even that our grandparents were friends and had gone on vacations with each other. Just the little age gap was enough for us to never cross paths.”
After a few years of dating, the couple went on their annual trip to her grandparent’s cabin in the Big Horn Mountains — the couple said this was the place they had first said the words “I love you.”
“We invited Sean’s parents to join my family,” Annika said, “so I suspected something could happen. The first day it rained all day, so I knew nothing was going to happen that day. As we discussed what to do the next day, I suggested my favorite hike, anticipating that he might do it there. The hike is only a mile long and leads to this beautiful waterfall, Porcupine Falls. Once we got to the bottom, I suggested we take our usual photo by the fall. That’s when Sean got down on one knee. He had already told my parents the plan, but his parents and no idea and neither did my brother and his girlfriend. It all happened so quickly my brother didn’t even see it. After all the excitement, we had to hike back up to the top. It was so fun asking Sean all the questions about how he planned it or where he
hid the ring. When we got to the top, my parents surprised us with a bottle of champagne. It was all so perfect.”
After the proposal, they started talking about their vision for the wedding.
“We were sitting on the front porch and Sean was like ‘Why don’t we just do it here?’ We both wanted something small, but being from a small town, running a small business with a lot of connections and having lots of family in town, we thought it would be impossible to do something small in Decorah,” Annika said. “The more we talked about it, the more we could envision it at the cabin. It quickly became my mom’s passion project. She helped us every step of the way and thought of things that we never would have. I knew I wanted simplicity with a touch of elegance while still incorporating the nature around us. We worked with one local rental company, Powder River Party Rentals, to supply tables, chairs and whiskey barrels. And we used Whirly Girl, a local florist, for my flowers. We chose her smallest package with just my bouquet, Sean’s boutonniere and a few larger arrangements to use at the ceremony and on the dinner table. I figured, since there are so many wildflowers, I would just use those for most of the flowers. Everything else we did and supplied ourselves. Everyone played a role at our wedding too. My uncle married us. My aunts decorated, helped make the food with my mom and even served the food. My
brother played music during our ceremony. My brother’s girlfriend made the cake. My best friend did my hair and makeup. My cousins decorated, were the welcomers/parking guides at the ceremony, and also helped serve dinner. Overall, it took a lot of spreadsheets from my mom and organization with packing and getting everything out there.”
Whiskey saves the day
Annika and Sean both said they liked the idea of an outdoor
wedding.
“I suppose it was our only option with choosing the cabin as our wedding location,” Annika said.
But the couple also realized the risk of Mother Nature spoiling an outdoor ceremony. Their back-up plan was simple - everyone would just run and pile into the cabin, where the ceremony could be performed in front of the fireplace.
“We had tents ready to pop up on the porch to get a little more space, but luckily, we
were blessed with no rain,” Annika said. “Funny story - my mom had read about a southern tradition about burying a bottle of bourbon a month before the ceremony to ward off any rain.
The more we joked about it, the more we were like, ‘Wait, it might not be a bad idea to go out a month early to drop a few
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Sean and Annika shared a special moment on the rooftop at Impact Coffee in downtown Decorah the evening of their local reception, Aug. 24. INSET ABOVE- A breathtaking backdrop in Wyoming set the stage for Annika and Sean’s destination wedding on June 29, 2024.
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PHOTOGRAPHY
things off and plan a little on site.’ So, we did. And once our ceremony was over, we dug it up and each took a swig.”
Wedding Day
The morning of their wedding dawned, and the couple rose early to write their wedding vows. Following a traditional breakfast of eggs, sausage and toast on the porch, they started off on a group hike.
“Everyone wanting to join us hiked to Paradise Falls. At the end of the hike,” Annika said.
“You find yourself on top of a waterfall where pools of water form before the falls. It creates a natural waterslide. As kids, we would do this almost every time we visited - if the water wasn’t too dangerous. I hadn’t done it in years. When we arrived, my friend Maddy Ihde was immediately ready to jump in. Soon enough, almost everyone had done it. It was such a great start to the day. The water was very cold since it was from snow melt, so it was like an ice bath to wake us up for our big day. While we were away, my parents and grandparents had started to set up for the ceremony.
Once we got back, we helped set up all the final touches and started to get ready. Since the
— we made our way back to do the final things before the ceremony started.”
The wedding ceremony was set in the front yard of the cabin. Wooden folding chairs were set up for the guests.
The ceremony itself was short and sweet, but the couple agreed that it felt very meaningful with lots of personal touches; such as Annika’s brother singing while she walked down the aisle.
Annika embraced the wedding recipe of “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.”
Clockwise from top left- Sean and Annika’s unity celebration at their wedding incorporated custom keepsakes from family and friends. Guests were invited to snap Polaroid photographs at the Brown Vande Krol wedding. Those photos and other keepsakes were placed in a custom wooden box crafted by the bride’s paternal grandfather. Warm candlelight and wildflowers framed the reception tables under a canopy of towering trees in Wyoming. The couples’ friends and family all had a roll on their wedding day in Wyoming, from helping decorate to making and serving food to playing music. Annika’s brother’s girlfriend made the wedding cake.
Her something old was her great-grandma’s handkerchief around her bouquet and a brooch Sean’s grandmother had worn on her wedding day in Germany. The bride had purchased a Sølje hair pin for her something new on the wedding day. She borrowed earring belonging to Sean’s mother, and wore a turquoise ring gifted from her cousin to round out the rhyme.
Annika’s maternal grandfather Stan Finholt also gifted her a custom ring box he had crafted.
“We chose to do a ring warming ceremony, where we had our guests pass around our ring box to take a few moments to reflect, pray or infuse them with their love, blessings and well wishes,” Annika said. “Then we
did a unity ceremony. My paternal grandfather Dan Vande Krol made us a custom wooden box with a carving of our favorite view of the mountain. We used the box as a symbol to unite us, the things we enjoy doing
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together, and the adventures we look forward to in marriage. In the box, we put our vows, a bottle of whiskey, photos from our past, photos taken during the wedding day taken by our guests on Polaroids, and advice from our guests. During the ceremony we took a few photos with the Polaroid and added them to the box too.”
The couple celebrated by opening the once-buried bottle of whiskey to made old fashioneds. The couple drank from a custom ale bowl Annika’s mom had commissioned from a Luther classmate, James Miller, who designed, carved and painted it — in Norwegian tradition, an ale bowl was used at gatherings for weddings and funerals.
“Every year on our anniversary, we will open the box and be reminded of the beautiful day we had with our loved ones. We’ll open the bottle once again to share a drink and put it back on the shelf to be a constant reminder of our love and commitment to each other,” Annika shared.
After the ceremony, guests joined the couple for a cocktail hour. The self-serve bar was set up with recipe cards for those wanting to make their own old fashioneds or gin and tonics — the couple’s go-to choices. Guests transitioned to dinner, where long tables were set up for a family-style meal.
After dinner, the couple took off on a side-by-side and photographer Mo Speer captured more photos at locations near the cabin.
“When we came back, we continued to mingle with everyone and eventually transitioned to our first dance,” Annika said. “I had made a few playlists on my phone and just shuffled through the music after that. We brought out foam glow sticks to bring up the mood, and it worked. We danced all night outside. Once most of the guests left, we started to clean up — mainly just picking up food so we didn’t attract a bear.”
Decorah reception
The couple’s hometown reception in Decorah was held a couple months later. The Aug. 24 reception followed the simple and intimate theme embraced by the Browns. Guests gathered at the large event space at Impact Coffee in downtown Decorah.
“Two months later, we had our reception at home. After considering a few venues in Decorah, we thought what better place than our own? In reality, planning this was a lot easier than the wedding day in Wyoming. We had Trout River Catering do the food, hired two bartenders to serve the drinks. Built a photo booth for our guests to use. Ordered bulk
Clockwise from top leftCarrie Solberg of Decorah made the Kransekake Norwegian Wedding Cake for the Brown’s local reception. The couple ordered flowers from Canoe Creek Produce. Sean and Annika danced to their first dance song for the second time during their local reception surrounded by guests and photos from their Wyoming wedding on display on the walls. Reception food by Trout River Catering. Annika and Sean shared a special moment with their dogs Loti and Lena as the couple celebrated their marriage in Wyoming. The couple hired bartenders to serve drinks while they enjoyed their time on the other side of the counter.
flowers from Canoe Creek.
I opted to wear my wedding dress but had it hemmed to be a little easier to get around in.”
Impact was open to the public that day until noon, and during their morning hours the bride, her mom and friends gathered in the basement to arrange the flowers. Once the coffee shop closed for the day, they began rearranging furniture and preparing for the reception.
“The goal was to open up the main floor and get more seating on the second floor,” Annika said. “We had lots of hands, including a lot of my parents’ friends and Sean’s family visit-
ing from England. Once we felt the space was ready, we headed back to our house to get ready. I had the same friend, Karoline Johnson, do my makeup.”
Things quickly came together at Impact, the couple said.
“As the reception started, Sean and I stood at the front door to greet every guest,” Annika said.
The newlyweds mingled. Guests were encouraged to eat, use the photo booth and just have an all-around good time.
“We had photos printed from our Wyoming wedding and on display on the walls, as well as other memorabilia from our ceremony,” Annika said. “Including the ring box, unity box and ale bowl. “
After additional photos were captured throughout the building, the couple decided it was time to begin the dancing.
“We took the moment to grab the mic and thank everyone for joining us,” Annika said.
“We then danced again to our
first dance song and quickly switched it up to dance music and got our guests on the dance floor with us. The rest of the night, we continued dancing, mingling, running to the photo booth for a quick picture with friends; and then finally the classic Decorah wedding tradition - Mabe’s Pizza.”
Honeymoon
After a January wedding trip to the Hawaiian island of Kauai, where they hiked, explored and relaxed — in addition to visiting the Kauai Coffee Farm — they returned to Decorah to run Impact Coffee.
“We love being in town where we can easily get to the coffee shop at a moment’s notice or walk downtown to grab dinner,” Annika said. “We plan on continuing to run the coffee shop and maybe, one day, find a piece of land outside of town where our dogs can run, and we can live in our dream home.”
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they tie the knot, which can make the day feel like a whirlwind. Certain skills can come in especially handy on a wedding day, and the ability to manage time is certainly one of them. As their big day draws closer, couples can employ these time management tips to slow the day down a little bit.
• Create and distribute a schedule. A schedule can ensure the happy couple and all members of the bridal party know when and where they need to be at certain times during the day. Include all pertinent information on the schedule, including when and where hair and makeup appointments begin, when transportation to and from the ceremony and reception site will arrive and, of course, the start time for the ceremony. A printed copy can help, but a digital copy sent via text or email can guarantee the schedule is accessible via smartphone at all times during the day.
• Collaborate with your photographer in advance of your wedding day. Couples can streamline wedding day photography sessions by collaborating with their photographer in advance. During these sessions, identify the bridal party shots you want to take and then create a schedule of photos so all party members know where they need to be and when. Some couples choose to schedule bridal party photoshoots before the ceremony, while others prefer theirs after the couple has made it official. Regardless of which option couples prefer, schedule these photos so no time is wasted finding bridal party members.
• Don’t forget to set aside time to eat. Anything can derail a wedding day schedule if it’s forgotten when couples devise their initial plan for how the day will unfold. Couples might be less inclined to forget hair and makeup appointments and photo sessions because such components are integral to wedding planning. But couples should not forget to leave time for themselves and their bridal party to eat. Schedule a breakfast for all bridal party members (separate ones if couples insist on avoiding each other until the ceremony) to ensure no one sleeps in and throws off the day’s timeline. Include time to eat lunch if the ceremony is in late afternoon or early evening. If you forget to schedule time to eat, the timeline will almost certainly be thrown off when everyone gets hungry and requires some sustenance.
• Go over schedules with your vendors. In the weeks prior to your wedding, reach out to your vendors to confirm the day’s timeline. Do this prior to handing out a schedule to your bridal party so no one is confused if any last-minute changes are made.
Couples have much to manage on their wedding days. Perhaps no component is more important to manage effectively than time.
Weddings are special events that celebrate two individuals’ love for one another. Weddings bring together friends and family to witness couples share vows and devote their lives to each other.
Wedding guests recognize that certain components are commonplace in ceremonies and receptions. Perhaps you were once a ring bearer or caught the bouquet. There’s a rich history behind the traditions that feature prominently at many weddings. Here’s a look at traditions past and present and the meaning behind these customs.
Marriage
The custom of marriage can be traced back thousands of years to when hunters and gatherers started coming together to form societies and farm land. In order to ensure the success of communities, couplings were developed to produce offspring
and maintain households.
Tie the knot
Getting married is sometimes referred to as “tying the knot.” This stems from the custom of “handfasting,” which is a common practice among various cultures around the world, and notably in ancient Rome. The bride and groom’s hands are tied together for the duration of the ceremony, not to be released until the wedding is made official. This isn’t something you see too often at modern weddings, but can be something unique couples may want to consider.
Bridal bouquet
A bouquet of beautiful flowers is held by the bride on her wedding day. Roses, orchids, peonies, and other fragrant blooms are often included, but in ancient times brides’ bouquets were likely made of herbs. According to the resource Minted Weddings, these
Unique wedding favor ideas
Guests bring gifts to weddings to express their love for couples. Gift-giving also tends to be reciprocal, with couples making sure that guests leave the celebration with their own tokens of affection and mementos of the special occasion. Although favors are not mandatory, they often are included in wedding planning to make the celebration that much more special.
Favors run the gamut from simple, such as tulle-wrapped Jordan almonds, to elaborate, like crystal vases. While there are no rules regarding the type of favors couples can offer, most soon-to-be-newlyweds prefer something that is not only unique, but will have utility as well. The following are some favors to consider.
• Food-based favors: Guests who already have a drawer full of personalized shot glasses, pens and drink stirrers with couple’s names and wedding dates may appreciate the simplicity of a favor they can enjoy without having to store. A gourmet cookie, special jerky, small bottle of olive oil or maple syrup, or another food item that is widely enjoyed can be practical and affordable.
Time-honored wedding traditions
aromatic herbs were used to ward off evil spirits.
Veil
Evil spirits also were the basis for the wearing of bridal veils, as they were utilized to hide brides from these miscreants. Veils now are more style than substance.
Bridesmaids
In ancient Rome, bridesmaids were tasked with protecting the bride. They wore the same dresses as the bride to confuse evil spirits from finding the soon-to-be-betrothed and cursing her. Today’s bridesmaids are less decoy and more helper. They may wear similar dresses to the bride and one another, but they aren’t trying to fool any spirits.
Tossing rice
Rice and grains were long regarded as signs of prosperity and fertility, according to the gifting company Personal Cre-
ations. Therefore, couples were showered with rice to ensure their good fortune. Consumption of uncooked rice has been proven to be detrimental to some wildlife, so rice has now been widely replaced with bubbles or birdseed.
Cutting the cake
At the reception, many couples link hands and make the first cut in their wedding cakes.
Wedding Wire says it’s a tradition that around 80 percent of wedding couples partake in. It is believed this tradition symbolizes the couple’s first official task performed together, and marks the promise to support and take care of one another throughout the marriage. However, in the past, brides were responsible for cutting the wedding cake alone and distributed slices to guests to aid in fertility, according to BakingNook.com. Weddings are full of traditions with interesting histories.
• Thank-you cards: Offer each guest in attendance a heartfelt thank-you for attending the wedding. Personalize the sentiments to each guest. If you have a photo of yourself with that guest, include it in the card.
• Candy or snack bar: A wedding takeaway can be as simple as letting guests fill up decorative containers with various candies and other treats displayed on a special table at the reception. For a fun twist, try to find old-fashioned candy or items you remember eating as a child to stir up nostalgia.
• Flower seeds or seedlings: Sustainable gifts such as flower seeds or small seedling plants can let guests plant something as a remembrance of the day.
• Scratch-off lottery tickets: The opportunity to return home from a wedding with a winning ticket and a few extra dollars in their pockets can appeal to guests.
• Charitable donation:
Rather than giving guests favors, you may want to offer donations to a charity instead. This is a popular gesture among modern couples.
• Temporary tattoos: As a funny gag gift and segue to en-
tertaining photo opportunities, give guests temporary tattoos that have your photo on them. They’re clever and will not go to waste.
• Luggage tags: Guests will always think of you when they travel far and wide thanks to luggage tags printed with sweet sentiments.
• Wine stoppers: Customized wine stoppers will keep guests’ bottles of wine fresh without taking up much space in a home bar. Unique favors will help wedding guests feel even more special at the end of the celebration.
Meaningful ways to honor parents during a wedding
During a wedding, guests’ attention is directed at the happy couple tying the knot. But couples don’t make it to their big day alone, and many give ample credit to their parents for helping them along the way. With that in mind, a wedding day also can be the right time to honor parents in meaningful ways.
Tyler and Jaclyn share a dance during their wedding reception at T-Bock’s Upstairs in Decorah.
The couple cuts a cake made by Malloreigh Danielle of Protivin. Their wedding day featured the simple elegance of an art deco color palette teal, gold, wine and cobalt.
Engage in a joining ceremony
Couples can incorporate a variation of a joining ceremony in the wedding. Some use flowers, others colored sand or candles. Each set of parents can be highlighted and symbolically join together the families by mixing sand into one vessel, putting flowers together to form a bouquet, or using
a jazz band to play for the entire reception, rather than getting a DJ and having loud music. That way people could sit and talk to each other and visit, and people who don’t see each other can actually meet and get to know each other.”
In addition, rather than request any gifts, the couple asked those attending their wedding ceremony to write letters with special messages for the couple — sharing happy memo-
individual candles to light one larger candle.
Participate in the processional
During a wedding prelude, guests arrive at the ceremony and find their seats while they wait for the formal processional to take place. Highlight parents during the processional by allowing them to lead the wedding party in walking down the aisle.
Wear a small token
Couples can wear charms, accessories like a father’s wristwatch or a mother’s wedding dress so parents are part of the wedding ensemble. These to-
ries, recalling how they met the bride and groom or describing important facets of their friendships. Wright said he learned many things about the people in the couple’s life through their letters.
“People’s responses were fantastic,” Jirak said. “They were as diverse as the people we invited. People wrote hand-written letters and typed letters. Some people drew pictures. Some people just wrote
kens can be visible, or hidden in bouquets or tucked into pockets so that only the couple and their parents will know they are there.
Participate in special dances
Even couples who are not going the traditional route with their wedding reception may want to pause and give thought to how meaningful it may be for parents to participate in traditional dances that customarily take place early in the reception. After a first dance as a married couple, it’s customary for the bride to dance with her father and the groom to dance with his mother. However, any
poems. So we’re collecting all those and we’re going to put them into a book for us.”
Wright said, while much of his wedding day was a blur, many of his favorite memories from that day came while reading what the couple’s friends and family had to say.
“It’s just taking a long time to respond to them,” he said with a laugh.
variation of these traditional dances can work.
Speak to the photographer
A couple can dedicate a special time for photo sessions with parents, whether separately or together. Arrange to have a framed photo made up for each set of parents, or a folio with a photo collage of the parents alone and together as the newly combined family. Honoring parents at a wedding is a great way for couples to express their love and gratitude to the people who raised them. There are several meaningful ways to give parents the recognition they deserve.
Jirak befriended a pair of caricature artists while spending her summers working in the Wisconsin Dells area, and the artists were later hired to draw guests during her wedding reception.
Jirak Wright wedding
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