Hi, my name is Tory. I enjoy design, photography, antiquing, crafting and gardening. My husband and I are both from small towns in Southeast Minnesota. I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Art and Design with a concentration in Interior Design.
Soon after graduating from the University of Wisconsin, we returned to Minnesota and began planning our wedding. Ever since planning our own wedding, I still enjoy reading wedding blogs, looking through talented photographers’ websites, learning more about wedding resources and helping plan events. I hope this blog will help share the wonderful Minnesota vendors and real weddings and be a helpful local resource for brides planning their wedding.
Here are a few photos from our summer wedding at Gale Woods Farm. Thanks for stopping by! Hope you enjoy the blog!
My husband and I wanted a personalized wedding that would reflect us as a couple. We both love nature and being outdoors and decided a casual yet elegant wedding in an outdoor setting would be perfect for us. During our first visit to Gale Woods Farm, we loved the view from the ceremony and reception sites overlooking Whaletail Lake, the existing fire pit surrounded by quaint wooden benches and the laid back feel of the outdoor country setting and barn-inspired pavilion. The farm setting was also meaningful for us both since my husband grew up on a family farm and I lived in the country surrounded by farmland when I was young and always enjoy returning to visit family and friends. We envisioned a country picnic with a mix of classic and rustic details. The color palette—a mix of chocolate brown, sage green and cream with sky blue accents—was inspired by nature. On our wedding day, we not only wanted to celebrate our marriage but also our family and friends, much like a family reunion.
The budget for our wedding was modest, which inspired us to be creative, undertake many DIY projects and research affordable vendors. My husband was very involved during the planning process, and we enjoyed completing crafty projects together. To help save on costs, we did several DIY projects—including the stationery, birch log arbor, natural grass centerpieces, birch log holders, hanging mason jar candle holders, framed family wedding photos, hanging photos, bean bag toss yard games, quilt guest ‘book’ and honey favors.
To match the casual atmosphere and country setting of our wedding, picnic and BBQ style food was served. Instead of cake, ice cream and homemade baked goods such as cookies and bars were the dessert after dinner. Once it got dark, guests were also invited to roast marshmallows and make s’mores around a fire. In place of a dance, we had summer yard games and hayrides.
MN Wedding 