WeddingMagazine

Wedding Stories

Casie and Tony

Wedding Date: 2009-08-15 | City: Rochester, MN
Photography: Olive Juice Studios

The day Craig proposed was one of the happiest days of my life. That night, he took me on a bit of a wild goose chase that ended at a marina in Lake Geneva. He rented a speedboat, and we cruised into a shadow-glazed circle under an admiring willow tree. In his romantic style, Craig read me a poem. He blew me away when he later got down on one knee to ask me to marry him. 

When it came to planning our wedding, it was difficult as Craig and I lived in Milwaukee. Luckily, my wonderful mother helped us out every step of the way. I found the dress of my dreams while in Chicago. While searching for bridesmaid’s dresses, I fell in love with tiffany blue dresses to accent the red roses we were using.

When our wedding day arrived, it was evident the planning paid off. Our ceremony was absolutely stunning. Craig’s aunt, who is the conductor/director of Bella Voce Young Women’s Choir in Rochester, blessed us with incredible music. A string quartet that included Craig’s cousin also played, and another of his cousins played flute at the church ceremony as well as during cocktail hour at the reception at Riverview Greens in Stewartville. The ambiance of our chosen venue was beautiful—including high, vaulting ceilings, a huge dance floor, and picturesque windows that line the front of the room overlooking the fountains. We complimented each table with red-rose centerpieces and the personalized picture frames used to identify the tables. When we decided to have a June wedding, I imagined a warm, sunny day typical of summer. Who would have thought that it actually was going to be pouring rain with a high of 53 degrees? Regardless of the unfortunate weather conditions, the day was wonderful, and we loved the beautiful and creative pictures our photographer took. The pictures were fantastic and inventive! Our photographer even had us stand on the median on Broadway Street in Rochester kissing underneath a blue and white umbrella as cars honked, and people yelled congratulations. 

BUSINESSES: St. John’s Catholic Church (Ceremony), www.topperswithglitz.com (Dessert topper), Mestad’s Bridal & Formal Wear (Dress), Le Jardin (Floral), About Face (Hair and Make-up), Lisa Houghton Design (Invitations), and Somerby Golf Club (Reception).