In celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8th, we’re highlighting a few woman-owned wedding businesses in MN that are slaying the game. There are hundreds of amazing women in our local wedding industry, and we could go on and on about them. But we wanted to shout out just a few of our favorites. Get to know them below!
Liz Marie Photography | Photographer
Liz Sloan (right) is a Southern Minnesota-based wedding photographer and describes her style as classic and timeless. Specializing in small elopements up to large weddings, she loves being granted access to the most intimate moments of peoples’ lives. She and her team at Liz Marie Photography have been working together for over four years capturing candid, genuine, true, and raw moments. This is one of many things that sets them apart. They want to show the world your love story as they see it unfold right before their eyes. Liz is a long-time supporter and friend of The Wedding Guys and you can meet her at any of our upcoming wedding shows!
Liz Marie Photography
Ginger P Designs | Stationer
Ginger P. Designs is celebrating 10 years in business this year behind owner and designer Gina Peterson (left). They specialize in custom wedding stationery ranging from save the dates, invitations, to the day-of pieces such as programs, thank you’s, and signage to pull the whole look together. Gina was recognized for their creative work recently by receiving two Louie Awards and being named as one of the top 40 under 40 designers in the gift & stationery industry.
Gina’s shop is located in Janesville, MN, with its charming pink doors and black exterior you have to check it out. It is a full design studio where you can see examples of her work on display. Ginger P. Designs can work with you locally or remotely for all of your stationery needs.
Willow Brooke Farms | Wedding Venue
Beccah Risdall’s (right) journey to owning Willow Brooke Farm began when her daughter decided that she wanted to get married at a barn venue. Since Beccah is retired, she thought it would be fun! Beccah took this former winery and transformed the spaces into an updated, contemporary wedding property. Between the brand new White Willow Barn, cozy courtyard, and rolling hill scenery, this locale has everything. Beccah is committed to satisfying your wedding or event needs and is honored to offer this barn wedding venue as a convenient location for your event.
Willow Brooke Farms
Get to know more about Willow Brooke Farms in our Vendor of the Week blog!
Pop-Up Weddings | Wedding Planner
New to The Wedding Guys community — but not to the industry! — is Brooke (left), founder of Pop-Up Weddings. Here’s her story: “For almost 12 years, I worked at wedding venues helping couples and their families navigate the planning of room diagrams, food & beverage details, timelines, etc. It goes without saying I have some great stories! This means I have made friends with the best in the business and experienced ALL the learning curves so you don’t have to!
“The biggest thing that always stands out to me is how much of a highlight for my own wedding and for couples the rehearsal dinner is the night before the wedding. That night before typically is when the couple is with their closest friends and family and don’t stress about how ‘plans’ are going or about being vulnerable at this most remarkable time in their lives. That core group of people is where the true past and present of a couple come together and a future starts in my opinion. I always thought there has to be a way for couples to have their ceremony with their core group of people in a more social way. My experiences and revelations about this led me to start Pop-Up Weddings, LLC. In 2006, I married absolutely the most incredible man and so thankful to live life with him (and our dog!).”
Sweet Lulu’s | Bakery
Next up in our woman-owned wedding business spotlight is Sweet Lulu’s! Known as “LuLu” to her family, Lori began her cake decorating career when she was ten by showing her creations at her local 4-H fair. Her dream to become a full-time artist was realized in 2017 when Sweet LuLu’s was established. Lori is most inspired by fashion and mixed media art techniques and specializes in putting her own twist on the latest cake decorating trends. Her signature feature is her unique buttercream flowers, each skillfully crafted by hand.
Sweet LuLu’s believes the taste of a cake is just as important as its beauty. Fresh, simple ingredients are baked into each one. They delight customers by working with them to design the cake of their dreams.
Joy Unspeakable Flowers | Florist
Tracy is the lead floral designer of Joy Unspeakable Flowers. She decided to start the company after years of gardening and doing floral arrangements for weddings, proms, and events. Tracy is passionate about letting the flowers lead, resulting in a specialty in garden, woodsy, and boho-style floral.
“I love flowers and working with them as a career is a dream come true. Flowers alone are beautiful, but arranging them in ways that evoke powerful emotions is my true passion in life.”
Sarah Ascanio
Mestad’s Bridal and Formal Wear | Bridal Salon
Cathy Mestad (left), the owner of Mestads Bridal, has been in business for over 41 years helping brides and grooms find all of their wedding day attire. She has watched the evolution of bridal style and silhouettes throughout the decades. The newly remodeled store of 10,000 square feet features a separate bridal loft along with formal gowns and men’s attire in the open floor plan.
You may have seen their incredible selection of gowns grace the UNVEILED Rochester TrendSpot Fashion Show runway or in the Gown Galleries!
Cathy and the rest of the Mestad’s team are long-time partners of The Wedding Guys, and we’ve loved seeing bridal fashion transform together over the years.
Liz Marie Photography 
Anna Grinets Photography
Thank you to all of the women and those who identify as women who help make our industry thrive. Your hard work, perseverance, and creativity never cease to amaze!
