Amanda + Bimaje | Urban Fall Wedding

Photographer:

Vick Photography

Venue:

ARIA Event Center

Planner:

Laine Palm Designs

Floral:

Botany Creative Works

Bridal Gown:

a&bé

Dessert:

Farina Bakery

Menswear:

Men's Wearhouse

Rentals:

Après Party & Tent Rental

Amanda and Bimaje’s story begins in Nashville where they were both in training to be physicians. They found themselves at a Nigerian Party and Bimaje sat down next to Amanda to show her how to eat a traditional Nigerian dish and the rest is history, as they say.

Both lovers of travel, it was only fitting that Bimaje would ask Amanda to marry him in the rainforest of Costa Rica “We were on an animal sight-seeing excursion and Bimaje couldn’t wait any longer so he popped the question right in the middle of the hike,” says the Bride. “Bimaje got it on video by asking our SUPER awkward tour guide to ‘take a picture’. We still laugh about it today.” She said yes and their journey to planning a gorgeous fall Minneapolis wedding began.

Planning a Fall Minneapolis Wedding

The couple, who now reside in Minneapolis, was planning on a big wedding with family and friends from all over the world but celebrated with just 45 people due to the COVID restrictions at the time. “We were initially going to have a large wedding and have guests from all over the world, but due to COVID it ended up being small, personal, and intimate,” the bride explains. “Think ‘candles on candles on candles’ and lots of masked dancing to a live band!” Bimaje’s family in Nigeria did have a remote celebration where the fall Minneapolis wedding ceremony and reception were broadcast on a large screen.

The Fashion

Amanda walked down the aisle in a dress from a local bridal salon. As she began looking for her dream gown, she says she “knew I wanted something that had lace and was delicate with some detail on the bodice. I could tell from the look on my mom’s and MOH’s (maid/matron of honor) faces that it was the one.” Bridesmaids wore wine-colored floor-length gowns in varying styles and the grooms and groomsmen wore sharp navy suits with matching wine-colored ties.

For the reception, the couple chose Aria because of its historic and industrial vibes. “We were going for a romantic, low-lit place and fell in love with the brick interior and old décor on the upper balcony,” the bride states of finding their venue. She describes the evening as “romantic, candlelit, and sultry” while incorporating navy, maroon, blush, and gold tones. These colors paired with an array of candles in tall glass votives and moody floral with fall foliage made for a picture-perfect fall Minneapolis wedding.

Sweetheart table with white linens at Aria Minneapolis

Since both the bride and groom faced many challenges in 2020 with the pandemic, especially as physicians, they were even more grateful to enjoy their day with family and friends. “I think there was a point when we both looked around while everyone was masked, dancing and enjoying themselves near the end of the night and were able to breathe a sigh of relief because it felt like in that moment everything was going to be okay in the world,” the brides recalls as her favorite part of the day.

If you are planning a wedding she says ”Think about what actually matters to you both about your wedding and pursue those things and budget for those things. You don’t need to spend too much money on the stuff that doesn’t matter to you!”

As for their honeymoon, they are planning an “epic” trip to Asia in the future where they are “Looking forward to eating our way through Thailand and exploring Vietnam!”

If you were inspired by the fall Minneapolis wedding, be sure to check out more gorgeous Real Weddings here!