Ben + Ian | Modern Minneapolis Wedding

In July of 2017, an Operations Analyst named Ben and a Biocompatibility Engineer named Ian both swiped right on Tinder. They bonded over a game of Trivia Crack and Ben suggested that the loser had to buy drinks, “Sure enough I was buying Ian a round of drinks at Norseman Distillery in Minneapolis,” shares Ben. “The date continued at Boom Island Park where we watched the Aquatennial fireworks and shared our first kiss!”

Four years later, the couple enjoyed a date at Martina — a Minneapolis restaurant — to celebrate their dating anniversary. Ian surprised Ben with a romantic visit to Boom Island Park. They took a stroll followed by a bottle of wine on a blanket where Ian proposed. “It was a very personal moment at a place that means so much to us,” says Ben. The couple then went back to their home where friends and family were waiting to celebrate. 

The grooms then began planning their modern Minneapolis wedding day, and found a perfect venue at The Whim. Ben says choosing this venue was an effortless decision since it was right in the city and the space was designed as an industrial, blank slate. “The possibilities were endless for the atmosphere we wanted to create!”

As they began planning, the couple wrote down their most important priorities. They wanted a day that was cohesive, personal, fun, timeless, and not overly done. “When planning the wedding, we both knew that we wanted people to walk away feeling like they witnessed something special and haven’t seen or heard at a previous wedding or future ones,” Ben describes. This included details like bringing in personal items to fill the venue’s bookshelves and creating a ceremony that was unique to them. “My aunt wrote and customized every little detail. Our vows were very personal and had everyone laughing and crying.”

On April 27, 2023, the couple wed in front of 180 of their closest friends and family. During the ceremony, Ian’s mother presented each groom with a lei honoring his Hawaiian heritage. The couple also had their wedding party take their seats during the ceremony so that they could see one another during vows. Ben describes this as his favorite moment of the day, “Taking a moment when the ceremony started to breathe and look out into the rows of friends and family. It was so memorable and heartwarming to have so many people sitting there supporting us.”

The Whim’s airy black and white windows served as the backdrop for Ben and Ian’s sentimental ceremony. Bright, tropical flowers and greenery popped from the striking white walls, “We wanted our florals to be the focal point for our wedding, so making sure that everything stayed on theme with black and white was easy. Steven at Arts and Flowers is truly a visionary when it comes to creating a spectacular atmosphere,” says Ben. The rest of the color palette consisted of crisp and clean black-and-white elements. 

Both Ben and Ian designed custom suits at Indochino each having their own flair. Ben opted for a double-breasted black suit with notch lapels and a bowtie, while Ian wore a black classic fit suit with peak lapels and a silk black tie. These coordinating looks fit perfectly for this modern Minneapolis wedding day. 

The couple’s wedding party consisted of 16 people from various parts of their lives including college friends, family friends, and siblings. “I knew from the beginning that I wanted everyone to wear black,” Ben says of the party’s attire. “I gave the women guidelines of floor length and no lace or sparkles and they went from there. I wanted to make sure their personalities were shining that day as well and not wearing something decided for them.” The men wore sleek black suits. 

Following the ceremony, guests made their way to cocktail hour where they enjoyed cocktails alongside bruschetta, stuffed red potatoes, and mushroom phyllo dough. This set the tone for an exquisite dinner consisting of a golden beet salad and choice of creamy lemon walleye, wild rice-stuffed chicken breast, or stuffed acorn squash. Guests saved room for decadent sweets like key lime bars, cannoli magic bars, cookies, macaroons, cinnamon toast crunch cake bites and so much more. 

Ben says that his advice for couples currently planning is to pick out three words that each of you want your wedding to embody. “That really helps when thinking about how you want to feel and what you want guests to see. Secondly, let your photographer and florist have creative freedom. That is where magical moments are created”

The grooms are looking forward to a European honeymoon next year where they will explore Denmark, France and Switzerland.

Vendors Cont.  — Hair: Christine Ziemer Beauty | Makeup: Emily Alexander Artistry | Engagement Rings: Vrai | Wedding Bands: Custom by Sara Commers

All images by Aaron Huff Photography.