Ellie + Matt | Romantic Winter Wedding

Photographer:
Vick Photography
Floral:
Sadie's Floral
Bridal Gown:
Rita Vinieris
Planner:
Lasting Impressions Weddings
Rentals:
Après Event Dècor
Stationery:
Paper Rock Scissor
Menswear:
The Black Tux

In 2014, Ellie, a Nurse Anesthetist, and Matt, who works in finance, met on a snowy winter night in Minneapolis through a mutual friend. They couldn’t stop finding ways to see each other and eventually moved to the East Coast together. One evening, they rode bikes around the National Mall in Washington DC when Matt stopped and asked Ellie to marry him. They were married and had a romantic winter wedding on January 11, 2020, exactly six years after they met.

For the 250 person wedding, Ellie knew they had to choose a convenient location for guests and one that was easy to navigate. “Picking a venue was a challenge because there are so many great venues. We ultimately chose The Renaissance Minneapolis Hotel, The Depot because first, it’s beautiful, and we could have the ceremony and reception in the same place,” explains the bride. She says having the hotel and venue connected was great for guests to navigate. 

Couple marries in historic Minneapolis venue for a romantic winter wedding

The ceremony took place in one of the many versatile spaces of the venue. It boasted high, asymmetrical ceilings and tall windows that brought the outside in. The bride wore a strapless Rita Vinieris Couture gown that she instantly fell in love with, “When I tried it on, I was not anticipating liking that style, but it just felt like the one. It had a huge bow on the back that made it feel so elegant.” The bridesmaids wore floor-length deep green gowns in a velvet texture, and the groom and groomsmen wore sleek black tuxes, a perfect romantic winter wedding combination.

Bride wears sleek white dress with large bow on back by Rita Vinieris

Ellie describes the day as “classic, elegant, and romantic”. They chose to pair sage and deep green tones with whites to reflect the season. They blended in mauve, champagne, and silver into the floral and décor and even had a hand-crafted ice sculpture made in the shape of Minnesota!

Guests enjoyed delicious in-house catering from the Renaissance Minneapolis Hotel, The Depot, and chose from butternut squash ravioli, sirloin steak, or rosemary chicken. In addition to the Lady Baltimore cake from Woullet’s Bakery, the groom’s favorite dessert was also served. “Matt’s favorite dessert, and only dessert he eats, is ice cream. So, we had Sebastian Joe’s ice cream scooped for guests after dinner in addition to cake,” says the bride. 

The bride’s most memorable moment of the day was their first dance, “Neither Matt nor I are known for our dancing skills. So, we surprised everyone and had a choreographed first dance! We took lessons in DC every week for two months. It was a lot of work, but those lessons were pretty fun. They were actually a nice reprieve from all the wedding planning and coordinating.” Everyone was surprised, and it reminded the couple that the wedding day is all about celebrating their love and having a great party. As for the groom, he says the first look, seeing Ellie walk down the aisle, and his brother’s best man speech were his favorite moments. 

No romantic winter wedding is complete without a killer dance. “We hired a band, Blue Water Kings, to keep a fun, engaging atmosphere, and we also had our photographer host a Crazy Cam for guests to take fun pictures post-dinner,” the bride says of the entertainment. 

If you are a wedding planning couple, the bride says that while it takes a lot of time and effort, it’s all worth it if you and your partner work together, “Try not to beat each other up over decisions and small preferences – that is NOT worth it. Treat planning as a partnership and always keep top-of-mind the items that are truly important.” She also emphasizes hiring quality vendors that are interactive and engaged. 

Their mini-moon included a weekend trip to St. Lucia with plans for a two-week trip to Italy later on, but the pandemic and a little addition changed things up, “That trip has now been replaced with our greatest adventure yet, our daughter, Addison! And we couldn’t be happier!” 

Vendors Cont.  — Catering: Renaissance Minneapolis Hotel, The Depot | Dessert: Cake by Wuollet Bakery, Ice Cream by Sebastian Joe’s | Entertainment: Blue Water Kings Band | Bridesmaids Dresses: BHLDN | Beauty: Sabrina Krause with Primped | Rings: Bucci’s | Videographer: Play Your Story | Ice Sculpture: Minnesota Ice | Groom’s Dinner: Aster Cafe | Welcome Drinks: Crooked Pint

 

All images by Vick Photography