Paige + Bradley | Jewel-Toned Fall Wedding

Photographer:

Studio Twelve:52

Venue:

J. Powers at the Hilton

Floral:

Fox & Fern Floral

Bridal Gown:

The Wedding Shoppe

Cake:

Sweet Assurance

Menswear:

Knight's Menswear

Bridesmaids Dresses:

Kennedy Blue

HMU:

Amy Rachael + Talyr Kotschevar

As many modern couples do, Paige, a Pharmacist, and Bradley, a Strength and Conditioning Coach at the Mayo Clinic, met on a dating app. After swiping right and chatting for a week, this Rochester couple found themselves on their first date. “Brad was the first one to show up and when I walked in, he apparently almost left because he said I looked too cute in person and he got nervous!” the bride explains.

In February of 2020, they took a trip to the Twin Cities for the weekend to go to a Wild Game and check out the Como Zoo Conservatory, “We walked around the exhibits, and then Brad made a beeline to the sunken gardens. I don’t think he expected the place to be packed with people so then I noticed him getting oddly quiet and sweaty…so I knew what was happening at this point,” Paige says. “Right in front of the fountain he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him! I said yes of course, and then he was so nervous his hand was shaking too hard to get the ring all the way on my finger. Everyone clapped inside the gardens and the rest is history!”

Planning a wedding through a pandemic was no easy feat, but their 162-person celebration on September 18, 2021, went on. Their jewel-toned fall wedding took place at J.Powers at the Hilton in Downtown Rochester, Minnesota. “When we toured J.Powers and saw the stunning big windows overlooking downtown, we knew that was the place. It was brand new and had modern finishes which fit the type of wedding we wanted to have,” the bride describes. Paige wanted to incorporate colors that matched the season choosing dark, moody hues that kept everything sophisticated and dramatic.

When it came to floral, the bride knew she wanted to make finding a florist a priority, “I wanted a heavy floral presence and I wanted to get her opinion on pieces and see what she rented out.” Paige recalls of meeting her florist. “We decided to add some pops of hot pink to break up the darker flowers and give us some more dimension. When it came to the design of the flowers, I gave my florist certain pieces I wanted and let her run with whatever flowers she felt would be best.”

The couple paired modern black and white signage to add some contrast in the design to their jewel-toned fall wedding. Instead of focusing on one overarching theme, they chose just a few priorities that included a dramatic ballroom venue, great food, and an amazing experience for their guests. It was also important to them to include their puppy, “We had our puppy Zeppelin come during our photos and we had a flower collar made by our florist for him to wear. It was a nice moment in our day that felt like us and our small little family,” Paige recalls.

From the beginning, Paige had her sights set on a ball gown dress with a long, dramatic train. After trying on a few gowns, she just couldn’t find that “wow” factor she was looking for. “After I thought we had tried on all my options, my consultant went to grab one last dress they had gotten in a couple of days ago. As soon as I put it on, I knew it was my dress. It had the big poofy skirt, delicate beading on the top, a gorgeous cap sleeve, and a decently long train,” Paige describes. To accessorize, she added a custom-made 14’ veil and wore her grandmother’s wedding ring on her right hand.

The bridesmaids wore chic floor-length black gowns. Paige originally thought they could wear mismatched styles, but fell in love with a style that had spaghetti straps and off-the-shoulder sleeves. The men matched in classic black suits, but Paige just couldn’t get one thing off her mind for Brad’s look, “I fell in love with the black buttons on a tux and could not find an ivory shirt with black buttons to save my life. So, I went to Michaels and found a set of black buttons for less than $2 and had our seamstress replace the buttons on his ivory shirt, and bam…vision complete!”

Cocktail hour was held on the venue’s rooftop terrace. Guests took in the warm breeze, city views, and played lawn games as they enjoyed hors d’oeuvres. Their reception was held in the light-filled ballroom and the tables were decorated with flowers that mirrored the bride’s bouquet with lots of added greenery. The tall centerpieces matched the height of the space and added stunning pops of color.

For dinner, guests enjoyed a salad course that included an heirloom tomato wedge, burrata cheese, greens, pesto vinaigrette, and aged balsamic reduction. Next, they chose between herbed chicken breast, coffee and cocoa rubbed Filet Mignon, or a vegetable and goat cheese quinoa cake. The cake, created by Sweet Assurance, was a classic white cake with triple berry mousse and Italian buttercream.

Looking back, Paige describes her favorite moment of the day as the reception, “It was the only moment I was able to look out at the entire room of people who love and support us and see them all laughing and enjoying themselves. It was important to me that our guests had a wonderful experience, and it was in this moment that everything came together,” the bride remembers. “This was the moment where all the hours of planning I had put in paid off, it was truly a perfect snapshot in our day I will cherish forever.”

Brad says his favorite moment was the first look. “When I turned around and saw how gorgeous Paige looked in her dress was an amazing moment. It was very special, especially since we got to enjoy that little piece of the day alone. I will always cherish that memory and how lucky I felt when I saw her for the first time in her wedding dress.”

If you are planning a wedding, Paige has some advice, “The day goes by in a blink of an eye so focus on a couple of important things you want to accomplish and minimize the smaller details. If it does not give you joy, do not add it to your day!” She continues: “If you have room in the budget, hire a good day-of-coordinator to execute your vision so you don’t have to. Your job should be to enjoy your day and soak in all that newly married bliss. I am a firm believer that this decision saved my sanity during wedding week and the day of.”

Their initial plans of spending their honeymoon in Bora Bora changed due to Covid, but they still had a dreamy time in St. Thomas. “We stayed at the Ritz Carlton and it was a beautiful resort right on the beach,” describes the bride. “Our favorite part of the trip was relaxing by the pool all day in the warm weather. It was nice to be able to spend quality time with my husband on a beautiful island. Wedding planning is stressful, so it was nice to be able to relax and reminisce about our wedding day.”