Casual Elegance

Jenn and Mike were married on the beach in California. They had already been married for several months when they held their wedding reception in late June on Johnson Terrace at the Stillwater Public Library. It was a special celebration for thier friends and family in Minnesota, many of whom were unable to make the trip to the west coast.

The wedding was held on a Friday, and by noon the temperature had already exceeded 80 degrees. It was one of the few hot, humid days during this unusually cool summer. As my staff set up the furniture mid-afternoon, we were all sweatin' (literally) and sweatin' that it might be too hot to hold the event outside. Fortunately, there was a constant breeze off the river that kept things tolerable.

By 6 PM when the reception began the building's shadow covered half of the terrace in shade. The breeze picked up and, almost magically, the evening achieved that ideal temperature (hot, but hot too hot) for enjoying a cold beer. When guests arrived, if they found the outdoor temperature still a bit more than balmy, they had the option of taking a seat in the Margaret Rivers Room (our indoor event space) and watching a slide show of wedding pictures from Jenn & Mike's seaside ceremony.

The decor for the reception was mostly yellow and white. The tables were dressed in yellow and white checked linens, and topped with galvanized steel french floral buckets. The floral arrangements contained a mix of pastel colored flowers, but the show stoppers were giant pink peonies. Linens were rented from Midway Party Rental and floral was provided by a family friend.

Dozens of Chinese lanterns hung from the pergola (also provided by Midway Party Rental) and cast a gentle glow as the sun went down.

Bar service and all food was provided by the Lake Elmo Inn. Jerke chicken and marinated shrimp were grilled on-site. The smell of the grill added to the fun, casual atmosphere, and tasted great! The passed appetizers (Fried plantains topped with breaded fish & mango salsa)
were AMAZING! Dessert was an ice cream sundae bar, perfect for the weather.

At twilight, a singer/songwriter friend of the bride played an acoustic set at the newly-wed's request. Followed by dancing in the Margaret Rivers Room inside the the library. The DJ was from Instant Request. If you are thinking of having a DJ at your wedding, PLEASE consider Instant Request. They have excellent equipment, their dj's are always professionally dressed, and have years of experience.