Maggie & Ben married 6.30.17

A Classic Matrimony by Carolyn Fraser

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OUR LOVE STORY

Ben and I became friends while interning together during our junior year of college. Because we spent so much time together at work, we already knew a lot about each other when we started dating the following year. I knew the kind of man that he was, and the kind of husband he would be. After only a few days of dating, I knew that. I would choose Ben for the rest of my life.

THE PROPOSAL

On the way to his parents’ cabin, Ben surprised me with a detour to a quaint, romantic town called Stillwater. At a park with a beautiful view, he got down on one knee. His proposal was so sweet and thoughtful. Of course, I said yes!

COLOR PALETTE

We loved the elegance and simplicity of the color white, paired with splashes of light blue and blush in the flowers and bridesmaids’ dresses. The men wore black and white tuxes.

GUEST LIST

We both come from very large, Catholic families, so we invited 320 guests, many of whom were relatives.

THE CEREMONY

Ben: Maggie and I are both Catholics, so the focal point of our wedding day was the Sacrament of Matrimony. We loved every aspect of our reception, but the mass was the most special part for us. Maggie: Some highlights from our ceremony were presenting a bouquet to the Blessed Virgin Mary statue during mass, and having the same liturgical music arrangement that is used in church at our alma mater, the University of Saint Thomas.

PERSONAL TOUCH

Maggie: In honor of my father’s Italian heritage, we offered Italian "confetti" (candied almonds) as our wedding favor and an incredible spread of Italian cookies and pastries for dessert, in addition to a massive wedding cake.

MUST-HAVE DETAIL

Maggie: In the beginning stages of planning, there was nothing that we were particularly set on having at our wedding, but once we started discussing various details, we became excited about certain aspects that we decided to include. Our florists, Barb and Dick, outdid themselves! For example, I loved having the church and Wisconsin Club adorned with flowers. A relatively last-minute decision to order pew bows turned out to be my favorite floral decoration on the wedding day. They were perfectly arranged and added so much to the beauty of the church.

WORTH EVERY PENNY

Maggie: My parents suggested using a big band in lieu of a DJ. After some thought, Ben and I were totally hooked on the idea and couldn’t imagine not having one. The Brew City Big Band was a fantastic, 22-piece big band that performed a wide variety of music for our guests. Having them perform at our reception completely set the tone we were envisioning for our event. They played all the Big Band era classics to start off the evening of dancing, and as the night went on, even mixed in some contemporary pop and classic rock. The musicians were not only incredibly talented with their instruments, but were true entertainers as well. Our guests could not stop talking about how much fun they had.

SHOUT OUT

Big shout out to The Paper Elephant for an extraordinary experience and beautiful photos that will last a lifetime. Tegan’s professionalism and organization put our minds at ease throughout the entire planning process and most importantly, on the day of the wedding. We would highly recommend her to anyone looking for an exceptional wedding photographer.

ADVICE FOR COUPLES

The best way a couple can ensure a stress-free engagement is to avoid obsessing over the small details. Review your options and make choices without overthinking things too much. Brides and grooms-to-be are bombarded with thousands of ideas and suggestions on how to execute the tiniest details of your wedding day. Do not let others’ opinions make you second-guess decisions that you have already made.