This month we are showcasing our beautiful Luxe Bride (and Stylist!) Rachel. Rachel and her husband Griffin were married in September of 2023 at Kellerman’s Event Center in a beautiful ceremony full of personal touches! Here is their story including Rachel’s journey to becoming a Luxe Bride!
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Tell us about the proposal!
Griffin & I have been together for so long, almost 13 years, and we have fielded questions about marriage for most of that time. We always agreed that we would like to be married someday, but it wasn't our priority. Our priority was being together, and building a life together. So, when we were asked when we'd get married, the answer would always be "House First." On our 10 year Dating Anniversary, March 15th 2021, we moved into our first home. And after the dust had settled we kind of looked at each other and said "Do you want to get married now?" and the answer was undoubtedly, yes. So we went to Jared and picked out a ring together.
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Describe your bridal style. How did you want to look on your wedding day? Tell us about your dress shopping experience.
My wedding dress shopping experience was a dream. Quite literally. I walked up to the doors full of self doubt, anxiety, and fear. The second I walked through the door and shook Suzanne's hand I knew I was going to be okay. I had very specific Ideas about what I thought I should wear on my wedding day, especially being a fat woman. I should wear a modest, ballgown, no sparkle, lots of coverage, something with sleeves. I specifically said "No Sparkle, must have sleeves." I wanted to hide behind my dress. Throughout the appointment Suz pulled me out of my shell and helped me to see that I am beautiful on my own, and I should be looking for dresses that compliment my beauty and shape. After I realized my options were open, I branched out, and I walked out with an Off the Shoulder dress called "Sparkle-Bomb." I'm Endlessly thankful for that experience.
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Tell us more about your wedding. What was your theme and color scheme? How did you make your wedding personal to your love story?
The theme of the wedding was "Antique Industrial + Music & Cats." Not very eloquent, I know, but it was the best way I could find to describe what I wanted. Our venue (Kellerman's Event Center) really set the tone for the whole thing, and it was the thing we picked first. Lots of wood, exposed cast iron rafters, exposed brick, arches & antiques. The color scheme was Forest Green & Metallic Gold. We used lots of different tones of green and gold, plus accents of burgundy & navy. We wanted it to have an eclectic & lush feel... luxe without being pretentious... Does that make sense? From there we added in our favorite things, Cats & Music. All of the tables were named for songs my dad's cover band used to play, and our guest book was an acoustic guitar. We sprinkled in cat imagery with our cake toppers, and welcome signs. Couldn't leave them out. Our 7 cats are sort of our brand.
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What was the most special memory from the day?
I don't think it is possible to pick just one memory as my favorite. Every single time I held Griffin's hand and looked around at the people who came from far and wide to celebrate with us... but that is about a thousand things in itself. My two favorite moments were the moments we stole for ourselves. Before the big shindig got going, we had a small private ceremony with just our immediate family & witnesses. It was so special to stand there in a small room, knowing everyone was getting seated & situated for the show, and getting to do our "I Do's" in secret. Also during the cocktail hour after the ceremony, Griffin & I took that time to have dinner privately. It was so nice to have that hour together in the hustle & bustle of that day to just be together, decompress, and digest what had happened so far. It made the reception so much less stressful too, having eaten already.
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Congratulations to Rachel and Griffin! We feel so lucky to call Rachel both a Luxe Bride and a Luxe Stylist!
Vendors:
Venue: Kellerman's Event Center @kellermanseventcenter
Photos: RKH Images @rkhimages
DJ: Omaur Bliss @omaurbliss @rhodeystark_events
Video: Andres Larranaga's Horizon Rider Studios @horizon_rider
Hair & Makeup: Dana Black @the_black_parlour
Florist: Sweet Alice @sweetalicefloral and @goldenafternoondesignco
Catering: Stonehouse Catering @stonehousecateringmn