Lane and Edward are one of those couples that are SO incredibly beautiful and classic looking. They just look like they should be in old issues of LIFE magazine. They are both timeless and when it came to planning their wedding, they most definitely brought their sense of style and classic beauty to their event. Their ceremony took place in the Brook's backyard, which is right where Edward proposed! Their reception was at the Lafayette Club, which is one of Minneapolis's most classic and luxurious venues. I loved so many things about Lane and Edward's wedding, but most importantly, the details that Lane planned into her day to create some honest moments. For starters, after the couple's first look, Lane planned for the two to go on a private boat ride to exchange gifts. Now, this was not only a great photo opp, and a gorgeous boat, but she also added some lace-tied balloons to the boat to add a little DIY touch. Lane created a perfect backdrop for us to capture such a special moment! We caught up with Lane to talk to her about where she came up with some of her style ideas for their absolutely stunning wedding!
Q. I absolutely loved the style of your wedding, it was so timeless. What kind of resources did you use to gather inspiration for your wedding?
A. I missed the Pinterest launch by a few short months, so I actually had to gather inspiration the old fashioned way. I started with magazines, wedding blogs, and actually different photographers websites. You can find tons of wedding inspiration by looking at other peoples’ big day. I created my own idea pages by cutting out pieces of jewelry, colors, dresses, shoes, flowers, etc that really spoke to me. Once I had all the things that I loved in one place, it was so obvious to me what my style was. I made a lot of decisions based on those pages and showed them to all of my vendors so they could see what my overall wedding vision looked like.
Q. What were the first steps you took in designing your big day?
A. One of the very first things I did was find my bridesmaid dresses. I knew that I wanted bridesmaid dresses that were unique and ones that would allow each girl to look different but still similar. I actually went to Nordstrom’s, saw a collection of dresses from one designer and then ended up designing other wedding details around them. The flowers, the tablecloths, the invitations, all tied back to these beautiful dresses.
Q. How did you choose your vendors?
A. I did a lot of online research to start and then also asked around. I did not spend a great deal of time shopping or consulting with different vendors. In most cases, if I did a little research on the vendor first, when I met them, I knew they were the "ones".
Q. Both you and your groom added personal, hand made details for your day. How did these come about?
A. I saw a lot of DIY inspiration in the blogs and magazines and I wanted to add my own personal touch to the day, without being overtly DIY. So, I only did a few. My groom’s personal touches came about when we needed a solution for something and he just wanted to keep it simple by using what we already had.
Q. All of your bridesmaids had slightly different dresses. Why did you choose this?
A. I just really wanted everyone to feel special and look beautiful.
Q. What was your philosophy in investing in the details of your day (money wise)? What were the priorities for you?
A. I admit, I splurged on quite a few things. I had a budget for everything when I started out and then as little things popped up, I decided that I was OK going over budget. I also cut out a lot of things that I originally thought I wanted, which made some of the splurges easier. I was really focused on what my guests would like to see and what they wouldn’t miss at all. When it came to transportation, which was an area where I exceeded my budget, I decided I wanted to create as much convenience as possible for my friends and family. If that meant busing them from downtown so they didn’t have to rent cars, then so be it! I would say that everything was a priority but entertainment and fun was at the top of my list.
Q. Why did you choose to have your ceremony on a private property? Why did you choose the Lafayette Club for your reception?
A. At first, we really struggled with where to have the ceremony. We looked at a few local venues but nothing really stood out and matched what I had envisioned for this very important part of the day. We knew we wanted to be married outside (which brought its own natural beauty and meant we didn’t have to decorate). And we wanted to be married in place that was comfortable and meaningful to us. That ended up being my in-laws backyard, which was where we were engaged. We knew from the start that we wanted to have the reception at Lafayette Club. Both of us grew up near Lake Minnetonka, but went to college out on the east coast. For years we boasted about how amazing Minnesota was to our east coast friends and we knew we had to use this occasion to really show it off to them. Lafayette Club was the perfect venue to express why Minnesota is so beautiful and special to us.
Q. When it came to your actual wedding dress, how did you choose this? What about Eddie's tux?
A. I tried on sooooo many dresses and I liked them all! It was so hard to choose. What it came down to was really which dress matched the style of the day and which dress made me look unique and feel like a bride. Your wedding day is the one day where you get to wear a big, beautiful gown and I wasn’t going to miss out on that opportunity!
Q. Aside from your vendors, who did you collaborate with to bring your ideas to life?
A. My best friend, my mom, and my sister. These three special ladies understood my style and encouraged me every time I had a new idea. It was so much fun to have brainstorming sessions with each one of them. They all spent time listening to me, sending me inspiration, and coming up with fun ideas of their own. Collaborating with them was the best part about planning!
Q. What advice do you have for brides who are planning a stylish wedding that incorporates so many details?
A. Know what your vision is and really go for it. Every detail should have a purpose and make sure it’s worth the time and energy to get it there. Understand what your priorities are early on so you can eliminate what you don’t need and really go after what you do need. This is one of those great opportunities where you get to call the shots and be the designer, take advantage!
