We’re bringing out our Wednesday’s finest with this romantic wedding! Peonies are kind of our unofficial flower here at Belle The Magazine, so there's no denying this beauty by Erin Johnson Photography instantly caught our eye. This bride in her Sottero and Midgley gown was rocking a gorgeous peony bouquet that matched her centerpieces to perfection. And can we just say, she looked flawless? Set in downtown Minneapolis, it's a true wedding work of art thanks to the thoughtful stylings of Kismet Event Group. Join us for the entire affair sitting pretty in the FULL GALLERY.
From the Bride…
1. What is your story as a couple?
We met at our friend's 30th birthday party. At the time, Kelly thought Tony was super cute, but he was off the market. Fast forward 9 months and we ran into each other again at the same friend's going away party. Tony asked Kelly out and we went on our first date the following week. The day after our first date, Kelly left for Greece on a trip with her family. We reconnected when she returned. Two years later we went on our own trip to Greece, where Tony popped the question–only 5 days after Kelly's brother proposed to his girlfriend! We got engaged on the balcony of our hotel room in Crete! That hotel (the Porto Veneziano) has a very special place in our hearts and we hope to return to it someday soon. Tony and I are both close with our families, so we have really enjoyed this time celebrating with them!
2. What made you chose your venue(s)?
Kelly grew up in the Greek Orthodox Church and Tony is actually converting to Orthodoxy the Sunday before our wedding. He decided in January that he was going to convert. We chose the Radisson Blu as we wanted somewhere downtown where people could walk to their hotel rooms at the end of the night. We also needed somewhere to hold the over 400 people we invited!
3. What inspired your wedding day outfits?
Kelly wanted something that was romantic and classic but also had its own flair. Tony wanted to wear something classic and traditional
4. What inspired your wedding decor? Why did you choose the things that you did?
The reception hall at the Radisson Blu is very white and sterile, but it allows for you to decorate it however you want. We wanted to bring in some color and warmth to the room. We also picked the flowers as Kelly loves the look of tall flowers kind of “hanging” out of a vase. We wanted something different.
5. Did you have any Do it Yourself {DIY} projects? If so, can you describe them in detail?
We did our own wedding favors. It's Greek tradition get a bunch of girls together to make the boutonnieres (jordan almond favors) so we got the materials on Amazon, Michaels and we ordered the koufeta (Jordan almonds) from a store in California. We had all the girls over to Kelly's mom's for dinner and made them in one night. We will also see if this happens, but I really wanted to have wine corks as the name card holders. My cousin tested them out and he took sandpaper and rubbed the cork until it was flat. He then took a razor blade and cut a slit in the wine cork and it held a sample card. We are hoping to get those done before the wedding, but we will see if that happens. 🙂 Other than that, we are not crafty enough to do anything else!
VENDORS
Photographer: Erin Johnson Photography // Calligrapher: Aggie Koutroupas // Invitation Designer: Carlson Craft // DJ: Chris Ploumitsakos // Tuxedo and Mens Attire: Heimie's Haberdashery // Event Planner: Kismet Event Group // Linens and Coverings: Linen Effects // Hair Stylist: Nicole Twito // Makeup Artist:Nicole Twito // Dress Store: Posh bridal couture // Cake Designer: Queen of Cakes // Event Venue:Radisson Blu Minneapolis Downtown // Dress Designer: Sottero and Midgley // Floral Designer: Zinnia Design Florals
