A Colorful Al Fresco Garden Party Wedding

2022-published

Nov 13

Sarah and Jorgen’s backyard wedding was a colorful and stylish summer soirée. Hosted at the groom’s family home, their wedding day was as stunning as it was sentimental.

After a sweet engagement at their cabin — Jorgen walked Sarah to the dock and the couple’s dog, Lambeau, came up wearing a cute collar that said, “Will you marry my dad?” — the couple reached out to HappiLily Events eager to begin planning their wedding! With their busy work schedules and frequent travels, they were looking for a partner-in-planning to guide them through the full wedding planning process. We hopped on a call and immediately knew this would be a great partnership! Sarah and Jorgen hired us for Full Planning and Design and we jumped right into planning their dreamy wedding day.

Colorful florals during a wedding ceremony in the groom's backyard.

Sarah and Jorgen’s fairytale wedding was hosted at the groom’s family home. The bride had always dreamed of a sailcloth tent wedding and her future in-laws had the perfect spacious property to put one up! After a site visit with Milestone Event Rental to confirm the land was level enough and tree cover wouldn’t get in the way of the tent, we set to work finding vendors and helping the couple refine their wedding vision. With a guest list just over 250, we knew we had a lot of details and rentals to organize to ensure their guests had a fun and comfortable experience (from chairs and tables to tabletop decor and restroom trailers, we ultimately coordinated with over 20 vendors and it was a 3-day set up process at the property!). Backyard tent weddings are our FAVORITE to celebrate, but there’s also way more logistics involved than planning a wedding at a pre-existing venue. This is why Sarah and Jorgen hired us!

The groom’s family had their fair share of work to get the property wedding-ready, too; the old barn was painted from red to white and the basketball court flooring was lifted so the concrete could be power-washed for their ceremony site. Of course, it was also months of mosquito spraying, lawn watering and fertilizing, and the property’s power and gas lines had to be marked before the tent went up. Hosting a private property wedding takes a lot of effort! Luckily, the groom’s family was all in, and we provided a checklist to ensure they knew just what had to be taken care of.

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*The stunning fountain outside of the family home // HL Photo*

THE VISION

The couple’s wedding vision was romantic and summery. Taking inspiration from fruits and wildflowers, the color palette included bright, poppy pinks and oranges with soft touches of creme and blush. One of the first design decisions made was the look of the save the dates and invitation suite, which were custom-designed by Minted Weddings. The stationery featured a dainty floral pattern and monogram that we carried throughout the wedding day; the bride’s sister hand-lettered the day-of signage and created dinner menus to complement the invites, and a small floral emblem was included on the custom cocktail cups.

Bright and whimsical florals, designed by Agape Florals, filled the property with color. One of the most fun elements of the design was the “broken” ceremony arbor, which was two half-moon structures covered in colorful blooms! Dahlias and daisies made the most delicate bouquets, and reception tables were set with lush compote bowls and dainty bud vases.

To elevate the reception tent, we brought in luxury linens from BBJ La Tavola; the space felt sophisticated and luxe with textured champagne linens paired with a crisp white Sonoma napkin. Place settings included blush charger plates, matte gold flatware, and modern glassware from local Minnesota companies Linen Effects and Ultimate Events. Clementines and pears were used as place “cards” for a fun and colorful touch. Contrasting the soft and airy decor, a black-and-white checkered dance floor added a modern and stylish element to the day.

THE EXPERIENCE:

Sarah and Jorgen’s wedding day felt posh yet relaxed. When guests arrived to the property, the stunning sailcloth tent was an immediate “wow” factor. Guests were met with sparkling champagne poured by The Fab Tap (an airstream bar) while the Ovation String Quartet performed by a beautiful stone fountain.

After the welcome hour, it was ceremony time! Of course, Lambeau walked down the aisle as the ring bearer! Sarah had dreamed of walking down the aisle to “Wildest Dreams” by Taylor Swift; she made her grand entrance from the barn, escorted by both of her parents, as the quartet began to play. She was a vision in a romantic lace dress by Tara Lauren and Camellia sandals by Loeffler Randall. The groom’s grandfather officiated the ceremony and the groom’s brother and uncle performed a song written by another relative, making it even more special.

Guests mingled around the lawn during cocktail hour while the bar served custom cocktails and continued to pass champagne. With string lights everywhere from the tent and renovated barn to the backyard patio and pool, the property was glowing and guests were buzzing with energy. As we moved into dinner, guests were in awe as they entered the tent. Every detail of Sarah and Jorgen’s vision had come to life!

After several heartwarming speeches, the couple shared their First Dance to “Light in You,” performed live by singer/songwriter Matt Simons. Guests were mesmerized watching the couple slow dance to this emotional song — just as the rain began to fall! It truly felt like a scene from a movie. Then, the party really began! The bride had a fun dress change and Zach from Ambient Entertainment kept the dance floor packed all night long. As the final guests were leaving, just past midnight, the wedding party continued the fun by jumping in the pool — I wish we had more than just iPhone videos of this!