A Western-Boho Spring Wedding at the Dakota Lodge

May 1

After getting engaged just before Christmas, Mariah and Danny came to HappiLily Events with a shorter planning timeline, as Danny serves in the military and was needed for duty soon after April. We quickly got to work planning their spring wedding!

The couple wanted their wedding to have a relaxed, western-boho vibe without feeling overly rustic; their rule was no countryside barns and they hoped to celebrate close to the cities. With a casual rustic and woodsy ambiance and prime location in St. Paul, The Dakota Lodge was perfect for their vision.

THE DESIGN

Mariah and Danny wanted to embrace a bit of a fall-inspired color palette so attire, florals, and decor leaned into rich terracotta and rust tones, which complimented the venue’s aesthetic well. For that boho flair, the couple used dried florals and decor included beer growlers, macrame-wrapped candle jars, and a macrame hanging arbor hand-made by the bride and her bridesmaids.

Tables were set with gold charger plates and terracotta napkins, and tiny jars of ground coffee sat at each place setting from the couple’s favorite coffee roaster. To elevate the space, the couple rented wooden crossback chairs, a cozy lounge set with plush pillows and blankets, and even furnished the getting-ready areas with a set up from Dream Day Dressing Rooms.

THE ATTIRE

Mariah wore a simple but stunning dress, designed with dainty lace details. She completed her outfit with fun white cowgirl boots and also had a “Bride” jean jacket with jewels. Bridesmaids wore terracotta dresses that matched the color pops in their bouquets, and the groom and his groomsmen wore suspenders and bowties. Danny later wore a cowboy hat with “Groom” bejeweled on it!

A MEMORABLE GRAND EXIT

For their grand exit, guests threw paper airplanes at the couple as a nod to Danny’s service in the airforce. It was a fun and unique way to include guests in their day!