Ellen and Greg’s wedding was the kind that makes your heart linger—layered in meaning, tradition, and joy. From their ceremony in the same church where Ellen’s parents were married to the stunning lakefront portraits at frozen Lake Harriet, their day was a true reflection of what mattered most: family, memories, and a shared history.
Even in the frigid Minnesota January weather, the sun broke through at just the right moment to cast a golden glow over their portraits by the lake. It was the kind of light you can’t plan for but hope finds you—especially when you’re standing in a place that holds so many personal memories. Their wedding party braved the cold alongside them with laughter and warmth, setting the tone for a celebration that was both elegant and deeply heartfelt.
Perhaps one of the most touching moments came during the reception, when Ellen surprised guests by changing into her grandmother’s wedding dress—a delicate vintage gown lovingly preserved through generations. She even framed a sketch of the dress alongside a story for guests to read beforehand, allowing the moment to unfold with intentionality and sweetness. It was a celebration of legacy, love, and the kind of beauty that never goes out of style.
One of the sweetest details from their day was when Ellen changed into her grandmothers wedding dress for her reception. The timeless details of the dress were so delicate and beautiful, and you could tell her grandmothers heart was warmed at seeing her grand daughter in the dress! As part of the reception decor, Ellen wrote a little story and then framed it with a drawing of her grandmothers dress – letting guests anticipate the surprise to come! It was so sweet and perfect for Ellen and Greg’s timeless wedding. – Reyna Meinhardt
Tell us a funny story relating to your wedding day or relationship!
Greg is very handy and wanted to contribute something personal to the wedding decor with his woodworking skills. We were struggling to find a seating assignment display that I liked and found an old bathroom mirror in my parents’ garage. I asked Greg if he could build a frame to go around it, thinking it would be a quick flip and we could sell it after the wedding. What started out as a simple “don’t spend much money on it, just buy some trim at the hardware store” turned into two months of blood, sweat, and one complete restart of the project (that was very much downplayed to me). Three days before the wedding, the frame was complete and I got a text that said “I decided I want to keep the mirror forever. I have become emotionally attached to it.” It is now a family heirloom.
Any special ways you incorporated your family or family history into your wedding day?
I had the honor and privilege of wearing my mom’s wedding dress for our rehearsal dinner and my grandma’s wedding dress for our reception. I had always been enamored with their dresses growing up and dreamed of looking as beautiful as them on my own wedding day. We got married at the same church and almost 37 years to the day after my parents, so it was incredibly special to wear her dress and recreate some moments, and taking pictures with my grandma while wearing her dress is a memory I’ll cherish.
What part of your wedding day was/is most important to you?
Between the ceremony and the reception, we rode a trolley to the 50th and France movie theater with our wedding party to get a celebratory drink at the Gold Room Bar upstairs. We had the bar to ourselves and got to spend a half hour relaxing, laughing, and cheers-ing with our favorite people. It was a perfect intermission between the day’s events.
What was your favorite part about planning your wedding?
Our favorite part of wedding planning was absolutely the food! One of our favorite things to do together is try new restaurants and indulge in good food and drink, so we wanted to make sure our guests were well fed. The very first thing I booked was Coffee Cart MPLS, and we spent months making selections for our dessert bar with pastries and desserts from places we love. Our hors d’oeuvres, entrees, and late night flatbreads were made in house at Edina Country Club and they did a great job. It has been so wonderful to hear our guests favorite treats from the day!
Photography / Sea Circus Weddings / https://www.seacircusweddings.com/ / @seacircusweddings
Florist / Haute House Studio / https://www.hautehousestudio.com/@hautehousestudio
Bridal Shop / Wedding Shoppe Inc/ https://www.weddingshoppeinc.com /@weddingshoppeinc
Ceremony Venue / Mt. Olivet Church / https://mtolivet.org/ / @mtolivet
Reception Venue / Edina Country Club / https://edinacountryclub.org/ / @edinacountryclub
Dj / Joshua Berwald Dj / @joshuaberwalddj
Coffee Vendor / Coffee Cart Minneapolis / https://www.coffeecartmpls.com/ / @coffeecartmpls
Makeup / Mackenzie Fotier / https://mackenziefortiermua.com// @mackenziefortier_multimediamua
Hair / Hair by Hannah Minneapolis / https://hairbyhannahmpls.com/ / @_hairbyhannahmpls
Jeweler / Knox Jewelry / https://www.knoxjewelers.biz/ / @knoxjewelers
Desserts / Caffe Latte / https://www.cafelatte.com/ / @caffelattemn
Desserts / Angel Food Mn / https://www.angelfoodmn.com/ / @angelfoodmn
Desserts / Kowalskis / www.kowalskis.com / @kowalskis_markets
Desserts / Aki’s Breadhaus / https://akisbreadhaus.com// @akis_breadhaus
Publisher at The White Wren and Bajan Wed, Award Winning Photography + Videographer at Live View Studios, Dad, 80s music lover, crunchy health advocate
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