A Cozy Fall Wedding at Coop's Event Barn in Dodge Center, Minnesota

Courtney Bergey (27 and a community development consultant) and James Swanson (27 and a nurse) simply wanted their wedding “to be the best dinner party we’ve ever thrown,” Courtney says. Their love of food and cooking not only influenced their arrangements, which included artichokes, olive branches and pomegranates, but also their ceremony programs: a cookbook featuring 80 family recipes. Guests submitted their favorite dishes on the RSVP card, and Courtney scanned them to compile the keepsake. Fall harvest shades of mustard, rust and mauve decorated the day, as did playful surprises like a flash mob, cotton candy machine, a bathtub full of rubber duckies and gold “X” and “O” mylar balloons. Courtney paired her wedding gown with custom gold Sven clogs and wool socks to keep warm. The ceremony was equally as cozy, with guests throwing on knitted blankets. "We wanted to welcome guests to snuggle up," the bride says. The almond Norwegian kransekake wedding cake decorated with Swedish flags made a visual statement and honored the pair’s Scandinavian heritage. Each of the 12 bridesmaids wore a different long-sleeve maxi gown—florals, prints or jewel tones. Guests took home their mini pumpkin place cards.