1. Real Weddings

A Funky Wedding at Aria in Minneapolis, Minnesota

Let's get funky! Molly McMillan (25 and a real estate agent) and Boston Cardinal (27 and a finance manager) definitely showed their personalities and

Let's get funky! Molly McMillan (25 and a real estate agent) and Boston Cardinal (27 and a finance manager) definitely showed their personalities and had the ultimate fun, quirky wedding. Aria in Minneapolis, Minnesota, recently transformed from a theater to an event venue, and Molly and Boston didn't look anywhere else. As soon as they walked in, they fell in love with the historical, rustic aspects—towering ceilings and brick walls—combined with modern touches—marquee letters and string lights. Aria let Molly and Boston totally customize the space, with the help of their talented wedding planner, Gretchen Culver with Rocket Science Weddings. The couple made it a priority to transport guests by flipping the room between the ceremony, cocktail hour and reception. Our personal favorite was the cocktail hour, which Molly and Boston dubbed the Cardinal Tavern in honor of their last name. Inspired by the bar they met at, William’s Uptown Pub and Peanut Bar, they smashed peanuts on the floor and served craft beer and bar food. Gelato from Fat Lorenzo's and late-night pizza from Big River Pizza Restaurant & Catering entertained taste buds. There's so much to love about this wedding—from the peach, orange, green and gray palette to the textured florals and geometric lanterns. See all our favorite details, captured by J.Stoia Portrait Design, below.

Paperista created the modern dusty green and orange invitations to set the tone for the fun, modern wedding theme. The block font combined with the more elegant typography was definitely quirky and sophisticated. Orange and dusty green also matched the colorful hues.
Munster Rose created Molly's gorgeous bridal bouquet. It included garden roses, peonies, poppies, succulents and orchids (Molly's favorite). It combined all the wedding colors—shades of orange, green and white—and kept with Molly's textured look from her Vera Wang dress.
Molly's eight bridesmaids wore J.Crew dresses. Each was a slightly different shade of gray, and they all had different necklines. The groomsmen donned gray Banana Republic slacks, white Ralph Lauren shirts and Grunion Run suspenders and ties.
Since orchids are Molly's favorite flower, she included them throughout the decor. They were in her bouquet, and Boston's boutonniere was an orange orchid. Munster Rose did an amazing job bringing Molly and Boston's vision to life and tying all the florals together without making them identical.
The bridesmaid bouquets echoed Molly's bouquet. They carried peonies, garden roses, ranunculus, succulents, astilbes and lots of greenery. The combination of pink, orange and green set the tone for the funky, colorful wedding.
"I mean, seriously, does Vera do anything wrong?" Molly says. She immediately fell in love with this Vera Wang ball gown at L'Atelier in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She loved the organic feel with its funky ruffled skirt and ruched bodice. Even more, it fit her like a glove.
The ring bearer donned a newsboy hat, white shirt and slacks from Target. He completed his look with an orange bow tie from Neiman Marcus. Since he was too young to walk down the aisle, his parents, both part of the wedding party, pulled him in a little wagon behind them.
Molly and Boston had their ceremony at Aria in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The chairs were set up in a semicircle around the altar so everyone could see the couple exchange vows. A long drape behind the altar ran down the full length of the aisle to double as a backdrop and runner.
The flower girl, Effie, walked down the aisle wearing a super-cute white dress. She carried a wooden basket filled with pink and orange rose petals, which she threw as she walked down the aisle.
Since the ring bearer was too young to walk down the aisle, his parents pulled him in a little wagon behind the flower girl. His little cart was decorated with a wooden sign that said "Here Comes the Bride" on the back.
Since Molly and Boston love fishing, they had a traditional knot-tying ceremony. Together, they used blue rope to tie one of the strongest types of knots, which was a fun demonstration of their love. The couple had an otherwise traditional Lutheran ceremony, officiated by Molly's cousin.
"What other event space would let you bring in four different food vendors and smash peanuts on the floor?" Molly says. They set the tone for the rest of the night with a super-fun cocktail hour. They lovingly dubbed the space the Cardinal Tavern in honor of their last name. To re-create the bar they met at, William’s Uptown Pub and Peanut Bar, the couple smashed peanuts on the floor and served craft beer and bar food. They even had an accordion band for complete country bar ambience.
Paperista made red and white coasters for the cocktail hour. They were the perfect touch to the couple's love of craft beer. Since Molly and Boston lovingly dubbed their party the Cardinal Tavern, they had cardinal motifs and cardinal figurines all over the room.
At the cocktail hour, Molly and Boston served mini Juicy Lucy Burgers, a Minnesota staple, along with mini beers, french fries and soft pretzels. They wanted it to feel like a bar, so they completely transformed their venue, Aria in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Molly and Boston flipped the space at Aria in Minneapolis, Minnesota, for the ceremony, cocktail hour and reception. Although the ceremony and reception were similar with the chiavari chairs, lanterns and florals decorating the space, the cocktail hour was a completely different vibe.
To create a casual feel at the reception, Molly and Boston used long farm tables for their guests. Pink lanterns, which were also used to line the ceremony aisle, decorated the tables along with short flower arrangements and plenty of candles.
Garden roses, peonies and hydrangeas topped the wooden farm tables at the reception. They added a little softness to the geometric lanterns.
Molly and Boston paired low centerpieces with taller centerpieces to add some dimension to the space at Aria in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The towering ceilings and textured walls beautifully fit the reception's rustic theme.
Molly and Boston named their reception tables with some of their favorite places, such as Excelsior and Calhoun. Each location were burned into unfinished wooden rounds, which matched the wooden farm tables and rustic lantern centerpieces.
Molly and Boston's cake was very modest. It was a two-tier red velvet confection created by D'Amico Catering. In honor of their last name, the textured buttercream was topped with two red cardinals. They also served passion fruit doughnuts, cookies, brownies and coffee.
"Brett Dorrian is the goddess of bridal hair and makeup," Molly says. "Seriously, a genius." She wanted her hair to be beautiful and casual to reflect her dress, and Brett did exactly that. He styled her hair in a low side bun and finished it with an oversize white flower.