A Prairie-Inspired Wedding at Schaar’s Bluff Gathering Center in Hastings, Minnesota

Margaret Hendrick (32 and a scientist) and Ashlee Cherne (29 and a lawyer) got engaged on the heels of the Supreme Court’s ruling legalizing same-sex marriage. They were visiting Ashlee’s parents in her hometown in Minnesota when Ashlee got down on one knee and proposed in the garden with a ring that had belonged to her Swedish great-grandmother. “Margaret didn’t know quite what was happening,” Ashlee says. Two months later, Margaret surprised Ashlee with a proposal of her own while at a surprise picnic lunch during a hike in Boston, where they live. They got married in Minnesota—where Ashlee grew up—at Schaar’s Bluff Gathering Center in Hastings, a venue with amazing Mississippi River views, nature trails and a focus on sustainable architecture and landscaping. “We both love the outdoors and wanted our wedding style to reflect the beauty of our venue,” Margaret says. They took a cue from Mother Nature and chose shades of blue, purple (which was also in honor of Prince, who hails from Minnesota), burnt red, yellow and ivory, reflecting the prairie flowers in bloom in early fall. The bridesmaids wore crowns of flowers, ivory tank tops and long tulle skirts in three shades of purple—“free and flowing like the wind through the long prairie grasses”—and the male attendants donned lavender shirts, navy trousers and eggplant bow ties. The Mississippi River inspired Ashlee’s striking mid-navy suit; Margaret wore a beautiful floor-length ivory gown and a flower crown of purple caspia. They kept it simple by doing their own hair and makeup. “The look we were going for was natural with a healthy glow,” Margaret says. A string quartet played as the brides’ parents escorted them down the aisle to “At Last” by Etta James. The two exchanged vows outdoors, in front of 80 guests, under a homemade birch-branch arch, decorated with a garland of eucalyptus. The party moved indoors for the reception, where a jazz band played and guests enjoyed passed appetizers and sipped wine from the Pacific Northwest (Margaret’s homeland), cider and beer from Minnesota. Later they dined on brisket, coffee barbecue chicken, black bean burgers (with a full condiment bar), lemon sponge cake and gluten-free cupcakes. A DJ kept the dance floor packed, mixing in pop hits, hip-hop, dance tunes and classic rock. At the end of the night, guests left with wildflower seed packets, tailored to where they live. “We love to garden, and flowers served as our focal decoration at our wedding, so it seemed only appropriate to give wildflowers away as a favor to our guests,” Ashlee says. Even with a few snafus (the getting-ready location was 45 minutes from the wedding site, and the couple didn’t realize Uber and Lyft didn’t serve their venue, leaving out-of-town guests waiting a long time to return to Minneapolis), the day was perfect. “It’s one of the only times that you’ll have your nearest and dearest with you, especially if you have friends and family living all over the country,” she says. “It’s a wonderful opportunity to celebrate.” —Chrissy Sorenson