1. Real Weddings

A Rustic Wedding at Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota

With leafy branch motifs on the stationery and gorgeously textured florals, Tessa Somermeyer (32 and a nurse) and Brendan McCaffrey (29 and a bakery m

With leafy branch motifs on the stationery and gorgeously textured florals, Tessa Somermeyer (32 and a nurse) and Brendan McCaffrey (29 and a bakery manager) brought the outside in for their rustic wedding. Tessa even added a little foliage to her look with a Habutai silk rose crown, cut, dyed and made by Erica Elizabeth. The blush roses definitely went with her layered silk organza Dolce & Gabbana gown and long, traditional veil. Needless to say, she looked stunning. Wild-looking roses, ferns, wildflowers, orchids and moss filled all the bouquets, and also topped all the reception tables for a woodland aura throughout Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It helped that the sculpture garden and terrance were naturally gorgeous, and the skyline room had amazing vistas of the Twin Cities. Tessa and Brendan used each space for interesting transitions from one wedding activity to the next. One of our favorite parts was the added personality, such as Tessa and Brendan's first steps as husband and wife to "The Throne Room" from "Star Wars" or their first dance to the "Top Gun" song "Take My Breath Away,” by Berlin. Talk about having fun with the day! See all our favorite steal-worthy details, beautifully captured by Liz Banfield, below.

"The dress reminded me of a flower with layer upon layer of silk organza peeling back from the center of the bodice, only to sweep forward again," Tessa says. She found this stunning Dolce & Gabbana gown in Paris, France, while she was on a trip with her mother. Although she and Brendan were not engaged, she knew that this was her dress.
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Tessa's engagement ring and wedding band were designed by her friend Denise Betesh. The bride found the jewelry designer at the Baltimore American Craft Council show and fell in love with the classic, ancient look of her rings.
"I love art nouveau, especially Alphonse Mucha," Tessa says. "Erica Elizabeth's flower crowns reminded me of some of my favorite Mucha portraits." Erica cut, dyed and arranged this Habutai silk rose crown. She finished it with long, streaming silk ribbons that draped down her back.
Since Tessa loves long, dramatic veils, she knew she had to have one. She thought her English tulle and French lace veil would be too much with the Habutai silk rose crown and her Dolce & Gabbana dress, but when she put it all on together, she was in love.
Martha's Gardens created all the floral arrangements. Garden roses, orchids, lisianthus and ferns filled Tessa's bouquet for a textured look that went with the rustic theme.
The bridesmaids wore Jenny Yoo's Aidan dresses. Two were Prussian violet and two were plum, and each lady tied the top in whatever neckline she wanted. The groomsmen wore their own black suits and white shirts. Hugo Boss ties and plum pocket squares completed their look to bring the wedding party look together.
The bridesmaids carried smaller versions of Tessa's bouquet. Martha's Gardens included roses, orchids, Queen Anne's lace, astilbes, ranunculus and hypericum berries in their arrangements for a textured, rustic look.
Epitome Papers created Tessa and Brendan's invitations. They used an ivory-colored paper with chocolate brown ink to give it an antique fairytale-book feel. Leafy branch motifs set the tone for the rustic theme.
Tessa and Brendan exchanged vows in the Garden Terrace room of the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They loved the oversize windows overlooking the terrace and the sculpture garden. With gorgeous vistas and a short ceremony, the couple kept their ceremony decor minimal. Martha’s Gardens created the small trellis wedding arbor, including potted trees, smilax vines and ribbons.
"I'm a geek and love science fiction and fantasy," Tessa says. The newlyweds took their first steps to "The Throne Room" song from "Star Wars." They loved the funky, alternative music, and their guests appreciated the added personality.
Epitome Papers created all the stationery, including the matching invitations and escort cards. They were printed on ivory paper with branchy brown typography. The table was decorated with textured florals created by Martha's Gardens, plus terrariums filled with succulents and moss.
Single roses were displayed on green sea-glass cake stands under clear-glass terrariums. Green trick dianthus, wildflowers, ferns and moss added a rustic woodland feel.
The reception tables at Walker Art Center were topped with a variety of high and low centerpieces and glass details. Ferns, green trick dianthus, roses, wildflowers and moss brought the outside in for a rustic aura.
The head table was topped with this lush green garland created by Martha's Gardens. It included white hydrangeas, green viburnum, moss, smilax vines and ferns for a rustic, woodland feel.
D'Amico Catering made dinner and dessert. Instead of a traditional wedding cake, Tessa and Brendan cut a chocolate mascarpone torte that was topped with a single succulent. Crepes filled with ricotta cheese and dipped in chocolate as well as blood orange caramel sauce also delighted guests.
Tessa and Brendan swayed to “Take My Breath Away” by Berlin for their first dance. " 'Top Gun' has always been one of my favorite movies, and that song has stuck with me," Tessa says. "I know all the lyrics and sang it during a karaoke outing on our trip to Japan when we first met."
At the reception at Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Tessa changed out of her stunning Dolce & Gabbana gown and into a Herve Leger knee-length dress. She loved the sparkly finish that glimmered under the dance-floor lights.