An Industrial Wedding at the Northern Pacific Center in Brainerd, Minnesota

Paige (25 and a registered nurse) and Joe (26 and a mechanical engineer) met in 9th grade at Brainerd High School in Minnesota and have been inseparable ever since, even through five years of college and long distance dating. When the decided to settle down together, they moved west to Boise, Idaho, where they could share their love of the great outdoors. One year later, Joe took Paige on a hike through the Sawtooth Mountain Range in Stanley, Idaho. Amid the gorgeous scenery, he popped the big question, and she enthusiastically accepted. "Even after nine years of dating, he managed to keep the proposal a secret!" says Paige. They knew they wanted an equally spectacular backdrop for their wedding, so they went back to their hometown of Brainerd and booked the Northern Pacific Center--which wasn't even a wedding venue at the time! Combining their creativity and vision, they incorporated rustic details into the industrial setting of the Old Blacksmith's Shop, which happened to have its own special significance: it was once the workplace of Paige's great grandfather.