1. Real Weddings

Courtney & Charlie: An Indoor Wedding in Lakeville, MN

Courtney Deutsch and Charlie Gruber had just closed on their first house, and Charlie had just returned from competing in the Olympic Games in Athens,

Courtney Deutsch and Charlie Gruber had just closed on their first house, and Charlie had just returned from competing in the Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. For many couples, that’d be enough for one busy summer, but Charlie had a few more goals to reach. The Bride Courtney Deutschnow, 25, store manager The Groom Charlie Gruber, 27, professional runner The Date September 17 As Courtney recalls, one night Charlie led her on a romantic scavenger hunt through their new home. “In each room I had to light a candle and collect a white rose,” she remembers. “By the end of the hunt, the old, empty house was filled with candlelight.” Then Charlie went down on a knee and slipped a ring on her finger. “It was perfect,” Courtney says. The pair -- who’d originally met on their college track team -- soon began planning a wedding in Courtney’s hometown of Prior Lake.

The groomsmen were given running shoes customized to match the wedding colors: chocolate-brown and robin’s egg blue.
The Bridal Bouquet
I love chocolate martinis, so I wanted that to be our signature drink, Courtney explains. From there, the wedding’s sumptuous chocolate theme fell into place. Chocolate-scented candles lit the reception room at the Brackett’s Crossing Country Club, and a chocolate dessert buffet featured mini chocolate cheesecakes and tarts, chocolate truffles, a chocolate fountain, and even chocolate chip cookies with shots of milk!
Courtney and Charlie's cake went right along with their chocolate-brown and robin's egg blue color scheme. They cut into a five-tiered square chocolate cake decoraged with a chic robin's egg blue design.
The Ceremony Decor
The Invitations
The First Dance
The wedding party (including the bride and groom’s pooch) took a trolley from the church to various sites for pictures before heading to the reception.
The Reception
Brackett’s Crossing Country Club served a buffet dinner of chicken and prime rib, which was followed later in the evening by the chocolate dessert bar.
The Boutonniere
Courtney’s four bridesmaids wore full-length Vera Wang gowns with mermaid silhouettes in chocolate-brown.