1. Real Weddings

Emily & Christopher: A Formal Wedding in Minneapolis, MN

Emily Colletti and Christopher Jadin were used to traveling in order to be together. They met in Green Bay, Wisconsin, but when Emily moved to Minneap

Emily Colletti and Christopher Jadin were used to traveling in order to be together. They met in Green Bay, Wisconsin, but when Emily moved to Minneapolis to jump-start her career, the two began a long-term, long-distance romance (from Green Bay to the Twin Cities, and then from Michigan to the Twin Cities when Christopher got a job transfer). The Bride Emily Colletti, 34, commercial interior designer The Groom Christopher Jadin, 34, financial adviser The Date July 23 So Christopher’s suggestion that they head to San Francisco to celebrate their birthdays together seemed natural enough, and it was there that he surprised Emily by proposing one night on the Golden Gate Bridge.

The Escort Cards
The Ceremony Decor
Emily used antique chandelier crystals to add sparkle to 40 church pew bows she made using pears and pink silk ribbon; and chandelier crystals showed up again on the glittering candelabra that graced the reception tables. Plus, the bride not only designed the wedding invitations herself, but she created table runners and 250 chair sashes in pink and green paisley for the reception area (an accomplishment she describes in one word: yikes).
The First Dance
The bride carried an opulent bouquet of three-dozen white, cream, and pale pink roses -- noting with a laugh, “it weighed a ton!”
The Favors
The Boutonniere
Besides enthusiastic toasts, the wedding also featured a five-tiered chocolate-on-chocolate cake, with a variety of fillings ranging from amaretto to Oreo, topped with a 1950s-era ceramic bride and groom. “We made the cake for 300 guests, hoping to take a bunch home, but it was all gone!” says the bride.
The Ceremony
Emily worked with her florist to design striking table arrangements using green pears, pale pink and cream roses, hydrangeas, and Queen Anne’s lace.
Given their history of conquering long distances, the 34-year-olds picked an appropriate site for their wedding reception: The Depot, a beautifully restored train station in Minneapolis.
The Reception Decor
The Reception Decor
Emily's eight bridesmaids were a picture of classic elegance in black floor-length gowns by Vera Wang, brightened by bouquets of pink roses and green hydrangeas. The bride wore a strapless hand-draped white satin duchesse ball gown by Ulla-Maija.
The cocktail hour at The Depot was held in a solarium draped with bright fabric in intense variations of the green and pink wedding colors. “I had my heart set on a color scheme of pinks and greens,” Emily says. “I wanted something romantic for the dinner area and something bright and fun for the cocktail area.”