Joyful Family Cabin Wedding Up North in Akeley, Minnesota

Leeann and John took a Marie Kondo–esque approach to wedding planning. “We asked ourselves, ‘does this inspire joy?’” Leeann says. “If not, we put no resources toward it. We ended up with a wedding that felt thoughtful.” For their day, the pair headed to what they call their “happy place,” the family cabin in Akeley. They infused their personalities into colorful details, including a display of hearts made by Leeann’s former students and petals for Leeann’s niece to toss, picked from flowers that John’s dad grew in his garden. “In the end, we smooshed together all the things that make us happy,” Leeann says.
“I had to add a cheeky teacher reference,” Leeann says. In that spirit, guests found their seats with the help of an old-fashioned chalkboard Leeann found for free. The couple honored their parents and grandparents with a traditional Chinese tea ceremony. Blue and white gingham linens, bright taper candles and red double-happiness symbols lit up the tent. “I wanted bold sprinkles in the space like confetti,” Leeann says.