Saint Thomas More/Hamline University Wedding

On May 16, 2015 I had the pleasure of being the planner for a lovely couple, Brandon and Evelyn! They hosted their wedding at St. Thomas More Catholic Church and the reception at the Kay Fredericks Ballroom on the Hamline University campus.

The St. Thomas More Catholic Church is absolutely stunning! It has high arched ceilings, intricate tile work and very cool architecture. Perfect for getting those artistic shots! The Kay Frederick Ballroom was a natural choice to host their reception because it is Brandon's Alma Mater and it is located only fifteen minutes from the church. It boasts beautiful views through its' floor to ceiling windows and has a spacious layout.

Both Brandon and Evelyn are a lively couple, and they really wanted to have some unique elements that encompasses who they are. I think we did a great job of merging Evelyn's love for soft color palettes with Brandon's exuberant, fun loving personality.

Evelyn chose a dusty rose color for the bridesmaid dresses with a flowing, chiffon fabric. She wanted to have a very romantic feel to her wedding reception. The Kay Fredericks Ballroom is a very cool space, but it is a bit modern so we decided to create a softer aesthetic by using lighted ceiling swags provided by Avant Decor. They can transform virtually any space from ho-hum to OMG!!!

  For floral we went with a traditional flower combination of hydrangeas, roses and baby's breath. Evelyn wanted to have a few "bling accents" so Carol Kushke of Bellagala Floral included crystal water beads to spread at the base of each centerpiece. The way the candlelight played off of them was gorgeous! It was the perfect amount of sparkle.

Brandon's contribution to the wedding were a couple of very unique ideas. Instead of having guests sign a traditional guest book, he wanted them to sign a Jenga game piece and finish by stacking them! I thought it was such a fun way to get many well wishes and signatures. Plus it is a very cool keepsake for after the wedding! They also did a non traditional escort card by using small frames with the name and table number etched on each one.


The evening ended with everyone shaking it on the dance floor to the cool tunes of The Covers. This band is seriously awesome! They have a huge repertoire that spans decades and I was impressed that they knew quite a few songs from today. Their rendition of "Uptown Funk" had literally everyone on the dance floor.

Of course, the lovely photographs that you're seeing are from Patrick Clancy Photography. He did a superb job and I'm so happy to share his work with all of you. He has years of experience dealing with the restrictions of churches, and that is a huge bonus!

Well, ta-ta, for now. I will keep you posted on the many weddings to come.

Happy planning!







*This wedding was contract work that I did as a Bellagala Event Planner. It was a wonderful experience! :)

VENDOR CREDITS: ST. THOMAS MORE CATHOLIC CHURCH, HAMLINE'S KAY FREDERICKS BALLROOM, HAMLINE CATERING SERVICES, BELLAGALA FLORAL, BELLAGALA EVENT PLANNING, THE COVERS - BAND, PATRICK CLANCY PHOTOGRAPHY