It’s no secret: planning a wedding is a LOT. Between finding vendors, selecting the picture-perfect venue, coordinating the day’s schedule, and getting spiffy for The Big Day, the growing to-do list can feel pretty daunting. 

But let’s forget about that list for a second, shall we? 

Because the single most important thing you can do prior to your wedding day and throughout the planning stages is this– Set the sweetest of intentions. By giving yourselves a True North to stick to, every single aspect of your day will unwaveringly align with what you value most as a couple. 

For Maggie and Matt and their cabin wedding in Walker, Minnesota, all that mattered was marveling in the literal love of their lifetime, having an absolute BALL with their people, and officially tying the knot (of course!). At the end of the day, they wanted to be darn certain that they had squeezed every ounce of joy out of one of the most important days of their lives, from sun up to sun down. 

And that’s exactly what they did.

VENDORS | Florist: TJ’s Floral | DJ: DJ Obie | Her Dress: Hope’s Bridal in Quad Cities, Iowa | His Suit: Men’s Wearhouse | Dessert: Whitey’s Ice Cream | Food: Green Scene Pizza, Village Square Pizza & Ice Cream Parlor, Benson’s Eating and Drinking Emporium

It’s All In the Details

Maggie and Matt planned a day that was solely focused on their forever-and-a-day love, surrounding themselves with sixty of their closest friends and family. It was their priority to set the intention for their wedding day long before the day itself, so as not to lose sight of what they wanted their wedding to truly be about: the fact that this was a celebration of their real-life love story.

They envisioned a wedding that shouted ‘Hey, we found our forever humans, and that’s pretty freaking cool!’ from the lakeshore. Each and every detail, from every intimate kiss on the cheek during their first dance to those dreamy hues of lakefront-blues was choreographed with so much purpose.

It all started with picking a venue that was near and dear to their hearts… And Matt’s family’s stunning A-frame cabin, set right on the edge of Leech Lake in Walker, Minnesota, was the obvious choice. It overlooked the sparkling water where Maggie and Matt had spent many summers together and where Matt had gotten down on one knee and popped the Big Question that would kick off their forever-and-ever-after. (Sweetness in their story, INDEED!)

Before I even got to the cabin, Maggie and Matt had already had a slow morning, complete with steaming mugs of coffee, reading letters to each other, and soaking in that oh-my-gosh-can-you-believe-we-get-to-marry-each-other-today bliss. It set the tone for what was to be an intimate day centered entirely around the love that they had for each other. 

Nothing more, nothing less, and nothing short of perfect.  

Then, Maggie and her closest girlfriends all got ready together and did each other’s hair and makeup. Although she didn’t have a traditional wedding party, it was so sweet to see all the girls getting ready together, like they had for so many moments of their lives before.

Maggie’s mom helped her step into her stuuuunning dress (that button detailing though; like, are we KIDDING?!), and Maggie strapped on the gorg shoes that would take her down the aisle to say ‘I do.’ Finally, she put on the finishing touches with the help of her flower girl, who marveled at a bride that simply had to have stepped straight out of her most well-loved fairytale.

Maggie was a real-life princess on her way to marry her real-life prince in her real-life once-upon-a-time. It really was the most special and heartfelt morning. 

Now, let’s talk details. 

There was intention behind everything. I mean, Maggie’s Pinterest board came to LIFE on her wedding day. 

From Maggie wearing her sister-in-law’s veil to having her best friends’ dresses be her ‘something blue(s)’,  from the silhouette of the lake setting the scene to literally hauling Whitey’s Ice Cream (to die for, by the way) from their home in Iowa: Their wedding day details were one-of-a-kind. It matched their vibe, totally and completely.

Lakeside ‘I Do’ in Walker, Minnesota

It was then time for Maggie and Matt’s intimate first look. Matt was waiting, back turned, suited and booted to perfection, waiting on the staircase that they had traipsed barefoot so many summers before. Maggie descended in true Cinderella fashion, and the ear-to-ear smile I captured when Matt turned around to see the woman that was going to be his wife was something ELSE. It was storybook worthy.

Then came the ceremony. The weather was dreamy, sunny and 72º, complete with the puffiest white clouds that were giving big main character energy. It was all too perfect. (And we probably owe it to burying that bottle of good luck bourbon one month before The Big Day.)

Because Maggie and Matt didn’t have a traditional wedding party, it was just the two of them and the officiant standing at the Walker, Minnesota waterfront. It aligned with that ever so important intention they had set from the get-go: that this day was to focus on their love and the support of the people surrounding them. 

One of my favorite photos from their gallery is the two of them standing hand-in-hand, saying, ‘Yes!’ to forever, while their wedding guests beamed up at them. Not only can you see the expressions on each and every guests’ face, you can feel how much love their people have for them. Add the cabin overlooking the ceremony and you’ve got yourself a cinematic photographer’s DREAM. (It’s my dream, hi). 

And although I came awfully close to needing my very own paddle boat and inflatable orange life vest to get the shot (if you’re trying to picture it… no you’re not), it was oh-so-worth-it to capture such a precious moment in one single frame.

Party, People!

Cocktail hour arrived and, at this point, people were starting to get a little bit hungry. And then… a lotta bit hungry. It became apparent that the food truck that was supposed to cater the wedding was, well… not coming anytime soon. 

While it might have seemed like time to panic, the couple and their strictly business MOH kept their cool and jumped into action. As with any top tier rom-com, the conflicts, the snafus, and the chaotic-what-have-yous are inevitable.

But every good rom-com also has a predictability that you can count on. Even when things are seemingly going awry, it always works out even better than the on-screen couple could have ever imagined.

For example: In The Holiday, the girl who has been trying to cry for a few decades leaves her British beau to catch a flight? She finally sheds a few tears and sprints through the snowy English countryside in her heels. (I mean, who wouldn’t for Jude Law? If you haven’t seen it… ‘tis the season).

And, in Love Actually, the little boy who just wants to impress his musically inclined crush but can’t even play the drums? He miraculously crushes the school’s talent show’s rendition of All I Want For Christmas is You, winning the girl over with his eager-to-please, cheeky grin.

And in Maggie and Matt’s very own romantic comedy in Walker, Minnesota, when the food truck happened to be MIA? While it was lowkey traumatizing for the planning committee, it probably wasn’t as vibey as a pizza party anyway!

No, but seriously, have you ever even seen more of a vibe than Maggie’s mom, beer in one hand, pizza in the other? There’s just something so freeing about walking around with a slice of pizza without a plate. (We’ve all dreamed of it, right?! I mean, that’s living.)

It was messy. It was authentic. And it was a PARTY. 

With all their people in one place and DJ Obie— who, second to my husband, is now my favorite man on the planet– setting the soundtrack, it was time to dance. The dance floor was packed all night; the Conga line assumed formation; the string lights were doing their thing; and every guest got their groove on. 

It was straight out of a movie. I’m not even kidding when I say it rivaled Grease’s iconic ‘Born to Hand Jive’ energy.

Needless to say: vibes were vibing.

We ended the night with a sunset lake cruise during golden hour, as the rays dipped just below the tree line. Maggie and Matt took something that they did every night of their summers at the cabin in Walker, Minnesota and made it that much more special by honoring it on their wedding day. It was so simple, but so specific to their story.

Between the way the light illuminated Maggie’s billowing veil, their faces as they reveled in that hell-yes-we-did-the-damn-thing giddiness, and the sheer radiance on the faces of the groom’s parents as they co-captained the pontoon (a love done right, in their own right)– it was literally everything. 

From start to finish, Maggie and Matt’s day was a cinematic masterpiece. It was their wedding, their way– an intimate celebration of a love that lasts.