Wedding at Paikka in St.Paul : Gretchen+Griffin
This was a beautiful wedding at Paikka in St Paul . I know I’m not supposed to have favorites, but Gretchen and Griffin’s wedding was one of my favorites! It was one of those days that was full of sentimentality, connection, joy, fun and romance! They planned the first look at Lake of the Isles at the exact place that Griffin proposed!
As told by Griffin
How did you meet and fall in love?
We met at a party in college. I was wearing an obnoxious yellow suit jacket and Gretchen thought “he must be fun.”
How did you choose your venue?
We liked the laid back vibe and the contemporary feel and decided to have our wedding at Paikka in St Paul, in addition to the flexibility of bringing in our own food – Black Sleep Pizza!
What were your thoughts leading up to your wedding day?
We were excited to make it official! We’ve built a strong relationship over the past 9 years and this is the icing on the cake!
What was your favorite part of the day?
Our ceremony was our favorite because it felt like it was just the two of us there.
What is your favorite image from your wedding day and what makes it your favorite?
It’s very tough to choose just one, but probably the image of the two of us celebrating at the very end of the ceremony
Is there anything that you would change?
We thought we could beat the system to save costs by choosing to have our wedding at Paikka in St. Paul where we could bring in our own food and beverage, but ended up still paying the same amount as if we’d gone the “full service” venue route. Gretchen ended up spending so much time coordinating, as well as our friends and family. A day of wedding coordinator would’ve been worth it too.
What is your best advice to anyone planning a wedding?
Make it about your relationship and focus on what matters most because you’re not marrying a dress or a tux or an appetizer or a playlist. You’re marrying each other.
And always hire the second shooter! 🙂
Why did you choose Emmerlee?
We trusted that she appreciated the important things about a wedding such as love, commitment, partnership – as much as we do. It didn’t feel like we were “just another wedding” to her.
Vendors:
Day of Coordinator: Katie Stifter-Hire A Host
Pete Sample-Exceptional Transportation
Catering: Black Sheep Pizza
Venue: PAIKKA
