Minnesota History Center St Paul Wedding: Jill + Andy

Jill and Andy had a gorgeous wedding at the Minnesota History Center! I love all weddings but growing up working in my grandparents architectural firm, beautiful venues with great architecture is my happy place! Jill and Andy chose their venue because of it’s architectural beauty and great views.

Read more about their day, how they planned for it, and what stood out for them in their own words below.

HOW DID YOU MEET AND FALL IN LOVE?

We first met when Jill was applying to a graduate program at the U. Andy was the program coordinator and was her main contact, helping her apply. Jill had lots of time to communicate with him, as she applied to the program 3 times, and got in all three times, but said no twice to continue living in Spain (on a Fulbright). During that time we would joke around and innocently flirt over email. When Jill finally did attend grad school at Andy’s program, they got to know each other and soon began dating. We kept it a secret because it was frowned upon for Andy to date the grad students.

HOW DID YOU CHOOSE YOUR VENUE?

We were looking for a big venue for around 250 people that had a lot of architectural beauty. We chose the Minnesota History Center for its size, the beautiful view of the capital from the ceremony space, and the flexibility of the space.

THOUGHTS LEADING UP TO THE DAY?

I was excited, but nervous that I would forget something important! Luckily, once the day started, I was a lot calmer and just enjoyed the day.

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF THE DAY?

My favorite part of the day was when the ceremony had just finished, and we were recessing to the cocktail hour. I was overwhelmed seeing all of the people who came out to celebrate with us as we left the ceremony.

My other favorite part of the day was grand march (is that what it’s called? Entering the dinner after the cocktail hour?). Just seeing so many people I haven’t seen in years come from all over the country was overwhelming.

WHAT IS EACH OF YOUR FAVORITE IMAGE FROM THE WEDDING? WHAT MAKES IT YOUR FAVORITE?

My favorite image from the wedding is the picture of Andy and I laughing during the first look. It is my favorite because it really captures what we are like when we are together. We are always cracking jokes and trying to make each other laugh, and you can tell that our smiles are truly genuine in that pictures.

I like the one where we’re kissing in front of the Landmark building. We liked it so much that it’s the cover to our wedding album book.

WHAT IS YOUR BEST ADVICE TO ANYONE PLANNING A WEDDING?

Keep it simple! All the little details that seem important to you while you are planning (i.e. centerpieces, table numbers, trays for the dessert) are not the biggest part of the day, and some people might not even notice all the hard work you put into them. Choose the things that are really important to you and spend your time on those things instead of stressing over every detail. Also, make a new wedding email address for all of your wedding planning. It helps to have everything all in one spot.