Paige and Ryan love the Minnesota State Fair. The slogan is The Great Minnesota Get-Together so they nicknamed their wedding The Great Ryan & Paige Get-Together.

The couple’s choice of venue was a former movie theatre, built in 1915, now repurposed as an event space. They designed movie posters that featured one of their engagement photos taken at the fair to display outside. “Our inspiration was us,” Paige said. “We wanted to incorporate as many elements of our relationship as possible.”

They started the day by doing a first look at the brewery where they had other first date. “We wanted it to be authentic and candid”, Paige said. “It was also so lovely to share a drink together just the two of us before the insanity started.”

Paige, marrying for the second time, opted to walk herself down the aisle. The bouquet and garter tosses, and the father/ daughter dance were skipped entirely. “They just seemed unnecessary as I did them the first time around. They weren’t missed,” she said.

What they wanted from the day was for it to be playful yet with a moody and glam colour palette. The bride wanted to feel like a disco ball and chose a sequinned gold dress which sparkled all day long! Ryan, determined to be just as bold, wore a teal tux with a floral vest and lining.

The reception was filled with details that made the night feel uniquely theirs. A temporary tattoo station allowed guests to wear replicas of the couple’s own tattoos (grilled cheeses!) leading to some creative placements (on bald heads, foreheads, and necks!) The photo booth was a huge hit and their first dance was a choreographed routine to Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now by Starship. By the end of the song, the dance floor was packed.

Paige and Ryan questioned a lot of what’s considered standard in weddings and left a lot of traditional things out which didn’t resonate. “Just because something is tradition doesn’t mean you have to do it,” Paige said. “There are no ‘shoulds’ or ‘have-tos.’ There are things we wish could have done more of, like more florals and plated meals, but it was simply not in our budget. We were able to have the wedding we wanted to have and could afford. It can be difficult to not play the comparison game when looking at other weddings on social media but we don’t have any regrets. Not everything needs to be trendy, but it should represent you.”